Today's read... Happily Ever After by James Riley

I'm going to be a little lazy today and lean back from a review to do a simple shout-out, instead. This is the third and final book in a trilogy. I have read the first two books in the series and enjoyed them, so while I won't get around to reading this one for awhile, I wanted to let everyone know it's coming out soon. 

HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Once Upon Another Time #3

by James Riley

Aladdin

Middle Grade Fantasy

352 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING...

MAY 30th!!!

The third and final book in a new trilogy of twisted fairy tales from New York Times bestselling author James Riley, set in the world of his popular Half Upon a Time series, that’s perfect for fans of Fablehaven and Chris Colfer’s A Tale of Magic series!

Who doesn’t love a good Happily Ever After? The Cursed City is now the Blessed City, with its residents’ curses removed. Lena is now fully human, as are the rest of the giants, and together they live in peace with all the other humans in the city, all their differences now gone. And sure, Jin might have disappeared, but really, genie magic only caused trouble.

At least, that’s what the magic spell in Lena’s head is telling her. But somewhere inside, she knows that this new world isn’t right, that no real Happily Ever After would take her giant heritage from her…and that Jin is in danger.

When things are at their darkest, can a single Spark light the way?

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62919117-happily-ever-after-3

And here he is...

James Riley lives in Virginia. He is the New York Times bestselling author of the Half Upon a Time, Story Thieves, Revenge of Magic, and Once Upon Another Time series.

https://www.instagram.com/jamesrileyauthor/

Happy Book Birthday, Tall Tales by James Riley

Today's read comes from a known author in the twisted fairy tale realm. I've read his works before and was excited to see what this latest...the second in his new series, which just came out this Summer... might hold. Yep, this is a series that speeds right along on the publishing end, which means there wasn't a long wait between books one and two. And that was a good thing after putting the first book down because it did have me excited to grab up this one too.

TALL TALES

Once Upon Another Time, #2

by James Riley

Aladdin Books

Middle Grade Fantasy

320 pages

pages 8 to 12

The second book in a new trilogy of twisted fairy tales from New York Times bestselling author James Riley, set in the world of his popular Half Upon a Time series, that’s perfect for fans of Fablehaven and Chris Colfer’s A Tale of Magic series!

Lena might finally be accepted by the other giants after helping to defeat the Golden King and his faceless army in the Cursed City, but that doesn’t mean life has become any easier for her. The power-hungry Golden King wants revenge and has begun spreading shadow magic out over the kingdoms, taking over the minds of anyone it touches, and instilling fear and hatred as it goes.

The fairy queens, the most magical beings in the kingdoms, say their sacred book, Tales of All Things, claims that there is one person who can defeat the Golden King and his dark spells: Lena. But only if she first proves herself worthy by completing three challenges.

All Lena ever wanted was to prove she is really a giant. Now she has to be so much more. Can she and her genie friend, Jin, save the human world that doesn’t trust them, or will they fall prey to shadow magic, and doom everything?

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60320504-tall-tales?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=C4YAhvWqDu&rank=1

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Tall-Tales-Once-Upon-Another-ebook/dp/B09RX3F62V

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tall-tales-james-riley/1140975434?ean=9781534425903

MY TIDBITS

After picking up the first book, I was excited to dive into the second installment and see what would happen with Lena and Jin next. And I wasn't disappointed.

Where the first book laid a very solid foundation, this book takes off into adventure pure. Lena has her hands full as she tries her best to do what she knows is right. She no longer hides herself from the giants and has basically already achieved, at least, some part of her initial goal. Now, she's shoved into the role of saving the human world from disaster thanks to a book. It's fun to see this character shift as she now heads in a direction, which she never wanted to go, and has to deal with problems bigger than herself. She easy to root for and still a character to enjoy. 

This is another fast-paced adventure with tons of fun twists and turns. There are more than a couple new characters introduced, and it's a treat to meet them (good and bad) as they hit a little familiarity and then go beyond. I did smile at the fairies. The tension stays high as Lena and Jin are forced to step into bigger shoes than they dreamed they could fill...and while they've come a long way, they're still learning to find their own notches in the world. Plus, their personalities make them both to love, each in their very own way.

If nothing else, this book has built the scene for what promises to be a very, exciting ending for the last book in the trilogy.

And here he is...

James Riley lives in Virginia. He is the New York Times bestselling author of the Half Upon a Time, Story Thieves, and Revenge of Magic series.

Review: The Last Dragon by James Riley

THE LAST DRAGON

The Revenge of Magic, Book Two

by James Riley

Aladdin

Middle Grade Fantasy

416 pages

ages 9 to 12

COMING...

OCTOBER 8th, 2019!!!

Fort Fitzgerald is determined to uncover the truth, but a new student at school and the secrets he has to keep complicate matters in this second novel in a thrilling new series from the author of the New York Times bestselling Story Thieves!

Fort Fitzgerald can’t stop having nightmares about the day his father was taken from him in an attack on Washington, DC. In these dreams, an Old One, an evil beyond comprehension, demands the location of the last dragon. But other than some dragon skeletons dug up with the books of magic on Discovery Day, Fort has never seen a dragon before. Could there still be one left alive?

And weirdly, Fort’s not the only one at the Oppenheimer School having these nightmares. His new roommate, Gabriel, seems to know more than he’s letting on about this dragon as well. And why does everyone at the school seem to do whatever Gabriel says? What’s his secret?

Fort’s going to need the help of his friends Cyrus, Jia, and Rachel, if he’s going to have any chance of keeping the Old Ones from returning to Earth. Unless, the Old Ones offer something Fort could never turn down…

MY TIDBITS

First off, I did not read the beginning of this series, and that was a big mistake. Book two takes off where the first one ends, and it is very difficult to sink into the story without having read the first in the series. In other words, this book is definitely not a stand alone and can not be read without reading book one.

Fast paced and carrying dark tones, this is a read which fantasy friends are sure to enjoy.

It took me quite awhile (more than several chapters) to feel my way into this read, but that was my fault as I did not read the first book in the series. This story packs a punch with something happening on every page. Fort is a character to cheer for and has more than just a little trouble to deal with. His situation hits full force right away and builds tension with every turn of the page. There are many surprises as the mystery deepens and more questions arise. The plot is well woven and draws in.

The characters have personality, and the dialogue brings them to life. Each one has intriguing aspects, and some are simply easy to dislike.

While this is a dragon story, it takes place in a more modern world...something my own son isn't a huge fan of. But the story definitely isn't boring and the writing sits. It's a bit heavy for more reluctant readers, but fantasy fans are sure to enjoy it. This isn't a light read but does hold darker moments. I'd recommend it more for the upper middle grade audience (grade 5 and up) since sensitive readers and younger readers might feel a bit uncomfortable at moments.