Rin Chupeco

Years after the evil Snow Queen desolated the magical kingdom of Avalon, Prince Alexei, his friend Tala, and a ragtag band, inspired by the appearance of the Firebird, try to reclaim their land.

Wicked As You Wish

I absolutely loved the Bone Witch series by Rin Chupeco. But for some reason this one did not have the same hold over me as those books did. 

I listened to this as an audiobook, and I think perhaps that may have been the problem. This plot moves so quickly and there are so many characters that I think physically reading this one is critical. Granted - I did actually really enjoy the narrator so that was not the problem, though sometimes I did have a hard time differentiating between Tala and Zoe! 

That ending though!! I may have been on the fence about finishing this book, but after that ending I 100% will finish the second. That last few minutes is what moved my rating up from a 3. 👀

Tace

I absolutely loved the Bone Witch series by Rin Chupeco. But for some reason this one did not have the same hold over me as those books did. 

I listened to this as an audiobook, and I think perhaps that may have been the problem. This plot moves so quickly and there are so many characters that I think physically reading this one is critical. Granted - I did actually really enjoy the narrator so that was not the problem, though sometimes I did have a hard time differentiating between Tala and Zoe! 

That ending though!! I may have been on the fence about finishing this book, but after that ending I 100% will finish the second. That last few minutes is what moved my rating up from a 3. 👀

"A great read for fans of fairy tales, myths and legends... Come for the adventure, stay for the sassy jerkwad firebird."—Kendare Blake #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series When a hidden prince, a girl with secrets, a ragtag group of unlikely heroes, and a legendary firebird come together...something wicked is going down. Many years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left encased in ice when the Snow Queen waged war. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in...Arizona. Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn't even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them. A new hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala must unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it. "A nail-biting quest that introduces a gripping new series." —STARRED review, Publishers Weekly "A truly original novel." —STARRED review, Kirkus

Nessa Luna

I was very interested in the concept of this story - but I just wasn't a huge fan of the way it was executed. I didn't really like Tala much at the beginning, though she grew on me towards the end. Same with Alexei. I liked the Bandersnatchers a lot better and I kind of wished the story had been more from their POV. That being said, I thought the POVs were a bit messy - it was mostly from Tala's POV, but then sometimes it would switch to another person's POV to progress the story I guess. 

I may have liked it a bit more had I not chosen the audiobook, because I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator and I Did actually read the last 25% of the book physically. I will definitely continue this series, though, because it got very interesting towards the end.

Also wondering - is there a map in the finished copy? I really hope there is, my ARC didn't have one.

Sepia

Thank you to Rin Chupeco,Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC 

This was my first book by Rin Chupeco and I was not disappointed! 

This book follows Tala as she and her family protect and hide Prince Alex of Avalon.  Tala is a spellbreaker who negates magic.Avalon is encased in ice and we follow as they journey back to Avalon with their new friends to try  and break the spell.

I had a hard time getting into this book at the start. I found it to be a bit slow but once I read past a certain part,I was flying through it. From then,it had a fast moving plot and I wanted to carry on reading to find out what happened next!This is told in a third person narrative that mostly follows Tala. I found it to be very effective because we were also shown glimpses of other parts but not too much. 

I loved the world building in this! All the fairy tales in this took part in one universe so there were always references to the different princess and I enjoyed that immensely! It was such a unique take and it was done very well. All of the information was told throughout the story and it was not info dumpy. It was very easy to keep up with. America is now the Royal States of America and it was interesting to learn about .

The magic system was very well done and it included the fairy tale element in it.I found Tala's ability to negate magic very interesting.It's a complex magic system and I'm looking forward to learning more about it. 

This didn't have much romance in it which I enjoyed. I did find myself shipping some characters so I'll have to wait for the next book to see if that plays out. I didn't like the romance between Tala and an earlier character and I'm happy that didn't pan out.

I really liked reading about all the characters and I'm especially interested in seeing Cole's backstory.I'm sure there's more than meets the eye. I liked Alex and Tala's friendship at the start and was upset that it soured a little but I hope they fix that in the next book.

