Maundley is putting on a celebration for the king. As the king comes to the celebration, the town is in a whirlwind. Evie, a young (read: teenage) resident, impresses the king with her academic prowess. Her good luck and skills help land her a full ride scholarship to the university provided by the king. What ensues in Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry, is adventure, as Evie journeys toward the University. As for matters of the heart, Evie is at a crossroads where she must choose between the one who is familiar or the one who is royal and can give her anything she desires.
Ultimately, Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry culminates into an incredibly charming story with mythology, that to me, was reminiscent of Marion Zimmer Bradley. As you know, one of the hallmarks of Marion Zimmer Bradley is powerful, magical women. This felt like MZB for YA. That is a huge compliment. Granted, this was only 299 pages (ARC), but it’s a great story. What is examined is luck and charms vs. skills. There is a new magic system called serpentine magic, which I won’t elaborate on because it’s best to discover all this while you read Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry.
Evie is my favorite kind of female lead character. She’s a bit self-conscious. She’s academic, and cares about her family. she is loyal. Evie also possesses a sense of adventure. I love well-rounded characters. With fantasy, I feel that sometimes characterization gets sacrificed for the great grand plot (this isn’t always the case, but I do run into it from time to time). While Evie wasn’t quite fully realized, I thought on the whole, her characterization was quite magnificent.
I very much enjoyed the supporting cast of characters, from feisty town leader Widow Moreau, to a certain character I refuse to name because that would be a spoiler, to sweet and noble Aiden. Also, sidebar, why are most Aidens nice guys? (Think: SATC). I really think the side characters do help make or break a story, and with Secondhand Charm, I loved all of the quirks.
Secondhand Charm is a short book. Also, it is comprised of 49 chapters, and as we all know, books with shorter chapters just read faster (or is that just me?). If you are looking for a rare STANDALONE young adult fantasy, look no further than Secondhand charm for an overall pleasant reading experience.
Disclosure: Book received for review.
Giveaway Details: I have one copy of Secondhand Charm for giveaway thanks to the generosity of Bloomsbury. This giveaway is US Only (sorry international peeps). It ends 10/8. To enter fill out this form.
This post was written by...
April (Books&Wine) – who has written 1073 posts on Good Books And Good Wine.
April is 24 years old. She is an educator. In her free time she can be found reading, working out, or eating junk food. She often wears her sunglasses at night.
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Hey, hey! I just put this on my wishlist two weeks ago, and I was wondering it it was good. I’m really glad it turned out to be so! I’m going to enter the contest. Yay!
Anastasia, it’s definitely worth a read.
Wow! I’m dying to read this book. The story seems to be so good.
I loved the review.
xoxo
Karlinha
Brazil
http://www.coffieandmovies.com.br
Sounds like a good read – thanks for hosting.
Interesting premise. I love books with short chapters!
Thanks!
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