JARED'S QUEST by Chanda Hahn

“Mina Grime is a Grimm, bent on sending Jared, and his Fae kind back to their own world to end the curse on her family. Jared is her Fae protector, and all around pain in the neck. Then the wheels of fate turn on Jared, and he is given his own quest to complete against his will. Jared has his hands full as he tries to save a bunch of spellbound boys, capture a beautiful shape-changing Fae, all while keeping Mina in the dark about it. He'll need all the help he can get, and will have to recruit one of his old Fae friends to help.”

What is the book about?

Mina Grime is a Grimm, tasked with completing hundreds of quests based on the fairy tales we have grown up loving in order to send all the Fae back to their plane and keep them away from Earth. This is all because of a deal her ancestors made with a Fae and now she is cursed and must do everything she can to complete every story before she dies so her younger brother isn't left with the burden of the curse. Jared is a Fae who must protect Mina and help her with her goal of completing all the quests, which he already hates. However, in a twist of fate he ends up with his own quest to complete, one of which he must keep Mina in dark or she may ruin everything. He must stop a rogue Fae who if left unchecked will lead the other humans right to her and will get herself and every other Fae living in the human world caught. She has been trapping teenage boys with her powers in search of a prince to break her curse, but, when they don't turn out to be what they claimed, they disappeared, never to be found again. It's Jared's job to stop her but he will need the help of another Fae, and will need to keep Mina at bay until he needs the Grimoire. 

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

After reading UnEnchanted, I had a lot of unanswered questions and, unsurprisingly, more than half revolved around Jared, the annoying, handsome Fae that appeared to help Mina when she found the Grimoire. So, because of this, I was very excited to read this short story as I knew I might get some more answers to my questions about this mysterious mythical boy. I had only gotten Mina's point of view so far and really wanted to see what someone else was thinking as I was desperate for more information and thought that maybe seeing something through another's eyes might give me a better understanding of the book and help me see more things. I was specifically interested in learning more about Jared who, after reading UnEnchanted, I could tell had some secrets he wasn't sharing with Mina and I knew he would let something slip in this story. After reading the blurb, I had even more questions, mainly because I didn't think anyone else could get a quest other than a Grimm. However, I also knew that Jared wasn't a normal Fae as no one else seemed to want to help and protect Mina, so I knew that there was probably a good reason for Jared getting a quest. I was pretty sure I was going to love the story; however I didn't know whether or not getting Jared's point of view would be enjoyable or not as he could be annoying and evasive. Once I started to read, I knew that I had made the right choice in reading the book as I was soon loving Jared's viewpoint and really enjoying the very short quest he was going to embark on. 

Who was your favourite character and why? 

For this short story I would probably have to say that Jared is my favourite character, mainly because he was the main character but also because I got to see him in a whole new light through this book. In UnEnchanted he was kind of annoying and whenever he spoke it was kind of frustrating to know that he knew things that he wasn't telling Mina, and therefore wasn't telling me. I did also find him funny at times as he did have a rather interesting sense of humour and did know exactly how to tease Mina. However, after reading Jared's Quest, I got to learn so much more about him and the biggest thing was that he was keeping things from Mina in order to protect her and protect himself. I loved seeing the story through his eyes and getting a glimpse into his mind. One of the things that made me specifically think that I really liked Jared was learning about how he was in pain and that there were things that he felt like he couldn't talk about with anyone. I also really loved learning about his feelings for Mina and I do feel that it made me see his attitude towards her in a different way. After this I know I will definitely see Jared differently in the other books of the series.

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

I found it really hard to answer this question because of how short the book was. For me, it was practically impossible to pick a favourite part out of the 5 short chapters there were. After much consideration and a lot of frustration I finally decided on a favourite part, which will have to be when Jared mentions that he doesn't actually want Mina to fail and die, but he doesn't want her to succeed either. The fact that he said the first bit in front of another Fae, who obviously disagreed, really showed me just how much he felt for Mina. He is in a lose-lose situation because, no matter what happens to Mina, he will lose her; either to death or to the curse that will send him and all other Fae far from her. These parts really made me realise how hard it must be for Jared and how conflicted he must be every time Mina asks for his help because he wants to help her so she doesn't die, but if he helps her then she gets one step closer to breaking the curse and sending him away. I really don't think it's fair that someone has to be put in that situation, especially when they are a teenager (though I know Jared is probably years older due to being Fae) and their emotions are getting the better of them (though, once again, Jared is Fae and he has less human emotions – but he still feels love). This part made me see Jared in a new light and I know that from now on I will feel for him in a different way. 

