Eden Conquered (Dividing Eden, #2) by Joelle Charbonneau

Eden Conquered is the continuing saga from the book Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau. Told by alternating narratives of twins Prince Andreus and Princess Carys, we continue the story of the once tight pair torn apart through the lies and deceit of those surrounding the duo as they battle out the Trials of Virtuous Succession after their father and older brother are assassinated. Someone must be crowned ruler, and Andreus, believing the whispers of the seer (and his lover) Imogen, is determined to be the next King.

In this second book of the series, racked with guilt over the death of his twin, Andreus takes the throne amidst the politicking of the elders, not knowing whose advice to follow as nobody in the court seems trustworthy. To make matters worse, the populist, which favored Carys, is unhappy with the current state of affairs and life is about to take a turn for the worse since the winds appear to be failing and without their strength The Palace of Winds will lose its protection allowing their enemies access to the Kingdom of Eden.

In the meantime, the still alive Princess Carys has escaped and is on the run with her childhood friend Larkin and two protectors (who are often at odds) Errik and Lord Garret. She is unsure whose advice to follow, doubting their loyalty despite her physical attraction to them both. As they travel, Carys discovers that her special powers are growing stronger, necessitating a need to develop some sort of control or risk destroying everything in her path. To complicate matters the Xhelozi, a sort of zombie like boogie men, are on the loose, traveling far from their normal realm as the prevailing winds which normally keep them at bay are losing the power to contain the beasts. Despite her difficulties, Carys, who had previously looked out for her twin brother, is concerned for his well being, conflicting with her rage and the need for revenge.

This book was a quick, easy read in spite of the many questions the reader might have surrounding this fantasy world. Unfortunately, giving away too many details would spoil the surprise ending, although I cannot believe this is the conclusion to the Dividing Eden series since there are numerous loose ends which need some sort of resolution and too many questions left unanswered. In order to fill in some of the gaps, Carbonneau wrote two short stories, Into the Garden, the story of Lady Beatrice, and Forbidden Fruit, featuring Graylem, the first which is a prequel and the second which occurs between the two novels. Definitely worth a look see.

Three and a half stars and a thank you to Edelweiss for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tales of India: Folktales from Bengal, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu Illustrated by Svabhu Kohl and Viplov Singh

Tales of India: Folktales from Bengal, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu consists of sixteen stories from the late 1800s through the early 1900s retold and illustrated by Svabhu Kohl and Viplov Singh. These public domain titles repeated over the years by the English and Native inhabitants of India, follow the traditional style we expect when reading old fairy tales. Full of magic, talking animals, evil doers, love, betrayal, kings and queens, kidnappings, rescues, and heroes who are able to overcome adversity through their cleverness, they are sure to delight the lovers of folk lore. With some colorful end pages consisting of a floral pattern alternating yellow, green, pink, orange, red, blue designs, which attractively gives off a sense of ease, the tone is set for the narratives the reader is about to experience.

There are three sections – Animal Tales, Outwitting and Outwitted, and Life and Death, with each story beginning with a “framed” illustration full of color and whimsy which provides an inkling of the subject matter of that particular tale. There are a variety of adventures lasting between three and ten pages including The Bengal story, The Brahman Girl Who Married A Tiger, featuring a young girl who is tricked into marrying a tiger and has to be rescued by her brothers; the Punjab folk lore, The King and the Robbers, which tells about a disguised king on a lark who joins a group of thieves and ends up raiding his own palace treasures, each individual contributing their unique special talent; and the Tamil Nadu tale, The Beggar and the Five Muffins, about a couple who are almost burned alive for the sake of an extra serving of dinner. This book would be the perfect addition to any collection of folk and fairy tales.

Four stars and a thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

In the past, the mass media has presented only one type of norm, the perfect family situation with a husband, wife, and two to three somewhat “ordinary” children. Unfortunately, reality doesn’t match this utopia, so those on the “outside” are made to feel inconsequential for not meeting this ideal. Recently there has been a turnabout with books, television, movies, and even the news, celebrating a diversity of practices. With this change has come an acknowledgement of the LGBTQ community who continue to fight for a positive affirmation. While we aren’t quite there yet, it’s important that literature for children reflect this dynamic so the next generation grows up with a receptive perception of these “alternative” lifestyles which are actually quite common place. Even more important is to develop a prevailing existence of role models who reflect the reader’s intrinsic sensibilities so that they, too, can proudly hold their heads high without hiding their innate psyches.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang is just such a book. Taking place in Paris where the first mega department store is going to open, the King and Queen of Brussels are visiting their French cousin with their sixteen year old son, Prince Sebastian. The King is pushing for his son to marry, even at this young age, to secure the future throne. He is even being allowed to choose which of the eligible ladies would suit him best, as compared to his parents’ arranged marriage. Sebastian, however, has a secret which he fears will embarrass his family and any future spouse. He loves fashion, and not just any fashion, but women’s clothing – the more outlandish the better! So when he sees an unusual, but creative style garment at his introductory ball, he sends for the seamstress with an eye for such spectacular design, so she can develop similar avante garde creations for himself to wear.

