Review- The Hero's Guide to Storming The Castle by Christopher Healy

The Hero's Guide to Storming The Castle by Christopher Healy
Book provided by Publisher for review
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Available Now
Hardcover 496 pages
To Buy Links-
Amazon/ Kindle/ B and N/ Book Depository/ Indiebound/ Kobo

From Goodreads-Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav. You remember them, don't you? They're the Princes Charming who finally got some credit after they stepped out of the shadows of their princesses - Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Briar Rose - to defeat an evil witch bent on destroying all their kingdoms. 
But alas, such fame and recognition only last so long. And when the princes discover that an object of great power might fall into any number of wrong hands, they are going to have to once again band together to stop it from happening - even if no one will ever know it was they who did it. 
Christopher Healy, author of the acclaimed The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, takes us back to the hilariously fractured fairy-tale world he created for another tale of medieval mischief. Magical gemstones, bladejaw eels, a mysterious Gray Phantom, and two maniacal warlords bent on world domination - it's all in a day's work for the League of Princes.

There are characters upon characters in this novel! So many that it's really too hard to break it up and tell you about each one. I'll tell you my favorites. Gustav, the Prince Charming from the story of Rapunzel. All he wants to do is clobber somebody. There is no finesse to him. He's got a battle axe and he ain't afraid to use it. Or without it, he'll just jump into the fray. Whichever he feels like. He'd be the large guy on the cover with the blond hair. Oh and he's got a great way with words. Frederic, Cinderella's Prince Charming likes to wear nice clothes. So Gustav calls him "Tassels" and Briar Rose, better known as Sleeping Beauty is also called "Miss Prissy Pants" by Gustav (though I think he might have a secret crush on her).

I also love Liam. He finds out he's a fraud and he is forced to marry Briar Rose, the princess he awakened with a kiss and he's just really having a bad time of it. But, he still manages to pull his bootstraps up and become the leader the League of Princes needs (it should really be League of Princes and Princesses). Not that I'm saying he doesn't make mistakes, he does. Like being jealous of Prince Frederic who is engaged to Cinderella (Ella) who is much more suited to Liam. And having huge holes in his plan to get the treasure, but he's not listening to suggestions on how to fill them. And boy does he want to get out of his marriage to Briar Rose!

The World- Well, it's a fantasyland. There are giants, trolls, gnomes, castles, inhabited and uninhabited. Witches, bandits, enchanted treasures, dragons, all kinds of fantastical creatures you can imagine and magical tears that can heal most any injury. So it's your pretty typical Fairy Tale World.

The Story- In a nutshell Liam is forced to marry Briar Rose to save his friends who have come to rescue him and as usual have bumbled the job. To save them, he must marry her. Briar Rose isn't too fond of Liam, just interested in his treasure room. But when she doesn't find what she wants in his treasure room and finds out it is stolen, she charges Liam and his friends with finding it and retrieving it from the Bandit King, the 10 year old boy who is king of a ruthless army of pirates-Deeb Rauber. (Yes it gets more fantastical than that). Deeb has a warlord from the land of Dar visiting him, the most ferocious fighter ever known and his brought his army to learn and to teach Deeb Rauber's bandits. All at the same time that Liam and Company are going to sneak in for a priceless treasure. And Liam and Company have to try to figure out what Briar Rose is up to, she's planning something and needs the priceless treasure to do it.

Here's my opinion- First this book is almost 500 pages long. That's a lot of reading. I will say that my attention lagged a little in some places. Not because it was boring, but because I was trying to read it in two days and that's just a lot of reading. The romances in this one are a little bigger, but other than Duncan and Snow White, no one is together. There is a whole lot of miscommunication going on or not going on at all. Frederic sees Gustav at Rapunzel's and he leaves not knowing that Gustav is leaving with a Yee Haa! Ella leaves Frederic's after his father kicks her out but then Frederic leaves home too. Liam leaves Briar Rose but he doesn't know where to go. Somehow, I'm betting they all find their way back to the Stumpy Boarhound. Minus Rapunzel. It's just too much for her. I thought the action was great but the sitting around planning was a bit slow and the searching for clues as to what Briar Rose was up to could have been shortened. Also it wasn't quite as funny as the first in the series.