What was your overall impression of the book?

Overall, Jared's Quest was a really interesting and enjoyable short story. One reason I loved it was because it was a short story. I always really enjoy reading a short story that fits in with a book series that I have been enjoying because it's a surprise extra bit of information that you wouldn't get if it was just the series on its own. It makes me happy to know that there is more to a series and it usually gives you a glimpse into the world you have lived in throughout the series through a different character's eyes, who you may not have heard from before. In this case, Jared's Quest was exactly like that and it gave me the chance to not only read about another quest that wouldn't have been included in the series if it weren't for this short book but it also gave me the opportunity to see things through Jared's point of view and learn more about his thoughts and feelings, specifically about Mina. Another thing that I really enjoyed about the book was the fact that it was told from Jared's point of view. I don't mind when a book, or even a whole series, is told from the viewpoint of only one book character (unless this character is ridiculously annoying). However, I always prefer to have at least a couple chapters told from the view of at least one other character from the book. This is because some people see things differently and, if you get to see the events of a book through the eyes of multiple people, you get to understand what has happened a lot better and you get to better understand the characters. In this book I got to understand Jared a lot more and began to really see through the walls he built up to protect himself and Mina. This gave me the chance to get to know Jared better and made me change my view of him and now I can easily say he is one of my favourite characters. This made me really think about how I see people in the real world and how sometimes the way people act is just an act, so maybe you should give them another chance to show the real them and not the one they intend to portray. One other thing that I really liked about the story was everything knew I learnt about Jared, the Fae in general, the Grimoire and the secrets of the Grimm curse. I would never have learnt a lot of the secrets that I now kind of know without this book and, even though it did give me a lot more questions than answers, I did still get a few of my questions answered and I always appreciate that. Jared's Quest was a great novella and I am now even more excited to read the next book in the An Unfortunate Fairy Tale series. 

Would you recommend this book?  

I definitely recommend reading this short story (after you've read UnEnchanted though). It is the perfect addition to this series and gives you the perfect glimpse into Jared's mind. I particularly recommend it for those who like fantasy, adventure and fairy tale retellings.

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)  

A short story, full of magic and adventure, which will leave you thirsting for more after providing more questions than answers. 

Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego

UNENCHANTED by Chanda Hahn

“‘Not all fairy tales have happily ever afters. Some just have afters.’ Mina Grime is unlucky, unpopular and uncoordinated; until she saves her crush's life on a field trip, changing her High School status from loser to hero overnight. But with her new found fame brings misfortune in the form of an old family curse come to light. For Mina is descended from the Brothers Grimm and has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business. Which includes trying to outwit a powerful Story from making her it's next fairy tale victim. To break the fairy tale curse on her family and make these deadly occurrences stop, Mina must finish the tales until the very Grimm end.”

What is the book about?

Mina Grime has always been unpopular, unlucky and uncoordinated, and she was never involved in anything that would bring attention to her, per her mother’s request. To her, it always seemed like her life was a disaster and that nothing would ever go her way. That is, until she saves her crush’s life while on a school trip. This sudden action she took turned her whole life around and even before she reached the school bus to make her way back home everyone was chanting her name, her status changed from loser to hero in minutes. But there was a reason that her mother always insisted that she kept from the spotlight and remained a quiet, uninteresting girl: a secret family curse that follows every Grimm around and keeps them from leading an ordinary life. It turns out that this whole time Mina was a descendant of the Brothers Grimm, who made a deal with the Fae and now all their relatives are tasked with living through and completing all the fairy tales that we have known since we were kids. Now it is Mina’s turn, and if she doesn’t complete all the 200+ tales before she dies the task will fall to her younger, mute brother, and she will never let that happen. But the task is harder than it looks as mythical creatures attack her and follow her from everywhere, hoping to put an end to the Grimm.