Frances is excited to design for royalty, even if the fabulous dresses are for the prince. Together they go out into society, he under the persona of Lady Crystallia who becomes a trendsetter in the Paris Fashion World, she as his designer. As Sebastian’s fame grows, so does his worries of being discovered, forcing him to distance himself from Frances despite their budding attraction and close friendship. Although she loves Sebastian for who he is, she also needs to pursue her dreams of becoming a noted couturier.

How this tale is resolved is heartwarming, despite some emotional drama. Will his parents reject a son who does not meet their expectations? Can society accept a cross dresser as royalty? Does Sebastian need to suppress the Lady Crystallia inside or can he continue going out in public showing his authentic self? Can he find true love outside the normal aristocratic channels? And can Frances develop avant garde creations using her genuine talents or must she suppress her inner genius and conform to the norms dictated by the rules of French Fashion?

This is some heavy stuff for a graphic novel, beautifully written and illustrated by Wang who is often able to advance the storyline just with her drawings, letting the expressive faces tell the tale without any words. The color pops, the fashion stuns, the storyline surprises, the ending positively resolves a touchy subject. The cartoon like illustrations lend themselves towards middle school, although older students will also appreciate the gender fluid, transvestite subject matter.

Four stars and a thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell

Betsy Cornwell was born in New Hampshire, but currently resides overseas with her horse-trainer husband, and it’s the mystique of Ireland which has infiltrated the fanciful tale called Mechanica. At twenty seven, Cornwell has not forgotten her childhood, as she embues life into her youthful characters. Mechanica is Nicolette Delacourt Lampton’s story beginning in her early years when she is trained by her engineering mother instead of being forced into the traditional schooling of her peers. At a young age she is able to repair the fanciful creations of her mom, Margot, which her father, William, sells at an exhorbitant price to the curious. You see, her mom has magic in her touch, faerie magic, which makes her creations of delightful, winged insects come alive. Ironically, it is the fey croup which eventually kills her, the one whose only cure is the forbidden Lovesbane. After the Queen’s death from an overdose of this medication (more than a few drops is fatal), magic was banished from the realm. William, swayed by the hysteria, rejects all things fey and refuses to purchase this expensive item from the black market as he helplessly watches his wife die. The nine year old Nicolette is devastated by this loss, but continues to practice the craft her mother had taught her under the supervision of Mr Candery, the half faerie housekeeper/nursemaid, until the day her father brings home a new wife, Lady Halving, and her two beautiful daughters, Piety and Chastity, to Lampton Manor. Nicolette’s excitement on acquiring two playmates quality dissipates as her step sisters immediately show their scorn at her attempts at welcome and decide to mockingly refer to her as Nick. While out of town peddling his wares, her father is caught in the beginning hostilities between fey and man, becoming one of the first casualties of the banishment of faerie life. At the age of ten, Nicolette finds her life totally transformed with the immediate dismissal of the only link to her past, Mr Candery, and her new job title of household servant. Run ragged by her step family, her chores are made easier by the bits of magic left behind by the kindly Candery as well as various household cleaning inventions which lighten the load. On her sixteenth birthday, Nick mysteriously finds a letter from her mom leading her to a secret workshop containing her mother’s fanciful creations. Back in her element, Nick practices her craft and begins to design new creations with the help of Jules, a tiny intelligent mechanical horse who organizes the others to help his new mistress in her numerous chores, including the sewing of the many outfits demanded by her greedy and vain stepsisters. When news of a ball is announced, they both must have new, stunning ball gowns just in case they get to meet the secluded, closely guarded Heir. Nick is more concerned about the Inventor’s Exposition, a sort of invention convention, to be held the following day. Here is her opportunity to break free of life under “The Steps” and set up her own business, if she could only find a likely sponsor interested in backing her designs.

As you might have guessed, this story is a unique twist on the Cinderella tale. While there is no fairy godmother, there is the magical Jules and the talented and resourceful Nicolette who has her own magic touch. With the help from her dwindling storehouse of fey “magic dust” and a couple of secret friends, Nick sets out to accomplish her goals of independence.

Utilizing elements of steampunk, a subgenre of science fiction (which in this instance tweaks 19th century technology with elements of Victorianesque society sprinkled with bits of fantasy), Cornwell has created a unique world complete with a struggle for power where nothing is what it seems. Some of the twists and turns are obvious while others are a surprise. The ending leaves wiggle room for a sequel as the threat of an all out war between the fey and the kingdom looms on the horizon. Beautifully written, the reader has been transported to this wonderland which casts a spell on all who enter. Fascinating more for the setting than the plot, the tale is told in exquisite detail, although the ending feels a little rushed and confusing and the two mysterious friends could use some additional fleshing out. In spite of the possible comparisons to Marissa Meyer’s Cinder, Mechanica readily stands on its own merit. Four stars.

An electronic copy of this book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.