Why I’m Backing Lady Agatha Speaks Her Mind — A Spiceless Romantasy Delight

 

If you love romantasy but prefer your stories spiceless, I’ve found a gem you won’t want to miss: Lady Agatha Speaks Her Mind by Elisabeth Aimee Brown. I just backed the Kickstarter, and I’m genuinely thrilled about this project.

This story promises all the charm of a fairy tale with the wit and whimsy of the Ella Enchanted movie adaptation—one of my all-time favorites. It sounds clean, clever, and full of heart. I had the chance to read the sample chapter, and I was laughing out loud. Lady Agatha is a heroine with a voice, and I can’t wait to hear more of it.

The campaign runs until September 18, so there’s not much time left to join in. If you’ve been longing for a romantasy that’s rich in story and light on spice, this might be the one to support. Plus, there’s something special about helping bring a story like this into the world.

You can check out the Kickstarter here: Lady Agatha Speaks Her Mind

Let’s help Lady Agatha speak her mind—and maybe laugh a little along the way.

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A Peter Pan retelling - Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas (2021)

When children go missing, people want answers. When children go missing in the small coastal town of Astoria, people look to Wendy for answers.

It's been five years since Wendy and her two brothers went missing in the woods, but when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious circumstances are brought back into light. Attempting to flee her past, Wendy almost runs over an unconscious boy lying in the middle of the road, and gets pulled into the mystery haunting the town.

Peter, a boy she thought lived only in her stories, claims that if they don't do something, the missing children will meet the same fate as her brothers. In order to find them and rescue the missing kids, Wendy must confront what's waiting for her in the woods.

Peter is what really shines in this book. The author clearly had a solid vision of what their Peter Pan should look like, feel like, act like, and the book really brings him to life. I appreciate that Peter is slightly different from the usual incarnations of a boy who refuses to go up and constantly runs from trouble. Peter is a shepherd of sorts, in a way that I won't go too deep into since I don't want to give spoilers. He's generous, compassionate, and merciful, a very sweet boy with a universe of stars in his eyes. And all the emotions that go along with first love.

I had a bit of a harder time pinning Wendy down. Peter's obvious right from the beginning, and I love him, but Wendy is difficult to like. You feel bad for her, yes. Grieve for her, absolutely. But liking her is a different thing altogether. She would be a very heavy weight in anyone's life, so I have to say that Jordan is a much, much better friend than I would be capable of being. I did love Wendy's fairy lights that she's got strung up by her window. It makes sense since I have fairy lights too. And once she's acknowledged that Peter is who he says he is, well, it makes her more relatable. Along with all the girly emotions of crushing on Peter Pan because, seriously, he's always been one of my crushes. So, as the story progresses, I grew to like Wendy more, and she becomes quite a courageous heroine by the end.

One thing I did think was a little difficult was the prose. It feels a little too juvenile for the age of the characters, and that's unfortunate. There's also a ton of passive descriptors used instead of active ones. Active sentences are my jam in fiction so I hate it when authors don't use them enough.  I also get tired of the anti-police trope that's in full force right now. I just can't go along with that stereotype. And unfortunately, Lost in the Never Woods is full of incompetent, bullying cops. Not cool. One of the reasons I love the tv series Teen Wolf is because Stiles' dad is the town sheriff and he's amazing, a great dad, and a terrific sheriff. It would have been nice to see something similar done here.

There's also a distinctive gap of action in the middle of the novel, but at the same time, this is when we see Peter and Wendy really interact, so it's a toss-up. They're charming when they're together, and their physical attraction is very real. Peter cherishes her, if that's even a thing anymore, and I loved watching their relationship grow stronger. Kisses are nice.

Also, I'm not sure if the author has seen the Rise of the Guardians film, but Peter and his Shadow have a LOT in common with Jack Frost and Pitch Black. I mean, a LOT. So that was a bit, mmm, on the iffy side for me. I'd seen it before, so that plot device didn't feel very original. That being said, I liked the use of shadows in this retelling, and that they're built of people's fear. That was pretty neat.

Overall, it was a light-hearted read with just a few hiccups. My favorite Peter Pan retelling at the moment is Dust by Kara Swanson, but I did enjoy most of Lost in the Never Woods. It'll be interesting to see if there's ever a sequel since the book finishes a little open-ended. I'm good either way, sequel or no sequel.

On a completely random note, the cover is super pretty.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Swoon Reads for a free ARC. I was not required to give a positive review, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lost in the Never Woods

Author: Aiden Thomas

Year: 2021

My Rating:  ★★★

Goodreads | Amazon

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COVER REVEAL - Shadow (book 2 in the Heirs of Neverland series) by Kara Swanson

 

Oh my gosh! I'm so excited to see the cover for Kara Swanson's Shadow, the second book in the Heirs of Neverland duology that releases in July 2021! It feels like such a long wait! 

