THE WILL AND THE WILDS by Charlie n. Holmberg BOOK BIRTHDAY!

 A spellbinding story of truce and trickery from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician series.

Enna knows to fear the mystings that roam the wildwood near her home. When one tries to kill her to obtain an enchanted stone, Enna takes a huge risk: fighting back with a mysting of her own.

Maekallus’s help isn’t free. His price? A kiss. One with the power to steal her soul. But their deal leaves Maekallus bound to the mortal realm, which begins eating him alive. Only Enna’s kiss, given willingly, can save him from immediate destruction. It’s a temporary salvation for Maekallus and a lingering doom for Enna. Part of her soul now burns bright inside Maekallus, making him feel for the first time.

Enna shares Maekallus’s suffering, but her small sacrifice won’t last long. If she and Maekallus can’t break the spell binding him to the mortal realm, Maekallus will be consumed completely—and Enna’s soul with him.





Opening line:
"A chill wind snakes its way through the wildwood, whispering of misfortunes to come."

Charlie Holmberg has written another stirring, imaginative, intriguing fantasy story with a world and creatures yet seen in another fantasy world.

Enna and Maekallus's story is an unlikely story, let alone a romantic one, since they are from two different worlds. Enna is from the mortal realm and Maekallus is from The Deep, where creatures with no soul live. The leader, Scroud, wants to dominate humans and make them into slaves. He tried once, but Enna's papa was part of the army that drove them back once. He stole a 'charm' that would forewarn mortals when 'mystings' crossover worlds.

When Enna's home is invaded by a 'gobler' she realizes she has to be proactive in protecting her dad and her home. She makes a bargain with a narval that doesn't go as planned. When the bargain goes wrong, Enna and the narval, Maekallus have to race against death to save each other.

I loved the new creatures holmberg has created. PLEASE KEEP MAKING STORIES IN THIS WORLD! I WANT MORE WILDWOOD STORIES!

Now that I got that out of my soul, I loved the fantasy, world and characters in this newest story by Charlie Holmberg.  Keep them coming!

Thanks to netgalley and 47thnorth for the early read!

My top 7 favorite books of 2019

What books did you read this year?
Which ones did you love?
And which ones have you recommended to other readers?


I read 80 books this year and have picked the top ten that I loved. In no particular order, here they are:

THE WILL AND THE WILDS by Charlie Holmberg

Enna knows to fear the mystings that roam the wildwood near her home. When one tries to kill her to obtain an enchanted stone, Enna takes a huge risk: fighting back with a mysting of her own.

Maekallus’s help isn’t free. His price? A kiss. One with the power to steal her soul. But their deal leaves Maekallus bound to the mortal realm, which begins eating him alive. Only Enna’s kiss, given willingly, can save him from immediate destruction. 

 Opening line:
"A chill wind snakes its way through the wildwood, whispering of misfortunes to come."

Enna and Maekallus's story is an unlikely story, let alone a romantic one, since they are from two different worlds. Enna is from the mortal realm and Maekallus is from The Deep, where creatures with no soul live.
When Enna's home is invaded by a 'gobler' she realizes she has to be proactive in protecting her dad and her home. She makes a bargain with a narval that doesn't go as planned. When the bargain goes wrong, Enna and the narval, Maekallus have to race against death to save each other. 


SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY by Mary Robinette Kowal
 

 Shades of Milk and Honey is exactly what we could expect from Jane Austen if she had been a fantasy writer:.
Jane and her sister Melody vie for the attentions of eligible men, and while Jane’s skill with glamour is remarkable, it is her sister who is fair of face. When Jane realizes that one of Melody’s suitors is set on taking advantage of her sister for the sake of her dowry, she pushes her skills to the limit of what her body can withstand in order to set things right—and, in the process, accidentally wanders into a love story of her own.

Opening line:
"The Ellsworths of Park Longmead had the regard of their neighbors in every respect." 
 
A magical Pride and Prejudice...literally.
Pride and Prejudice meets The Paper Magician.



