Member Reviews
If you loved the first book, you're going to love this next book. Shifters and Glyphs is the second full length novel in the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series, and it's everything I hoped for it to be. Following Bryar Rose, she's relaxing with her new indestructible outfit that she got in the last novella, with her boyfriend. Tomorrow is her first ever day of school, she's always been home schooled and she has no idea what to expect.
Except lately, Knox hasn't been feeling very good, and it might be because of Bry. Bryar has been deciphering the ancient papyrus like she always does, but this time it's much different. All signs point towards the magic fountain, and the fall equinox. The only thing, is that it's in five days. That's a little stressful on top of everything else, don't you think?
This book takes place within those five days. Bryar of course is the main character, alone with Elle, Alec, Knox, and Colonel Mallory. Together they travel to Paris and Egypt to once again save the world. It's action packed, and I couldn't put it down once I started it. The characters have really been growing through the series and I love that. They're the same people they've always been, but better.
I think my favourite part of the book was that it really dived deep into the world around the magic. I learned so many things about it that I didn't expect to, like the history and traditions. I especially enjoyed getting to know Colonel Mallory a lot better, he's such an interesting character and I'm glad I got the chance to.
Overall I don't think that you absolutely need to read the other books in the series to read this one, they kind of flow together and sum each other up well, but if you want to get the full force of the series I think you should read them all. If you like books where most of the supernatural elements are put to the test in one series, werewolves, witches and warlocks, and fairies, this is the series for you. After finishing this book, I honestly can't wait to see what comes next.
Thanks for reading!
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I’m at a loss for words right now. I’m scared that I won’t know how to do this book justice. I enjoyed the plot and the change the characters went through. It was fun to watch them overcome their struggles and to become their own people.
The romance in this series was cuter than usual. The way Knox and Bry act with each other is so adorable. And I was seriously in love with how protective Alec was of Elle. I’m so excited for the next book which will be about the two of them.
In summary, I enjoyed this book because of how the characters responded to the difficulties in their lives. I also enjoyed the romance and the ending. I’m eagerly awaiting books 2.5 and 3!!!
Good YA story line.
Love the sense of humor the author gives to the main character. There are some twists that I could not see coming, and was really surprised of the outcome.
This book was a lot of fun. I really like these characters and how the romance is angst free and that there's no love triangle. It's a nice change to the YA Fantasy Romance genre.
Bryar is more of her own person in this book, thanks to her "aunts" no longer being in the picture, and I think she had some pretty great development. We also learn more about Elle and Knox in this book. I found those interesting, and it makes me actually interested in reading Elle's upcoming book.
The plot to this book is a little more straight forward than the first book, but the pacing is a little off. While this book is set over the coarse of about a week, the pacing was rushed in a way. I think it would have made more sense to have the time frame be more days so that things could develop better.
There were other small things that I found just odd, like the unnecessary descriptions of how a person is standing, and there were too many hair flips. Just small details like that, that I didn't think were needed. I would have preferred more description of the various settings they go to.
I really liked the reveal of who exactly Bry is, and what her real Fairytale template is, I wasn't expecting that.
This was a nice end to Bryar and Knox's story, I hope to see them in future books.
Shifters and Glyphs is the second installment in author Christina Bauer's Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series. If you haven't yet read this series, please be patient while I summarize. In this series, Protagonist Bryar Rose belongs to a group known as the Magicorum. Each of the three Magicorum groups (shifters, fae, witches/warlocks) follow a fairy tale type life template. For example; Bryar Rose's life template was supposed to be that of Sleeping Beauty.
For 17 years, Bryar was raised by three mean spirited fairies who never let her out of their sight, unless she was sneaking out with her best friend Elle. Bryar Rose is known as a Triloroum because she has access to all three (shifter, fae, and witch/warlock) magics. Bryar knows that magic is apparently disappearing from the world, and unless she can find the mysterious fountain, which she has been searching for through old papyri, the world will be a much different place.
Between getting ready for her first real day of actual high school, and not homeschooling done via bad fairies, Bryar's dreams are being invaded by evil beings trying to pressure Bry into doing their bidding; going as far as threatening her friends and showing their abilities through her dreams. Bryar isn't alone in this endeavor. Not by a long shot. She has her boyfriend Knox, who is also Alpha of the shifters; she has her best friend Elle, who is a thief and a con artist, and she has Alec Le Charme who is a witch & warlock.
As a curiosity, Knox, who is on the cover of this book, is the warden for the Shifters, while Alec, is the warden for witches & warlocks. (Readers find out who the warden of the faeries are later in the book, but I won't spoil it.) Wardens are supposed to find, guard, and activate the fountain. Wardens like Alex and Knox can't get married without finding the fountain first. Don't ask. It's just some plot line that the author has chosen to add to the story.