But all in all, it was an enjoyable read and definitely worth me buying my own hardback copy to keep. I can see me reading this to my grand kids one day. (or if I don't have any, I'm hijacking a teacher's class to read it to them!) The characters are funny and stay true to form. Liam makes some major character growth in this one and maybe Briar Rose makes some as well. Frederic does too, standing up to his father. I can't wait to see more of what's to come. I believe Snow White and Duncan probably shouldn't leave the castle again. For the safety of everyone. Especially the dwarves!

There is nary a bad word or compromising situation in the entire book. This book is approved for all reading ages and should be read for all reading ages. Just don't try all 500 pages in one sitting. (Or Two)!

Blog Tour- The Hero's Guide To Storming The Castle-Character Reveal Giveaway (Publisher Provided)

Welcome to The Hero's Guide To Storming the Castle Blog Tour brought to you by Walden Pond Press.

First I want to let you know about the giveaway-

All readers of this blog have exclusive access to a special giveaway for THE HERO’S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE.

You will need this SECRET CODE to enter: PRINCE CHARMING. 

Click here to enter.

WHAT YOU WIN: If you are one of the first three people to enter the giveaway TODAY, you will receive a signed copy of The Hero’s Guide to Storming the Castle. EVERYONE who enters the giveaway from 5/6 to 5/26 is eligible to win a $200 gift card to the bookstore of his or her choice.

Now for my Character information-

Here he is VERO-

 Dashing isn't he?? Well, not so fast. You might want to know a little more about Vero, the dashing, or "as they say in his country" dashing. (He says "as they say in my country" a lot)!

Vero

Occupation: Swordsman

Affiliation: Deeb Rauber’s Bandit Army

Kingdom of Origin: Carpagia

Current Residence: Castle von Deeb, Rauberia

Parentage: Unknown 

Known Allies: Desdemona (his sword)

Longtime Foe: The world’s greatest swordsman (he does not know who this person is, but whoever this person is, he is Vero’s greatest foe)

Likes: High-quality rapiers, ponytails, skilled dueling partners

Dislikes: Brutish un-elegant fighters, clumsy weapons like clubs and axes, people who cannot understand his accent

Signature Move: The Crossover Counter-Parry Flunge

Quote: “You should beware my blade, no? Get in its way and it will, as we say in my country, hurt.”

Little Known Fact: Left his home in Carpagia because, in his words, “I am the greatest swordsman in the kingdom, which means that the best opponent I could find there would only be second best, and that is not good enough, no?” 

So, if anyone wants to make him a profile on Match.com or one of those dating profiles, you've got all you need. Uh, though I'm not sure how old he is. And he is a villain. So there is that.

Make sure to follow the rest of the tour which can be found HERE! And don't forget to be the first one to enter the contest with the secret word. Remember- The first three entries each day win a hardback copy of the book! And you're entered into the contest to win the Giftcard!

Take it easy, it's Monday! Almost forgot! There is a live Twitter chat With the AUTHOR of THE HERO'S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE, Christopher Healy and Marissa Meyer of CINDER AND SCARLETT fame. Here is the official info on that:

Join New York Times Bestselling author Marissa Meyer and Christopher Healy for a Twitter Chat on fractured fairy tales on Monday, June 3^rd at 9pm ET. Hashtag #talesretold. There will be giveaways!

And here is the official trailer for The Hero's Guide to Storming The Castle!

Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop May 16th -22nd

Welcome to the Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop at Buried in Books! This month it is hosted by Portrait of a Book and I Am A Reader Not A Writer.  I am giving away one comtemporary MG or YA novel featuring romance from either Amazon (US) or Book Depository (INT) up to $15.00. Just fill out the rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget to follow the rest of the hop!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme begun by Jill at Breaking The Spine in which bloggers get to show what books they are saving their pennies for, dreaming about at night, slobbering over, and just plain can't wait to get their hands on! I know this one has been shown probably all over the place, but I'm getting antsy......

Just One Year by Gayle Forman

Publisher: Dutton Children's

Publish Date:  October 15, 2013

Companion to JUST ONE DAY. It will be in Willem's POV. 

"Can you fall in love in just one day? Can you become a new person? How about in just one year? In JUST ONE DAY and its companion novel JUST ONE YEAR, sheltered American good girl Allyson “LuLu” Healey and easygoing actor Willem De Ruiter are about to find out against a guidebook-worthy array of foreign backdrops. Equal parts romance, coming-of-age-tale, mystery and travel romp (with settings that span from England’s Stratford upon Avon to Paris to Amsterdam to India’s Bollywood) JUST ONE DAY and JUST ONE YEAR show how in looking for someone else, you just might wind up finding yourself."