DUTCH GIRL: AUDREY HEPBURN AND WWII by Robert Matzen

 According to her son, Luca Dotti, “The war made my mother who she was.” Audrey Hepburn’s war included participation in the Dutch Resistance, working as a doctor’s assistant during the “Bridge Too Far” battle of Arnhem, the brutal execution of her uncle, and the ordeal of the Hunger Winter of 1944. She also had to contend with the fact that her father was a Nazi agent and her mother was pro-Nazi for the first two years of the occupation. But the war years also brought triumphs as Audrey became Arnhem’s most famous young ballerina. Audrey’s own reminiscences, new interviews with people who knew her in the war, wartime diaries, and research in classified Dutch archives shed light on the riveting, untold story of Audrey Hepburn under fire in World War II.


Opening line:
"Baroness Ella van Heemstra stood in the office of Adolph Hitler and offered her hand to the most famous man in the world, the man whose name was on simply everyone's lips."

I thought this was a fascinating read! I'd like to read more books from this author about stars and their war years.
Audrey was in the Netherlands when the Germans invaded. Her story is incredible; how she survived is a miracle. Ironically, during the same time frame, a young Jewish girl, Audrey's age, lived not too far away in a hidden part of a building. Anne Frank died in a concentration camp and her diary affected Audrey deeply. Anne's father, Otto, begged Audrey to portray his daughter in the movie, but Audrey couldn't. The pain of practically living through the war again was too hard.

I want to watch all of Audrey's movies now! I'm fascinated by this quiet, shy, compassionate woman who loved children and volunteered for UNICEF because of her years during the war. I would have liked to have met Audrey Hepburn. I've always thought she was so beautiful and graceful. 


LOVE IN DISGUISE by Anneka Walker

Marion Watt is set to embark on her first London Season, and her parents have spared no expense to help her secure a suitable husband. What she does not anticipate, however, is that the attentions of the insufferable Lord William Everton will be placed squarely on her. He might be the most sought-after bachelor of the Season, but she sees in him nothing but a frivolous cad.

Until William inherits his father's title and seat in parliament, he must rely on his own devices to change the world. Dressing like a ridiculous dandy serves its purposes, but he is certain his newest disguise will help him find a wife to please his parents and further his own agenda. From among the glittering group of debutantes, William finds only one woman who passes his test. Unfortunately, the perfect choice is the only woman in all of London who despises him.

  Opening line:
"Marion's fingers trembled with anticipation." 

 How the two come together is cute and I wish the 'scheme' would have been drawn out a little more.
Who comes between them adds tension to the story in all the right parts. I just wish Marion would been a little more brave and told the woman off.
Why someone adds tension and concern (the subplot) either didn't need to be in the story, or needed more fleshing out.
Throw in a death, a desperate woman and a gambling man and you have the makings for an intriguing romance.
BUT I did enjoy reading the story. I tried to put the book down around midnight and had to read 'just one more chapter' before going to sleep.
I've heard this is a debut novel, and it's fantastic. Good for Ms. Walker for writing flawed and human characters, bringing their world in vivid colors, and creating a story I wanted to keep reading. 


 THE UNWANTED: STORIES OF THE SYRIAN REFUGEES by Don Brown

Starting in 2011, refugees flood out of war-torn Syria in Exodus-like proportions. The surprising flood of victims overwhelms neighboring countries, and chaos follows. Resentment in host nations heightens as disruption and the cost of aid grows. By 2017, many want to turn their backs on the victims. The refugees are the unwanted.


Heartbreaking story that hasn't ended yet. Millions of displaced people who want a safe life. When I was in Greece, I toured a refugee camp. I met doctors, teachers, soldiers, bakers--all who escaped from violence, all who may never see their native lands again. The children...what will they know? What will they remember? What will they become?






DANCE OF THIEVES by Mary E Pearson
 

 A formidable outlaw family that claims to be the first among nations.
A son destined to lead, thrust suddenly into power.
Three fierce young women of the Rahtan, the queen's premier guard.
A legendary street thief leading a mission, determined to prove herself.
A dark secret that is a threat to the entire continent.
When outlaw leader meets reformed thief, a cat-and-mouse game of false moves ensues, bringing them intimately together in a battle that may cost them their lives―and their hearts.