The ending was very well done and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book when it comes out next year!

All in all, I really loved this book! I highly recommend this if you like fantasy and fairy tale retellings,

4.5/5

Hannah Wall

This a 2.5 and a whole bunch of mess. Where do I start? 

1. All the spell levels and spell tech was so hard to remember and I was so confused about all of it. 

2. I love the crossover of life and fairytale, but sometimes it was just weird and confusing. Lafayette was King of the states???? Ok 

3. The character were good, but I don’t have any strong feelings for them. There is nothing that grabs my heart and makes me fall in love with this book. 

4. All the dooms and prophesies about the group were had to remember and I could not find them in the book again. 

5. Tala, I felt like, had no real character development and when she did it was all of a sudden and not dramatic. She never really had a much to do. Like she never cared that Alex was just being a spoiled brat- she just pushed and then moved on and everyone took it.

6. Alex was just annoying and rude to his ‘friends’. He treated them horribly and when he was King then he was all I love you guys! I would never let my friends treat me like that- king or no king. 

7. The firebird was confusing- it sometimes hung out with Tala and sometimes with Alex. Over all it was the best character out of all.

8. I will read the rest of this series and it was really easy to read through. But just bland- nothing coughs my attention and wanted me to hold on to the story. 

9. Also the Snow Queen was just bland as well. No ruthless evilness or passed hurt where we could feel strong hate or sympathy for her. And she just killed Kingdoms because Tala’s father did not love her? Just kill the mom and move on. That’s did not seem like a strong enough backstory to play through.

Sahi K

It’s probably more of a 2.5 but I’m rounding it up because of a good ending.

I’d been rejected for this ARC so many times that I thought I would have to wait a long time after the release to get it from the library. But then I got selected for Rin’s street team and got the advance copy and I can’t tell you how ecstatic I was. But after finishing the book, my enthusiasm has dulled a little.

The author has written at length on twitter about what this book means to her and why she wrote it, particularly considering it’s the first one she ever did, so I was very much moved by it all and wanted to read it as soon as I got it in my hands. But I guess sometimes we put too much expectations on our favorite authors and it doesn’t feel good when their books don’t live up to them. This is the 5th book by the author I’m reading and the first ever where I didn’t like the characters or the writing much. 

I won’t deny that the themes the author discusses in this one are very important and her frustration with it all comes through very well. Draconian immigration and refugee policies, child separations and abuse, governments and corporations working hand in hand to deceive the common populace and exploiting resources to make profits, racism, homophobia - all of these issues are discussed and challenged and I felt all the emotions that the characters were feeling. But it’s the rest of the story that didn’t really connect with me. 

There was really no direction as to where it was going, the characters just seemed to react to whatever was happening to them and didn’t seem to know much else. There were so many of them that I got quite confused for a while until I got used to them but none of them really felt compelling enough. There is a lot (and I mean a lot) of banter between the characters but it completely felt forced which disappointed me a lot. I really live for great banter and dialogue, and I just can’t get over how stilted and out of place most of it felt in this story. The author also tries to incorporate so many fairytales and myths into the narrative that it stopped making sense after a while and I couldn’t be bothered to know what it was leading towards. The last few chapters were action packed and quite cool and the epilogue ends on a very unexpected cliffhanger, so thankfully it ended on a better note than I thought it would. 

To conclude, I don’t wanna diss on the book too much because it’s my favorite author but it wasn’t what I thought it would be. There are a lot of important themes discussed and the story has a lot of fairytales from around the world integrated, so if that fascinates you, maybe you should check it out. If you are fans of the author’s Bone Witch trilogy and are looking for something like that, then this is not it. The last line is a great hook to make me interested in the sequel, but it’s not gonna make any of my anticipated lists like this one did, and I still haven’t made up my mind if I wanna continue.

Story Eater

I’m only 8 pages into the book and I hate it. I absolutely hate it. Some reviewers made it past 100 pages. I could only make it to the 40’s.

