Oh my goodness, where to start?

When I first signed up for the Hero tour, I had never heard of the author before, and the fact that Hero is the second book in the series, I was a little nervous. But my concerns were quickly washed away. It’s a fun, clean read with a few occurrences of profanity, but what would you expect from a Pirate Queen or a rough and tumble tomboy?

The first thing that jumped off the page at me was the author’s style. It’s playful, fun, and fresh filled with an out-of-this-world yet grounded fairy tale experience. I loved it, although, once in a while, at the beginning, I found it distracting, and had to reread a paragraph or two to figure out what was being talked about.

I was endeared to the characters immediately. Saturday, this awkward girl who is “normal” in contrast to her sisters with their magical abilities, and she supposedly with none. And Peregrine with his wish back-firing, captivity, and dreams. I loved the way the author revealed things about the characters, setting, etc through her unique style.

I never knew what to expect. There was always something new and exciting popping up in the story, but I was never confused. A three-horned mule? A brownie with teeth? Ice-bats with razor sharp crystal wings? At times it could have felt over the top with all the fantastical creatures, magical items, and magnificent locations, but the author grounded us in the reality of the characters’ predicaments, emotions, desires, etc. This is not a story that slowly unfolds, rather it plunges you into this world and whisks you away on an adventure of a lifetime. At the end, you’re left with the warm feeling of an awesome adventure filled with honor, true love, the love of family, and an impending adventure to come. Five stars for a fun, fantastical journey.

*I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.