A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this book to my daughter and just wow. Her eyes sparkled with wonder and the author spun a tale that transported you to a different place and time with real world lessons from right now. She adored this book and so did I. Beautifully written, well thought out and a magical read through and through!
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
4 Stars
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small is a captivating children’s chapter book- an epic fantasy with magic, action, adventure, life-lessons, evil villains, witches, castles, an enchanted dress, agendas, invaders, and high stakes.
This is a story about how a spoiled princess steps up to save her kingdom- setting off on a magical adventure she could never have imagined. The story isn’t all flowers and rainbows, as the author added some darker, heavier tones to her storyline that bring their own challenges for our mc to overcome. We follow and get a front row seat as Zarina has responsibility thrust upon her under almost impossible circumstances- and watch as she navigates her new situation. Add in an enchanted dress- and the story takes an even more intriguing turn.
There are several wonderful illustrations that also help to bring the story to life.
Happy Reading…
Thank you K.L. Small!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Princess Zarina receives a dress for a ball honoring herself. In the beginning she is disappointed in dress but soon she realizes it’s power. Zarina as youngest child is spoiled and she doesn’t try to hide it. With the help of her dress and socializing with people in town has helped change her. I like this book. I plan on letting my 11 year old daughter read it and ask her for her thoughts and opinions.
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Princess Zarina is a princess with many siblings, but she is proud to say she is the prettiest. She is a very selfish lady. She has her crowning ceremony in a couple weeks, and has a dressmaker make her the dress to remember. Doing so, the dressmaker makes it where it can only be Zarina that takes the dress off. Zarina has to learn some lessons on her way back and also stay alive! So much happens and it’s great for kids to read! 🙂
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Princess Zarina is a very selfish princess. She’s the 13th child of the King and Queen and is definitely very spoiled as well. Her Royal Advancement is coming up in the next couple of weeks and she is need of a new dress. However, her parents call a family meeting and announce that things will be a bit different for this ceremony.
Princess Zarina decides to take matters in her own hands when it comes to her dress. Afterall, the royal dressmaker will be busy with the Queen and other Princesses’ dresses. Zarina’s dress MUST be special. Auntie tells her about a dressmaker so one day, Zarina pays her a visit and puts in her order.
The whole world changes when Princess Zarina picks up her dress. It’s not at all what she wanted and things just start to fall apart for Princess Zarina and her kingdom. Can they ward off those who’ve come to destroy their dynasty?
This book reminded me a little bit of the Wizard of Oz. It seems like that kind of fairy tale. I’ve seen others who’ve compared this book to Brave and Cinderella. All are fitting. Young readers will love the story and will hopefully learn from Princess Zarina and her mistakes. Watching her grow throughout this story should inspire people who are reading.
This was my first read by this author but I’ll be looking for her other works.
Manipulator’s War by Elise Carlson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is unique because it features a nonbinary main character in one of its amazing dual story arcs. I like the way the author was sensitive with her nonbinary character. The other story arc features a group of teen students who find themselves transported to another place or time. The nonbinary character grapples with sudden responsibility that follows in the wake of abducted parents. The teens must figure out what they need to learn, in order to cope with their new reality.
Creatures of the Night by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have read numerous books written by the author and absolutely loved every one of them. and this book did not disappoint. im a big fan of urban fantasy and love reading others take of their view on what the fantasy world is like. A black mist descends onto earth, and with it brought monsters, that no one wants to have to deal with. Zoe who is a strong female lead in this book, she and her family fight to rid the world of these threats of monsters and the mist that brought them to life. But as she’s doing so, she finds herself in a situation that she now is questioning what she was taught and told of these monsters. This book is filled with action, adventure, witches, magic, drama, paranormal, extraordinary characters and thrill. I could not put this book down till I was done. It was super easy to follow along, and a must read.
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this story. It is a moving story about a young princess who is always selfish and how she changes by the experiences she has. The author does an amazing job of creating this story and our princess.
Princess Zarina is very head strong and as the youngest child she is used to getting things her own way but this isn’t a good thing as she has grown up to become selfish, only concerned about herself.
When she get a dress made for a ball being held in her honour, the dress isn’t all that it seems. It’s magical and the stories it unravels will teach this princess that by helping and thinking of others it will make her a better person.