I'm crazy about Peter Pan and Peter Pan retellings so you can imagine my exhilaration on discovering a Peter Pan series by a Christian author. Christian fantasy has been so hard to come by for many, many years. Does anyone else find that strange? I mean, technically, Christianity is the birthplace of fantasy with such acclaimed authors George Macdonald, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien. But it's become something of a taboo topic for most Christian publishing houses and that saddens me. 

Fortunately for Christians who love fantasy and don't always want to have to turn to secular publications, there is now the Christian publishing house Enclave that focuses on fantasy and science fiction! I appreciate that, so far, the faith elements are subtle which means that the message has much more of a chance to impact a wider readership than most Christian fiction. There is a freedom and fluidity that these authors seem to experience with this publishing house, a chance to be themselves, and I LOVE THAT!

You know what else I love? The first book in the Heirs of Neverland duology, DUST! You can find my review for it HERE or by clicking the image below. If you love fairy tales you absolutely must read it and then you'll be all set for the release of Shadow in July 2021!

Amazon | Goodreads

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Book Review: The Petrified Flesh (Reckless #1) by Cornelia Funke (2010)

Ever since Jacob Reckless was a child, he has been escaping to a hidden world through a portal in his father's abandoned study. Over the years, he has made a name for himself as a finder of enchanted items and buried secrets. He's also made many enemies and allies -- most important, Fox, a beautiful shape-shifting vixen whom Jacob cares for more than he lets on.

But life in this other world is about to change. Tragedy strikes when Jacob's younger brother, Will, follows him through the portal. Brutally attacked, Will is infected with a curse that is quickly transforming him into a Goyl -- a ruthless killing machine, with skin made of stone.

Jacob is prepared to fight to save his brother, but in a land built on trickery and lies, Jacob will need all the wit, courage, and reckless spirit he can summon to reverse the dark spell -- before it's too late. 

I've read The Petrified Flesh multiple times, starting back when it was called Reckless and the series was called Mirrorworld. Something must have gone screwy with the original translator since they replaced that person with new translator Oliver Latsch who translates the Reckless trilogy from German into English.

Jacob Reckless is the main character, a treasure hunter in his early twenties in a magical fairyland that can only be reached through a magic mirror. The reader knows he's unreliable, a liar, and a bit of a womanizer. He's out for adventure and makes promises that he wishes he could keep, but knows all the same that he won't. 

Will Reckless, Jacob's younger brother, is the complete opposite of Jacob. A gentle, kind, gullible soul, Will has always looked up to Jacob, all the way up to the point where he finally figures out the mirror and follows Jacob into the Mirrorworld. Where, as the synopsis points, out, he is cursed to grow a skin of Jade stone. 

Clara is Will's girlfriend who also comes with him through the mirror and now she and Jacob work together to return Will to his own skin. She's a lot like Will, rather gullible, but gentle, and she was a nurse at the hospital where Will and Jacob's mother lay dying.

Then there's Fox, the remarkable Vixen who has been a faithful compatriot to Jacob since he first found her injured in an animal snare. She is a shapeshifter, but spends most of her time in the comfortable, impartial fur of the fox than in the human skin of a young woman who's starting to realize her love for Jacob Reckless.

The Petrified Flesh is a favorite book of mine just like the series is a favorite of mine, but it is not for everyone. Jacob is an incredibly flawed protagonist. I mean, wow, you can't get much more flawed than him, but I love him anyway because I can relate to his flaws. He yearns for adventure and ignores responsibility to please himself. He's selfish and can be carelessly cruel. But he knows these things about himself, regrets that he is this way, and wishes he could be a better person. For anyone who has read Cornelia's Inkheart trilogy, Jacob is a little bit like Dustfinger, beautifully flawed.

Before anyone makes the mistake of handing this book to their child, The Petrified Flesh is NOT a child's book. It's not even really a YA book, but lands somewhere in the impossible realm of fantasy that doesn't have a clear-cut readership designated by an age group. This is probably why the series was never as popular as it could have been. Readers just never figured out where it should fall age-wise and even how they should feel about it since the lead character is so flawed.

The translation is a bit passive at times. Passive verbs instead of active, that sort of thing and it can make it more of a boring read for certain readers. Even I acknowledge that it's a strange translation style, but I love the characters and the story enough to not get sidetracked. There's a lot of European fairytales wrapped into the story, which makes it all the more intriguing. Most of the fairy stories are terrifying, like the child eating witches or the Tailor or the Watermen or the Lorelei. We even encounter Sleeping Beauty's castle where the prince never actually came to kiss her awake so she's pretty much mummified.

