Blog Tour Review: Changers: Drew by T. Cooper & Alison Glock-Cooper

Changers: Drew by T. Cooper & Alison Glock-Cooper (eProof) - Changers Book One: Drew opens on the eve of Ethan Miller's freshman year of high school in a brand-new town. He's finally sporting a haircut he doesn’t hate, has grown two inches since middle school, and can't wait to try out for the soccer team. At last, everything is looking up in life.

Until the next morning. When Ethan awakens as a girl.

Ethan is a Changer, a little-known, ancient race of humans who live out each of their four years of high school as a different person. After graduation, Changers choose which version of themselves they will be forever--and no, they cannot go back to who they were before the changes began.

Ethan must now live as Drew Bohner--a petite blonde with an unfortunate last name--and navigate the treacherous waters of freshman year while also following the rules: Never tell anyone what you are. Never disobey the Changers Council. And never, ever fall in love with another Changer. Oh, and Drew also has to battle a creepy underground syndicate called "Abiders" (as well as the sadistic school queen bee, Chloe). And she can't even confide in her best friend Audrey, who can never know the real her, without risking both of their lives. From Goodreads.

I was really interested in Changers: Drew by T. Cooper & Allison Glock-Cooper when I first heard about it; but I'm sad to say I found it quite disappointing.

Ethan wakes up the first day of high school to discover that he's a girl. Absolutely terrified, he has no idea what's going on. Then his parents tell him; he is a Changer. With a Changer parent, he has been chosen to undergo a mission in empathy, to make the world a better place. Every year of high school, he will become someone new. This first year, he is now Drew. Drew must start school in a new town, make friends, and face the usual challenges that come with starting high school, while she has no idea who or what she really is.

My main problem with this book is the world building. I still have no idea why there are Changers and what it is they're supposed to do - and neither does Drew. It's all cloaked in secrecy, and there's enough to know that there is something to being a Changer other than changing bodies for four years, but I've no clue as to what. Except that it's not all the Changer Council claims it is. Which we find out from the very, very beginning, before the Prologue, when we're kind of told, in brief, about the amazing things Drew (or whoever she will become) is involved in, in a "before all this stuff happened, he was a normal boy" way. But it's a hint that there's a huge amount of stuff to come. But in this first book? Nothing major, in the great scheme of things. It's like it's setting up the story, without giving you much to go on.

However, there are a lot of elements to this story that were really interesting. As you can imagine, there are some trans themes; before she gets used to who she now is, Drew felt a lot like her body didn't match up who she was - at the time, a boy. What's different is the sudden change from being male, having known being and feeling male, to then being female. What was really interesting about this was a guy seeing how girls are treated, the other side of the coin. There are some really feminist moments; Drew realising what it's like to receive unwanted attention, expecting to look and dress a certain way by society, and so forth. It was really interesting for her to realise just what it's like to be a girl, and I would have loved if there were more moments like this. For this book, it's where the empathy comes into play.

When she was Ethan, Drew was attracted to girls. Now as Drew, that hasn't really changed, and she is kind of confused when she starts falling for her best friend Audrey, because she's now a girl. At the same time, when she starts finding herself attracted to a boy, she reacts even worse. She still feels like a boy, and now she's finding herself feeling things for a boy, and she's so confused. Drew's feelings and her sexuality are developed as the story goes on, and it's really interesting to see how this element to the story, and her coming to terms with this new side of her and her feelings.

The book did take me a really long time to read, though. I found I didn't emotionally connect to Drew, and she was quite a young character. I didn't care enough about her or her story to keep picking it up, I just wasn't interested, and would find other things I was more interested in doing. Saying that, as the story was starting to end, there were hints that the story would progress into something more interesting, so I might have a look at the second book, Changers: Oryon. For the general premise of the story of waking up as a different person, it was fascinating, but as a story with a sci-fi element, I was pretty disappointed.

Thank you to Atom via NetGalley for the eProof.



