Across the Great Barrier (Frontier Magic Book #2)

Three years have passed since Eff defeated the mirror bugs that threatened to destroy the Western settlements and became a hero, despite her being the thirteenth child. Now 18-years-old, Eff needs to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Her brother Lan, magician prodigy and the seventh son of a seventh son, wants her to continue her magical education with formal training at a name school. The only problem is Eff still has difficulty with Avrupan magic and must compensate by using Aphrikan magic to force her spells to work. Instead of more schooling, Eff really wants to continue helping Professor Jeffries at the menagerie and to explore more of the mysterious Far West past the Great Barrier. Eff’s desires become reality when she’s asked to join an expedition with Professor Torgeson and Wash, her Aphrikan magic mentor. On their journey they uncover some peculiar findings: magical and normal animals petrified. Eff and the others must find out if this happened because of some natural fossilization process or if another creature with great power is causing this.

Across the Great Barrier is an excellent follow up to Wrede’s first book in the series, Thirteenth Child. You won’t find Wrede’s version of the late 19th century western expansion in U.S history books, but she does an excellent job creating a fascinating alternate history. In this book we even find out that while the events parallel our own U.S history, the characters are in the United Sates of Columbia not America. Wrede’s novel is historical, coming-of-age, and adventure rolled into one good story. While this story is a sequel, enough of the first book is explained that it could stand alone. Here’s to hoping that there will be more books in the series!

Thirteenth Child book review

“Everybody knows that the seventh son is lucky…and everybody knows that seventh son of a seventh son is a natural born magician.”

Seven isn’t the only number that permeates lore—there is also thirteen. You’ve probably heard that thirteen is unlucky, bad, and even evil. Eff was born thirteenth child and twin to the seventh son of a seventh son. Eff and her brother Lan are inseparable, despite the Fate determined by their birth order. Eff knows what it’s like to be different, to have her siblings, cousins, and aunts and uncles treat her like she’s a demon. When things get too out of hand, Eff’s father decides to take a job out West as a professor of magic at a new college and move the family away. There, Eff finds her true destiny, as she helps protect the homesteaders from these strange beetles that threaten to destroy everything they come in contact with. Eff learns that she has always been more powerful than anyone let her believe, and once she believes in herself, she’s capable of anything she sets her mind to. Thirteen may be unlucky in some cultures, but what happens if you change the perspective?

The Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede is a heart-warming tale about finding the courage to believe in your inner strength. Wrede’s writing is nostalgic, creating a magical alternate late 19th century American world. If you like adventure and humor; if you like dragons, magic, and mystery, then you don’t want to pass this book up!

The Replacement Book Review

Welcome to the town Gentry, where there is great fortune and prosperity, the direct result of an ancient pact made between two worlds. But deep down, there's a dark secret that no one will admit to: every seven years a human baby is taken as a sacrifice and replaced with a baby from the underworld. Most of the time the Changling dies, unloved by the family it tore apart--all except Macky Doyle. Macky just wanted to fit in; instead, his coloring is a little too pale, his eyes darker than normal, and he gets sick anytime he's overexposed to anything with iron in it. Macky wants to go on dates and kiss the girl of his dreams, even though she has a metal tongue ring that would poison him. He lives his life knowing it isn't his, knowing he isn't the real Macky Doyle, despite the ongoing love and support from his sister. But, when Macky's friend's sister gets Taken, he must return to where he came from and decide where his loyalties lie.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff is a unique take on the popular topic of faeries in YA fiction. Yovanoff's engaging characters, beautiful language, and haunting tone alongside an eerie backdrop make her first novel a must read. For fans of Tim Burton, Irish and Norse mythology, faeries, horror, and unlikely heroes, this book is for you.