The letter that comes from the author, included with the ARC in a FairyLoot box, says she was “oblivious to the marketing trends” when she first drafted the book in 2010. I would say, the marketing trends are on the money for her book right now. 

Any reader interested in reading political rants with a sprinkling of story, who hates white people from Northern Europe, and hates white Americans, will love this book. I’ve never flat out DNF’ed a requested ARC before, but I’m DNF’ing this one. I won’t read or recommend things like this. If a white author put out some mess like this, he or she would be run off GR and vilified on social media.

As it is, I teach white students and American students. I'm not going to recommend something this completely hostile to them.

laura

* I got this book for review for my honest thoughts*
This book was such a welcome surprise. I loved both the set up of this book and also how this book was structured. I really was impressed and captured by the world building throughout the whole novel. I thought the main characters were super easy to become invested in and also really loved the "rag tag bunch of heroes". I also really enjoyed the various fairy tale characters that used to that filled this world . I really loved the pace of this novel and found this book to be both super heartfelt but also really funny read. I thought some moments the world building could of been clearer but I think because this world was so vast, it was understandable. I really am excited for more books in this series eventually!

Paige Green

Edit: my 2 star does not reflect my views on this author as a person. This author is a very sweet and kind person but unfortunately me and her book just didn't vibe together. Shame on the people who are one star-ing her book because she spoke up on Twitter about how she, an author effected by what ML did, felt.

Disclaimer: I bought this book. Support your authors!

Book: Wicked As You Wish

Author: Rin Chupeco

Book Series: A Hundred Names for Magic Book 1

Rating: 2/5

Diversity: Filipino main character and LGBT side character

Publication Date: March 3, 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Pages: 432

Amazon Link

Synopsis: Many years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left desolate and encased in ice when the evil Snow Queen waged war on the powerful country. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in…Arizona.
Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is in hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn’t even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them. Tala doesn’t mind—she has secrets of her own. Namely, that she’s a spellbreaker, someone who negates magic.
Then hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, and Avalon’s most powerful weapon, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it.

Review: I had to DNF this book unfortunately. The book is so confusing. The world building is non existent and there are many different things happening at once. The pacing is lightening speed and it feels more like bad fan fiction then a book. It’s not all the way bad but damn it needed a few more rounds of revision and it needed to be cut in half and slowed way down.

Verdict: Not for me, but maybe it’s for you.

Narah Quinn

I was lucky enough to be invited to join The Order of The Bandersnatch Street Team to promote this fantastic book and if you are on the fence about pre-ordering, get off, go and do it now! 

This is a world where all our fairytales are real, where magic is normal (though governed) and where things aren't ever quite what you expect.

Tala Warnock and the Avalonian crown prince in hiding, Alex, become friends in a magic negating town in the Royal States of America. After the Snow Queen devastated his country, leaving it under a layer of ice, the only hope to return it to a liveable land, is for the famed firebird (so far, so cute, and so sassy!) to turn up on Alex's 18th birthday.

So, full disclosure, the first 15/20% of this book I enjoyed, but I struggled with, just a little. 
There seemed to be a lot, but also not a lot happening (you gotta lay the groundwork, I get that), and at times - with extended family and neighbours, trying to fully figure out the alternate world, it's history and its magic system - I felt a little lost. I am really hoping that the final version has a map. It needs a map, and maybe a glossary of the spelltech, that would be awesome :)

*Side note - Also, if I could get recipes for all the food I would be very grateful because it sounds amazing and I need to make it all, even peanut butter burgers!*

But, and it's an important but, despite feeling a little lost, I was enjoying it. A lot! 

Tala and Alex were regular kids, magic, curses, and royal blood aside, and it was a refreshing change. They were going to school, blushing when their crush asked them out, and bargaining with parents so they could attend the party of the year. 

But then the shit hit the fan, and this awesome story went from 0 to 60 in a single bound. 

The firebird (one sassy, sassy, firebird!) turns up, we make new friends at school, and after an unexpected betrayal, an exposed secret, a battle with ogres and a daring escape, our Banders find themselves in the last place they expected, the frozen land of Avalon. 