My question is: Did you read Just One Year? If so, do you think that's her? Allyson? Or is that another girl? What did you think of that ending? Do you think there will be an HEA? Can there be? Or would that be too much, to coincidental? (Personally I'm hoping for an HEA. Nothing is too coincidental for me! I like an HEA!) What are your thoughts on this one?

Please share your links or at least your blog name in the comments so I can visit your WOWs!

Review of School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins
Published by Disney-Hyperion
Available Now
Received from Publisher for Review 
Hardcover 304 pages
To Buy Links-
Amazon/ Kindle/ B and N/ Book Depository/ Indiebound/ Kobo/ 

From Goodreads-Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break. Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush. Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? Rachel Hawkins' delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as the New York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance! 

I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel. I never finished the Hex Hall series, but I think I might have to after reading this novel. Let's start with the characters.

Izzy- She is one of the famous Brannicks who have fought monsters for eons. However, there are only three, uh, make that two since Finley, Izzy's sister disappeared on a routine case. Finley told Izzy to stay in the car, she had it covered and so Izzy did. Now she blames herself since her disappearance. There is no trace of her sister anywhere. Izzy is not the kind of girl that feels sorry for herself. It seems like affection is not freely given or even talked about in the Brannick family. So she stuffs her feelings down and puts on a show of bravado just like mom. But she misses Finley, her only friend. Brannicks don't have friends. They never stay anywhere long enough. But Izzy is a girl. And when she finds she has to go to high school, something she's more afraid of than the ghost that's haunting it, she buys DVD's of cheesy teen shows and magazines to find out how to be a teenager. She is trying to blend in but is a complete failure at it. Izzy is definitely someone you'd want on your side. She puts humans first and unless you tick her off in dodgeball, you're safer with her than anyone else in high school. She may seem awkward to you at first, but show her the ropes and she'll fit right in.

Mom- Hard ass. Cold, stoic. Hidden behind that is a woman mourning the loss of her oldest daughter and at a loss as to how to comfort her youngest daughter. She thinks she's failed at being a mother, missed out on the things real mothers do for their daughters and now she only has one daughter left. Desperate to find any clues to lead her to Finley. Actually loves Izzy hugely, just afraid of showing any signs of weakness or vulnerability.

PMS Memebers- Yes, that is truly the name of the club. Or their initials. Nope, gotta read the book!
Romy- a girl that I would definitely be friends with. Nerdy, outcast, oblivious to those facts and doesn't let it bother her. She's into ghost hunting and has started a club for it. Quick to forgive. Fun to hang out with.
Anderson- In love with Romy. Will protect Romy with his body if he needs to. Did I say loves Romy. Another outcast and doesn't care. Former jock before he blew out his knee. In love with Romy.
Dex- Very funny, dapper guy. I couldn't tell if maybe he was a ghost, but no he wasn't. He wears cravats and pinstripes and has very bad asthma. He loves Izzy's sense of humor and is also a fellow outcast. Doesn't bother him.

Torin- I'm not going to say much about him but to say he's trapped in something and is about 400 years old. He's been with the Brannick family for a long time. Izzy talks to him for advice. He doesn't always give good advice. And he can never be released from where he is trapped. Bad News!

The World- Apparently Izzy and her mother and Finley before she disappeared lived in a small home that existed as part of a compound that used to house hundreds of Brannicks for training. Then it was just the three of them. Fathers of the girls are picked for their bravery and strength, soldiers, Navy Seals, Green Berets. Travel is done through something called an Iteneris which hurts a bit, but gets you from point A to point B quickly. Otherwise, the world is just like ours. Except for the paranormal things that exist in it.

The Story- Simple- Izzy is supposed to go into Mary Evans High (MEH) and get rid of a ghost, believed to be Mary Evans. Izzy is almost disgusted with the assignment it's so easy. But the hard part is fitting in and on the first day she has an accident in dodge ball that gets her sent outside to run laps where she meets Dex. She becomes his idol after she tells him what she did and a fast friendship begins. Izzy finds out that Romy and Dex are on her bus so they become friends and then she joins their club because they investigate ghost sightings. She's more than a bit worried about the trouble they can get into with that. The rest of the story is investigating her friends, the ghost, and Izzy trying to fit in to high school. She thinks she has things figured out but there's a little twist to that part and it seems that she might actually have to hurt someone in order to get rid of the ghost of Mary Evans as she's gotten so strong. Twist, tragedy and a weird thing happens to the Brannick family. The ending was delicious and I'm not sure it's going to work out quite like Izzy and company want it to, but we'll see.