 Opening line:
"Write it down, he had told me."

I couldn't put this put down! 



VOW OF THIEVES by Mary E. Pearson

Kazi and Jase have survived, stronger and more in love than ever. Their new life now lies before them―the Ballengers will be outlaws no longer, Tor's Watch will be a kingdom, and the two of them will meet all challenges side by side, together at last.

But an ominous warning mars their journey back, and in their rush to return to Tor's Watch, just outside the fortress walls, they are violently attacked and torn apart―and each is thrust into their own new hell.

Unsure whether the other is alive or dead, Kazi and Jase must keep their wits among their greatest enemies and unlikeliest allies. And all the while, Death watches and waits.




 Opening line:
"A dusty beam of light wormed its way through the stone, and I leaned in, hoping to steal some warmth."

I thoroughly loved Dance of Thieves, and so when I saw the next book was coming out, I grabbed it and I'm so glad I did.
First off: how can a human being write such intricate details about people, places and intrigue? What kind of brain does this amazing thing called storytelling and keeps the reader reading and trying to guess and falling in love with characters and wanting to stab the villains??
Second: Dual points of view chapters. Sometimes, one wasn't there...
Third: Kazi! She is a strong, strong woman and human being and she doesn't think she is but she is inside and out. "I'll take one for the team because I love my team." Every. Single. Time. Go to jail, get out of jail, fight someone or lots of someones, thrown in a cell, beaten, rescued and lovedlovedloved for her bravery and strength and dedication.
Fourth: HELLO JASE. That is all.
Fifth: Pacing was almost perfect. Okay, it was perfect.

SIEGE AND SACRIFICE (Numina Trilogy #3) by Charlie Holmberg HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!

From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician Series comes the enthralling climax of a cataclysmic war between monstrous creatures.

Sandis has finally freed herself from her master and his plans to use her as a vessel for the ancient beast Kolosos. But her master has found a new, impossible vessel: Sandis’s brother, Anon—a brother she long thought dead.

Kolosos is ancient, massive, and seemingly unbeatable. Fortunately, Sandis has her own monster—an ethereal fire horse that she can summon at will. In addition, she and Rone may have discovered the secret to defeating Kolosos: ancient lore that details the creation of magic. It could be the key to victory and the key to saving Anon.

The price is steep, and Sandis is willing to pay it. Rone is not, and his attempt to save her only pulls them apart. As both are tested in ways they never expected, Sandis and Rone will need to determine the sacrifices they are willing to make. If their efforts are not enough, their city will fall…just as the ancient city beneath it already has.

Opening line:
"The eruption was like being submerged in a vat of boiling iron."

BIG SIGH. 
The end of Numina series is not what I expected nor was it disappointing. If anything, it was. amazing. 

 

 

MYTHS AND MORTALS (Numina trilogy #2) by Charlie Holmberg

Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg builds her bewitching world of beasts and betrayal as the Numina Series continues.

Sandis has escaped Kazen’s grasp, but she finds herself unmoored, reeling from her thief friend Rone’s betrayal.

Kazen has been hurt but not stopped, and he’ll do anything to summon the monster that could lay waste to the entire world. Sandis knows she must be the one to stop him, but with her own trusted numen now bound to another, and finding herself with no one she can trust, she is in desperate need of allies. Rone seems determined to help her, but Sandis has no intention of letting him get close to her again. What she doesn’t know is how much Rone gave up to protect her. Or how much more he is willing to give up to keep her safe.

As chaos mounts, Sandis must determine whom to trust. After all, the lines between enemy and ally have never been less clear…and corruption lurks in the most unlikely of places.

Opening line:
"In a room clouded with cigar smoke, Sandis stood between two men who had betrayed her."

