Tag: Elise Allen

BONUS REVIEW: Untwisted by Elise Allen

BONUS REVIEW: Untwisted by Elise Allen

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Kaloon has changed. Magic is allowed now. And to help foster a positive relationship between Mages and the general population, the teens of Kaloon will attend Maldevon Academy together (along with any Magical Animals of appropriate developmental level).

The transition to accepting magic came with a high price. The Battle for Unification was a terrible war between the kingdom and Dark Mages. It was only after Kaloon won that the kingdom’s twin princesses, Flissa and Sara, could truly live as individuals instead of pretending to be one Princess Flissara (see Twinchantment for the whole story).

Sara is far more excited about starting school than Flissa. While Flissa’s great with all the academics, the social scene stresses her out completely. Flissa would be happy to stay at home.

School doesn’t turn out like either of the girls expected. Sara keeps saying the wrong thing and offending her new classmates. And she freezes up in front of the magic teacher she wants to impress. Flissa is actually the one who makes a friend on the first day.

Soon the girls’ personal experiences are secondary as they watch the various groups on campus strike out at one another. Kids and teachers are still fighting the magic vs. non-magic war, just in more secretive ways. Is there any chance of Kaloon truly being unified?

Review

I liked this one even more than the first book! The integration storyline with magical and nonmagical factions was fascinating. Even better was the way the relationship between Sara and Flissa evolved! For the first time, the girls get to publicly be themselves. But they’re still discovering who they are after having a shared identity for so long. I loved this aspect of the story!!

There’s a great mystery here, too. Who is trustworthy? Who is working a secret agenda? The relationship between the princesses gets fractured over these questions. Sara is determined to uncover the truth. And her suspicions include some of Flissa’s new friends. For the first time there’s a wall between the sisters – literally and figuratively.

Fans of middle grade fantasy should be sure to check out this series! I think the books are better enjoyed if they are read in order. You can see my full review of Twinchantment here. I’m hopeful that there will be more stories starring Sara and Flissa and all their friends.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Twinchantment by Elise Allen

REVIEW: Twinchantment by Elise Allen

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

In the kingdom of Kaloon, magic was outlawed during the reign of King Lamar. Only the Keepers of the Light could use magic in the kingdom. Anyone – or anything – considered magic was banished to the Twists, a magical prison. This included people who did magic, black cats, anyone who was left-handed and twins.

This was all thanks to a dark magician Maldevon who betrayed King Lamar and killed the entire royal family except for the king and his son, Prince Alistair. The king was rescued by a mage named Grosselor who became the leader of the Keepers of the Light. Grosselor and the Keepers kept the kingdom safe for years.

King Edwin, Lamar’s great-great-grandson was the next king who had to deal with an attack. Queen Latonya was pregnant with their first child, and the court jester Gilward attacked her with a green mist. But the queen – and Princess Flissara – were thankfully fine.

Only four people know the truth. The queen delivered twin girls that night, Flissa and Sara. No one was certain what the Keepers would do about a royal set of twins. So the two girls take turns being Princess Flissara, working hard to deal with the strengths and weaknesses of one another.

When the queen is attacked a second time, just before the girls’ twelfth birthday and Ascension Day, the girls believe Gilward has escaped the Twists to curse the queen again and must be hiding back in the Twists, biding his time until the queen is dead. With time running out to save their mother, Flissa and Sara will take on the dangers of the Twists with Gilward’s own son helping to track the mage/jester down. Gilward is their only hope to save the queen.

Review

This was fun! Be sure to look closely at that cover – isn’t it gorgeous?!! It’s a terrific representation of this fun tale. I enjoyed Sara and Flissa and the rest of their traveling companions. The split perspective storytelling was perfect for showing how the girls were wrestling with their identity on an adventure when they didn’t have to hide and pretend to be one person.

The magical world was interesting, too. The girls question everything they have been taught about their kingdom once they are actually out of the castle and seeing the reality of things. They have to face the contradicting stories of their history – something that will continue to be addressed in future books.

I wish this book had existed when I was teaching. I had several students who wanted “brown kid books,” but so many of their choices were what I would call issue books. If there were Black characters, the book was often about racial issues. Those books are usually excellent, and serve a purpose. But sometimes a kid just wants to read a friendship story or an adventure that stars a kid who looks like them. While this book stars two Black girls, their race has nothing to do with the story. It’s just an element in their character description. Not only is it a fun fantasy story, but it adds this diversity piece that is so needed. Be sure to add this one to your home or classroom library!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