Now here, they are put to the test, Alex becomes a massive jerk (and there is still something I don't fully trust about him)Tala, still reeling from discovering the truth about *bleep*, realises that she should have asked more questions about her own history and our new friends, Zoe, Ken, West, Loki, and Cole, are going to have their work cut out getting Alex to Maidenkeep to break the Snow Queens curse. 

I loved the natural development of the friendships once they got there and had to rely on each other, and the introduction of more characters to love was seamless. I really like that certain people have a lot more to them than it initially appears, and I am actually really excited for the continuing story with Tala and *bleep bleep* and the *bleep bleep* and the *bleep bleep* throwing a huge twist in right at the end.

I am very much looking forward to seeing the finished version of this, and to the next part, which honestly, cannot come fast enough. 

The final thing I would like to say about this book is that it covers some really, very relevant, issues, and I, for one, am glad they've been said.
Things that should be as simple as they are depicted, like accepting a persons preference in pronouns and it not being an issue. 
The way that history if often taught in such a one sided manner, so as to favour the victors, and that you can't always believe what you are told simply because it's seeminly come from a position of power. 
It was actually really good to see the Armenian Genocide referred to as such, even if it was as part of an 'alternate history ' especially as my Great-Grandfather survived (and eventually thrived) by settling in Iran. 
And I think the most telling thing, is the fact that despite the Ice Wolves, Shades, Ogres, Ice Maidens, Deathless, and even the Snow Queen herself, the most feared 'enemy' are ICE. 

This book has a dedication of sorts at the front. 
"Felipe Gómez Alonzo,
Jakelin Caal,
Claudia Patricia Gómez González.
Remember their names."
And if you don't already know who they are, go and google them.

Elodia

I am disappointed by this book, more specifically with the story itself, and I feel overwhelmed with how much the author tried to mix in. It combines fairytales, magical realism, urban fantasy into one big plot, and I think it was too much.

The first 80 pages or so were really slow and info dumpy. We were still getting new information about the world/magic system well into the book, which just made everything more confusing.
Speaking of, the world building in this was so convoluted and confusing, so much that I never felt fully immersed in the story.

The characters were one dimensional and sometimes they just did things with no previous warning, I’d say out of character but most of them had no personality.

I will not be continuing with the series.

Even though I didn’t like this book, I think people will still enjoy it if they like fairytale retelling or even Once Upon a Time.

Samantha Bass

I was worried, going into this book, that I wasn't going to like it because a friend of mine didn't like it and DNFed it really early. But once I started reading it I was immediately sucked in! There is a lot of American history and politics at the start (because this world is set in an alternate universe from ours), but it quickly moves along quickly.

The plot is immaculate. I mean such good plotting and storytelling goes on in this book. Even with all the crazy politics that have to be followed, and there are some crazy politics in this world, it's so captivating. Especially once we meet the Snow Queen's minions.

With a diverse cast of characters we're off to save the world and the kingdom of Avalon from the evil Snow Queen. One thing I really like about this world is that it's not only a magical version of ours, but incorporates actual fairytales into the history. Snow White, Sleeping Beaty, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Robin Hood, King Arthur, any and all fairytales you can think of are real people in this world, just not all at the same time.

Our rag tag team is so much fun too and each personality adds another layer to our group's overall personality, and makes the team that much more interesting. I love a lot of the jokes between these new friends and I kinda miss them. Each has their own weapon and their own skill to help Prince Alex, or just Alex, as well as their own distinct trait/thing that they add and feed off of each other.

Because this is a political fantasy, if you don't want to read about American politics then I would avoid this title. But, I would recommend looking past the few pages of political history for this epic fantasy if it really bothers you. I personally loved the history and the discussion of America's current political climate and thought it helped me connect with the story and the characters better.

Overall, this book is really good! I can't wait to read the next one, especially after that ending!

Charley Greywolf

This story merges all fairytales into one to make the ultimate good verses evil story.

We follow the story of Tala and Alex, Tala has the ability to stop magic where Alex is the exiled king of a country currently under ice after being attacked 12 years ago by the snow queen.