Sandis barely made it out of Kazen's control, with Rone's help, before she is betrayed, with Rone's help. She wants desperately to trust someone, but that is proving out of her grasp. Until she meets someone from her family. HER FAMILY. Sandis will do anything to have a family. Even live with her vile Uncle Talbur. He crosses the line one last time and Sandis finds herself wandering the streets and trying to figure out where to land.
Rone justifies what he did to Sandis, though it pains him almost every time he talks with Sandis (probably because she likes to poke that wound with a red, hot poker). His goal in the last book was to rescue his mom from prison and get her to safety, which he did. He has only a few weeks to join his mom before his papers expire, but in his guilt, and possibly love for Sandis, he wants to rescue her.
The two have to join forces to defeat Kazen. They go to every person they can think of, call in every favor, to find and bring Kazen down.
There's a lot fighting, a lot of pain, crying, yelling, and anger in this book. But it is mixed with smiles, help and a kiss or two. And loads of surprises and twists.

Charlie has the innate ability to write a story that pulls the reader immediately into the fantasy world she's created. The characters are full of weakness and heroics; the world is dark, or bright, depending on the characters; and the story arc is powerful.
On the flip side. she teases the readers with her CLIFFHANGERS! Luckily, I have the third book in this trilogy and can start reading it today.

Thanks to netgalley for the early read!

MIDSUMMER NIGHT Six Fantasy Novellas A Timeless Romance Anthology

Six Fantasy Romance Novellas in one collection:

Featuring Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg, with Julie Wright, Annette Lyon, Jane Redd, Amber Argyle, and Luisa Perkins.

Midsummer Night is a Timeless Romance Anthology® book


 Illusions of Love - Charlie Holmberg 
Opening line:
"Even if Celtin Dereng were a magicless, talentless pauper, Aster would still be in love with him."
This was almost a Cinderella story, complete with magic and a beautiful dress. But the people who love us, love the real us, no illusions needed.


Dancing with the Moon - Julie Wright 
Opening line:
""I found a ghost!""
A brave young woman and a lost ghost. Arell is the lost, confused ghost. Grace is the woman who can help him solve his mystery.


The Truest Treasure - Annette Lyon
Opening line:
"Ritva, the village healer, finished her examination and turned from the bed, Where Saara's sister lay sick and weak, getting worse all the time."
Will Saara be able to find the help she needs to heal her sister from the grief that's plaguing her soul?
Will Timo find the treasure he's hunting?

The Isle of Rose - Jane Redd
Opening line:
"Cornelia Tea Rose read the note a second time, then a third time."

When Cornelia's older sister decides to elope instead of marrying the man chosen for her, Cornelia is forced into a disguise to marry. What she didn't realize is that she would be thrust into the middle of a mystery, and that Lord Moss might be worth marrying.

Lady of Shadows - Amber Argyle
Opening line:
"Caelia stood before her family table in the back of the manor house."


Fire and Fountain - Luisa Perkins
Opening line:
"It was going to rain any moment."

SMOKE & SUMMONS by Charlie N. Holmberg REVIEW Blog Tour

 I'm so excited you all are here! Charlie is one of my favorite authors. Her books are fantastic!

My review:

 Opening line:
"Sandis had several reasons for staying."

Ms. Holmberg is making a niche for herself in the publishing world. She has this storytelling abyss in her brain and there are so many stories she has yet to write. I think she will be writing these unusual, mind-blowing stories until she's 108 years old.

Sandis is alone in the world, but she is well-fed, has a bed to sleep and clothes. Never mind that an evil man created her into a demon vessel that he can control. She's safe, right? But one day, Sandis sees a name that makes her realize she is not alone in the world and she decides to ran away.
Rone takes thieving jobs to keep his mom safe. He has a few secrets, and one is that he has found a rare relic that makes him immortal for a minute. Before too long, his actions send his mom to hell, AKA prison.
Soon, the two are thrown together, running from police, grifters and the evil men. They each have to learn how to use their inner strength to help each other and themselves.
I kinda wanted to throat-punch a couple of people in this book. I wanted to learn more about the magic in this world, too.
I will read the next book.

Thanks to netgalley and the Fantastic Flying Book Club for the early read.

