My Thoughts: The Blood Spell by C.J. Redwine

The Blood Spell
(Ravenspire #4)
by C.J. Redwine
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Publication Date: February 12th 2019
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 438
ISBN: 9780062653017
Genre: Young Adult | Retelling | Fantasy
Source: Edelweiss Review Copy / Own

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Blue de la Cour has her life planned: hide the magic in her blood and continue trying to turn metal into gold so she can help her city’s homeless. But when her father is murdered and a cruel but powerful woman claims custody of Blue and her property, one wrong move could expose her—and doom her once and for all. The only one who can help? The boy she’s loathed since childhood: Prince Kellan.

Kellan Renard, crown prince of Balavata, is walking a thin line between political success and devastating violence. Newly returned from boarding school, he must find a bride among the kingdom’s head families and announce his betrothal—but escalating tension among the families makes the search nearly impossible. He’s surprised to discover that the one person who makes him feel like he can breathe is Blue, the girl who once ruined all his best adventures.

When mysterious forces lead to disappearances throughout Balavata, Blue and Kellan must work together to find the truth. What they discover will lead them to the darkest reaches of the kingdom, and to the most painful moments of their pasts. When romance is forbidden and evil is rising, can Blue save those she loves, even if it costs her everything? (Goodreads)

I adore the Ravenspire series by C.J. Redwine, and I have been waiting for *the longest* to get my hands on The Blood Spell, the fourth book in this awesome series. This series of retellings has had me hooked from the very first book, and I am always eagerly anticipating when a new book is due to release. The Blood Spell was an excellent addition to this awesome series, and I’m so thrilled to have it in my collection!!

If you haven’t yet read this series, let me quickly fill you in… Every book in this series is a retelling of a popular fairytale. The first book, The Shadow Queen, is a retelling of Snow White. The second and third books, The Wish Granter and The Traitor Prince, are retellings of Rumpelstiltskin and The Prince and the Pauper/The False Prince. And, of course, the fourth book in the series, The Blood Spell, (probably my most anticipated of the series), is a Cinderella retelling! (Up until now The Shadow Queen has been my favorite book in the series, but now The Blood Spell is among my fave as well!)

As I mentioned above, I have been long awaiting this Cinderella retelling, as I can’t seem to get enough of these stories, and I was super curious to see how C.J. would put her spin on this popular tale. I’m thrilled to say that I really loved everything about this book. It has amazing characters, including the main character, Blue de la Cour, (who is awesome, and who I love), A crown prince who was super adorable, and even an evil-stepmother type who you will love to hate, (even when you feel a bit sorry for her). These are just a few of the awesome characters; there are SO many more to love! (And a few to hate as well!)

I also really loved the storyline for the book. Being a retelling, it felt both familiar, yet uniquely new as well. I love the story of Cinderella, and I have only read a handful of retellings of the book so far, and this book is by far one of my favorites. I especially love that the story had a magical feel to it. That gave it such an interesting twist!

Overall; If you haven’t noticed, I really, really enjoyed The Blood Spell! While I love all the books in this series, The Blood Spell and The Shadow Queen are definitely my favorites so far, and I will most definitely be re-reading all of these books soon. I don’t know if The Blood Spell is the last book in the series, but I am really hoping that it’s not, because I would love to see C.J. write even more retellings to add to this collection! If you’ve not yet checked out the books, and are fans of a good retelling, or just fans of awesome stories in general, you should definitely check out The Ravenspire series!!

My Thoughts: The Traitor Prince by C.J. Redwine

The Traitor Prince
(Ravenspire #3)
by C.J. Redwine
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Publication Date: February 13th 2018
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 416
ISBN: 9780062652980
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Retelling
Source: Own/Edelweiss

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Javan Najafai, crown prince of Akram, has spent the last ten years at an elite boarding school, far away from his kingdom. But his eagerly awaited return home is cut short when a mysterious imposter takes his place—and no one believes Javan is the true prince.

After barely escaping the imposter’s assassins, Javan is thrown into Maqbara, the kingdom’s most dangerous prison. The only way to gain an audience with the king — and reveal Javan’s identity — is to fight in Maqbara’s yearly tournament. But winning is much harder than acing competitions at school, and soon Javan finds himself beset not just by the terrifying creatures in the arena, but also a band of prisoners allied against him, and even the warden herself.

The only person who can help him is Sajda, who has been enslaved by Maqbara’s warden since she was a child, and whose guarded demeanor and powerful right hook keep the prisoners in check. Working with Sajda might be the only way Javan can escape alive — but she has dangerous secrets.

Together, Javan and Sajda have to outwit the vicious warden, outfight the deadly creatures, and outlast the murderous prisoners intent on killing Javan. If they fail, they’ll be trapped in Maqbara for good—and the secret Sajda’s been hiding will bury them both. (Goodreads)

I'm a big fan of C.J. Redwine's Ravenspire series, and I'm so thrilled to have finally read the third book in the series, The Traitor Prince! I only just recently read the second book in the series, The Wish Granter, a few weeks ago, and I really enjoyed the story. I absolutely couldn't wait to get started on this newest book, and now that I've finished it, I'm officially caught up on the series! Yay!