There is one character I haven't yet mentioned. That is Bryar's inner wolf who tends to speak like Gollum when she gets stressed out. The two have some pretty curious
conversations that are often humorous and often at odds with what Bry should be doing to protect her friends from her mission. She is also very protective and drawn to Knox which makes for some curious scenes. Bryar has a full plate with unlocking the location of the fountain, traveling back in time, encountering creepy evil beings known as the Shadowvin, and dealing with what the unknown character called the Void wants from her.
When all is said and done, some pretty curious twists are revealed, and I can finally say that I am glad that Elle and Alec will be the main characters in what appears to be the next 3 books. (2 books and a novella). I also know that things are going to get interesting now that Elle's secret has been revealed. It means that she, and probably Alec, will have to deal with the fallout of what happens in this book. No spoilers.
FAIRY TALES OF THE MAGICORUM
Sleeping Beauty
1 - Wolves And Roses
1.5 - Moonlight and Midtown
2 - Shifters And Glyphs
Cinderella
2.5 - Fairies and Frosting
3 - Slippers And Thieves
I simply can't get enough of the books from these authors. I loved the first one and the slight twisting of fairy tales and what was familiar, and now diving back into that world, this is familiar and I love it. Maybe I wouldn't be reading YA focused stuff now if I'd read it as a kid like I was "supposed to" but if it meant I would be missing books like this, I'm glad I read the adult books when I was little.
Good book! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Great writing, characters, dialog, action, and storyline. I definitely recommend checking it out!
Rating 4/5
WOW! Why have I not heard of this series before! I had no idea it was even part of a series to start so I read this thinking it was a stand alone and it was near perfect for a YA fantasy! Now I absolutely have to back track and read from book 1!
I love fairytale retellings and the author took strides to achieve one of the best retellings I have ever read for Briar Rose! She did a superb job - the writing was mythical and full of wonder, the plot line had me gripping my seat and the dialogue was on point! The pacing was on the slower end, and for fantasy novels I like to have lots of adventure and excitement leading to immense anticipation. Other than that, this was a great read and I can't wait for more!
I have never read anything by Christina Bauer before and I am ashamed that I didn't know what I was missing. I read this straight through and couldn't put it down. She grabs you, pulls you into a her world, and makes you cherish her characters. You feel their confusion, sadness, hopes, fears, and determination. You find yourself cheering, biting your lip, tensing in anticipation of what comes next. Her story breathes a life of its own and you can easily picture it being the next hit series on TV. I want to go back to the beginning while I wait to find out what happens next.
Thank you so much to Christina Bauer, NetGalley, and Monster House Books, LLC, for allowing me the chance to read this story and share my thoughts and opinions with others.
Desde Wolves and Roses, não via a hora de ler Shifters and Glyphs. Moonlight and Midtown deu para matar saudades dos personagens, mas não aplacou a curiosidade em saber como tudo iria acabar para Bryar Rose.
Shifters and Glyphs tem um ritmo um pouco mais lento que o primeiro livro, mas nem por isso deixa de ser bom. A escrita da Christina é bem fluída e envolvente. Fora que temos a personalidade de Bryar Rose com seus comentários maravilhosos, fazendo com que a leitura ficasse mais proveitosa ainda.
Bryar continua a mesma personagem que conheci: dedicada, leal, resiliente, e sempre rindo na cara do perigo. Agora ela está disposta a fazer os sacrifícios necessários para salvar a vida de Elle, Knox, Alec e todo o Magicorum. OK que ela fez umas burradas, mas quem nunca num livro YA ne nom minha gente? Mas o diferencial é que Bry sabe quando erra e necessita de ajuda.
Um dos pontos fortes da série e que mais gosto é a amizade entre Bryar e Elle. As duas podem contar uma com a outra para tudo. Senti falta de uma abordagem maior como foi feito em Wolves and Roses, Isso se deve ao fato que Elle irá estrelar sua própria história, como vou explicar mais na frente. Entretanto, das vezes que estavam juntas percebemos o quão preciosa é a amizade entre elas.
A relação entre Bryar e Knox é a coisa mais fofa do mundo, regada a companheirismo e respeito. Desde o começo, o alpha dos metamorfos sempre respeitou as decisões de Bryar, concordando ou não. Ambos sentam e conversam como pessoas civilizadas, expondo suas opiniões e ouvindo um ao outro. E é assim que se faz um casal com relação saudável, autores.
Durante os primeiros capítulos, Bryar comenta sobre alguns acontecimentos que se passaram tanto em Wolves and Roses quanto Moonlight and Midtown. Algumas pessoas não curtiram muito, mas eu achei bem legal. Confesso que alguns detalhes eu não lembrava e foi bom a autora usar esse artifício.
Uma única reclamação é a falta da narração do Knox. Tivemos no primeiro livro e eu me acabava de rir com os papos dele com o lobo interno. Infelizmente não teve narração dele aqui #triste, mas as conversas entre Bryar e sua loba são tão engraçadas quanto Knox e o dele. Quando terminei a leitura, entendi o motivo de somente a narração de Bryar, já que o ápice do livro é completamente focado nela.