 

 Tour Schedule: Smoke and Summons (Numina Trilogy #1) by Charlie N. Holmberg

Smoke and Summons (Numina Trilogy #1)

by Charlie N. Holmberg
Publisher: 47North
Release Date: February 1st 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Fantasy

Synopsis:

A captivating world of monsters and magic from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician Series.

As a human vessel for an ancient spirit, Sandis lives no ordinary life. At the command of her master, she can be transformed against her will into his weapon—a raging monster summoned to do his bidding. Unlike other vessels, Sandis can host extremely powerful spirits, but hosting such creatures can be fatal. To stay alive, she must run. And in a city fueled by smoke and corruption, she finds a surprising ally.

A cunning thief for hire, Rone owns a rare device that grants him immortality for one minute every day—a unique advantage that will come in handy in Sandis’s fight for freedom. But Sandis’s master knows how powerful she is. He’s determined to get her back, and he has the manpower to find her, wherever she runs.

Now, to outwit her pursuers, Sandis must put all her trust in Rone and his immortal device. For her master has summoned more than mere men to hunt her down…

Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie N. Holmberg was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also have boy names. She is a proud BYU alumna, plays the ukulele, owns too many pairs of glasses, and finally adopted a dog. Her fantasy Paper Magician series, which includes The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician, and The Master Magician, has been optioned by the Walt Disney Company. Her stand-alone novel, Followed by Frost, was nominated for a 2016 RITA Award for Best Young Adult Romance, and her novel The Fifth Doll won the 2018 Whitney for Speculative Fiction. She is a board member for Deep Magic Ezine and currently lives with her family in Utah. Visit her at www.charlienholmberg.com.

FEBRUARY 18th

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Welcome Post

FEBRUARY 19th

Bookish Looks - Interview

Here's to Happy Endings - Review

808bookdr - Review + Favourite Quotes

FEBRUARY 20th 

Oh Hey Books - Guest Post

Rhythmicbooktrovert - Review + Playlist + Favourite Quotes

My Fangirl Chronicles - Review + Favourite Quotes

Jrsbookreviews - Review

FEBRUARY 21st

Bibliobibuli YA - Interview

Lost in Storyland.com - Review

Moonlight Rendezvous - Review

Savings in Seconds - Review + Favourite Quotes

FEBRUARY 22nd

Wishful Endings - Review

Dany's book blog - Review

Mind of Luxe - Review + Favourite Quotes

The Hermit Librarian - Review + Favourite Quotes 

FEBRUARY 23rd

A Book Addict's Bookshelves - Guest Post

The Reading Corner for All - Review + Dream Cast + Favourite Quotes

Bookish_Kali - Review

The Desert Bibliophile - Review + Favourite Quotes

FEBRUARY 24th

Are You My Book? - Review + Favourite Quotes

The Clever Reader - Review + Favourite Quotes

The Book Addict - Review

A Bookish Dream - Review

My top 10 favorite reads from 2018 (in no particular order)

2018 Reading Challenge

2018

READING

CHALLENGE

Congrats!

You have read 123 books of your goal of 65!

123/65 (189%)

 

 

 

 DREAD NATION by Justina Ireland

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever.

 

 Opening line:
"The day I came squealing and squalling into the world was the first time someone tried to kill me."

I loved this story!
And I LOVED listening to it! Bahni Turpin has the best voice for this story!

There is swearing and fighting and zombies.

 

 

 

 

 

AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN by Susan Meissner

 As Bright as Heaven is the compelling story of a mother and her daughters who find themselves in a harsh world, not of their making, which will either crush their resolve to survive or purify it.

 

 Opening line:
"Morning light shimmers on the apricot horizon as I stand at the place where my baby boy rests."

AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN is a story of family, love and death set during WWI. I became fascinated by WWI and the Spanish Flu a few years ago and I will be adding this book to my growing WWI shelf.
Told from the different perspectives of the Bright women, we get a unique view from different ages and personalities into their lives and what it was like to live through the worse pandemic in history.

 

 

SKY IN THE DEEP by Adrienne Young
Part Wonder Woman, part Vikings—and all heart.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. 

 

Opening line:
""They're coming.""

