A fantasy world just as broken as our own... The Crescent Stone and The Heartwood Crown by Matt Mikalatos (Reviews) #YAFantasy @TyndaleHouse


I'm always looking for new fantasy authors and have been eyeing this series for a while. Read
my reviews of books one and two below. And happy release week to The Heartwood Crown!

The Heartwood Crown
(The Sunlit Lands #2)
By Matt Mikalatos
YA Fantasy
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 416 Pages
August 7th 2018 by Wander

Summary

After destroying the Crescent Stone, Madeline returns home, bringing Shula and Yenil with her. As her health continues to deteriorate, Madeline feels the Sunlit Lands calling her back. Meanwhile, Jason, Darius, and the rest of the inhabitants of the Sunlit Lands fight for survival and freedom. The magic that fuels the land is failing, threatening to destroy them all. Will Madeline’s return save the land and its people? Matt’s signature humor and epic storytelling are once again on full display in The Heartwood Crown.

(Affiliate link included.)

My Review

THE HEARTWOOD CROWN picks up fairly closely after the first book. Readers will get to see what's going on with the characters they're familiar with from the first book and get to know some additional characters. The plot is still not resolved, but there are also additional challenges these characters face and must overcome. Another entertaining world to step into!

In the first book, we don't get much of Darius's perspective, but in this second book he's a main player. I really liked this additional POV as his experience has been very different from Madeline's and Jason's. The characters have also grown to a couple of different groups with their own motley crews. The world is still in unrest after what happened in the first book, so these characters have to deal with that and face new threats. I liked getting to see more regions of the fantasy world. The first book is almost entirely set in the Elenil city, whereas this one is set in a couple of different locations and you get a bigger picture of the different people and places. I also liked the consistent contrasts in this series. There is magic that can do just about anything, but it carries a price. Then there's Madeline with her illness and literally no hope of her surviving it. Darius has his own things to work through and is angry, but doesn't see how he can create injustice as he seeks revenge. Jason is still the fun-filled life of the party with his jokes and goofy personality. It's a good mix of personalities, emotions, and adventure, making for an enjoyable story from beginning to end.

Just a few complaints. There is still a fairly strong agenda being pushed in this series although I felt it was a little less info-dump and not quite as strong as the first book, which I appreciated. I like forming my own opinions and not being told what to think. I also felt there could be more character development, as there's no way you can remain unchanged with what these characters face. I like my characters complex and sometimes they felt one dimensional in this book.

In the end, was it what I wished for? This was another entertaining fantasy with likable characters and an intriguing plot. Recommended to young adult and middle grade fantasy fans!

Content: Some violence.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not require a positive review nor affect my review in any way.

The Crescent Stone
(The Sunlit Lands #1)
By Matt Mikalatos
YA Fantasy
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 448 Pages
August 7th 2018 by Wander

Summary

"For Narnia fans who enjoy heavy snark, this is a must-read." --Kirkus Reviews

"A compelling fantasy world with humor and heart." --Gene Luen Yang, author of American Born Chinese and Boxers & Saints

"With the rich characterization of John Green and the magical escapism of Narnia, this book is a must read for all fantasy fans!" --Lorie Langdon, author of Olivia Twist and the Doon series

A girl with a deadly lung disease . . .
A boy with a tragic past . . .
A land where the sun never sets but darkness still creeps in . . .

Madeline Oliver has never wanted for anything, but now she would give anything just to breathe. Jason Wu skates through life on jokes, but when a tragedy leaves him guilt-stricken, he promises to tell only the truth, no matter the price. When a mysterious stranger named Hanali appears to Madeline and offers to heal her in exchange for one year of service to his people, Madeline and Jason are swept into a strange land where they don't know the rules and where their decisions carry consequences that reach farther than they could ever guess.

(Affiliate link included.)

My Review

THE CRESCENT STONE takes readers to a fantasy world that lives parallel to our own, but one that faces many of the same past history and brokenness. There are different races, landscapes, and powers. There is a battle between the powerful and the weak, the dark and the light, but not everything is as it seems. Recommended to those who enjoy a fun cast of characters, rooting for the underdog, as well as fantasy with a strong message of injustice and trying to right past wrongs mixed throughout.

From the start I loved Jason. He is so typical guy with his goofy personality and frankness that I couldn't help just loving him! Madeline is much more reserved, but her illness and life has ingrained some of that in her. She was also a really great character that I easily connected with. There are a slue of other characters, and the character list at the beginning had me a little worried, but I never needed the list as it was easy to remember who was who. The fantasy world itself is really interesting, and I feel like there is a lot more to be discovered. I like the idea of how magic works there and that nothing is really for free - what is given has to be taken from somewhere else. The plot is also intriguing. It's slow in some places and drawn out a little in others, but otherwise it's an enjoyable story.

My one complaint is that there definitely is an agenda pushed in this story. It was a little strong for me as I like figuring things out for myself and coming to my own conclusions. I don't always agree with what I'm told and have my own opinions, so I like things to be a little more open minded in that regard. It did pose some interesting questions though.

In the end, was it what I wished for? I really enjoyed stepping into this fantasy world. I like that everything didn't have an easy answer, that there were pros and cons and nothing was easy. The characters were likable and the plot engaging. An overall great start to this new fantasy series!

Content: Some violence.
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not require a positive review nor affect my review in any way.

About the Author


Matt Mikalatos is the author of all sorts of wonderful books. He's on staff with Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) and has been working the last several years to help this historically Caucasian institution make changes in their culture and philosophy to move toward becoming a truly multiethnic organization that is serious about reaching everyone for Christ, not just those in their own culture, nation, or ethnicity.



Have you read either of these? Any thoughts on my reviews? And feel free to check out an interview with the author here.

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