Time for another round of Yvonne’s Shorties! This time around a historical fantasy and a YA fantasy sequel that both ended up being just as good as those gorgeous covers.

Title: The Magician’s Daughter
Author: H.G. Parry
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction
First published: February 28th 2023
Publisher: Redhook
Finished reading: August 20th 2023
Pages: 384

“That, Rowan had told her once, was what magic meant. A chance of something better.”


REVIEW

I had a fantastic first experience with The Unlikely Escape Of Uriah Heep back in 2020, and I’ve been looking forward to read more of H.G. Parry’s work ever since. I’m not sure why it took me this long, but this newest story couldn’t have come at a better time… I adored every single minute I spent with The Magician’s Daughter, and I couldn’t give it any less than the full 5 stars it deserved. While completely different than her debut, I fell in love with this historical fantasy story straight away. The Magician’s Daughter almost has that magical realism feel, which can go both ways for me, but in this case it hit the nail on the head. I loved the idea and descriptions of both Hy-Brasil and the magic itself, and the historical references are well incorporated. This wasn’t the only thing I loved though… This book also stood out for me both due its impeccable writing and the development of the main characters. There was something enchanting about the writing style, and I found myself glued to the pages and unable to stop reading. Biddy makes for such a fantastic main character, and I loved learning more about the world through her eyes… Especially when she starts seeing the ‘real’ world for the first time in her life. The rest of the cast all added a little something special to the plot as well, although I think I loved Hutch the most of all of them. The plot is well structured, and there are plenty of twists and moments of danger along the way… Biddy’s mission almost has that quest vibe, and I loved both how the plot evolved and how everything was wrapped up in the end. There is no doubt that The Magician’s Daughter will appear on my list of 2023 favorites!

Title: Cazadora
(Wolves Of No World #2)
Author: Romina Garber
Genre: YA, Fantasy
First published: August 17th 2021
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Finished reading: August 24th 2023
Pages: 400

“We are the narratives we tell ourselves. But do we shape language, or does language shape us? Do we define words, or do words define us? If everyone keeps insisting I’m this monster, how soon before I become her?”


REVIEW

It’s true that I don’t read a lot of YA fantasy anymore, but I couldn’t resist joining the blog tour for the first book back in 2020 and I instantly fell in love with this Argentine folklore inspired high fantasy world. I’ve been meaning to read Cazadora ever since it was first published, but somehow it took me TWO years to actually do so. I’m definitely kicking myself now, because I ended up having another fantastic experience with this sequel! Cazadora offered all the things I loved in the first book, with the added bonus that you already know and care for Manu and her manada. The fantasy world itself is fantastic, and very much inspired by Argentina; the incorporation of both local folklore and customs brilliantly done. The Spanish phrases only add more authenticity to this story, and it definitely made my inner philologist happy. Most of the phrases are translated though, so it is still easy to understand what is happening even though you don’t speak Spanish. The plot itself picks up where the first book ended; this is why I would highly suggest reading the books in order both to avoid spoilers and confusion about what is happening and how the high fantasy world works. There is plenty of new territory to explore in Cazadora though, and the story incorporates a lot of important topics along the way. The writing itself is simply fantastic, and I loved every single minute that I spent with this story. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed there will be another book in the future considering how things ended…

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