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Published: 12th January 2016
Publisher: Atom
#WeAreChangers' Website

Why Authors Coming Out Is an Incredible Thing, For So Many Reasons

I am so proud to be a part of the YA community, and book Twitter in general. We're passionate about the books we read, and the authors who write them. And we are, for the most part, a hugely supportive and accepting. Being so I'm sure has helped the wonderful authors who have recently come to announce to the world who they really are.

Very recently, and over the past year or so, we have seen authors come out on Twitter and elsewhere online:

• YA author Juno Dawson, formerly James Dawson, came out as transgender back in October 2015. 
• For Queer Romance Month, to talk about his own gender identity, NA (and soon to be YA author!) author Elliot Wake, formerly Leah Raeder, wrote Why I Wrote Cam Girl, then on 1st January, came out as transgender.
• YA author Chelsea M. Cameron also chose the beginning of the year to come out.
• And Ashley Herring Blake, whose debut YA novel Suffer Love is published this year, came out as bisexual last year.

You might think, why is this any of our business? Well, for trans authors, we need to know their change of name in order for fans to buy their future books which will be written under their real name. But otherwise, surely it isn't really something we need to know, like with an author's sexuality, right?

Not necessarily. Of course, it is always down to the author to choose whether or not they disclose their identity/ies. But for those who do, they're doing something wonderful; not only are they saying to the world, "This is me, this is who I am," they're also showing their readers who might identify the same way that they are not alone.

We live in a world that isn't as tolerant and accepting as it can be. You hear stories, you read books, about how awful can be to those who are "different", of the danger these people face by being open about who they are. It must be a scary experience for LGBTQ+ teens to tell their family and friends who they are. But then they see the authors they love publicly announcing who they are, standing proud and embracing their true selves. How inspiring must that be? These authors aren't friends of mine, they aren't people I know, but I am so proud and grateful to these people to putting something so personal out there, and so inspired by their courage, though I myself am a straight cis-gender woman.

But there are also the fact that these authors write #ownvoices novels, or may write them in the future, and that is so hugely important. With marginalised groups being so underrepresented in fiction in general, #ownvoices representation is so dearly needed, so people can find accurate representation of themselves in the books they read. That's the most important aspect of #ownvoices, but also those of us who don't identify as the authors do can learn and understand more what it is to be, for example for this post, someone who identifies as lesbian, bisexual, transgender from someone who actually knows.

So it's so wonderful when our authors are forthcoming with their identities, because they can make such a huge difference to someone's life. And for those people, I'm hugely thankful to these incredible authors for being so honest and awesome. Thank you.

Review: The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar

The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar - Sometimes the most terrifying thing is getting what you really want.

Oliver’s skin was still warm, even though there wasn’t a wish waiting to be granted. That strange, spicy-tingly heat spread through my fingers again, and I squeezed his hand a little as we walked. Maybe it was just a reaction to him being inside my head, or to feeling him use his magic, but I suddenly found myself thinking about his pretty eyes, and wondering what it would be like to kiss him. I wondered if his lips felt like magic, too.
He glanced curiously at me, and I remembered: He could hear what I wanted. Our eyes locked, and my heart leaped into my throat. What did I want?

Oliver’s magic binds him to Margo until she makes three wishes. And while she tries to figure out what to wish for she begins to realize he might be what she wants most. From Goodreads.

My ears first pricked up about The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar when I saw it on Dahlia Adler's QUILTBAG Compendium as a book that had a bisexual main character. So when Dahlia had it as one of her book club reads for November, I decided to pick it up and give it a go. The Art of Wishing isn't exactly the book I expected, but I really enjoyed it.

