ARC Review: The Skylighter by Becky Wallace

*** This is the second book in a series so if you haven't read The Storyspinner proceed with caution. There may be spoilers for that book but there are no spoilers for this book. Also you should absolutely read The Stroyspinner. It's amazing. Here's my review! ***

Title: The Skylighter Series: The Keeper Chronicles #2 Written by: Becky Wallace Published: March 22, 2006 by Margaret K. McElderry (Simon & Schuster) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Johanna and Rafi are in a race against time to save their country before a power-mad Keeper destroys everything they hold dear in the “enthralling magical world” (Cinda Williams Chima, author of The Heir Chronicles) introduced in The Storyspinner.  As the last of the royal line, Johanna is the only person who can heal a magical breach in the wall that separates her kingdom of Santarem from the land of the Keepers, legendary men and women who wield elemental magic. The barrier protects Santarem from those Keepers who might try to take power over mere humans…Keepers who are determined to stop Johanna and seize the wall’s power for themselves.  And they’re not the only ones. As the duchys of Santarem descend into war over the throne, Johanna relies more than ever on the advice of her handsome companion, Lord Rafael DeSilva. But Rafi is a duke too, and his people come first. As their friendship progresses into the beginnings of a tender relationship, Johanna must wonder: is Rafi looking out for her happiness, or does he want the throne for himself?  With war on the horizon, Johanna and Rafi dodge treacherous dukes and Keeper assassins as they race to through the countryside, determined to strengthen the wall before it’s too late…even if it means sacrificing their happiness for the sake of their world.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

Excuse me while I attempt to rein in my emotions because I absolutely loved this series. It is the perfect duology and such a creative YA fantasy. The Storyspinner was one of my favorite books of 2015 and I was not disappointed by it's sequel. The Skylighter was a brilliant read and an epic conclusion.

One of the most brilliant things about this book is the world. I was enthralled by the world in the first book and here it was even better. It's such a complex world that feels familiar and creative at the same time. After reading the first book I learned that it was inspired by Portuguese culture and I love the way that Becky took those inspirations and combined them with traditional fantasy tropes to make something compelling and unique. It once again felt fresh and interesting. In this book we get to explore the world even more and on a deeper level learn more about the history of the world and the magic. I really enjoy the magical system here and it was really great to see it more. It's a psuedo-elemental magic and with the high stakes of this book there was a lot more magic. It was so amazing to see the elemental magic in affect and that really added to the thrilling conclusion. 

And what a great conclusion it was. This book built to a well-plotted and fantastic ending that had me on the edge of my seat. There are lots of different plot lines here and they all came to a head in a fantastic and action-packed climax full of politics and magic. I have to admit that I didn't get a chance to reread The Storyspinner so I don't really remember the specifics about the plot of that book but as much as I would have like to, I'm not sure I really needed to. This felt like a self-contained story that resolved it's own plot points while also continuing what began in the first book. This book absolutely felt like a high-stakes end of the world epic fantasy. There are so many elements of the book that worked together to give it that tone. From the characters fleeing for their lives, to the two different armies coming after them, it was so thrilling. And I love the way that everything kind of worked together to resolve at the same time. It made for a brilliant conclusion with so much action.

The reason that there were so many different storylines that all kind of resolved at the same time is because there were lots different perspectives to this book. I'm not usually a fan of books that had multiple perspectives but here it works so well. They each added something different to the story and it flowed so well. Yes, sometimes it was frustrating to leave a character right in the think of the action but I would very quickly fall back into the story of whoever was picking up the narrative. And it helped show different corners of the world where things were happening that ended up affecting the larger plot of the story. I think the multiple perspectives really added to the story and made for a more well-rounded story.

But I also may have not minded the multiple perspectives because I absolutely love the characters in this series. They are all so complex and likable. I fell for them hard in the first book so I was really invested in their success in this one. Our main characters are absolutely Johanna and Rafi who are great heroes. Johanna is still so reluctant to be a princess and hero where Rafi is so ready to be one. It should have been stereotypical but it wasn't. Those two together were such an amazing team and while it was frustrating I enjoyed them arguing about who would save who. Here we also got to spend more time with Dom who felt a little one-note (although that note was amazing) in the first book and is so complex and interesting. And then there are the Keepers like Jacare, Pira, and Leao who add the magical side of things. Things are not very easy for these characters. I was so terrified for what was going to happen to them and my ships in this book. And none of them made it easy. I wanted to smoosh so many faces together and shake some sense into these characters but that only added to the drama. There is a large cast of characters here, many of whom get perspectives, and they all are fantastic.

On the whole, The Skylighter is a fantastic and thrilling read. This was a brilliant duology from start to finish and it ended so well. It's such a fantasy YA fantasy with a creative and compelling world, complex and likable characters, and a thrilling plot that will keep you guessing. And oh wow, is this book filled with drama. Drama and feels. I had so many feels during this book. I'm a crier, I often cry while reading, and this book had me bursting into tears at numerous times. But then when it was all over I was left with not only a great feeling of satisfaction but also a serious book hangover.

I give The Skylighter by Becky Wallace 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy! Fans of The Storyspinner will absolutely adore this second and final book in this series. It is a great return to this world with complex characters, a fantastic magical system, and an thrilling plot. And if you haven't read The Storyspinner, check it out because it's a brilliant YA fantasy.

