Review: The Blood Queen

The Blood Queen by Sara Raasch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Now that Alyth and Samson know who the High Blade is, they are on a quest to find the help they need to defeat the Red Cap army. Unfortunately, the princes of the fae court don’t have much drive since the Faerie Queen went missing years earlier. Alyth and Samson know they can only count on each other and the love they have. Can they find the missing queen? Will they defeat the High Blade?

The Blood Queen is the conclusion to The Crimson Throne duology. This fantasy adventure takes readers into and out of faery and Scotland as the protagonists seek allies in their fight. As a reader of many faery stories and Scottish adventures, I was thoroughly entranced by this tale, but I could also see readers new to these settings having some issues. I highly recommend this conclusion to those who enjoyed the first book.


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Review: The Memory of Borrowed Books

The Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Claire keeps her life as organized as she does her library.  She is happy with it that way, too. When the town announces that they plan to close the library and repurpose the space, her well-organized life turns into chaos.  The confusion expands when she finds a door in the library that shouldn’t be there, and it contains books that no one else knows about.  These books hold memories of visitors to the library, and as Claire learns about each of these people, she believes she has a way to save the library.

The Memory of Borrowed Books is a stand-alone magical realism book that reinvigorated my love of libraries.  There have been many books published recently about magical books and/or libraries, yet this book stood apart and had me cheering for Claire and the community.  The memories explored during the novel hit close to home, and I found myself hoping for a great ending … and Anderson did not disappoint.  

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Review: Radio Free Texas

Radio Free Texas by Libba Bray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bowie is ready to start senior year in his small Texas town when Comet sets off a firecracker, and he takes the blame.  He now must do 100 hours of community service, and he decides that the radio station is the easiest of all options.  As hours become days, Bowie discovers his own radio voice and a possible relationship with Comet.  What will Bowie learn about himself, his town, and his friends in this final year of high school?

Radio Free Texas is a stand-alone historical fiction story that had me laughing at the antics and sending quotes to my friends.  Bray has taken the voice of a teen boy and made it accessible to every reader.  The fact that the events in this story took place 50 years ago and are still relevant today shows that, at the core, teens will always be teens.  Radio Free Texas is a great read for those who don’t want to read about “historical history.” 😊 

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