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

I think I have actually read this book over and over again at least 4 times, and each time I understood and enjoyed more of it. Rereading it has nothing to do with how it was written, it is actually just because I would read it on my kindle while on holiday over the long summer in Spain, so I would spend not much time reading and would end up reading only a few pages a day and forgetting about the book until the next year when I found it still open on my kindle. However, only a couple of days ago I finally decided it was time for me to really read the whole book and the whole series and review it. Due to the fact that I already had a vague idea of what the book was about, my initial thoughts were that I was really going to like it because that was always what I thought when I read it all those years ago (I think). I was quite sure it was going to be a good book as I love fairy tale retellings and I knew this book would have plenty, even if they were extremely modernised. It didn’t take me long to start reading and end up stuck in the book and I finished it in only a couple of days. 

Who was your favourite character and why? 

Answering this question was a lot harder than I thought it would be but I think I finally have the perfect answer. Initially I was going to say Mina, however, after careful consideration, I realised that it was a lie. I did like Mina and I thought she was a great character and I know that in future books she may be my favourite character as she has a lot of potential to develop. However, in UnEnchanted I found that Mina’s constant tears and complaints were a bit annoying. I know that she has the right to act this way because her life has been turned upside down, but it did ruin my view of her a little (and I think she may just get worse before she gets better in future books). So I think my real favourite character would have to be Mina’s best friend, Nan Taylor. I really loved Nan’s attitude to things and specifically loved how she could easily have been the most popular and desired girl in school, but she didn’t care to try because she had her own style and preferred to have Mina as a friend. I really loved her for this and another thing that made me choose her as my favourite was the way that she completely trusted Mina when she explained the Grimm curse and she never once doubted her friendship with Mina. I don’t know what I would do if my best friend told me that she was cursed and mythical creatures would attack at any moment, but I know that it would take me longer than it took Nan to come to turns with it. She immediately tried to help Mina and I really admired for this, and all her other amazing attributes. 

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

So this did take me a while to answer because I read the book so quickly that I couldn’t remember when a specific part happened because the whole book had just merged in my mind. However, I did finally decide that my favourite part would have to be when Mina realises that the curse wasn’t some crazy thing that was impossible for her to ever come to terms with and that she would never be able to complete the fairy tale nightmare she was currently living, let alone over 200 of them. I don't specifically remember when exactly this part was, though I do have a vague idea, but I do remember the change in the way she acted and thought. I really liked this part mainly because throughout the book Mina was such a quiet, self-conscious girl with not much confidence in herself who spent her time reading and didn’t have the best sense of style, however at this point she changed. Mina really reminded me of myself in the way she acted before her epiphany and I really admired her when she realised that she could actually do this if she put her mind to it and stopped living in the shadows. I hope to see more of her new self in the next book, though I know that it will take some time for her to truly become confident in herself (I would know).

What was your overall impression of the book?

Overall, UnEnchanted was a really good book and I really enjoyed reading it, even if it was the fifth or sixth time (I’ve lost track at this rate). One thing that I really enjoyed about the book was the initial idea and plot of the whole series. One of the genres of books that I have always felt an attraction towards is fairy tale retellings and when I realised was this book and all the others in the series would entail I was overjoyed. The whole idea of a curse that means that people have to follow in the footsteps (or repeat in this case!!) of their ancestors and complete all the Grimm Brother fairy tales in order to escape the curse and close the gate between the human and Fae plane. This plot means that every book will include the retelling of at least one well known fairy tale, if not more, and maybe some minor ones. This made me so excited because I would get to read so many fairy tale retellings in one go, and I really loved this about the book. Another thing that I really liked about the book was that it was told from the third person. I think this may have been one of the reasons for me not really remembering much about the book after all those times I reread it because when I was younger I hated third person perspectives and much preferred first person, whereas know I am the other way around. I really liked the way this story was told because I got to see the adventure through Mina’s eyes, but I also got the wider picture at certain points. One other thing that I really liked about UnEnchanted was the build up to the big scene at the end. Sometimes books are very good at building the tension before the main fight scene, however, in this case, Chanda Hahn managed it perfectly and it was like I could almost feel the characters own emotions. I was on the edge of my seat during the parts before the big ending, trying to prepare myself, but I could never have been ready for the twist cliff-hanger ending. UnEnchanted was amazing and I can’t wait to read the next book and get more answers to my questions. 