Have you read The Skylighter? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace

Title: The Storyspinner Series: The Keeper Chronicles #1 Author: Becky Wallace Published: March 3, 2015 by Simon Teen (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Drama and danger abound in this fantasy realm where dukes play a game for the throne, magical warriors race to find the missing heir, and romance blossoms where it is least expected. In a world where dukes plot their way to the throne, a Performer’s life can get tricky. And in Johanna Von Arlo’s case, it can be fatal. Expelled from her troupe after her father’s death, Johanna is forced to work for the handsome Lord Rafael DeSilva. Too bad they don’t get along. But while Johanna’s father’s death was deemed an accident, the Keepers aren’t so sure. The Keepers, a race of people with magical abilities, are on a quest to find the princess—the same princess who is supposed to be dead and whose throne the dukes are fighting over. But they aren’t the only ones looking for her. And in the wake of their search, murdered girls keep turning up—girls who look exactly like the princess, and exactly like Johanna. With dukes, Keepers, and a killer all after the princess, Johanna finds herself caught up in political machinations for the throne, threats on her life, and an unexpected romance that could change everything

You want me to review this book? Impossible! There is nothing I can say to do it justice. Well okay then, I'll just spent a few hundred words rambling about how fantastic it was. Because it seriously was fantastic! I devoured The Storyspinner in only a few days and I still can't stop thinking about it. After finishing I was left with a raging book hangover that turned me into a mood reader because I just want to read The Stroyspinner again! It was that good.

Like a lot of fantasy this is the kind of book with a rather large cast of characters. And it's the kind of fantasy where many characters get chapters from their perspective. This is extremely hit or miss for me, it needs to be handled well. It can either get really confusing and frustrating or it can be a great way to see the story from different sides. Here it worked. Becky Wallace expertly crafted an interesting story from all angles with lots of dramatic irony. Sure, sometimes it was frustrating because it would end one character's story on a cliffhanger but that only worked to build the suspense and interest in the story. The multiple perspectives really added a lot to the story and made it full-bodied and interesting.

But perhaps the changing perspectives worked so well because the characters were so fantastic. Every last one of them was instantly likable. Being able to see the book from their perspective only worked to build that likability and connection with the characters. It also helped to create a contrast between characters. Seriously of the six main perspectives they were all so different and unique. Some like Dom were more funny and lighthearted. Some were more serious like Jacaré and Rafi. There was tough warriors like Pira and Texugo and there were more uncertain characters like Leão. And then of course there was the main protagonist Johanna. She's following in her parents footsteps and becoming a Performer (the storyspinning she does is a very cool aspect of the story) but there is so much more to her than that. Johanna is hard to pin down because she is truly unique. She's not quite the strong female protagonist with a warrior spirit we see a lot in YA but she is tough and plucky. She walked that perfect line between reluctant hero and damsel in distress. She was honest and genuine and I really loved her. But that can be said about almost every character in this book. They were genuine and likable. They had strengths and weaknesses and they were figuring things out as they went along. The characters were without a doubt one of the reasons I enjoyed The Storyspinner so much.

And with there being so many amazing characters there was also some truly wonderful ships. Yes, you read that right, multiple ships. You guys, fear not, there are no love triangles in sight here. The ships are obvious and they are spectacular. The two main ships are the kind that I always love. One of them is a more traditional hate to love kind of basis but both of them have the most amazing banter. They bicker and poke fun at one another but underneath the surface there is mutual attraction and respect. But better than that, they are both incredible slowburns. One of them didn't get together at all in this book and the other didn't officially happen until the very end. My shipping feels started much earlier and I wanted to smoosh their faces together. It was fantastic!

Another fantastic thing about this book was the world. I've said it before and I'll say it again, YA Fantasy is my kryptonite. I read a lot of it and therefore it often feels predictable and like the same thing over and over again. But The Storyspinner felt incredibly fresh and unique. Sure it definitely pulls from some more traditional elements of fantasy like a missing princess, a tenuous peace in states that have a history of war, even the magical system felt more traditional but it still all felt original. After reading reviews from Nikki at There Were Books Involved and Brittany from The Book Addict's Guide I learned that the inspiration for this book is actually Portuguese. Which may have been why it felt so fresh because that was very cool and different. But there was also something about the magical system that I really enjoyed. It was a psuedo-elemental magic which usually doesn't feel original to me but it was so subtle here that it worked. It reminded me a little of Avatar: The Last Airbender but in a good way. It felt like it was inspired by these different things but it was something all it's own. Everything about this world worked with the plot to create a captivating novel.

Speaking of that plot, wow, was it fantastic! It was expertly paced and plotted. The chapters were short, making it the kind of book that has you saying "one more chapter wouldn't hurt," then before you realize it, you've read for four hours and forgot to eat dinner. That's also probably because The Storyspinner is the kind of book that slowly plots along in an interesting and engaging way until all of a sudden... BAM, it kicks into high gear and you're left furiously turning pages because you're so anxious and excited to see how it will all end. That's also about the time when things start coming together, people start finding things out that they shouldn't know, and our beloved heroes get into some real hot water. Seeing the book from lots of different perspectives meant that there weren't really many plot twists but the dramatic irony and thrilling action really built the suspense here. In the end, it all built to an exciting conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat. It was so exciting that when it was all over I was left hungering for more. It did have a pretty serious cliffhanger that has me anxiously awaiting the second book and wanting to reread the last few chapter just to make sure everyone is okay. No, I wanted to reread the entire book!

I have to say that 2015 is definitely the year of brilliant debuts. Of the few five star reviews I've given on Goodreads, two of them have been debuts, and one of them is The Storyspinner. It was a truly fantastic debut with amazing characters and a thrilling plot and I am anxiously awaiting to see where it will all lead.

I give The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace a 9.5 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY. Absolutely buy this book! This book is not to be missed for fantasy fans. It's a fresh and exciting world with amazing characters, and fantastic romance. If you are looking for a book to give you out of control shipping feels, and thrilling action that leaves you desperately wanting more this is the book for you. It's a truly wonderful debut and worth a read.

Have you read The Storyspinner? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING