Mundie Moms

Monday, April 16, 2018

SON OF DAWN by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan / Audiobook Review #SonofDawn #shadowhunters


By: Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan
Narrated by: Reilly Dolman
Published by: Shadowmarket Enterprises
Released on: April 10th, 2018
Series: Ghosts of the Shadow Market #1
Purchase from: Audiobook | Amazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 5 Stars - WE LOVED IT!

The Lightwoods, the Shadowhunters who run the New York Institute, are expecting a new addition to their family: the orphaned son of their father's friend, Jace Wayland. Alec and Isabelle aren't too sure they want a new brother, and their parents are not assuaging their fears, too occupied with the dark news that Raphael Santiago, second-in-command of the New York vampire clan, has brought from the Shadow Market.


EMM'S REVIEW

It is a good day when you get new Cassandra Clare material to read, especially when it features some of your all time favourite characters in fiction. It is no secret that I am Team Jem, The Infernal Devices Series is my all time favourite book series. So when I started reading this story and realised that the main character was Brother Zachariah, I was beyond excited.

This was a fabulous Easter Egg of information that we didn’t realise was missing before we had it. A lot of time was spent in Brother Zachariah’s head and it gave us so much of how he has coped with his transformation from Shadowhunter to Silent Brother. How he is the same as the other Silent Brothers in so many ways but different too. As the vampire Lily made mention of may times, he has still kept his good looks, “once you go Zachariah, you never go backariah”. He still thinks of Tessa and Will constantly, especially in times of trouble. But he also worries about what the other Silent Brothers think and still wants to do the right thing by everyone. Oh Jem, my heart!

I also loved the other treasure of getting to see the introduction for Jace to the Lightwood family for the first time. The Jace we know at this time is a 10yr old boy who has just left his father who he thinks has died. We know his father was a cruel and domineering but also charming man. We see this in how he tries to come across all nonchalant even straight after a battle. He also doesn’t want to show the Lightwood parents he has an injury, he is worried they will discipline him. Love or hate the Lightwoods, this story does show us how good a parents they are, and how they are willing to help another Shadowhunter child in need.

Now I can’t wait for more treasures and back stories in the rest of this series.


SOPHIE'S REVIEW

Oh, how fun it is to visit Brother Zachariah (and have his handsomeness so well acknowledged!) - "Brother-six-pack-ariah" as Lily, Raphael's friend calls him. In fact, Lily's nicknames for Zachariah were so giggleworthy.

But, what made the story so wonderful was the insight into Jem and his feelings about being a Shadowhunter, a Silent Brother and the melancholy of missing his parabatai, Will. For a Jem fan like myself, it both broke my heart and filled it with a love that belongs to my favorite fictional characters.

Watching him with young Jace as he explained the parabatai bond as well as why he chose the name Zachariah made the story so  very real if you're like me and have observed these characters through thousands of pages of books. I feel like they're my long lost cousins by now and somehow I'm so very connected to their stories.

A quick mention about the narrator, Reilly Dolman, who delivers all the characters in a whispery,  serious tone that matches the mystery of the plot. His performance only enhanced the story.

And I have to say that Cassie and Sarah wrote this seamlessly. It fits so perfectly with the the other Cassie-penned Shadowhunter stories, and has none of the unevenness of The Bane Chronicles.

When you're in the mood to re-visit some old friends, definitely pick up Son of Dawn. I can't help but keep smiling every time I think of it.

THE PRINCE AND THE DRESSMAKER by Jen Wang / Book Review #ThePrinceAndTheDressmaker


Written & Illustrated by: Jen Wang
Published by: First Second Books 
Released on: February 13th, 2018
Purchase fromThe PublisherAmazon | B&N
Add it to Goodreads
Rating: 4 stars
Thank you to FierceReads/FirstSecond for sending a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review


Paris, at the dawn of the modern age:
Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride—or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia—the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion!
Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances—one of only two people who know the truth: sometimes this boy wears dresses. But Frances dreams of greatness, and being someone’s secret weapon means being a secret. Forever. How long can Frances defer her dreams to protect a friend? Jen Wang weaves an exuberantly romantic tale of identity, young love, art, and family. A fairy tale for any age, The Prince and the Dressmaker will steal your heart.
This title has Common Core connections.
A charming story about acceptance, being true to yourself, believing in yourself, and following your dreams. I loved the message in this story, and enjoyed the regency era it's set in. The friendship that develops between The Prince, and The Dressmarker was inspiring. Their acceptance of each other, and all they offer one another was heartwarming. They are the kind of characters you want to be friends with.

I've not read a lot of graphic novels, but this is one I'm so glad I read. I loved the messages in this book. There's a lot of layers to this story, and I liked the way Jen unraveled each one. Jen's illustrations mixed with the way she wrote this story make for the perfect combination of a fun, quick read that will leave you with a smile on your face. The end broke my heart in the best possible way, and I absolutely enjoyed it. 

Livia & Tiberius Are Featured In The Newest #Shadowhunters & Fairytales Mashup


Happy Mundane Monday! How cute is this new Fairytales & Shadowhunters mashup. I love it. Cassie shared it this a few days ago on her social media sites, and had this to say about it:

The children might have lost their way, but whoever they matched wits with, they were able to save each other. HANSEL AND GRETEL
#shadowhunters #fairytales #mashup #cassandrajean


I am really hoping that one day we'll get these mashups in a book. 

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