When the main female role in her school's production of Sweeny Todd goes to Vicky, who has zero acting ability, Margo can't believe it. Margo knows she's got the talent for it, and knows that part should be hers. But out of nowhere, everyone loves loner Vicky, and she's constantly followed around by new boy Oliver. When Margo finds a ring Vicky left in a bathroom, Oliver waltzes in, expecting to find Vicky. Margo soon discovers Oliver is actually a genie - the ring his spirit vessel - and Margo is now his new master. Oliver can grant Margo three wishes, but he has to grant them soon. Oliver's life is in danger; an old master wants to make his final, devastating wish. Margo soon realises just how serious this is, but she knows once she's made her wishes, Oliver will disappear. How can she let him go now she's fallen for the guy behind the magic?

The Art of Wishing is a really sweet romance novel - though I had to say I expected there be more magic than there was. Don't get me wrong, there is magic; Oliver creates illusions for Margo to proove he is what he says he is, and he is able to grant wishes. But at the same time, knowing that Margo's wishes are probably the last he'll ever get to grant, he really wants her to pick good ones. So with her thinking about it, and dragging her heels because of how awesome her first wish has played out, there's not a whole amount of magic going on for the most part. It's focus is mainly on the relationship between Oliver and Margo, and how that develops.

Once I accepted that there wasn't going to be magical fireworks on every page, I really started to warm to the story. I loved the world building, and the various genie rules - which I'll let you discover for yourself. There are various pop culture references, like when Margo watches Aladdin to do some research, and when she talks about stereotypes of the YA paranormal romance genre, and how she's disbelieving that that is how this - her life - is supposed to go now she's got a bloody genie in her life? Margo is really quite funny, and all the references made the story that much more credible, and added a great touch of fun to the story. However, I did have a little trouble believing the development of the relationship. By the end of the novel, I believed that both Oliver and Margo had feelings for each other, but I didn't believe the development that led to that. It was like Margo suddenly started feeling something for Oliver, and it came out of nowhere. I didn't feel any chemistry or sexual tension towards the beginning of their relationship. That came much later, once the relationship was in full swing - or what counts for full swing when Oliver is going to leave any day, once Margo has made her wishes. But putting that niggle aside, I really enjoyed this book!

And when things start to get dangerous, I was completely wowed! The Art of Wishing feels like a nice, fluffy romance novel, but once we meet Xavier, Oliver's old master, things turn dark pretty fast. Xavier is bloody dangerous, and so violent. He's really twisted, and will go to any lengths to get back that ring. And what's so weird, once we know what he wants to wish for, and hear him explain it, you can see he really thinks he's doing the right thing. But it's all so screwed up, his perspective is completely skewed. The tension is notched up and you end up reading on the edge of your seat because, oh my god, he could turn up at any time, and there's no telling what he might do! And the final climatic scene was absolutely incredible! I had an inkling I knew how the scne would end, but I didn't know what would happen before it got there, so there were a lot of gasps of astonishment as I was reading! So awesome!

When it comes to the LGBTQ aspect of the story, there isn't a great deal in this one. There are hints that Oliver is bisexual, but it's not a major aspect, and nor is there a big conversation about it either. Though I heard from Dahlia on Twitter that Oliver's bisexuality is in the spotlight more in the sequel, The Fourth Wish. However, there was a discussion about how genies can make themselves look like the type of person their master needs in their life, and that because of this, there have been times when Oliver has been a girl. The conversation became much more, and didn't focus so much on Oliver's gender in his different incarnations but more on him changing in general, but I thought this idea was really interesting. The conversation, at the start, made me think of Every Day by David Levithan, how the body changes but the person is still the same. I also hope this is something that is discussed further in the next story.

Overall, a really fun and exciting read, and I'm so excited to get my hands on The Fourth Wish and see where this story goes after that brilliant cliffhanger!



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Published: 12th June 2014
Publisher: Speak
Lindsay Ribar's Website

Review: Cut Both Ways by Carrie Mesrobian

Cut Both Ways by Carrie Mesrobian (review copy) - Will Caynes never has been good with girls. At seventeen, he’s still waiting for his first kiss. He’s certainly not expecting it to happen in a drunken make-out session with his best friend, Angus. But it does and now Will’s conflicted—he knows he likes girls, but he didn’t exactly hate kissing a guy.