Content-wise, Jacob has had several liasons with women throughout his years behind the mirror, including spending a year with the Red Fairy before he remembered himself and sneaked away. None of these experiences are described in graphic detail, or barely any detail at all, but it gives us a look at Jacob's lifestyle and he's really careless with the feelings of other people. There's quite a bit of violence and death including what amounts to a Red Wedding type of experience like from Game of Thrones, only with not the same gruesome detail.

It's a bit of a macabre story, and the ending, while it puts certain things to right, it does put Jacob on the path of yet another quest, this one with the purpose to save his own life which is in serious jeopardy. The lesson here is to never fall in love with a fairy. And to never believe yourself immortal simply because you're clever. That's where Jacob's pride comes into play full-force.

The Petrified Flesh is worth a read, especially if you like fairy stories that transport you to other worlds. I'm especially fond of these types of escapism tales, so, flawed or not, The Petrified Flesh is one of my favorite books. And, if memory serves me, the next book in the series deals with a Bluebeard's chamber. Exciting!

The Petrified Flesh

Author: Cornelia Funke

Translator: Oliver Latsch

Series: Reckless (Mirrorworld)

Year: 2010

My Rating:  ★★★★

Goodreads | Amazon

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Book Review: Dust (Book 1 in the Heirs of Neverland series) by Kara Swanson (2020)

Official Synopsis  

The truth about Neverland is far more dangerous than a fairy tale. 

Claire Kenton believes the world is too dark for magic to be real—since her twin brother was stolen away as a child. Now Claire’s desperate search points to London... and a boy who shouldn't exist. 

Peter Pan is having a beastly time getting back to Neverland. Grounded in London and hunted by his own Lost Boys, Peter searches for the last hope of restoring his crumbling island: a lass with magic in her veins. 

The girl who fears her own destiny is on a collision course with the boy who never wanted to grow up. The truth behind this fairy tale is about to unravel everything Claire thought she knew about Peter Pan—and herself.  

~ * ~

Here we are, in a new year, and this is the first book I have officially read in 2021. This will probably be a year of magical and fantasy reads and that prospect excites me.

Kara Swanson is fairly new on the scene of Christian YA authors. But she's gifted with a vivid imagination, a romantic soul (kinda necessary for writing YA romantic fantasy), and lots and lots of dreams. Plus, she's young so there is plenty of time for her to hone her craft.

At the time of this review being published, Dust is available on Amazon for a whopping $4.65 in hardback or $4.91 in Kindle. I just purchased it in hardback; I enjoyed it that much.

AND, the cover for Shadow, book two in the dulogy, has just been released! Go HERE for my raving blog post!

Peter, Claire, and Tiger Lily take center stage, backed up by Hook and one other person who would constitute as a spoiler if I gave a name.

Peter is upbeat, mischievous, and growing into his hormones since being stuck on earth away from Neverland seems to be aging him. He's roughly in his late teens, almost twenty, and he's falling hard for Claire, which I personally found adorable. The author has a good sense of romantic timing, and how to give just enough detail without giving too much. Peter is snarky and his chapters entertain me the most. There is a certain repetition to his vocabulary, like calling most of the people he meets mates or chaps, even Claire, which just feels weird and slightly off-putting since it's not really natural to call a girl chap. But on the whole, Peter is Peter Pan, and unlike Claire, I've always loved Peter Pan, flights of fancy (forgive the pun!), and all. So the version of Peter in Dust delights me.

Claire is harder to pinpoint. She's an emotional mess, although we find out why she's an emotional mess later so that sort of helps a bit. But what doesn't help is that she's also a bit dense. I would have figured out I was dealing with Peter Pan waaaaaaay sooner than she does, and even when she's told point-blank that this boy is Peter Pan, she still doesn't quite believe it. She's a nice heroine, but she doesn't make wise decisions, especially near the end where wisdom would have served her best. I love the use of pixie dust in the story (it's BRILLIANT), and so for the magical elements alone, I like Claire. But she's still somewhat irksome as a heroine.

Tiger Lily on the other hand is magnificent. She's a native Neverlander (an idea I've loved since forever), and she's the tribal leader of her people, that is until she chose to maintain loyalty to Peter and fall to earth with him. She's clearly African inspired with her dark skin, but I love the addition of night sky and constellation tattoos into her character design, along with the teal streak in her hair and just her overall strength. This girl/woman is tough but kind, and she has suffered through many doubts and dark periods in her life. 