Would you recommend this book?  

I absolutely recommend reading UnEnchanted. It is the perfect book for anyone who wants an amazing adventure, but particularly those over 13 who love some romance, fantasy and specifically fairy tale retellings.

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)  

A magical fairy tale adventure, with several twists of unfortunate events.

Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego

Warning!!

Hi all, I wanted to write a little warning about some of the books that some authors are writing nowadays. When you are interested in buying a  book, usually the first thing that you check is the blub because you want to find out what the book is mainly about and you want to ensure that you will actually like it. I, myself, also check books I like in this way and as soon as I read a blurb I like I tend to add that book to my Amazon basket. However, this is not the only thing you should do because the book may look and sound perfect to you in every way, but some may not be the most appropriate. This is because some authors add 'spicy' scenes to their books, which increase their age rating drastically. So before buying any book please make sure you check what people are saying about the age rating and only buy a book if you know that you are old enough to read it or are alright with the more explicit scenes. If I have read the book, try to check this blog for the age recommendation and if you still aren't sure after checking somewhere online do not hesitate to ask me what I think about a certain book (you can leave a comment on this post). Stay safe and keep reading!!

THE SHADOWS BETWEEN US by Tricia Levenseller

“Nobody knows the truth about the Shadow King’s power. Some say he can make the shadows that swirl around him do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the hidden thoughts of his enemies. One thing’s for sure: his kingdom is vast, and ruthlessly ambitious Alessandra wants it for herself. Her plan? Woo the Shadow King, marry him, then kill him and take over his domain. But Alessandra’s not the only one attempting to kill the king. As he dodges assassination attempts, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough to become his queen – all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, what better match for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?”

What is the book about?

Alessandra doesn’t know much about the Shadow King, but, in reality, no one knows the truth about him and why there is a law against anyone touching him or getting too near him or why he has shadows that swirl around him wherever he goes. There are rumours about what they are for. Some say that the shadows protect him from attack; others say that they do his bidding, and some even say that they speak to him and are able to read the minds of his enemies and tell him everything they are thinking about. But Alessandra does know one thing: she is sick of being overlooked just because she is the second born daughter and she is going to change that. Her plan is simple and has only 3 steps. First, she must catch the attention of the Shadow King. Next, she has to get him to marry her. And lastly, the most important part, she must kill him and take his kingdom for herself. This will allow her to take control and she will have all the power she could ever want. However, she soon realises that her plan is easier said than done and, although she may be able to get through the first 2 phases of the plan, the third step might appear tougher than she initially though. What if she doesn’t want to kill him? What if Alessandra is falling in love with the king? After all, she may have found her perfect match – a man as cunning and as ruthless as her…

What were your initial thoughts on the book?

I have wanted to read this book for years ever since I first heard about it from my reader friend who also had it on her book wish list. I didn’t buy the book for several years from the moment I learnt about it, mainly because it was way more expensive than any other book I could buy, so I chose to wait and now I regret the time I spent without reading it. Once I finally purchased it I had the book gathering dust on my bookshelf for only a couple of months (which I am quite proud of as usually the books I buy spend no less than a year on the shelf until I decide to read them) and having it there made me want to read it even more because I knew I had it in my possession. I had read the blurb and admired the cover for so long and when I finally decided to start reading I was so scared that I expected too much from it and that the build-up wouldn’t be worth it. I was absolutely terrified but once I started to read I forgot all about my worries and completely devoured the book. The first sentence is perfect and immediately hooks its audience and leaves you reading until the end of the chapter and by that point you are so lost in the story that there is no hope for you to ever escape (not that you’d want to).

Who was your favourite character and why? 