Then Will meets Brandy, a cute and easy-to-talk-to sophomore. He’s totally into her too—which proves, for sure, that he’s not gay. So why does he keep hooking up with Angus on the sly?

Will knows he can’t keep seeing both of them, but besides his new job in a diner, being with Brandy and Angus are the best parts of his whole messed-up life. His divorced parents just complicate everything. His father, after many half-baked business ventures and endless house renovations, has started drinking again. And his mom is no help—unless loading him up with a bunch of stuff he doesn’t need plus sticking him with his twin half-sisters counts as parenting. He’s been bouncing between both of them for years, and neither one feels like home.

Deciding who to love, who to choose, where to live. Whichever way Will goes, someone will get hurt. Himself, probably the most. From Goodreads.

WARNING! There are slight spoilers in this review, please read no further if you've yet to read the book and don't want it spoilt for you.

Having loved Sex and Violence, I was really excited when I heard Carrie Mesrobian was writing and LGBTQ YA novel. When I read in Cynthia of Afterwritten's review that there was a fair amount of sexual content in Cut Both Ways too, I was thrilled that I'd be able to read it for Sex in Teen Lit Month II. Despite Cynthia's review I read being negative and being a little worried about my enjoyment, I loved Cut Both Ways!

Will finds himself confused about his sexuality when he kisses his best mate, Angus, during a drunken night. Though he's never had much luck, he's always liked girls, so suddenly realising that he enjoyed kissing Angus is a shock. Is he gay? How can he be gay when he likes girls? Which is proven when he starts dating a hot girl from school he's really into, Brandy. Even so, Will finds he can't keep away from Angus. He knows he needs to stop cheating, but he doesn't want to give up either; both give him something, and he needs all the good he can get as his life is turned upside down. His parents are divorced and haven't got on since they split up. There seems to be a tug of war between them, and a constant digs at the other. Going from his mum's to his dad's is a pain, especially as his dad is renovating their house, but never seeming to get much done and drinking a lot more than he should. As things spiral out of control, Angus and Brandy are the only things keeping him going, along with his job in a diner, and he doesn't know what to do, who to choose.

I really, really enjoyed this book! When it comes to sexuality, Cut Both Ways looks at the confusion when you don't actually know who you are. Will doesn't understand his sexuality, what his sexual identity is. It's like there's an either/or - straight or gay - to him, but not both, and he's confused. As problematic as some people might find it, I found Will's confusion really fascinating as he tries to work things out. He knows he's not gay, because he's always fancied girls, but doesn't understand how he can be attracted to Angus too. Angus, who is openly gay, thinks Will is gay too - despite the fact he knows Will has a girlfriend. Although it's not said, it's like he thinks Will being with Brandy is just a cover up, to hide his sexuality, or for Will to hide from it - '"I wish you were glad you were gay too," he says. "Or just would admit it."' (p316). It seemed a little odd to me that Angus doesn't seem to consider bisexuality/sexual fluidity for Will. Mesrobian wrote an Author's Note on the subject of Will's confusion, and bisexual erasure:

'The word "bisexual" never once appears in the story, and readers may wonder why Will doesn't come to identify himself in this way. That Will doesn't even consider this is an example of "bisexual erasure."
Bisexual erasure is the willful disbelief that people can be attracted to both genders, as well as the tendency to emphasize sexual identities in people that fit the observer's own narrative, e.g. a man who is bisexual is really a gay man in denial; a woman who is bisexual is just doing it for male attention. Bisexual erasure can be perpetuated by gay or straight people. [...]
I don't know what Will's identity is. Even if I did know, I think it's more interesting for the reader to contemplate what he is and what he might be than for me to label with certainty.
What I do know is that we need to work for a world where it is easier for kids like him.' [sic] (p341-342)

