Title and Author: Mythical Doorways by Various
Name of Reviewer: SDCB

Rating: PG
Reason for choice of rating:
I don't remember anything overly concerning. Maybe some mild violence. 

The Review:
What a fun anthology! I love anthologies with a common theme-in this case doorways-because it allows me to see the breadth of artistic creativity. Each author has their own unique spin on the theme, and each story has its own unique world. I was entranced by this volume, and I truly believe there is something in here for everyone. Well done!

Ideal Audience:
Anyone who enjoys portal fantasy.

What mood did this book leave you in?
Satisfied.

Applicable Tags:
Animal, Arthurian, Dragon, Epic, Fairy Tale, Fae/Fairies, Folklore, High Fantasy, Magic, Quests, Princesses

Title and Author: Alora: The Wander-Jewel by Tamie Dearen
Name of Reviewer:
Dragon Writer

Rating:
PG
Reason for choice of rating:
There's a lot of kissing/hand-holding, and the shower scene, which is fairly tame, but worth mentioning

The Review:
This one was a fun, easy read. But while it did hold my attention, it didn’t quite make it up onto my list of favorites.

I liked this story. It just wasn’t quite my cup of tea. I’m not entirely certain why. The premise is unique and interesting, and the characters develop well. The world-development is very good and easy to follow. I probably would have enjoyed a bit more explanation of the world and a bit less time spent on the teenager worries/romance. The main character, Alora, has a “soulmate bond” with Kaevin, which means that they have to hold hands once a day or they will both become seriously ill and die. If they kiss, they “recharge” their magical abilities more quickly. While I appreciated the humor and the cleverness this brought to the story, I did get about as tired of the scenes where they kissed as Alora’s Uncle Charles, who raised her and has strict rules about dating. But that’s just my personal preference.

I also would have liked to see more development of the villain – who felt like he was evil solely for the sake of being evil, as opposed to having a solid motivation for his actions.

Because of the main character’s special ability, there is a lot of hopping all over the place. This is handled extremely well and I was never lost or confused about what was happening or where people were.

While I appreciated the characters reacting to weird and unfamiliar sights/experiences with acceptance rather than freaking out, I did feel at times that they accepted it too easily. It also felt like they weren’t taking the threats and the danger seriously, which made it hard for me to take it seriously as well.

The concept of the clans and the gifts was brilliant, and it was the best part of the story. I enjoyed discovering this magical realm with the main character. Unfortunately, since events transpired so quickly, I didn’t feel like I ever got to really bask in the wonder of this new realm.

Overall, I liked this story. I may even continue reading the series. But like I said, it just seemed to be missing that intangible, undefinable quality that turns a “good read” into a “favorite read.” I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys young adult stories, portal fantasy (fantasy that has people crossing from “our” world into a fantastical, magical realm… aka Narnia), and stories that have a healthy helping of clean teenage romance.

Ideal Audience:
Good for ages 13 and up. Excellent story for anyone who likes a lot of adventure mixed with their romance

Books and movies you would compare this to:
Kind of reminds me of a cross between Twilight (in a good way) and Shannara.

Did you have a favorite character or least favorite character?
Favorite character was probably Uncle Charles. I liked that he was very real in his worries, but also that he was willing to step up and help and do anything he had to in order to protect Alora, which is what I expected him to do.

Applicable Tags:
Portal, Action, Adventure, Magic, Romance, Young Adult

​Title and Author: The Lord of Dreams by C. J. Brightly
Name of Reviewer:
JA Andrews

Rating:
PG
Reason for choice of rating:
some fantasy scariness

The Review:
A captivating and fascinating journey
into the fierce land of the Fae.
There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of books about fairyland filled with mythical creatures that end up being essentially human with just minor variations. If the author left off their physical description, they would be mistaken for someone you might pass on the street.
In CJ Brightley’s newest novel, The Lord of Dreams, this is not the kind of fairyland we find. When Claire Delaney is brought into the land of the Fae, not a single creature she encounters can be mistaken for a human.
What we step into, with Claire, is a world that feels like the land of the Fae should—alien, irrational and tinged with danger. The colors are brighter, sharper. The darkness is more foreboding. The creatures are wild and fierce, savage and undiluted. Things like distance and reason aren’t as true as desire and intention. The creatures she encounters act in unpredictable ways and say things that are both cryptic and deeply true.
The reader joins Claire in trying to decipher the world, the creatures she meets, and most of all, the mesmerizing Lord of Dreams who begins as a villain, and ends up as something so much more. And, like all good fairy stories, there are dreams which are as real, and as important, as waking actions.
The reader is carried along with Claire, disoriented and often confused, but Brightley brings it all together for a satisfying, rewarding conclusion.
Highly recommended for immersion into a captivating, surprising, living world that is just how the land of the Fae should feel.
Hopeful. Even in the darker passages, there are still glimpses of goodness and courage