I wish that there had been a little more plot development in the middle section of the book apart from Peter and Claire growing closer and Claire learning to trust herself more. There's also a bit of an issue with repetition. We know that Tiger Lily has that teal streak in her hair. It doesn't have to be repeated more than once, and if it does need to be repeated, do it in a newer, fresher way.

Blatant faith elements are minimal, but there is mention of the native Neverlanders and their faith in the Ever One, the deity who hung the stars in the sky. Hopefully, she'll expound on this Being in the sequel. There is also a lot of mention of light overcoming darkness and shadow so that's inspiring. There's a lot of talk about facing up to your fears and inner demons before you can truly become whole and I completely agree with that. Lots of little nuggets of truth are sprinkled in without preaching.

I know very little about traveling outside my country, but I do know you need a passport and it's unlikely you can just get a job wherever you happen to be visiting. We never hear of Claire having a passport and she's planning to get a job within a week or so of landing in London. I just don't know how possible that is. Then there's the phone breakage incident. If it's an iPhone (which Claire has), all of your contacts are pretty much backed up for retrieval on the iCloud. So, yeah, her panic over losing contacts doesn't add up.

Overall, the idea for Dust is magical and clever. It just needed a little more research and possibly a beta reader to ask a couple of important questions like "how is Claire getting to London without a passport" and "don't iPhones back up their contacts." Regardless of these little hiccups, Kara Swanson clearly loves J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan and for that I thank her. I'm hoping for a tighter plot schedule in the sequel Shadow that is due out in summer 2021. There is a bit of a cliffhanger to this first novel so I'm eager for Shadow.

Dust

Author: Kara Swanson

Series: Heirs of Neverland

Year: 2020

My Rating:  ★★★★

Goodreads | Amazon

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Period Drama Challenge - Ladyhawke (1985)

Written for the Period Drama Challenge hosted by Laurie over at Old-Fashioned Charm. ❤

Ladyhawke (1985, PG13)

starring Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Alfred Molina

Just looking at the cover of this movie is making me melt and want to watch it again. And I've already watched it 3 times since the start of 2016! Which, I do admit, is in excess and more than I usually watch it. But I watched the DVD with my family in early January before discovering that it was released on BLU-RAY (can I get an AMEN?!). So I bought the blu-ray, watched it myself, then grabbed my mom and sister and demanded they watch it with me. So I'm halfway 2/3 of the way through it for my 3rd time in under 2 months.

You know those movies that people recommend and you end up either hating or loving? There is no in-between range of emotion? Ladyhawke is one of those. It is undeniably one of the most hauntingly filmed movies I've ever seen, but it's also blessed with one of the absolutely strangest soundtracks that I've ever heard. It makes or breaks the film. You'll see what I mean when I get to that section of this post, but first of all, the plot itself!

❤ The Plot ❤

Ladyhawke is set somewhere in 11th century France, definitely after the Crusades and most assuredly during the feudal system. 

Alarm bells in Aquila clang, announcing the escape of a prisoner from the vile dungeons that belong to the Bishop of Aquila (pretty much the spawn of Satan) who also happens to be an outcast from the established Church.

The aforementioned escapee is Phillipe Gaston, played by none other than the so-cute-it-hurts-to-look-at-him Matthew Broderick. It was 1985, OF COURSE HE WAS CUTE!

Running just so far that he feels safe, but definitely not far enough, Phillipe the Mouse pauses to refresh himself at an outdoor tavern (not that I knew they had those in feudal France).

But he can't just eat. Oh no, he must talk too, which leads to the unveiling of the Bishop's soldiers whose very lives are likely on the line if they don't catch the escaped prisoner.

After all, you can't have an escape-proof dungeon if someone has . . . well, escaped. DUH.

Just as a sword is swinging for Phillipe's jugular, an arrow pierces the hand of the sword-holding knight, having been shot by a mysterious man in black *cue dramatic music for Rutger Hauer's entrance*

Navarre, for that is the name of the dramatic man in black, rescues Phillipe, sort of, depending on your point of view.

I'm not sure you or I would consider it rescuing if you were being chased down by an intimidating man in black riding the world's biggest stallion who also happens to be named Goliath.

Phillipe has literally no choice at this point, but he's already noticed things are a bit on the odd side where Navarre is concerned. After all, who keeps a hawk for a pet and Navarre is decidedly attached to his hawk?

Stopping at a cozy stable run by psycho axe-wielding murderers (no, I'm not kidding), the two men, well boy and man, decide to stop for the night, with Navarre fiercely warning Phillipe to not disturb his slumber or he might take his head off without fully realizing it's him. Yeah, that's comforting.