Eelyn is the kick butt heroine of the story; she's strong, smart and loyal to her family and clan. But her character isn't in your face with how awesome she is. She fights because this is all she knows, because she is protecting her family and because this fight, or death, will bring honor. 

 

 

 

 

THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo
A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world. Debut novel of renowned slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo.

 

 Opening line:
"The summer is made for stoop-sitting
and since it's the last week before school starts,
Harlem is opening its eyes to September."

What a great opening to a coming of age story told in VERSE.

Here are a couple of stanzas i LOVED:

...but she took all of the stereotypes
and put them in a chokehold
until they breathed out the truth.

but most importantly,
she should be remembered
as always working to become
the warrior she wanted to be

 

WARCROSS by Marie Lu

 For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life.

 

 

 

 Opening line:
"It's too damn cold of a day to be out on a hunt."

Emika is a hacker and a hunter and so will become a player...in Warcross that is. Her biggest hack catches the eye of billionaire, Hideo, inventor of the Warcross game. He's concerned about someone who has been messing up his game and he wants Emika to find out who it is.
I enjoyed this story more than I thought I would I started reading it. After about 20% of the way in, I was hooked. I can't wait for the next book, Wildcard.
I'm trying to get my son to read this book because I think he would LOVE it!

SHADOW OF THE FOX by Julie Kagawa

One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos.

 

 Opening line:
"It was raining the day Suki came to the Palace of the Sun, and it was raining the night that she died."

That's a fantastic beginning though I didn't know or appreciate it when I started reading. As a matter of fact, I almost quit reading because I could not figure out what or who or why this book was happening.
I'm glad I stuck it out.
I WILL read the next book to see what happens to our little clan.

 

 

 

 

 

FINDING US (Pine Valley #5) by Heather Moore

 
Opening line:
"Felicity Miner balanced the steaming cup of hot chocolate and the blueberry muffin with on hand as she unlocked the door to the bookshop."

Heather has a great way of writing romantic tension in her books! This is another great story in the Pine Valley series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 AS WIDE AS THE SKY by Jessica Pack
Amanda Mallorie wakes to the knowledge that her son Robbie is gone.

 

 Opening line:
"Two hours, forty-three minutes."

AS WIDE AS THE SKY is a heavy, enlightening, hopeful book about a mother and the ramifications of a single act of her son.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 VEINS OF GOLD by Charlie Holmberg
Desperate to save her siblings from poverty, a young woman discovers magic fueled by gold . . . and a love for the man who wields it. 

 

 Opening line:
"To the ears of Gentry's father, gold cried louder than his children did."

Charlie is an exceptionally talented writer. She can write about ANYTHING and it will be amazing and unique.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 FROM ASH AND STONE by Julie Daines

 Lady Margaret Grey of Hartfell wants for nothing. The daughter of a knight, she has a loving family, wealth, and even a secret romance with the blacksmith's son. But all that is torn from her one fateful night when her home is attacked and her family killed.

 

Opening line:
"Margaret laid on the ground with her eyes closed."

Margaret lives in the time of King Henry VIII and she lives in the path of men, on both sides of the border of Scotland and England, who raid homes with no thought to the people's lives they destroy except to take what they want.

VEINS OF GOLD by Charlie H. Holmberg Happy Book Birthday!

Desperate to save her siblings from poverty, a young woman discovers magic fueled by gold . . . and a love for the man who wields it.

Abandoned by their father for the gold rush, Gentry and her siblings labor to survive alone in the inhospitable west. When bizarre natural disasters begin wreaking havoc on the land, Gentry discovers a world of magic. Desperate for help, she accepts aid from a mysterious stranger.

Winn not only sees the magic, but controls its hunger by feeding it gold—the very thing Gentry’s father left to acquire. But the earth’s unrest only grows worse, and Gentry’s fear leads her to a terrible choice: marry a wealthy man she does not love, or trust in Winn’s unpredictable power to save her family.



Opening line:
"To the ears of Gentry's father, gold cried louder than his children did."