Ideal Audience:
12 and up, readers who like a good female hero and a little romance

Books and movies you would compare this to:
the movie Labyrinth

What mood did this book leave you in?
hopeful and full of wonder

Applicable Tags:
Adult, Children's, Fairy Tale, Noble Bright, Portal, Adventure, Coming-Of-Age, Faey/Faerie, Folklore, Juvenile, Magic, Romance, Young Adult

Title and Author: Foxtails by Erica Laurie
Name of Reviewer:
Jolyn Safron

Rating:
PG
Reason for choice of rating:
Kidnapping; Death threats; Murder; Forced marriage (nothing is graphic or intense but a fair number of "bad" things happen to people)

The Review:
Elizibeth falls for a mysterious young man George but can he really be a mythical creature?  Magic isn't for real, is it?  And what is Elizibeth to do about Nathan Throckmorten who seems determined to pursue her no matter how many times she tries to politely say she isn't interested?

This story is a lovely regency romance story but it also has some mythical creatures adding a fantastical element, plenty of suspense as the reader is never sure exactly what is happening to the various characters (have they been injured? are they still alive? who can be believed?), and some truly dastardly villains.   At one point I thought the romance was just going to become a typical "he loves someone else, woe is me" type thing but that only lasted about one page and was when you needed to hang onto your hat because things really took off!

Don't miss this wonderful story!

Oh yes, there are even some dragons!

Ideal Audience:
This story is for readers looking for a clean romance story with lots of fantasy elements woven into the story and plenty of suspense but knowing that love wins out in the end.

Did you have a favorite character or least favorite character?
George made a very dashing leading man although I also liked Tristan and Elizibeth's brother James. James had a couple of very touching lines particularly near the end of the book.

What mood did this book leave you in?
Satisfied with my Happily Ever After ending

Applicable Tags:
Dragon, Paranormal, Portal, Shape-Shifter, Fae/Fairy, Romance

Title and Author:
Evangeline by Erica Laurie
Name of Reviewer:
Jolyn Safron

Rating:
PG
Reason for choice of rating:
Several characters are dealing with the tragic passing of loved ones (a mother, a sister)

The Review:
Such a sweet fantasy story. Evangeline discovers a magical book that transports her back in time and around the world to Korea where she meets Beom, a young Korean man. At first she thinks she is dreaming but perhaps this is real? Can she really be the one responsible to save this world from the terrible fate facing it?
The characters have experienced loss but it enhances their love. They are also faced with decisions about how much they are willing to sacrifice for those they love. All in all a wonderful story that kept me guessing about how it was going to turn out and I was satisfied in the end.
The only other Korean fantasy book I have read is "Eun Na and the Phantom" also by Erica Laurie so I do not have a lot to compare "Evangeline" to but I know that I personally enjoyed both stories and would recommend them to others.
Oh did I mention that there are dragons? There are!

Ideal Audience:
Young adults particularly girls looking for a nice romance story with Korean characters and some fantasy thrown in.

Did you have a favorite character or least favorite character?
I really like Beom. He has a good sense of humor and watches out for Evangeline right from the start when she first materializes right in front of him.

What mood did this book leave you in?
Happy

Applicable Tags:
Dragon, Fairy Tale, Portal, Magic, Quests, Romance, Young Adult

Title and Author:
Magic Weaver by K. M. Carroll
Name of Reviewer:
Heidi Lyn

Rating:
PG

The Review:
I was able to dive right in, despite not having read previous installments in this series. There is a little bit of catch up with characters who obviously have a lot of history, but it was inserted naturally and quickly enough that things kept moving. 

This world has believable characters and an extremely complex magic system. It moves at a quick pace, and leads to a satisfying ending, with some "this'll be resolved later" threads but no major cliffhangers. It's also kind of good, quirky fun to see our very normal world mixed with elaborate magical systems and other worldly areas ... plus I'm a sucker for a mechanical cat. Did I mention this has a mechanical cat?
I received an ARC in return for my honest review.

Ideal Audience:
People who like complex magical systems and quirky characters

Did you have a favorite character or least favorite character?
I DID mention the mechanical cat?

Applicable Tags:
New Adult, Contemporary, Urban, Epic, Magic, Portal

Title and Author:
Fallen Emrys: Niawen's Story (The Emrys Chronicles, #0) by Lisa Rector
Name of Reviewer:
Evenstar

Rating:
PG-13+
Reason for choice of rating:
For non-detailed fade out sensuality, implied sex, non-graphic discussion of intimacy; also contains mild violence and mild language.