This is a very clean read and great for fans of Rachel Hawkins Hex Hall series, YA Paranormal stories with a little bit of romance, mysteries with paranormal and romance bits, just lovers of YA.

You can find Rachel Hawkins here-
Blog/ Tumblr/ Twitter

I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review were not influenced by this and are completely my own.

Review of The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston
Available May 21st
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Received from Publisher for Review
Hardcover 320 pages
To Buy Links-
Amazon/ Kindle/ B and N/ Book Depository/ Indiebound/ 

From Goodreads-

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.
Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.
But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

The Characters-
Meg- Meg is the older sister. She's hurting from all this running, being in witness protection. She's angry at her father. He won't tell her what he did to get them in this situation and it makes her more angry and withdrawn every time they have to move. Six moves in eight months. She has rules now about not getting attached to anyone. Not making friends. Closing herself off to people and keeping her story to herself. Her mother gets worse every day. And her little sister Mary is losing herself. Meg feels desperate to find out why they are in witness protection and to do something about it. I felt desperate right along with her, but I hated every time she pushed Ethan away or wouldn't go somewhere with someone that was trying to be friends with her. I understood her predicament. I could empathize with her, but I didn't want it for her or the people she pushed away. I did like how her character developed though I thought she could have trusted Ethan a little more a little sooner.

Ethan- Ethan is a cute boy. He isn't a hero or a bad boy, he's got a bit of country in him, but when you live in a small town in Louisiana you do what you can to have fun. He is immediately drawn to Meg, maybe because she is new, but there doesn't seem to be any other girl that is vying for his attention. He's sweet, he teaches Mary how to make pizzas in the back of Pearl's where Meg worked. He takes the time to try to figure Meg out. He searches her out at school. He goes out of his way to take Meg and Mary to school and starts to bring Mary out of her shell so that she's more like herself, the person she was before all this happened.

There were so many secondary characters, nicely layered Mary probably had the most back story as the little sister, sharing this terrible journey with Meg. But where Meg was the protector, Mary reminded Meg of having fun, of what it was like to be a kid again. Mary reminded Meg to enjoy whatever there was to live for while they could. Mom was a fall out on the floor alcoholic  and Dad was an angry, stoic bury his head in the sand figure. I think he was trying to make a deal with someone but I could never really figure that part of the story out.

The world-
Natchitoches, Louisiana. It is described as a small town with a quaint downtown, historic homes, cobblestone streets. Farms further out. A lot of the story takes place at the high school, the pizza shop, Ethan's father's farm  or the little bungalows that Meg's family is living in. It's in a rather run down part of town. Her father works in a factory, her mother is too drunk to do anything. And Meg works every day with Mary coming to work with her. It's winter close to Mardi Gras.

The Story-
Of course it's the story about a family in Witness Protection. But it's really about the effects of it on one girl and how she is determined to get out of it. I honestly was expecting a lighter story. But this is not a light story. Ethan catches Meg in a lie the second day of school and she finds herself trying to keep ahead of him most of the time. Meg constantly feels like she's being followed. She has several close calls when the lights go out or her belongings seem to have been gone through but nothing taken. One agent always seems to be right on her tail every time she turns around. And then she finds out the reason they are in Witness Protection. And it's nothing like she thought. And she is even more determined to fix things and get her family out of it. But her planning skills leave a lot to be desired and she has no money to get where she needs to go. And then, her mother gets worse. And it's all down hill from there. I honestly saw no way out of this for her. I figured this would be a series the way this was going. Meg is definitely a determined girl. She doesn't want to keep anyone close to her because anyone that knows anything is in danger. And yet, she can't help her family without a little help on her own. She really tries her best not to get involved with anyone, but she's a senior in high school, halfway through the year. I felt her aching for friends. Her need to fit in. But yet she's not even thinking about that, she's got this huge thing hanging over her head.

I thought the story was really well written, the creepy parts with Meg feeling like she was being followed had me creeped out, too. I was scared right along with her. The twists and turns in the novel will definitely keep you guessing right to the very last page. I wasn't expecting that ending, not the last page. But then again, it wasn't unexpected. The story is fast paced and will have you flipping pages almost faster than you can read them. I loved this novel for the suspense, the romance, the sisterly bond, and the mystery.

I received an e-ARC of this novel from Disney-Hyperion through Net-Galley for review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way.