If you've read any of the books in this series already, you'll know that these stories are retellings of popular fairytales. The first book was a spin on Snow White, the second on Rumpelstiltskin, and this third book was inspired by The Prince and the Pauper and The False Prince. I'll be the first to admit that I know absolutely nothing about either of those original stories, so I can't really tell how C.J. put her own spin on that story, but I did find the storyline for the book to be really interesting, and, at times, quite brutal! I can't even imagine living in the world in which these characters lived, but C.J. did a great job of creating and describing it.

The characters in this story were really interesting as well, especially the two main characters, Javan and Sajda. The story is told from their two different viewpoints, and I love that, because we can get so much more information that way.  Though, I felt so bad for both of these characters, and all the other innocent characters in the story. As I mentioned above, this world was pretty brutal. There were a few parts that were particularly hard to read. But, I had to keep reading, and the ending left me with a smile on my face.

Overall; The Traitor Prince was a really interesting addition to the Ravenspire series, and I'm so glad to have finally read it! I'm also really glad that I am officially caught up with this series, and I'm hoping that I will get to read the fourth book in the series, The Blood Spell, is released in 2019! (FYI, this fourth book will be a spin on the Cinderella story!) I'll me anxiously waiting to get my hands on that one as well. If you love a good retelling, do check out The Traitor Prince and the rest of the books in this series!

My Thoughts: The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine

The Wish Granter
(Ravenspire #2)
by C.J. Redwine
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Publication Date: February 14th 2017
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 425
ISBN: 9780062360274
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Retelling
Source: Own

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The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence he can’t stop.

Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague, who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown.

So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself.

But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul. (Goodreads)

I’ve had The Wish Granter, the second book in the Ravenspire series by C.J. Redwine, on my TBR for longer than I care to admit. With the third book in the series coming out this month, I figured that it was the perfect time to binge read both books, and having just finished the book, I’m kicking myself for not having read it sooner!!

When I started reading The Wish Granter, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that though this was the second book in the series, it’s also a standalone as well. The first book, The Shadow Queen, had been a Snow White retelling, and while I knew The Wish Granter had different characters, I assumed we’d see the characters from the first book around as well. We didn’t. This is a completely different set of characters and a completely different story as well, so that was interesting!

The Wish Granter is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling, and I was super excited to learn that, as I am raking my brain and can’t remember reading any retellings of this story as of yet. Actually, other than just the basic knowledge of the original story, and what little I’ve seen on the TV Show Once Upon a Time, I know very little of his story. It was definitely interesting, even though Rumpelstiltskin is quite the cruel man.

This story had a lot of interesting characters, including Rumpelstiltskin himself, who, as I mentioned, was very evil, but very well written as well. A very sneaky, evil little man, and while I had no love for him at all, the author did a great job of making him an cruel villain.

The star of the story, for me at least, was Ari, who is the twin of Thad, the newly crowned king of Súndraille. After Thad made a dangerous wish with the Wish Granter, aka Rumpelstiltskin, to become king, Ari takes it upon herself, with the help of her brothers new weapons master, Sebastian, to find a way to defeat Rumpel and release her brother from their bargain. I appreciate her determination and fierceness throughout the story, and I also love that she’s not at all what you’d expect from a princess. I love how down to earth she was, and I also love her love for food. (I can relate.) IF there was only one thing I wanted more of throughout the story, it would have been more Ari & Sebastian times. (Wink.)

The storyline for the book was really interesting, and held my attention throughout. Some parts were hard to read, mostly the things that happened at the hands of Rumpelstiltskin, but otherwise I was pretty engrossed in the story. I’m super excited to move on to the next book in the series now.

Overall; I really enjoyed reading The Wish Granter, and now having finally read the book, I wish I hadn’t waited so long to do so. Lucky for me I have the third book in the series, The Traitor Prince, sitting on my shelf, and I can’t wait to get started on it. If you’re a fan of fairytale retellings, and want to read a good story about Rumpelstiltskin, do check out The Wish Granter! (And if you haven’t already checked out the first book in the series, The Shadow Queen, do check it out as well!

Waiting on Wednesday #285 - The Traitor Prince by C.J. Redwine

The Traitor Prince
(Ravenspire #3)
by C.J. Redwine
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: February 13th 2018
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 9780062653000

Add to Goodreads

Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Javan Najafai, crown prince of Akram, has spent the last ten years at an elite boarding school, far away from his kingdom. But his eagerly awaited return home is cut short when a mysterious imposter takes his place—and no one believes Javan is the true prince.

After barely escaping the imposter’s assassins, Javan is thrown into Maqbara, the kingdom’s most dangerous prison. The only way to gain an audience with the king — and reveal Javan’s identity — is to fight in Maqbara’s yearly tournament. But winning is much harder than acing competitions at school, and soon Javan finds himself beset not just by the terrifying creatures in the arena, but also a band of prisoners allied against him, and even the warden herself.

The only person who can help him is Sajda, who has been enslaved by Maqbara’s warden since she was a child, and whose guarded demeanor and powerful right hook keep the prisoners in check. Working with Sajda might be the only way Javan can escape alive — but she has dangerous secrets.