Charlie is an exceptionally talented writer. She can write about ANYTHING and it will be amazing and unique.
This latest story is set in the Gold Rush Era. Gentry lives in Dry Creek, Utah with her brother, sister and father. In the opening chapter, her dad announces he is going to join a company in California to mine for gold. He lives his three children to figure out how to live on a meager living of a few dollars, a horse and a garden.
While Gentry tries to keep her siblings fed, she meets an interesting fella, Winn, and sees many interesting things: magical creatures, geysers and seagulls...lots of seagulls.
There are many and varied disasters that set Gentry on journey to learn about the magic in the earth and around her. Magic that centered around gold and the earth.
I loved the story. I was a little surprised to find the setting in Utah County, but it was fun too! Charliet writes a good alternate history story!

The Plastic Magician by Charlie N Holmberg NEW RELEASE! Happy book birthday!

Alvie Brechenmacher has arrived in London to begin her training in Polymaking—the magical discipline of bespelling plastic. Polymaking is the newest form of magic, and in a field where there is so much left to learn, every Polymaker dreams of making the next big discovery.

Even though she is only an apprentice, Alvie is an inventor at heart, and she is determined to make as many discoveries—in as short a time frame—as she can. Luckily for her, she’s studying under the world-renowned magician Marion Praff, who is just as dedicated as Alvie is.

Alvie’s enthusiasm reinvigorates her mentor’s work, and together they create a device that could forever change Polymaking—and the world. But when a rival learns of their plans, he conspires to steal their invention and take the credit for it himself.

To thwart him, Alvie will need to think one step ahead. For in the high-stakes world of magical discovery, not everyone plays fair…
"While Alvie was rather excited to be receiving her diploma, she could not stop starring at M. Jefferson's mustache."

This is a perfect way to introduce the reader to a lovable and memorable main character. Alvie Brechenmacher is amazing with numbers and calculations, can magick plastic, and loves to wear pants (which isn't proper in her day). One of the cute things she said in the book when asked if she was all right: "My feet are a little sore, and I'm in a skirt, but other than that, I'm fine." She is also a bit of a klutz.
Alvie is lucky enough to become an apprentice to a well-known Polymaker named Marion Praff in London. She sets on an adventure where she meets new people, makes new friends (and a boyfriend!), and comes out with an exceptional invention that can change the world of medicine.

A fun read that any reader will enjoy!

Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet by Charlie N Holmberg

Maire is a baker with an extraordinary gift: she can infuse her treats with emotions and abilities, which are then passed on to those who eat them. She doesn’t know why she can do this and remembers nothing of who she is or where she came from.
When marauders raid her town, Maire is captured and sold to the eccentric Allemas, who enslaves her and demands that she produce sinister confections, including a witch’s gingerbread cottage, a living cookie boy, and size-altering cakes.
During her captivity, Maire is visited by Fyel, a ghostly being who is reluctant to reveal his connection to her. The more often they meet, the more her memories return, and she begins to piece together who and what she really is—as well as past mistakes that yield cosmic consequences.
From the author of The Paper Magician series comes a haunting and otherworldly tale of folly and consequence, forgiveness and redemption.


I have no idea how to review this book. I rate it high because the writing is great! Charlie can write! I'm just not sure how the story affected me. It's intriguing and twisty and strange and clever and what? and oh! and sigh.

Maire has amnesia. She can only remember her name. But she has a gift of baking emotions into the foods she bakes. She loves the people who took her in and are helping but soon Maire finds herself captured and sold to a strange, groudy man. Maire tries to escape and is almost crippled from a bear trap so she can't go anywhere unless the groudy man takes her. Their relationship is strange. But her time with him is kinda cool only because she's forced to bake a human-sized gingerbread house for a witch and a living gingerbread boy, among other treats.

Maire is visited by someone from her past, which keeps her sane and motivated. The more he appears to her, the more her fragmented memories start falling into place. But who they are and their place is crazy strange and unique.

This is a story of one's journey and the cosmic effects our choices make on others and the world.

V: Physical abuse and war
L: No
S: kissing, committed relationship 

5 STARS