Review: Mine to Spell by Janeal Falor

Goodreads Summary:

Cynthia has always hidden from her father’s hexes behind her older sister. When her family gains independence unheard of for women, she’s relieved that her days of harsh punishments are over. But as her seventeenth birthday approaches—the typical age to be sold to a new master—death threats endanger her sisters. She now faces two options: run or meet society’s expectations.

For once, Cynthia isn’t going to let her older sister shield her from the problem. She’s going to prove to herself, her sisters, and society that her family isn’t a threat to their traditions. She willingly chooses to be purchased by a new master. A bold step that takes her somewhere she never thought she would go and to a man she might possibly fall in love with. With his help, she may just find a way to save her sisters while discovering how to stand up for herself. If she lives long enough.

Publication Date: May 5, 2014

Mine to Spell was a great continuation of the YA fantasy series from author Janeal Falor. I really love how imaginative the series has been thus far. The author uses incredible imagery to draw readers into her world. I also enjoy the feminist movement at the center of the story.

Cynthia is a lot different from her sister Serena. She’s more impulsive than Serena and was very dead-set on changing the way women are treated in their oppressive society. Not only does Cynthia want freedom from being owned by a warlock, she also wants to be free to practice magic.

The secondary characters were fabulous. I especially fell for Cynthia’s love interest Lukas. The romance is kept very light in this book, like the previous, and although I understand why, I still would’ve liked more development in that area. I was also happy to see Zade take on a big role in this novel and it was great to see how caring he was about Serena and her sisters.

I love the magical scenes. The author uses color to describe the effects of the spells and hexes and it makes it easy to picture the battles between warlocks. The world building was well done and even though I read the first book months ago, I found myself able to understand how the society worked without a lot of extensive background information.

The feminist movement plot kept me interested and I can see the sisters working together to completely overhaul the government in future books. The novel ended in a good spot and I’m eager to read the next book. I’d recommend the series to fans of YA literature who enjoy fantasy with strong female leads.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the author for gifting me with a copy for review!

Review: You Are Mine by Janeal Falor

Goodreads Summary:

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

Publication Date: May 6, 2013

This was on my Kindle for a while now and I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I really loved it! I have to applaud the author on an amazing debut that had me blowing off work to finish the book today.

Serena’s society was tough to stomach. The warlocks own the women in the society and the fathers sell off their daughters to the highest bidders. Serena is sold off to a cruel man, but a twist of fate has her engaged to a man from another country where customs are very different.

The book definitely enraged me as I read about the way women were forced to take part in cruel customs. I liked that Serena was willing to take risks to go against the unfairness of the practices. Serena was very naïve and lacked conviction in some parts, but I felt her flaws made her more relatable.

I liked Zade a lot and I wished there was more of a focus on the romance. The point of the book is for Serena to escape being forced to marry, but I still wanted more love scenes. It was still very sweet to see how much Zade and Serena grew to care for one another despite their different backgrounds. The side characters were also enjoyable and I did feel like they were all well developed.

The plot was good although I would’ve preferred a tad bit more world building. I just had a hard time picturing what the town looked like and would’ve liked to know why the society ended up the way it did. I liked the magical elements a lot and loved the descriptions of the parties and the elaborate clothing.

The end tied up everything nicely and I do see there’s a prequel out now and a sequel in the works. I hope there are more of Serena and Zade in the second book and maybe a story focused on one of Serena’s sisters. I believe the book is categorized as YA, but it definitely has crossover appeal.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I received a copy of the novel for my honest review.

You Are Mine by Janeal Falor Book Blitz and Giveaway

You Are Mine (Mine #1)

by Janeal Falor

Release Date: 05/06/13

273 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17406760-you-are-mine?ac=1

Currently on sale for $.99!

http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Mine-Book-ebook/dp/B00CLXC07A/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374987509&sr=1-1&keywords=you+are+mine

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-are-mine-janeal-falor/1115275866?ean=2940044507333

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/you-are-mine-mine-series-book-1

Advanced Praise:

“I was blown away by the beautiful writing, haunting themes, and chilling visuals.” ~Becca at Nawanda Files

“There were times when I had to fight back my tears and the emotion that this book drew from me made me feel so connected to what was going on as if I was actually there. You Are Mine should be on everyones to-read list and I cannot wait to see what Janeal Falor comes up with next.” ~Danielle at Coffee and Characters

Excerpt:

My insides hurt. I fold my arms across my stomach as they head out, but it doesn't help with the pain. I move to follow.

Mother touches my elbow. The touch startles me to a stop and she lets go. “I remember when I was chosen by your Father. It was a troublesome time, but you can do it. You're strong and your sisters need your example.”

I close my eyes and shake my head before opening them again. “I don't think I'm that type of strong.”

Mother sighs. “Maybe not, but you still have to go through it, society expects it. You'll have a new owner soon.”

She's right. A warlock could ask to buy me at any time. There's nothing I can do about it. I follow mother from the room, bowing my head with the hope that it will keep further attention from me. But it's too late to hope. I will always be owned.

About the Author

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6950698.Janeal_Falor

http://janealfalor.com/

http://twitter.com/JanealFalor

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Janeal-Falor/536495353049569?ref=hl

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