The Review:
This is the prequel to the Emrys Chronicles. Niawen is the second immortal to leave the dragon realm, and she has no idea what to expect from humans. Boy is she surprised! Hearts break. Turmoil ensues. The humans seem to fall all over her. I loved reading this darker novel (after reading books 1-3 in the series) and experiencing Niawen's fall. And even though Caedryn is the villain, he's my favorite character!

Ideal Audience:
For romantic fantasy lovers.

Books and movies you would compare this to:
If you like Graceling, you will love this series.

Applicable Tags:
Adult, Dragon, Epic, Dark, Portal, Sword and Sorcery, Adventure, High Fantasy, Magic, New Adult, Romance, Young Adult

Title and Author:
The Firethorn Crown by Lea Doue
Name of Reviewer:
DragonWriter

Rating:
PG
Reason for choice of rating:
The main villain, Runson, and the slight innuendoes his dialogue often hinted at.

The Review:
Everything about this story was delightful and enchanting. The twelve sisters are well-written and developed. Such a large cast in a short story can be a bit difficult and cumbersome for an author to handle well, but Doue does a fantastic job distinguishing each sister from the crowd. Some of them were focused on more than others, but none of them felt like flat "additions" to the story simply because the tale called for 12 sisters. And while the classic fairy tale was well-adhered to (with many references to other fairy tales woven in, with tantalizing hints that those will be expounded upon later in the series) there were enough things to make the story unique that it felt fresh and new.

The world also felt very well thought out, and I am quite looking forward to entering this fantastical realm once more in the sequel and subsequent stories that are promised to come. The villains were also done quite well.

Even the frustrating moments: like when the main character - Princess Lily, the eldest of the 12 princesses - realizes that she must spend her days mute and unable to speak unless she wishes to doom herself and her sisters to a fate worse than death, were handled so cleverly and interwoven with the dialogue from the other characters that I did not feel at all like tearing my hair out or shouting at her. I also liked the twists and turns that the story took as she had to navigate the intricacies of the curse, court-life, and a sudden and unexpected deadline by which her parents expected her to name a suitor she would accept.

Lily's most zealous suitor is a man who is truly shudder-worthy, and while it is necessary for him to be as repulsive as he is in order to understand why Lily runs away from him and hides in a place she probably wouldn't have ventured had she been thinking clearly, he truly made my skin crawl. Because of him, I would recommend this read for ages 13 and up. I did appreciate the characters being somewhat horrified by the cut of some of the dresses they are forced to wear during the story, and I enjoyed the author making a big deal out of their modesty... and having it be a good thing.

Overall, the story was beautifully written and extremely fun to read. I was well-satisfied with the end, and felt like it wrapped up the main story well, while still leaving enough things open in the lives of the secondary characters for plenty of stories yet to be written in this world.

If you love fairy tale retellings and fantasy, you will enjoy this book.

Ideal Audience:
Girls ages 13 and up, excellent for lovers of fairy tales

Books and movies you would compare this to:
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Beauty by Robin McKinley

Did you have a favorite character or least favorite character?
Favorite character: Eben. Least favorite: Lord Runson

What mood did this book leave you in?
With a smile and curious to read more in this world

Applicable Tags:
fairy tale, portal, magic, princesses, young adult

Title and Author:
The Horse Dreamer by Marc Secchia

Name of Reviewer:
Heidi Lyn B. 

Rating: PG-13
Reason for choice of rating:
Content wise, there is a bit of high level flirting, some intense moments (basically they get the worst out of the way right off the bat as the character endures a catastrophic car accident within the first chapter ... but other traumatic incidents are peppered within) and there is some incidental nudity (characters shift between worlds, arriving without clothes) but more on the awkward side than anything else. Probably for me this would be a PG13 but it depends on a young reader's sensitivities. 

The Review:
This feels like it will be almost impossible for me to review coherently because this book has a LOT going on. Seriously, a lot a lot. It provides an extremely elaborate world, backed up by our own world but across two continents, with multiple fantasy races (humanoid and non-humanoid) with their own factions ... and a breathless busy style with a rambunctiously voiced heroine who quips constantly.
I really enjoyed it. 

Ideal Audience:
Teen readers who like a little bit of edge but in a safe way. 

Books and movies you would compare this to:
Good Eragon, like what Eragon could've been.

What mood did this book leave you in?
Impressed

Applicable Tags:
Animal, Dragon, Contemporary, Portal, Shape-Shifter, Young Adult