Together, Javan and Sajda have to outwit the vicious warden, outfight the deadly creatures, and outlast the murderous prisoners intent on killing Javan. If they fail, they’ll be trapped in Maqbara for good—and the secret Sajda’s been hiding will bury them both. (Goodreads)

Does this book sound great, or what??
I REALLY love retellings, even though this is a retelling I've not heard of before,
being from Arabian tale called The False Prince.
I'm super excited to check it out though!

I'm really behind on this series, having read the first book, The Shadow Queen
and loving it, but I *still* haven't read The Wish Granter, 

which I Must get to soon.
I can't wait to check out this new book!!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Waiting on Wednesday #259 - The Wish Granter by C.J. Redwine

The Wish Granter
(Ravenspire, #1)
by C.J. Redwine
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: February 14th 2017
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 9780062360274


Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

An epic, romantic, and action-packed fantasy inspired by the tale of Rumpelstiltskin, about a bastard princess who must take on an evil fae to save her brother’s soul, from C. J. Redwine, the New York Times bestselling author of The Shadow Queen. Perfect for fans of Graceling and the Lunar Chronicles.

The world has turned upside down for Thad and Ari Glavan, the bastard twins of Súndraille’s king. Their mother was murdered. The royal family died mysteriously. And now Thad sits on the throne of a kingdom whose streets are suddenly overrun with violence he can’t stop.

Growing up ignored by the nobility, Ari never wanted to be a proper princess. And when Thad suddenly starts training Ari to take his place, she realizes that her brother’s ascension to the throne wasn’t fate. It was the work of a Wish Granter named Alistair Teague who tricked Thad into wishing away both the safety of his people and his soul in exchange for the crown.

So Ari recruits the help of Thad’s enigmatic new weapons master, Sebastian Vaughn, to teach her how to fight Teague. With secret ties to Teague’s criminal empire, Sebastian might just hold the key to discovering Alistair’s weaknesses, saving Ari’s brother—and herself.

But Teague is ruthless and more than ready to destroy anyone who dares stand in his way—and now he has his sights set on the princess. And if Ari can’t outwit him, she’ll lose Sebastian, her brother…and her soul. (Goodreads)

Whooo hoooooo!!
I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on this book!
Have you read The Shadow Queen??
It's a really awesome Snow White retelling.

If you haven't read it, you should.
I can't wait to read this sequel!!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Review: The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

The Shadow Queen
(Ravenspire #1)
by C.J. Redwine
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: February 16th 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780062360243
Genre: Young Adult | FairyTale | Retelling
Source: Edelweiss / Own

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Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine is a completely captivating retelling of Snow White. I've read quite a few retellings lately that I've completely fallen in love with, and I'm totally adding The Shadow Queen to the list. I love when an author takes a story that I love, and puts their own twist on it, making the story completely unique, but still so familiar. The Shadow Queen is no exception. I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Lorelai Diederich, the crown princess of Ravenspire, has been in hiding after the evil queen killed her father and stole the throne to her country. She's been training for the past 9 years to finally get her kingdom back, and with the help of her magic, and a few unlikely sources, she's finally ready to do so.

I really don't have words to explain to you how much I love Lorelai. Pardon my French, but this girl was kind of a badass. Not only could she kick some serious butt, thanks to the training by her guardian, Gabril, but she's also trained to use the magic in a way that it's supposed to be used. And she's more powerful than she ever expected.  I love her determination and her passion about wanting her country back, and she was willing to do anything in her power to defeat the evil queen, who, by the way, was SO evil.

I love a lot of the secondary characters in the novel as well, especially Kol, who is a king from the neighboring kingdom. This guy also had some fierce determination throughout the story as well, more than should have been possible. I love that while he was a king himself, he was still so loyal to the cause and wanted to do what was right for everyone around him as well.

The storyline for the book was really fascinating. I love that it was the familiar story of Snow White that we all know and love, but with that magical twist that made it feel completely unique. There were lots of action and suspense throughout the story, as well as many sweet and swoon-worthy moments also. I really enjoyed the end of the book, it wrapped up in a way that left me completely satisfied. I'm wondering, however, if there is going to be a sequel or not. I have yet to find any information on if there is or not, but there are SO many possibilities if Redwine decides to do so, and I'd be excited to continue the story as well!!

Overall; I love a good retelling, and The Shadow Queen was a great read! I was completely captivated by the characters and the storyline, and I totally didn't want this book to end. I'm really excited to read more by Redwine as soon as possible, and I'm even more excited now to finish her Defiance series! Definitely check out The Shadow Queen if you're a fan of retellings, and Snow White in particular!

Waiting on Wednesday #205 - The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

The Shadow Queen
(Ravenspire #1)
by C. J. Redwine
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: February 23rd 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 9780062360243



Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose. (Goodreads)

It's a Snow White retelling, you guys!!
Not only does the story sound freaking awesome,
but the cover is absolutely stunning as well!
Do you guys have this on your to-read list yet?
Because you should!
I can't wait to have this in my hands! :)

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**