Alana

*was planning to read before the holidays* *ends up reading an entire month later* but hey, it was a book worth waiting for. Moorcock has a talent for writing mythic, adventurous fantasies, harking back to adventures like LOTR or other classic fantasies. This isn't a long read by any means, but there's still an abundance of world-building and travels across an epic fantasy landscape. Perfect for a quick but thorough read, and I'm floored that I actually hadn't heard of this fantasy author until very recently (it's readable even without the context of Elric, but it doesn't hurt to read Moorcock's previous works either)

THIS book. This book right here is why I love reading. I read pretty much any genre and I'll try anything, but epic fantasy with magic, characters who drive the plot, twists at every corner, banter, mystery, and high stakes is exactly what I go for. Every. Damn. Time. There's also books that check off all those boxes but still might not pan out well. Not this one. I cannot think of a single page where I got bored, had to overlook something, or got annoyed with the characters. Every single POV was needed and worked in favor of the story rather than detracting from it. The romance isn't in your face (ya'll don't come at me, but too much spice is getting old and has started to ruin some fantasy books for me, especially when the books are advertised as fantasy/romantasy). The balance here was perfect. Isla holds her own and then some, the elemental magic was written beautifully, the history and world building were the cherry on top of the lore, and even when I felt like I knew where things were going I was proven wrong. Ya'll...if your genre preferences align with mine, read this. And then the next, because I'm already adding that baby to my tbr.

A deviously dark fantasy mystery. Jinx has a timeless feel rooted in blissful teen naivety, which shatters at the climax and forces bold, theatrical Jan and her laidback best friend Shelley to adjust their world view and trust. The story starts out innocent, but it doesn’t stay that way. The beginning has an achingly nostalgic feel: best friends searching for summer fun, exploring coves and boardwalks… then finding themselves in a mess they never dreamed of. The magic’s origin is left largely up to the reader. We don’t know what or who actually created the box and what the intention was, which makes the sea witch legend chillingly creepy. I’m already scared of the ocean, so I don’t need more nightmares about dark ancient magic it stirs up. It’s been a while since I’ve read this author but this is just as dark and mysterious as I remember her writing to be. It’s also hard to forget the beautiful illustrations in her books. They remind me how much I’d like to see illustrations in other novels, young adult or otherwise. The way the characters are drawn supplement the descriptions and the different elements come together sublimely. Gimme more!

Bonus, this is a debut. I get giddy reading debuts and this one was special because of the afterword. On the whole, a grand read. I may not be the target audience age, but hey, I enjoy me some teen young adult books, especially darker ones. There weren’t many parts I got impatient at. The wake of the boat incident could have been a little shorter, but eh, that’s persnickety. Given what it leads to, let’s just say it was well worth the wait… and next time I set off any firecrackers, I’ll stay a mile away from gasoline.