You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
A Book of Spirits and Thieves is off to a much better start than Falling Kingdoms was. The story is incredibly fast-paced and completely gripping. I’m already heavily invested in the characters . Morgan Rhodes writing remains light, easy to get into and not as info-dumpy as a lot of other writers.
Spoiler
and feeling very sorry for Farrell =(
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
A Book of Spirits and Thieves introduces a new series set in Falling Kingdoms’s Mytica universe.
When old and present worlds collide? What will happen?
When Crystal Hatcher opened the package that is not address for her. She saw the impossible. Becca, her little sister slips into a coma after touching the magical book. She was somehow transported in Ancient Mytica, there Becca met Maddox Corso. And he is the key on her way home.
Introducing Farrell Grayson, one of the members of Hawkspear Society, a mysterious underground association. He was then invited by the leader to prove himself.
Their fate is woven by fate and magic.
It is not a secret that I love Falling Kingdoms, naturally I have to see this book for myself. And like most Rhodes’s books, A Book of Spirits and Thieves are very easy to follow. From the very first page I was bewitched, I had to drop everything and read it on one sitting down.
A Book of Spirits and Thieves is told from alternating point of view of Maddox, Crystal and Farrell. It straddles the line of contemporary and high fantasy. Here’s why, while the majority of this book is set in Canada, Maddox who is from Ancient Mytica has his fair share of account woven into the story.
The overlap between the old world and the new world is very intriguing, as well as the vague connotation behind the transition between the two universes. In some ways this certain trope has not dominated YA yet.
In Addition to all those selling points, the characterization is fantastic, we have the good & evil concept going on. It is without doubt, Crystal who exceptionally stood out from the rest. I immediately root for her. She is fierce, protective, cunning, careless and loyal.
And we have Farrell, he is a charming, privilege boy with dubious morals. In spite of his arguable ethics, I can find his allure and why many readers might dig him. Not me though, I already have Magnus Damora for this.
And to all readers who couldn’t quite get into Falling Kingdoms, maybe this is the time to pick this book up. It is far easier to grasp than it’s spin off.
To sum up, A Book of Spirits and Thieves is a very gripping introduction to a promising series. Highly recommended to Falling Kingdoms fans and Fantasy readers.
Review also posted at Young Adult Hollywood.
A Book of Spirits and Thieves introduces a new series set in Falling Kingdoms’s Mytica universe.
When old and present worlds collide? What will happen?
When Crystal Hatcher opened the package that is not address for her. She saw the impossible. Becca, her little sister slips into a coma after touching the magical book. She was somehow transported in Ancient Mytica, there Becca met Maddox Corso. And he is the key on her way home.
Introducing Farrell Grayson, one of the members of Hawkspear Society, a mysterious underground association. He was then invited by the leader to prove himself.
Their fate is woven by fate and magic.
It is not a secret that I love Falling Kingdoms, naturally I have to see this book for myself. And like most Rhodes’s books, A Book of Spirits and Thieves are very easy to follow. From the very first page I was bewitched, I had to drop everything and read it on one sitting down.
A Book of Spirits and Thieves is told from alternating point of view of Maddox, Crystal and Farrell. It straddles the line of contemporary and high fantasy. Here’s why, while the majority of this book is set in Canada, Maddox who is from Ancient Mytica has his fair share of account woven into the story.
The overlap between the old world and the new world is very intriguing, as well as the vague connotation behind the transition between the two universes. In some ways this certain trope has not dominated YA yet.
In Addition to all those selling points, the characterization is fantastic, we have the good & evil concept going on. It is without doubt, Crystal who exceptionally stood out from the rest. I immediately root for her. She is fierce, protective, cunning, careless and loyal.
And we have Farrell, he is a charming, privilege boy with dubious morals. In spite of his arguable ethics, I can find his allure and why many readers might dig him. Not me though, I already have Magnus Damora for this.
And to all readers who couldn’t quite get into Falling Kingdoms, maybe this is the time to pick this book up. It is far easier to grasp than it’s spin off.
To sum up, A Book of Spirits and Thieves is a very gripping introduction to a promising series. Highly recommended to Falling Kingdoms fans and Fantasy readers.
Review also posted at Young Adult Hollywood.
Didn't actually finish because the writing was too horrendous to stomach.