My favourite character of this book would probably have to be Alessandra. I really admired her because of how she acted like a woman should act. She was so strong and ruthless and never let a man have the higher ground. I loved the way she was so ambitious and that she -had the self-confidence to be able to pursue her ambitions because she knew that her beauty and talents were enough to get her where she needed to be. I also loved how she wasn’t ashamed of herself and the things she had done that might’ve made some men desire her less. However, my favourite thing about her was her intelligence and her feminist ways. She wanted to use the power she would get from the king in order to change the law on women and change the way that they were treated. I loved seeing the way that she was able to implement tiny changes when the king allowed her to sit in on his meetings and I knew that, if she did kill the king to get total control, she would be an amazing ruler. Maybe she is a bit to cunning and cut-throat, however those qualities allow her to lead and take control and show that she means business in the things she means to change. Alessandra was such a strong, powerful character and I strive to have that kind of confidence and ability to get what I want when I want it.

What was your favourite part of the book and why?

As soon as I finished the book I immediately rushed to answer this question because, for once, I knew the answer. My favourite part of The Shadows Between Us was when the Shadow King finally realised that he wanted Alessandra for more than just a fake relationship. The scene in her bathroom was pure perfection. The way the Shadow King cared for Alessandra and carried her to the bathroom and massaged her as she washed her feet, which were in pain from the earlier events, made me want someone to care for me that way. And then what he did next left me in pure shock, even though I knew it had been a long time coming. To have a man love you so much that he is willing to give up immortality and all the power in the world just so he can grow old with you and love you in ways that he wouldn’t be able to if he kept the power he had, that is the most amazing feeling in the world and it made me so jealous of Alessandra, who was receiving this love. The events that came in love left me feeling even more jealous and I specifically liked how the scene was descriptive, but didn’t go as far as some of the newer books go. I just loved this whole part, specifically the bathroom scene, and it still leaves me in tears knowing that he loved her that much. It was amazing. 

What was your overall impression of the book?

Overall, The Shadows Between Us was an incredible book and I know now that I should have read it earlier but I do think that the wait was worth it because I think it made me love the book more. One thing I really loved about the book was the romance. I know that a lot of people would probably say that the romance wasn’t good enough because there wasn’t enough spice, however that was the reason I loved it. I know that this is an unpopular opinion but I hate spice. I don’t need a detailed description of something as private as the physical relationship between the characters, all I need is a strong romance and some cute sweet moments and some moments where the guy does really thoughtful things for the girl. Personally I think that authors that resort to using spice in order to get more people to read their book know that their plot isn’t good enough and just need to add something to attract to a bigger audience. The romance in The Shadows Between Us had some low level spicy moments, however the majority of the parts that I loved were moments when you could really see that the Shadow King loved Alessandra and that he wanted her more than anything in the world. Those moments left me wishing I could have that and I know that I will never get what they had, but at least I can imagine I have (honestly I’m living vicariously through the characters in my books). Another thing I really enjoyed about the book was the first person perspective. Over the last couple of years I have gotten used to third person storytelling, however first person is the viewpoint that I always used to prefer as a child and this book was written so tell that I did enjoy it being told from this point of view and it did make me think of the books that I used to love when I was little. Honestly I think that the fact that the book was told from the first person made it easier for me to forget that I was reading because I could put myself in Alessandra’s shoes a lot easier. One last thing I wanted to mention about the book was how the plot was so well thought out and the story flowed so easily. I loved the whole plot and how all Alessandra wanted was for the king to fall in love with her so she could get the power she always wanted. However, as the book goes on she starts to change her mind until she realises that she actually ended up falling in love with him. The plot was so well written and, even though I knew that this was going to happen (because it was a little predictable), I loved it and enjoyed seeing the shock and confusion Alessandra went through when she started to realise that seeing the king made her react in a way that it really shouldn’t if she was supposed to continue on with her plan. The Shadows Between Us was amazing and I really want to read other books by this author (which I have done before when I read Daughter of the Pirate King and Daughter of the Siren Queen, but I want to read more because I have loved all her books). It was so easy to read and I literally read it in only a couple of days as I was so desperate to finish it. 

Would you recommend this book?  

This is a book that I will always recommend because it is such an easy read and is perfect in every way. I particularly recommend it for readers who are at least 16 years old and enjoy fantasy and romance, but I am sure others will also enjoy it if they give it a try.

Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)  

A magical, gripping tale of high fantasy and a romance that will leave you wishing you could also have that.

Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego