Wolves and Roses

October 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Seventeen-year-old Bryar Rose is one of the Magicorum, which means her life is supposed to follow a traditional fairy-tale "template." Although she lives with three fairy aunties and takes special medication to fight off a sleeping curse, the Sleeping Beauty template has never quite fit her. Bryar Rose is far more interested in translating Egyptian papyri from an ancient Book of Magic than she is in the insufferable "Prince" Philpot. She is supposed to marry him on her 18th birthday. However, Bryar Rose's fascination with the papyri lands her an internship translating it for the incredibly wealthy Alec LeCharme, who is her own age. Soon she is thrust into a larger magical world of wizards, fairies, werewolves, mummy-zombies, and the villainous Julius Caesar. Along the way, the protagonist falls hard for a werewolf named Knox and discovers she may not be the ordinary human she believed she was. It's hard to cram the requisite amount of world-building and development into this fast-moving series debut, but fans of supernatural adventure and romance likely won't mind. This world is a mishmash of fairy-tale conventions, the paranormal, Ancient Rome, and Ancient Egypt-with a playful twist on all of it (e.g., Cinderella, "Elle," is Bryar Rose's bestie and a master con artist). VERDICT A fun romp for Twilight fans; an additional purchase.-Sara White, Seminole County Public Library, Casselberry, FL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

A teenage girl, slated for a fairy-tale life, yearns for normality in this contemporary YA fantasy novel. Bryar Rose was adopted by three fairy aunts, making her part of the Magicorum, a group of shape-shifters, fairies, and witches. As such, Bryar is meant to follow a fairy-tale life template--Sleeping Beauty's, in her case, which means that she has "a magical illness that makes her fall asleep whenever she's overexcited." She's set to wed her handsome prince, a hedge fund manager named Philpot, when she turns 18 in three days. Although Bryar is attractive, lives in a Manhattan penthouse, drives an "awesome car," enjoys an "unlimited shopping account," and is literally destined for a fairy-tale wedding, she nonetheless feels trapped. She despises Philpot and just wants to be "normal," which she construes as studying ancient Egyptian papyri and going to an expensive, exclusive, but non-magical prep school for her senior year. "Normal" also includes freedom from her sleeping-sickness curse, which will end on her birthday. But soon, Bryar's understanding of the magical world and her place in it is upended by dramatic events, including her teacher trying to murder her. She also meets a compelling young man named Knox, who exactly resembles the icy-blue-eyed stunner in her dreams. As her birthday approaches, Bryar finds herself in a life-and-death struggle. Bauer (Thrax, 2017, etc.) gives readers a good balance of YA romance and paranormal elements in this series opener. The main characters' physical perfection and lavish wealth makes them even less realistic in a story that already rests on fantasy, but some readers will enjoy these wish fulfillment aspects. The well-balanced narrative alternates points of view between Bryar and Knox, which helps to establish their growing feelings for each other. Knox's shape-shifting ability is a particularly good touch; his inner animal's primal longing ("BRYAR ROSE MATE!") cuts through both characters' hesitations. A big battle scene at the end is exciting and well-conceived in fairy-tale and supernatural terms, giving the story a satisfying resolution while also setting up potential future developments. An entertaining foray into lifestyles of the rich and magical.

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October 15, 2017
Grades 9-12 Imagine a version of modern New York City where the three magical races of the Magicorum (shifters, fairies, and wizards) are celebrities walking among humans. Magicorums always follow a fairy-tale template, and Bryar Rose should be following her Sleeping Beauty path. But she's obsessed with code-breaking ancient Egyptian papyrus scrolls and loathes her intended Prince Charminga hedge-fund jerk she's supposed to marry this upcoming weekendand the only woodland creature she finds cute is an unbelievably hot werewolf named Knox. When her schoolteacher turns out to be a zombie-mummy hybrid out to kill her, Bryar and Knox suspect that Bryar may have untapped magic of her own. In this series starter, Bauer's unique voice blends magical fantasy, swooning romance, and a bucketful of teenage sass in dual narratives from Bryar and Knox. The world and the magic are fresh, the antagonist delightfully creepy, and Bryar's snarky inner monologuing brings welcome humor throughout.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)