Review on my blog: http://aideensbookobsession.blogspot.ie/2016/09/a-book-of-spirits-and-thieves-by-morgan.html?m=1
I absolutely loved this book! I thought it was amazing and unique and I need the rest of the series SO BAD LIKE WHY ISN'T CHAPTERS OPEN SO I CAN GO BUY THEM UGH THE STRUGGLE.
“I want to be respected. I want to be powerful. And yes, I want to be special. I want to leave a mark on this world so no one forgets who I was.”I have to admit, I was sceptical about A Book of Spirits and Thieves. How on Earth could anything top Falling Kingdoms – one of my all-time favourite series? But, once again, Morgan Rhodes has blessed us with a book that is both captivating and sorrowful and full of magic and romance. The Spirits and Thieves series has the potential to be ground-breaking and, in all honesty, I wish I’d put it off longer so I didn’t have to wait so long to devour the entire series.
The best way I can describe this book is that it's an eccentric blend between modern-day Toronto and a fantastical world. This book started out as a fun, fantasy adventure that progressively got darker as it went along. Rhodes has this ingenious ability to draw you into believing you know what’s going to happen, and then she tears the rug out from under you, leaving you disorientated and stunned and yet desperate for more.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed this spin-off more than the first two books in the Falling Kingdoms series. I love the series with all my heart but it does have a slow start – so much so that, when I re-read the series, I generally tend the skim the first two to get towards Gathering Darkness faster. In this case, though, I was hooked on this story straight from the beginning. The action was fast-paced and a constant, and I found there was never a boring chapter – even with Maddox, who I wasn’t particularly invested in. We are given a lot of world-building, history, and heart-stopping action in a such a small space of time; however, I never once felt that it was going too fast. I finished this book in once sitting, not because I wanted to, but because I literally couldn’t find it in myself to put it down.
“But it's how we deal with life's challenges - both internal and external ones - that defines us. Do we face them fearlessly, with courage and a sense of justice? Or do we run from them, seeking any easy answer to help hide from the harsh truths of life?”
The story follows the tales of Crystal, Farrell, and Maddox as they navigate two very different, very complex worlds. We are also introduced to a vast array of secondary characters as well, each with their own set of complicated – and, at times, despicable – motives and desires that drive them towards their goals. A lot of this story is about watching magic pervert the minds of good, sympathetic, and slightly lonely people. A lot of the characters in this novel just want a place to belong, and it’s easy to become enraptured by a person who lets you feel special.
Crystal Hatcher quickly became an all-time favourite character of mine because I, too, say bite me at inappropriate times. (Plus, protagonists with glasses and bundles of sarcasm will always hold a special place in my heart.)
Farrell watched as she fumbled her way down the steps, a mix of trepidation and determination on her face.
“Chin up, buttercup,” he said. “It’s not the end of the world.”
“Bite me.”
“Maybe later.”
In the words of Farrell Grayson, what Crystal lacks in common sense, she makes up for in guts. She will do anything – anything - to protect her family. She is constantly underestimated, and she constantly makes people regret that. Her perseverance in the face of adversity was admirable – and I especially love that she faces it all with a dash of sarcasm, as well. I have a feeling that as the series progresses, the deviousness we begin to see in her will flourish. While she doesn’t exhibit the same level of intellect as her sister, she certainly exhibits more cunning - something that really made her grow on me.
Farrell Grayson made this book for me. He is one of those villains that you can’t help but love to hate – much like Warner from [b:Shatter Me|10429045|Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)|Tahereh Mafi|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1310649047s/10429045.jpg|15333458] or Magnus from [b:Falling Kingdoms|12954620|Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)|Morgan Rhodes|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1337026387s/12954620.jpg|18111704]. However, unlike these characters, his story is about his fall into villainy, not out of it. Fortunately, Rhodes has offered us a shining light at the end of a very, very dark tunnel, and redemption for my sin-filled child is possible. Unfortunately, I have a feeling it’s going to be a long, angst-filled journey that’s going to break my soul in two. Despite all this, I am really interested in the trajectory his character arc is going in, and Rhodes is known for her abilities to navigate the grey-area of character’s personalities extremely well. So, if anyone wants to join my pray circle for his redemption, we have meetings on Tuesdays.
Spoiler
Most of my notes for this story consist of me begging someone – anyone – to redeem Farrell Grayson. At this point, I really understand how the original Magnus Damora fans felt. I’ve made a lot of notes for this book but I’m pretty sure this gives you the general gist of what I was thinking the entire time: “Somebody take that obedience mark of my son or so help me God.”Yep, that’s it, that’s the story.