Out collecting firewood, Phillipe determines to make his escape because, as he puts it, "He wants something from me. I can see it in his eyes. Well, whatever it is, I'm not going to do it. I'm still a young man, you know! I've got prospects!"

An enormous mangy wolf puts in an appearance, chasing Phillipe back to the stable where he can't find Navarre, but manages to grab Navarre's crossbow only to have the arrow snatched away before he can fire at the wolf.

And snatched away by none other than a stunning woman with porcelain skin and piercing blue eyes, cloaked all in black. Yes, it's Michelle Pfeiffer and at her most gorgeous.

As Phillipe watches, she joins the wolf outside, and as he's pondering aloud whether he's dreaming, she calls back calmly, "You are dreaming."

Phillipe panics as any practical person would, crawls up into the loft where he watches the woman and the wolf head into the forest together and proceeds to plead with God, who he talks to every single day, "I've not seen what I've just seen. I do not believe what I believe, Lord! If these are magical or unexplainable matters than I beg you not to make me a part of them."

Are you intrigued yet? If you aren't, you absolutely should be because I've only covered maybe 30 minutes of a 2 hour long movie. Trust me, it gets progressively better!

❤ What Makes Ladyhawke Awesome ❤

Many, many movies, too many to count, take themselves too seriously. They have an agenda, a message to be preached, and they forget that you can have fun at the same time that you're sharing the message.

Ladyhawke is NOT that movie.

Oh no.

You've probably already caught on by Phillipe's quotes that the dialogue for this movie is different. Humor abounds! The dialogue is snappy and just plain fun. Ladyhawke is not one of those looooooong, boring period drama. It is alive and breaths life into the audience with the charisma of its actors and the talent of its screenplay writers.

Now I will say there isn't anything wrong with serious period dramas. They certainly have their place and I love many of them. But I love Ladyhawke because it isn't one of those period dramas. I'm sure it helps that Richard Donner directed seeing as he's the man who brought the world the hilarious Lethal Weapon movies as well as Maverick starring Mel Gibson and James Garner. There's a man who doesn't take life too seriously which made him PERFECT to direct Ladyhawke.

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Faerie Tale Theatre's Cinderella (1985)

 

Written for Cinderella Week hosted by Heidi at Along the Brandywine. ❤

As a homeschooler with parents who weren't wholeheartedly involved in the Disney boycott thing in the 90s, I was solidly exposed to fantasy and fairy tales as a child. So of course I watched Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre. Oh my, I look back on that series with so much fondness and love, but, out of all the episodes, only a few really stood out as my favorites, and one of them happens to be Cinderella.

If you've never watched it, then you've missed so much! Matthew Broderick, who I happen to ADORE, plays Prince Henry, making himself one of my favorites of the Cinderella princes. He was just so . . . ideal. Naive perhaps, and very young, not unlike Cinderella herself, and I liked that, knowing they would grow to maturity together.

 

Three things stand out for me when I think about Faerie Tale Theatre's Cinderella: the casting, the humor, and the costuming.

I, mean, how do you go wrong casting Matthew Broderick as the Prince and Jean Stapleton as the fairy godmother?! I sort of grew up with Jean Stapleton, watching her be a semi-regular character on the spy show Scarecrow and Mrs. King in the 80s, so watching her don sparkles and the most GORGEOUS of all ball gowns to play Cinderella's fairy godmother, well, it was a sure thing I'd love her. As for Broderick, you already know I love him, but I also know Eve Arden as the wicked stepmother, who was quite the renowned actress herself in the days of classic cinema. Jane Alden and Edie McClurg play the stepsisters, Bertha and Arlene, and the insanely eccentric James Noble, known mainly for The Love Boat, is cast as the king.

But I also mentioned humor, and this version of Cinderella is shock full of it. Whether it's Bertha saying to a male visiter, "Would you like something to drink, perhaps some ham?" or the King remarking to his son, "Have you ever talked to that chef, Jacque? He is a heck of a nice guy!" the dialogue just flows so well. I love how the fairy godmother , just as she's about to turn the pumpkin into a coach, pauses and proclaims, "Hold on, pumpkins aren't hollow are they? Don't they have all that stringy stuff inside of 'em?" To which Cinderella responds, "Yes, and seeds." And the fairy godmother says, "Seeds! You don't want gigantic seeds inside of your coach do you? No, I should say not, we'll have to dig 'em out!" Which they then proceed to do, divesting the pumpkin of its seeds and "stringy stuff." The fairy godmother is a great kidder, the king strikes me as a laid back lounge singer from the 1960s, and Prince Henry spends a great deal of his time dodging Cinderella's stepsisters at the balls.

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