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mrs_p_reads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
angst_and_alliteration's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
themoonphoenix's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mljmoore's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sararosecummins's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
am2ara's review against another edition
They lost me at “you look like your Filipino dad but have your white mom’s blue eyes” lmao
malkat007's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I pulled it because I wanted to read something from the author to give her another shot (earlier this year I read Blue Blood for the first time and it def felt dated 2005). Overall I'm very happy I read this book! It took longer than usual for me to read through it because I have zero knowledge on Filipino mythology or fairy tales. And probably as muck knowledge over the culture as well. That said I spent a lot of time looking up references. Which is another reason I wanted to read it. I wanted to expand my horizons and become immersed in another cultures approach to fantasy.
I honestly forgot the age of MJ until the end when it mentioned her 18th birthday. The decisions and characterization of her and peers read closer to 15. Several choices they made were similar to what young teens opposed to almost adults.
The world building was easy to follow and I really appreciated that especially, as mentioned, the cultural references were enough for me to Keep up with.
Switching from adult fiction to YA is always a fun journey. Constantly expecting bigger stakes, betrayals, and romance. For a young teen book those elements were appropriately set!
I am looking forward to reading the second one for whenever it releases.
aylea's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
MJ spends most of her life traveling around without notice but not knowing why until it's revealed that she's the only child of the king of magical land, and she's due to be crowned queen in just a few weeks. Nobody wants a half-human ruler, and it's becoming more obvious that her father's death wasn't from natural causes. MJ needs to find out who cursed her father, navigate the complexities of a world she's unfamiliar with, find out what her magical talent is, keep up with homework, and figure out if Sir Lucas of the Sigbin Court is an enemy or an ally.
Personally, I wasn't sure I'd like this because I haven't been a big fan of the author's previous works with Disney. I'm happy that this more original work had a spark for me that previous books I've read by her didn't. I still don't think her writing style is particularly strong, but the plot and ideas worked a lot better in this book than in her other books.
My favorite part was the incorporation of Filipino mythology into the magical world. Most of the depth of the world and characters come from these cultural tie-ins. Unfortunately, there isn’t much depth beyond these areas. It’s not completely clear what the titles and areas of the kingdom are, and while there is supposedly risk about what happens if MJ doesn’t take the throne, that risk isn’t very clear. The magic system was interesting, although we get only a few details. The characters also feel flat and more like tropes than individuals. I think there’s a lot of room for these to develop more if this book is going to be the first in a series, but the lack of development sometimes makes it hard to enjoy this book. It also made the book feel like it was for younger readers, even though the main characters are 17 and 18.
The book balances creepy murder mystery (without being *too* creepy,* although there are quite a few bugs some readers may want to be aware of). The plot is generally predictable and had more than its fair share of tropes.
One thing that made the book more difficult was trying to balance going to school with the murder mystery. The school sections sometimes slow down the action too much, and it all feels unimportant (mostly because it is to the story, for the most part). Sometimes the book felt like it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be (murder mystery or magic school, teen romance or lost royalty?), and the school setting had a lot to do with that.
Overall, the book is fine. It has some interesting elements but doesn’t stand out as one I’d reread or recommend. I’d most recommend this book for younger YA readers who might enjoy light romance and mystery but don’t care if there aren’t more complex themes, characters, and world-building. However, readers who hate cliffhangers will be frustrated with the ending.
Personally, I wasn't sure I'd like this because I haven't been a big fan of the author's previous works with Disney. I'm happy that this more original work had a spark for me that previous books I've read by her didn't. I still don't think her writing style is particularly strong, but the plot and ideas worked a lot better in this book than in her other books.
My favorite part was the incorporation of Filipino mythology into the magical world. Most of the depth of the world and characters come from these cultural tie-ins. Unfortunately, there isn’t much depth beyond these areas. It’s not completely clear what the titles and areas of the kingdom are, and while there is supposedly risk about what happens if MJ doesn’t take the throne, that risk isn’t very clear. The magic system was interesting, although we get only a few details. The characters also feel flat and more like tropes than individuals. I think there’s a lot of room for these to develop more if this book is going to be the first in a series, but the lack of development sometimes makes it hard to enjoy this book. It also made the book feel like it was for younger readers, even though the main characters are 17 and 18.
The book balances creepy murder mystery (without being *too* creepy,* although there are quite a few bugs some readers may want to be aware of). The plot is generally predictable and had more than its fair share of tropes.
One thing that made the book more difficult was trying to balance going to school with the murder mystery. The school sections sometimes slow down the action too much, and it all feels unimportant (mostly because it is to the story, for the most part). Sometimes the book felt like it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be (murder mystery or magic school, teen romance or lost royalty?), and the school setting had a lot to do with that.
Overall, the book is fine. It has some interesting elements but doesn’t stand out as one I’d reread or recommend. I’d most recommend this book for younger YA readers who might enjoy light romance and mystery but don’t care if there aren’t more complex themes, characters, and world-building. However, readers who hate cliffhangers will be frustrated with the ending.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
4.0
I know that the books by Melissa de la Cruz are not the most brilliant books in the world. I consider them nice palate cleansers. Books you read in between the more serious and heavy stuff to give yourself a little bit of breathing room. And I need those. So, when I saw this book on Amazon I made sure to pre-order right away. Also because the book has an insanely beautiful cover and because the title sounded really intriguing.
Last week my copy of the book arrived and I started reading right away. In a way this is exactly what you're expecting a novel by this author to be. The plot seems to be a little all over the place, the world building is not too complicated or deep and the characters read quite young. And yet, I did notice while reading this book that it was special. You could feel the nostalgia behind the words. You could feel that this story was more than just a story.
What I absolutely loved about this book is that the heroine really doesn't know much about the world she's destined to rule. Although her father was its king, she has never spent much time in the world herself and it shows. She's asking questions others consider stupid. She's saying the wrong things to the wrong people. She's messing up customs and rituals. And, she's bringing a new perspective to a world that has been the same for who knows how long.
I also love the connection between this world and ours. Although most of the book takes place in a fantasy world, with a mythology that makes me curious about its origins, there is a connection with our world. And the author makes sure to remind us of that connection with small little remarks. She explains, for example, why so many ships an people go missing in the Bermuda triangle and we learn why this world is hidden from us to begin with.
I'm kinda curious about what comes next. So I will certainly order my copy of the sequel as soon as I can!
Last week my copy of the book arrived and I started reading right away. In a way this is exactly what you're expecting a novel by this author to be. The plot seems to be a little all over the place, the world building is not too complicated or deep and the characters read quite young. And yet, I did notice while reading this book that it was special. You could feel the nostalgia behind the words. You could feel that this story was more than just a story.
What I absolutely loved about this book is that the heroine really doesn't know much about the world she's destined to rule. Although her father was its king, she has never spent much time in the world herself and it shows. She's asking questions others consider stupid. She's saying the wrong things to the wrong people. She's messing up customs and rituals. And, she's bringing a new perspective to a world that has been the same for who knows how long.
I also love the connection between this world and ours. Although most of the book takes place in a fantasy world, with a mythology that makes me curious about its origins, there is a connection with our world. And the author makes sure to remind us of that connection with small little remarks. She explains, for example, why so many ships an people go missing in the Bermuda triangle and we learn why this world is hidden from us to begin with.
I'm kinda curious about what comes next. So I will certainly order my copy of the sequel as soon as I can!
book_lizard42's review against another edition
I was not the intended audience. It was definitely written for teens who aren't quite as picky about plot, dialogue, etc.