Maddox Corso, who many call witch-boy, is our character from Mytica who can communicate and trap spirits. In a way, he reminded me of Jonas: a slightly clueless, but ultimately well-intentioned person who will do anything to protect the people who put their faith in him. Except, you know, he actually has a plan that succeeds (and a few that fail, but let’s forget about that for now). My only problem with this book was that I was so invested in Farrell and Crystal’s stories that I sometimes became exasperated when we came back around to Maddox; however, I could still never find it in myself to skip his chapters. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy his story – in fact, I loved all the twists, turns, and betrayals that reminded me so much of Falling Kingdoms – it just sometimes felt like I was experiencing whiplash. Modern-day Toronto is - as you’d expect - very different to Mytica, and going between two different extremes could be a little jarring. Maddox’s last chapter really endeared me towards him, though, and I can’t wait to see his character develop during The Darkest Magic.
“I don't really like lies. I prefer to tell the truth whenever possible. It's much easier to keep track of.”
I’m a strange reader, in a way. I need a character or ship to become invested entirely in a story, no matter how enchanting the plot of the book is. The character – or, in this case, characters – for me were Farrell and Crystal and, unsurprisingly, they were also the unconventional romance I was captivated by. All aboard the doomed ship train!
I will admit that after Cleo and Magnus, anything is possible within Rhodes’s writing, but I’m still afraid to hope. They have a lot of potential together and I could see them working… If Farrell wasn’t controlled by a homicidal cult leader, that is. But, like with Falling Kingdoms, they have the workings of an unforgettable romance: chemistry, sarcasm, hatred, and angst. So much angst.
Spoiler
Farrell: *Is forced to kill Daniel by Markus*Me:
“It’s too much, he thought. I can’t kill him. This isn’t who I am. He swore he dropped the weapon, but he didn’t hear it clatter to the floor… It seemed he had no choice anymore.”
HE DIDN’T WANT TO DO IT! The real him was “screaming” for him to stop! Someone give me the real Farrell Grayson back so I can wrap him up in a blanket AND LET NOBODY TOUCH HIM, EVER. Markus used him as a puppet and I hate him.
I get it, Rhodes, you need your ship to have some angst. But come one! I don’t know how this romance is going to turn out, but I do know that I’m forever going to associate strawberries with these two jerks.
This was also the moment I died:
Spoiler
“Tell me, Mr. Grayson, have you come to care for Crystal Hatcher?” Markus asked.The truth escaped him before he could stop it. “Yes.”
Markus watched him carefully for any flinch, any sign of distress. “If I asked you to, if I decided it would be the best decision for the future of the Hawkspear and for my mission… would you kill her?”
Farrell held his leader’s gaze as the distant scream of the boy he used to be faded away to a mere whisper.
“Yes, Markus. I would.”
“His fear vanished and was replaced with steely determination. He would not let the spirit hurt this girl. He would not let anyone hurt this girl.”
Morgan Rhodes is a writer whose stories are always full of imagination and ingenuity. She can hook you from the first page and leave you on the edge of your seat until the very end. With A Book of Spirits and Thieves, she found the perfect balance of tension, plot-twists, action, and interesting, flawed characters. There isn’t a moment in this book where something isn’t happening – whether it be heart-wrenching or heart-stopping. If you love Young Adult Fantasy, then I would recommend any one of her books to you a thousand times over. I promise you won’t regret it.
Spoiler
When Farrell shakes off the influence of his mark (wishful thinking, I know), do you think he’ll investigate his brothers “suicide”? I mean, thinking about this quote: “The Connor Grayson I knew always finished what he started. The Connor I knew would have never taken his own life, either. He loved life.” it seems like it was murder, especially as there was no note. Daniel’s love for his daughters made him shake his mark off long enough to save them, could Farrell’s love for Adam and Connor save him?“Bright is life. Dark is death. It meant to choose good over evil, even in one’s darkest moment. But it seemed he had no choice anymore.”
Loved this! I can't wait to find out what happens next. I loved Becca and Maddox and I look forward to them being reunited. I also love Crystal. She was kick-ass. Didn't care for Farrell too much though. Even before he got his second mark he was a bit of an asshole. I am curious to see what happens to his character though, especially after that ending. He's a troubled young man but he is certainly no Magnus.