We follow our two young hero’s along with the Cheshire cats Bander army as they attempt to defeat the Snow Queen, her shade, ice maiden and ogre army and reclaim the lost country at last. 

There are many twists and turns in the plot that give an enjoyable story. The beginning is very confusing as you try and figure out how all the fairy tales are intertwined but as the story progresses the truth becomes clear.

The ending we think we have is not the ending we get the epilogue changes everything leaving room open for the next books storyline. 

Overall, a good story with Filipino flare and magic galore.

Leelynn Brady

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Source for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Ugh OMG RIN CHUPECO can LITERALLY WRITE ANYTHING AND I WOULD LOVE IT.

That’s it, that’s the whole review. Nothing more to say.

But no, really. Rin Chupeco is one of my all time freaking favorite authors and I’m so freaking lucky to be able to read her novels, okay? From my first introduction to her with The Bone Witch to now, I just have not found a novel from her that I didn’t absolutely love. This is no exception, because Tala and Prince Alexei and this entire freaking world was so amazing. Do you know how freaking awesome it would be to meet Tala and Alexei and Tala’s family in real freaking life? Especially since they are freaking in Arizona right now?! Like… let me just drive all the way down there and just freaking help them tear some stuff up!

Ugh wow I’m just so excited to see what else is coming out of this world, and what Tala and Alexei are going to get up to in the next novel. I still can’t believe that Chupeco somehow wrote this novel, and The Never-Tilting World almost back to back somehow? They didn’t come out that far apart and they are both part of a series. Different series! Like, she’s giving me life right now.

Jawahir M

DNF at page 135

My first DNF this year. I tried I really tried with this book but it's just a mess. The world building was poor, characters were one dimensional, half of the time I was confused because there was too much going on and you weren't properly introduced to the magic system in the first place so you can follow through.

Parts of the dialogue was so forced, like Chandler from F.R.I.E.N.D.S trying to act normal but seriously fails doing so and ends up being more weird and random. All together it was just tacky.

Roos Kuijper 

4.5 stars

The beginning was a struggle, this book was not what I expected but it started to grow on me and in the end I can say that I love this book. Where is book 2???? I need this, I need more.

Manon van Heumen

This story had so much potential, but sadly for me it wasn't it. I do want to give it another go once it's been released though.

What if every story you'd ever heard was true? Jack killed the giants. Red slayed the wolf. Rapunzel fled the tower. But the greatest one of all, had yet to be told. Once upon a time, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left to wither and die after the Snow Queen encased it in ice. Its former citizens are now refugees. Which is why crown prince Alex and his protectors are stuck in... Arizona. Tala Makiling has lived her life as an outsider. Her family curse, the one that's doomed her to be a spellbreaker, someone who destroys magic, hasn't won her too many friends. Except Alex, who trusts her and her family to keep his royal identity a secret. And then one night, a famous creature of legend, the Firebird, appears in their tiny town, reigniting hope for their abandoned homeland. Alex and Tala team up with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon. Their path is filled with danger--from deadly prophecies, to terrifying ice wolves, a traitor among them, and the Snow Queen herself. But if they succeed... their story would be legendary. "A great read for fans of fairy tales, myths and legends... Come for the adventure, stay for the sassy jerkwad firebird."--Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series Gripping, fantastical, and delightfully funny, Wicked As You Wish is perfect for readers looking for: young adult magic, mythology, and folklore LGBTQ representation diverse characters creative new takes on classic stories fresh and dazzling world building Praise for Wicked As You Wish: "Glorious."--Shelf Awareness "Combining legends, myths, fairy tales, and classic children's literature from Oz to Neverland, Chupeco (The Bone Witch) creates an enchanting story that is both a feast for the senses and a unique spin on the hero's journey...A nail-biting quest that introduces a gripping new series."--STARRED review, Publishers Weekly "...A truly original novel. A deftly executed melding of folklore and reality grounded in contemporary issues."--STARRED review, Kirkus

Wicked As You Wish

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