Fantasy

Whispering Pines by Heidi Lang and Kati Bartkowski

Synopsis:
Rae’s father vanished without a trace—and Rae knows what happened to him. But no one believes her when she says that her father didn’t run off, that he was actually taken. Now, a year of therapy later, Rae’s mother decides they need a fresh start, and so they move to a new town in the hope that life can return to normal.

The problem is, there is nothing normal about the town of Whispering Pines.

No one knows this better than Caden. He’s lived in Whispering Pines his entire life, and he’s seen more than his fair share of weird—starting with his own family, as the town is the perfect home base for his mother’s ghost hunting business.

When several kids go missing and then show up like zombies with their eyes removed, many locals brush it off. Just another day in Whispering Pines. But Caden has a dark secret, one that may explain why someone is stealing eyes. And Rae, who knows how it feels to not be believed, may be just the person Caden needs to help him put things right.

Review:
This middle grade fantasy has been compared to Stranger Things, and I definitely see the similarities. An evil creature from another dimension has been abducting children from this small town. And to amp up the creepy factor, he steals their eyes. I enjoyed the characters of Rae and Cade – both kids have lost someone dear to them and will stop at nothing to find answers. The mystery kept me guessing till the very end. Though, this is the first in a series, so there is plenty left to answer. And the suspense definitely builds throughout to a heart-pounding finale. I really enjoyed this fast-paced adventure.

Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire by Dan Hanks

Synopsis:
In post-war 1952, the good guys are supposed to have won. But not everything is as it seems when ex-Spitfire pilot Captain Samantha Moxley is dragged into a fight against the shadowy US government agency she used to work for. Now, with former Nazis and otherworldly monsters on her trail, Captain Moxley is forced into protecting her archaeologist sister in a race to retrieve two ancient keys that will unlock the secrets of a long-lost empire – to ensure a civilisation-destroying weapon doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. But what will she have to sacrifice to save the world?

Review:
Captain Moxley is a smart and strong woman with a mysterious past. And she’ll do anything to protect her sister from impending danger. Even when her sister and her boyfriend make not-so-bright decisions.

Captain Moxley and the Embers of the Empire is pure fun, adventure from beginning to end. It reads like a thrilling Indiana Jones-type movie. And as the mystery of the lost empire unfolds, dangerous foes press in. I only wish we learned more of Moxley’s backstory. I would like to see her fleshed out more along with her former relationship with a certain character. With a bit of fantasy, this drama and suspense-filled story was hard to put down. And an exciting and surprising finale left me wanting more.

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

Synopsis:
Princess Guinevere has come to Camelot to wed a stranger: the charismatic King Arthur. With magic clawing at the kingdom’s borders, the great wizard Merlin conjured a solution–send in Guinevere to be Arthur’s wife . . . and his protector from those who want to see the young king’s idyllic city fail. The catch? Guinevere’s real name–and her true identity–is a secret. She is a changeling, a girl who has given up everything to protect Camelot.

To keep Arthur safe, Guinevere must navigate a court in which the old–including Arthur’s own family–demand things continue as they have been, and the new–those drawn by the dream of Camelot–fight for a better way to live. And always, in the green hearts of forests and the black depths of lakes, magic lies in wait to reclaim the land.

The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White

Synopsis:
EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE IN CAMELOT: King Arthur is expanding his kingdom’s influence with Queen Guinevere at his side. Yet every night, dreams of darkness and unknowable power plague her.

Guinevere might have accepted her role, but she still cannot find a place for herself in all of it. The closer she gets to the people around her–Brangien, pining for her lost love Isolde; Lancelot, fighting to prove her worth as Queen’s knight; and Arthur, everything to everyone and thus never quite enough for Guinevere–the more she realizes how empty she is. She has no sense of who she truly was before she was Guinevere. The more she tries to claim herself as queen, the more she wonders if Mordred was right: she doesn’t belong. She never will.

When a rescue goes awry and results in the death of something precious, a devastated Guinevere returns to Camelot to find the greatest threat yet has arrived. Not in the form of the Dark Queen or an invading army, but in the form of the real Guinevere’s younger sister. Is her deception at an end? And who is she really deceiving–Camelot, or herself?

Review:
I thought I was tired of King Arthur retellings. But this YA fantasy, from Guinevere’s perspective is highly addicting! In fact, she’s only pretending to be Guinevere. She has been tasked by Merlin to use her magical abilities to keep Arthur safe in Camelot where magic has been banished.

In The Guinevere Deception, she is new to Camelot and unsure who to trust. But the more she learns and divulges to Arthur, the more confused she becomes. Everything she has been told may be a lie.

In The Camelot Betrayal, Guinevere’s sister arrives – the one person who could reveal her deception and ruin everything. I love these characters and how they’ve been reimagined for this series. There is a sweet, innocent romance blooming between Guinevere and Arthur. There is more to Mordred and his side of the family than meets the eye. And the political intrigue combined with unknown magical forces, make for a fascinating plot. I thoroughly enjoy how this story has been unfolding. And I can’t wait for the final book in the trilogy. In fact, I wish it was a longer series as there is so much mystery and story left to reveal.