What happens once she is in the dress turns into an adventure as she matures and finds herself. There is danger, loss, unexpected reunions and a snake in the grass determined to destroy the Kingdom.
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is a brilliant introduction to the fantasy world for any young adult readers. It was a well written and accessible story, that really draws you in and keeps you hooked until the end. The main character was such as strong and interesting one to read about. The story fit around her and you definitely wanted to know more.
This is an entirely new author to me and I enjoyed getting to learn about their writing style. The pace of the book was well though out and fit with the story that was being told. As the first book to read I think this was perfect. I am looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A Dress To Remember is a children’s fairy-tale but a fairy-tale with a smidge of darkness to it. K.L. is an award-winning writer and this is her debut novel.
There are fairies, magic, castles, witches and a princess dress that is more than it seems. Oh, and let’s not forget the spoiled princess who has a lot to learn when trying to save them all from the villains. A dress she doesn’t want but just maybe grateful for after all is said and done.
The illustrations by Brandon Dorman help with the imagination of the story.
This fantasy tale is perfect for young fantasy lovers to curl up to.
Reviewed by @jennadb
Spirit Guide by Byrd Nash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was wonderful! I was turning pages like crazy. I think Madame Chalamet will have her hands full with Twyla Andricksson but she will enjoy mentoring her so much. They built quite the relationship in this book. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Reviewed by @purplesky25276
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I found this a fantasy that young middle schoolers would like. Princess Zarina requested a dress for her birthday gala and as the old saying goes “be careful what you wish for.” She gets the adventure of her life. There’s drama and adventure along with witches and all the other fantasy creatures you can think of. It’s an exciting story that is a quick read. I may get a paperback copy so I can read it to my grandson in the near future. A story worth reading.
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Written by a new author to me I was not sure what to expect when I picked this book up to read. Let me just say that I was not disappointed. This is an enchanting story about a magical dress that the princess receives and if it will help her to save her kingdom. This story was a mixture of Disney’s Cinderella and Brave. I love that the main character is an extraordinarily strong willed and determined princess and will stop at nothing to save her kingdom. I thought that the author did a fantastic job keeping me interested and intrigued with this book. She has developed such a detailed and imaginable world in this book that I could picture it perfectly. I was rooting for the hero throughout this book, and I was not disappointed. Highly recommended young adult story.
~ ☆ BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE ~ ☆ ~ ~ ☆
A MAGICAL DRESS!
Strong-willed Princess Zarina wants a special dress for the Royal Advancement Ceremony on her birthday in two weeks. She makes a deal with a mysterious dressmaker for a ball gown that everyone will remember.
The dressmaker creates a beautiful black dress for her. However, it’s not the dress Zarina expected. Especially when fire fairies dance across the skirt.
After the deal with the dressmaker goes wrong, Zarina is trapped in the magical dress. She must return to the castle on her own. But invaders attack the kingdom and kill the King and Queen. Princess Zarina must avoid capture.
Will the magical dress help her defeat the invaders and save the kingdom?
Winner of a 2022 Bronze Award from the Florida Writers Association’s Royal Palm Literary Awards in unpublished children’s fiction.
Her childhood dream was to own a horse and be an author. She is living her dream in Brooksville, Florida, with her husband, Rick, on a ranch called Carousel Acres. They own three horses (Rory, ShyAnne, and Skylark) and four cats (Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Stan). You can follow her on the Web at https://kathleenlsmall.com, and sign-up for her newsletter to get updates on her writing activities. Other fantasy novels are coming soon.
This is the second book of the series, Wilf is a wizard who really doesn’t want to be a wizard. He just wants to be a normal teenager. His stepsister, Maya, is facing some serious problems because of an experiment that she performed with two other wizards. I am still reading this book and I am thoroughly enjoying the thoughts of what would happen if it actually happened. How would you feel if you were a wizard and witches wanted to hurt you because you destroyed a magical veil that separated your worlds? Would you want to not be a wizard anymore either? If you have read The Virus of the Beauty you definitely need to continue the series to see where it leads. I can’t wait to read book 3!!!!