Eu já estava bem tristinha em ter que me despedir dessa galera toda, mas eis que surge uma luz no fim do túnel. Na resenha do primeiro livro, comentei que os personagens vivem o roteiro de algum conto de fadas. No caso de Bryar Rose, o dela era o da Bela Adormecida. Shifters and Glyphs é o livro que fecha esse arco do roteiro da Bela Adormecida e assim, a história focada em Bryar Rose.
O próximo roteiro a ser explorado é o da Cinderela, vivido por Elle. Estou bem ansiosa porque ela é uma personagem maravilhosa e eu quero ver meu ship lindo - Elle e Alec - felizes para sempre! Para esse arco, temos Fairies And Frosting (conto), Slippers And Thieves e Bandits and Ball Gowns. Pesquisando mais sobre a série, descobri que depois desse arco da Cinderela, teremos o roteiro da Branca de Neve, com Apples and Arsenic e Evil Queens and Goblin Kings. Nem preciso dizer que estou soltando foguetes de felicidade.
Quando comecei a ler essa série, era para preencher o vazio deixado por Crônicas Lunares. Agora, quando acabar, ela vai ser mais uma a deixar um vazio. Ainda bem que falta muito tempo para isso. Espero que ela chegue em terras tupiniquins, porque é uma indicação certa para todos aqueles que curtem releituras de contos de fadas.
Very heavy on the teen romance and the shifter angle. A little too much of both for me, but this is well written and I can see its appeal.
Bryar Rose and Knox are together and getting ready to start at the local Magical High School. Bryar Rose is still trying to interpret the found pieces of papyrus to locate the fountain to help the wardens. If it is found then the Wardens can marry (Knox and his best friend). Bryar Rose is having nightmares and needs to solve what the nightmares mean and keep her friends safe. Her friends, of course, want no part of being kept safe and join her in the search for the fountain.
Once again a terrific book from Christina Bauer. This is an interesting read with fun characters and setting.
I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review. - Find this author
This is the first book I read by this author, and I loved it. I did not know there was another book in the series, so i thought it will be a hard book to follow since I did not have a previous understanding of the intricacies of Bryar Rose world. However, thanks to the author giving a lot of background about the first book, it was easy to follow. In this book Bryar and Knox ( handsome boyfriend) are all set to begin high school for the first time. I really cannot wait to read the first book in the series, I love this characters a lot, so I really want to see their beginnings.
I should start by saying that I absolutely adored the first book in this series! This one was a little slower to start for me (and didn't give us Elle as a main character, though thankfully that is coming!) but I ended up enjoying the adventure and further development of the world. Shifters and Glyphs picks up a few months after book 1 and continues to follow Bryar Rose, Knox, and friends as they start a new school year, are pitted against shadowy new villains, and must seek answers about magic and their role in it.
We don't get much development of the romance between Bry and Knox in this book, although there is some conflict with a clingy ex-girlfriend. The plot did meander a little bit and the first few chapters were very heavy on info-dumping all the world-building and key plot points from book 1. For anyone who read the first book, this is going to be pretty tedious and I wish there was less of that. However, the story does pick up after that and really gets going about 35% of the way into the book. It is a quick read and very fun and action-packed. I missed seeing more snarky BFF moments with Elle- while we do get them, I wanted more! Overall, I liked this, but felt it was a bit weaker than book 1. I'm excited to read on in the series though and can't wait to get inside Elle's head! (because she is a super bad-ass version of Cinderella who is also a hacker, thief, and con-artist!) I received an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Meh, it was ok, but not as good as the first one. I felt like this one wasn't as action packed and there wasn't much growth in the relationships. Also it was repetitive, which made it feel rather long. Still an interesting world, but I am hoping for more out of the next book.
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher. Thank you!
This novel was an enjoyable read. You must read the first novel in the series to understand the plot. If you enjoy shifters, fae, witches and wizards, this will be a novel for you!
Bryar Rose is special, having all three types of magic in her- fae, witch, and shifter. She is free from the curse she was under and now attends high school with her boyfriend, Knox, the warden of shifters, Alec, the warden of wizards/witches, and her best friend Elle. However, Bry's dreams are causing her much to distress over. She needs to discover what they mean. Another troubling issue is that wardens cannot mate until the fountain is restored. Knox knows Bry is his mate, but cannot move forward until they restore the fountain. Evil keeps trying to pressure Bry to do their bidding, going as far as threatening her friends and showing their abilities through her dreams. Bry realizes she alone needs to find the fountain and balance magic, knowing the damage it had done in the past. Bry's friends will not let her fight this battle alone, and journey after her, knowing the consequences. When Bry discovers the truth of her identity, she knows the sacrifice she needs to make if she want to save everyone she loves.