Cottagecore

Review of Cat Dragon by Samantha Birch

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
In the whimsical world of Tangleroot Valley, magic flows like the seasons, and every witch has her cat dragon – except Aloysia Papplewick.

She’s far from bonding with her fiery feline familiar, and with her magical farm in chaos, her prattling pumpkin patch meddling in her life and the annual Harvest Festival to prepare for, Aloysia has enough to handle – even before her best friend’s insufferable brother, Hollis, brings danger and distraction to her door.

When she and Hollis are whisked away on a quest to a mysterious mountain, Aloysia must contend with magic, mayhem – and a spark she never expected.

Review:
“Aloysia (A-lo-wish-a)(noun) A famous warrior. A plant used mainly for brewing teas, though rumoured to have some topical healing effects; smells faintly of sherbet lemons.” (Page 3)

This book is marketed as being something Studio Ghibli, Harry Potter, and cottagecore people will enjoy and for me it hits all the marks. There is a great depth to this story that while not necessarily giving a full background on the character we find ourselves on a journey with, it is possible to deduce that she’s the last of her family line. It’s interesting to see how she navigates having to do everything to keep her family’s lineage and homestead intact while trying to keep up relations and hope that she will reach the witchy milestone that every witch has had by her age–except her.

I love how Hollis constantly trails between being a protective authority figure/older brother to someone who sees Aloysia for all she is and can be. I absolutely loved the banter in this book; all of the characters were well fleshed out. I loved all of the animals/creatures, the Guardians, and the way that magic could be used, if by a skilled practitioner in the way that we are almost over reliant on technology to do for us today. There was never a time that I skipped ahead/was bored of what was happening; I was fully engaged and always wanted to know what was going to happen next! Even during the misunderstandings, I couldn’t wait to see Aloysia hopefully rise above circumstances. There were multiple times at night that I mentioned to my husband before going to bed some random tidbit about what was happening with the Cat Dragon book and how I really hoped they managed to accomplish their task!

I would highly recommend this book to those who love: found family, magical creatures, coming of age/coming into one’s self, fantasy and witches. I was incredibly sad to finish this book, but I am so ecstatic that a new book is coming out November 16th!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Frost Gate: A Retelling of Snow White by Hanna Sandvig

/ authoramysbrown / Leave a comment

Synopsis:
Mirror mirror made of gold,
Here’s the story you were never told . . .

I’ve always suspected some sort of mystery surrounding my adoption—I mean, who doesn’t remember anything before they were five? But the tall, dark, axe-wielding fae huntsman showing up at my door yelling that I’m a lost princess and the Unseelie Queen is coming to kill me? That I didn’t see coming.

It’s hard to argue with a pack of evil wolves on your doorstep, so I grab my sword, my cookbook, and my seven chickens (yes, you heard me right), and follow him to Faerie. I’m all for not being eaten by wolves. I’m less excited about the fact that the huntsman seems to think I’m the only one who can defeat the Unseelie Queen and save Faerie. I’m not powerful or magical, even if my baking skills are legendary.

But the longer I stay in Faerie, the more I want to help its people. And the more time I spend with the terrifyingly handsome huntsman, the more I want to convince him that he’s who I need by my side while I do. He’d do anything to protect me, but it’s my heart he’s putting in danger.

Do I have what it takes to go from baking pies to saving kingdoms? Who will take care of the chickens if I fail?

Review:
One thing I absolutely love about the princesses and female main characters in Sandvig’s works is that they all have hopes, desires, dreams, and things they have spent their life doing- a plan they intended to follow for their life. It was incredibly amusing that Neve had an obsession with a particular fruit. I absolutely loved Kylian. I thought his development, motivations, and what he has done were all greatly thought out and fit the other books in the past series that he appeared in as well. It was great to see how well Kylian and Niamh support each other; strong where the other is weak, and always encouraging each other that they are more than they realize. Sometimes it can be hard when you feel like a big position or job is thrust upon you, but just because it is daunting doesn’t mean you aren’t the correct person for the job. In the end, Kylian and Niamh telling stories… just how precious.

I absolutely love this series of very likeable characters and very realistic situations/reactions of a startled human (or human like creature) being taken away from the life they’ve known. I would highly recommend Sandvig’s works to anyone who loves empowering female characters, fairy tale retellings, and happily ever afters. This book is, as stated on amazon, rather “cottagecore”. It’s a nice cozy romantasy, and I highly recommend it.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