The Veil of Corruption by C.B. Lyall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the second book of the series, Wilf is a wizard who really doesn’t want to be a wizard. He just wants to be a normal teenager. His stepsister, Maya, is facing some serious problems because of an experiment that she performed with two other wizards. I am still reading this book and I am thoroughly enjoying the thoughts of what would happen if it actually happened. How would you feel if you were a wizard and witches wanted to hurt you because you destroyed a magical veil that separated your worlds? Would you want to not be a wizard anymore either? If you have read The Virus of the Beauty you definitely need to continue the series to see where it leads. I can’t wait to read book 3!!!!
Creatures of the Night by C.A. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The end of the world is here. We are living in a time of witches, warlocks, gorgons, vampires and more. We follow Zoe in this new path of life and her new found friends. A good sci-fi type book to read, easy to follow and visualize.
The Virus of Beauty by C.B. Lyall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a very interesting fantasy novel that brought a unique twist to the wizarding world! I really enjoyed reading this book and learning about each of the characters background story throughout this book, which brought the story together. The twists and turns of the first book of this series made for a very gripping story line and kept you wanting more! I could not put this book down and wanted to read it as fast as I could just to know what would happen next! I really enjoyed how in this wizarding world magic is a little different and witches and wizards are fighting for their rights, it really empowers women today to keep fighting for their rights and what they deserve. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading the next book of this series!
Creatures of the Night by C.A. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Creatures of the Night by C.A. King
4 Stars
This is an urban fantasy novel with a bit of an apocalyptic vibe. A black mist descended on earth which brought to life monsters. Most of the human race was eradicated. The few that remained formed clans in an effort to protect themselves. Females possessed magic and the men became warriors. Zoe always had a different view on life. She was able to see the bigger picture. She always wanted to be a warrior. What good was magic if you didn’t know how to fight and protect yourself? Biding by society’s rules, she is placed at the academy to weird her magic. But what happens when she falls in love with a creature of the night?
This author has a very creative imagination. I have read many of her books. Although this was not one of my favourites, the story is interesting and enjoyable.
Review by @Anna Hirsch
View all my reviews
The Veil of Corruption by C.B. Lyall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
After an insane whirlwind adventure, our young wizard Wilf Gilvary is ready to go back home and live life as a normal soccer-loving teenager. It seems, though, that Wilf’s adventures have quite a ways to go!
Evil is again threatening the world, and poor Wilf is now being accused of things he never did, corrupting the Veil. His magic seems to be the culprit, even though it is now Wilf’s will for it to do so. And to top it all off, his step-sister Myra must be caught, or his life will never go back to what it was.
This is the 2nd installment of a wonderful YA novel full of magic, fantasy, adventure, and so much more! I highly suggest grabbing this and the first book, you won’t regret it!!
The Veil of Corruption by C.B. Lyall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this second book of the series. Exciting and full of magic C.B. Lyall was full of surprises, twists, and turns in this one. My attention was captured immediately as I anxiously awaited to see what was in store for Wilf.
The Veil of Corruption by C.B. Lyall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wilf Gilvary is back and still trying to figure out how to control his magic, but he is still reluctant to accept his life as a wizard, he would much rather be playing football with his friends, or spending time with Katryna. Things don’t go to plan however, when the Veil he helped to strengthen starts to go rogue and the witches and wizards around him believe that he is the problem, they think that when he used his wizard magic to strengthen the witches spell, that he corrupted it and now it is out of control.
This isn’t Wilf’s only worry, his stepsister Myra is also on the loose, three days ago, she ran away from her crimes and Wilf is determined to find her, but the witches have other ideas and they are keeping him busy working on the antidote for the Virus of Beauty and studying magic, however, Wilf is getting more frustrated by the day and this isn’t helping anyone, least of all him, but he is struggling to control his emotions, as usual.
Meanwhile, in the magical realm, the Veil is expanding and it has taken on a life of its own, it is attacking witches and wizards alike and wreaking havoc wherever it touches and Wilf is expected to fix it, but when Katryna is kidnapped, he realises that he will do anything to get her back and save the magical realm, even if he doesn’t want magic himself. With tensions rising between the witches and wizards, can he keep everything in check while they fight over him, Katryna and the magical realm, or will it all end in disaster? This is another fantasy adventure with secrets, lies, mistrust and of course, magic throughout as you try to untangle the webs surrounding Wilf, Katryna and the others around them to work out who wants what and why, it is a story which will hook you in and keep you invested throughout.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
Creatures of the Night by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It is not my first book by this author nor will it be my last. C.A. King is definitely becoming a favorite.
Things I loved most:
-Strong female lead
-supernatural
-relatable elements ( dating the wrong guy, being different, betrayal)
-easy to read and follow along
-Simone
-the tree
-how much Zoe is coming into her powers
Things I disliked:
-the book ending
Things I would change:
-at times it felt like the story jumped a bit kind of read like how a tv show would take place. It didn’t take away from the story but it had me question if I skipped a page
Anyways I need a sequel. I have to know what happens next. Will they fight the humans or vampires first? Can they reproduce and will the offspring be even more powerful? Will we get a glimpse into what really happened with the black mist?
Spirit Guide by Byrd Nash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was so excited to read the third book in the Ghost Mysteries series and it is just making me want to be able to read the rest of the series so I can see how it ends! The description of the slow burn romance is a completely accurate description of the relationship between Elinor and Tristan Fontaine, Duke of Archambeau. Tristan is an amazing brooding hero who is clearly attracted to Elinor, but appears to be doing his best to fight his attraction. The story line in this book was riveting; getting to see her new apprentice Twyla in action was fantastic. Getting to see Elinor as a mentor and helping to shape Twyla into a better ghost talker, was so interesting to see. As always it was great getting to see Dr. Charlotte LaRue, I love how she is always just so calm and helpful. It was great getting to see how Elinor’s side mystery of the murder of her father continues to progress. I can’t wait for the rest of the series to come out!
The Veil of Corruption by C.B. Lyall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved the first book in this series, and I’m happy to say that this one was outstanding as well! I love the detailed magical world that the author has built as well as the in-depth characters we get to follow. Witches and wizards haven’t gotten along in what seems like forever, but now their conflict is destabilizing their entire realm. Wilf really just wants to be a normal teenager, but it isn’t that easy. His stepsister is causing trouble and he must see to it that justice is served. Can Wilf help his world return to a level of normalcy, or will the decisions made be catastrophic for everyone involved? I highly recommend picking up the first book in the series to get the full experience because you may be a bit lost if you don’t. It’s worth every bit of reading, I couldn’t put either one down until I raced to the finish!
Reviewed by @shannlynn
This is the third book in this series, Elinor and Tristan the Duke of de Archambeau band together to discover who is behind a lady’s disappearance. There is a third person added to this duo, her name is Twyla (she is Elinor’s newly appointed apprentice). The three of them are off to find the Baron’s missing daughter and find others as well. Elinor and Tristan’s relationship is started to go somewhere maybe?? Elinor is also still trying to find her father’s killer in this book. I really wish I had read book 1 because I feel like I am missing a big part of Elinor’s story. With that being said, I plan on reading book 1 soon.
Spirit Guide by Byrd Nash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the third book in this series, Elinor and Tristan the Duke of de Archambeau band together to discover who is behind a lady’s disappearance. There is a third person added to this duo, her name is Twyla (she is Elinor’s newly appointed apprentice). The three of them are off to find the Baron’s missing daughter and find others as well. Elinor and Tristan’s relationship is started to go somewhere maybe?? Elinor is also still trying to find her father’s killer in this book. I really wish I had read book 1 because I feel like I am missing a big part of Elinor’s story. With that being said, I plan on reading book 1 soon.
The Veil of Corruption by C.B. Lyall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the second book in this series and it is my suggestion that you read the first one before diving into this one for a better experience and because this one picks right up from the first one. This book is just as good as the first one. This story has action, magic, witches, wizards, suspense, twists and turns, great characters and so much more. I find this book to be original, entertaining and the author does an excellent job at building a world that will keep you captivated. I definitely had a hard time putting the book down once I started reading, I needed to know what was going to happen next. I can’t wait to see what journey the next book takes us on. I recommend this book.
The Veil of Corruption by C.B. Lyall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the 2nd installment in a magical YA series about a young wizard who helps the witches and causes pandemonium. I really enjoyed this adventure. It’s really outside of my normal genres and it was a fantastic break. It’s a fairly lengthy read; however, it’s so well written that the pages just fly by. I love how invested C.B. Lyall makes the readers in the characters. And I love the way she builds the magical realms…absolutely fantastic. I would highly recommend reading the books in order as they definitely build on one another. Great YA fantasy!
Reviewed by @meggs1717
Spirit Guide by Byrd Nash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely love this series by Byrd Nash. It is such a lighthearted story, but immediately grabs your attention and doesn’t let go! I read this book in one sitting! This is the 3rd book in the series “Madame Chalamet Ghost Mysteries” and personally this one has been my favorite so far! It went into a deeper explanation of exactly what the Morpheus Society and what they actually teach their students. The smaller plot with the romance with the duke of Archambeau kept me on the edge, wondering exactly what Madame Chalamet was feeling towards their relationship. I also enjoyed the banter between Madame Chalamet and her new apprentice, it showed a different side of Mys Chalamet and how she interacts with people. I cannot wait until book 4 is released and I can continue reading about their mysterious adventures and the relationship between the duke and Mys Chalamet.
The Veil of Corruption by C.B. Lyall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Veil of Corruption (The Virus of Beauty Book 2) by C.B. Lyall. I have really enjoyed this series even though its not my favorite genre. Its the story of Wilf Gilvary who is teen wizard but wizardry is not his favorite thing. He loves soccer and just being a teen in Hong Kong. He is trying hard to hide his magic from his teammates and trying to keep it in control at other times. He shares a bond of attraction to Katryna who is a young witch but he’s only attracted to her due to their bond. Wilf is also trying to fix The Veil which is going all wonky because of him. On top of all that he’s trying to find Myra his sister who murdered their father. This read is so full of all the things, magic, emotions, murder and fantasy. This is such a fun series so buckle up and start this fun fantasy series!
The Veil of Corruption by C.B. Lyall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Book two in the Virus of Beauty series continues the story from the first book and centers on teen wizard Wilf. In Book One we learned about Wilf who has no interest in magic and all he truly wants to do is play soccer. However, life has other plans for him, and he now finds himself caught in the middle of a long-held dispute between the witches and the wizards. The ongoing dispute has somehow destabilized the Magical Realm and it is up to Wilf to find the antidote for the Virus of Beauty that many of the witches have been plagued with before it is too late.
When Wilf’s stepsister, Myra, disappears it is left up to Wilf to find her and bring her to justice. In his quest to find her the defensive barrier known as the Veil between the witch and wizard cities becomes corrupted and Wilf is blamed. The corruption of the Veil allows the virus to spread and affects both wizards and witches throughout the magical realm. When evil strikes and his witch friend, Katryna, is kidnapped Wilf will do anything to save her even if it means that he risks his own life in doing so. He is the only one that holds the key to saving both his friend and the Magical Realm from certain disaster.
Book Two in the Virus of Beauty Series did not disappoint. The reader is transported to places all over the world as the wizards and witches fight to stabilize the magical realm before it destroys them all. Our teen wizard Wilf has to really step into his role as wizard because this unlikely hero is the only one who can save them. Wilf must put aside his thoughts and feelings on what his perception of a normal life may be and embrace his wizard side while fighting evil head on. Wilf really discovers who he is and what he is capable of as he becomes stronger as both a person and a wizard. It was interesting to read how his relationship with Katryna unfolded and how her family slowly came to terms with it.
This book has everything a YA reader can hope for in one place. Magic, self-discovery, adventure, suspense, unlikely heroes, family drama, young romance, and even some witty banter. It held my attention and kept me reading until the end. The overall most intriguing part of the story for me, since Book One, has been what the witches perceive as beauty in their realm. For them to catch a virus that makes them beautiful by our society standards is horrifying. In their realm ‘beauty’ is defined entirely different and for the witches you are ‘beautiful’ if you have warts, hairy chins, and large noses. It truly goes to show how perception can change everything and what one sees as normal, or beautiful, is not necessarily the same way another person may view it. Fascinating concept! I highly recommend!