There are a number of sex scenes in Cut Both Ways, but they're not gratuitous. There's detail, but a sex scene doesn't last pages and pages; it's half a page up to a page and a half long each time, and it's not written sexily nor clinically, but somewhere in between - it's real. Most of the sex scenes are towards the beginning. For Will with Brandy, most are the various stages of sexual foreplay over time before penetrative sex, and with Angus, there is no penetrative sex. Cut Both Ways is one of those books that has you question what constitutes as "sex". Heterosexual sex is generally considered to be penetrative, everything else being foreplay, but that's not necessarily the case when it comes to homosexual sex, and what I like with Cut Both Ways is that Mesrobian shows this, and even has Will refer to him and Angus touching each other and oral sex as sex. What's fascinating is that Will will receive a "blow job" from Brandy, but will have "sex" with Angus, even though the same act is performed - the only difference being is one or the other returns the favour when it comes to Will and Angus (a fact Will points out, saying he feels sorry for Brandy, because the favour isn't returned. It's almost like with straight foreplay, oral sex stands on it's own, and that can be it, without needing to be returned because it's not sex.).

Cut Both Ways is also the first book I've read that has its characters send each other sexual texts and photos, or take photos together (as opposed to having photos taken before a book starts, as in Deeper by Robin York). I didn't realise when I first started the book how old Brandy is at the beginning, but we find out later, and I was seriously uncomfortable with the idea of a 15-year-old sending such photos. Granted, Will is not the kind of guy who would share them - he actually is offended by the idea, those photos are special, they're his, and he's not showing anyone - and sure, it's something that happens, but it's still something I find really scary. However, as it's something that does happen, I do applaud Mesrobian for having her characters explore this other side to sexuality - had Brandy been a few years older, I don't think I would have had a problem, as there's at least a certain level of trust between the two of them. Though considering the fact that Will is cheating on her, she might be bothered about that trust being broken no matter her age.


When it's discovered that Will is having sex with Brandy by his mum and his dad's friend and his employer, Garrett, the "Be smart" conversation comes up from Garrett, and it takes a really interesting view of things.

'"You know it's not your choice," he says. "Whether you become a father. It's always the girl's choice."
"What?"
"I mean, you get her pregnant, it's no longer your call what she does with it. She can have an abortion, she can make you a daddy. You have to do the thinking way ahead of time. That's all I'm saying."
"I don't think she wants to make me a daddy. Or anyone else, either, Garrett."
"I get that, Will," he says [...].
"But once you let it loose that way"--he clears his throat again, and I wish I could be buried alive, the embarrassment's so bad--"it's not your decision. It's hers and hers alone. So if you don't want any kids and she does? Or she doesn't go get an abortion in time? Say she waits too long, deciding, and then can't? Well, then, there you go. Now you're someone's dad. Until you die, Until they die."
"Garrett, I don't--"
"That's what I mean," he says. "On the front end. On this side of things--that's where you're thinking's got to be. Not in crisis mode."' (p216)

This is such an interesting conversation, I've never heard the "always use condoms" conversation had this way. But it's something I have thought about myself; I hate that it takes two to create a baby, but, ultimately, the decision is down to the woman. If you're both on the same page, then great; both want to keep the baby, both want to abort it. But if you're on opposite sides, the guy is stuck with whatever the woman decides. I am all about women having the right to do with their body what they will, and if a woman wants an abortion she should have one, but I do find it upsetting that a guy who may want to be a dad won't be if the woman decides to abort, or is made a father because she decides to keep it. In an ideal world, the two would discuss things, and even if they're on opposite sides, they would come to a decision together, but that isn't always the case. I do think women being the only ones who can carry a child is unfair for both genders. Slam by Nick Hornby, which I reviewed for Sex in Teen Lit Month the first time round, is a really great book that looks at what happens when the woman decides to keep the baby the guy doesn't want.

But back to the book. I did really enjoy Cut Both Ways, but I felt let down by the ending. Things get towards a climax, maybe even reach it in some ways, but then it just ends. There's no resolution, not really. Not for Will, not for his family life. I know the book was 340 pages long, but I think if there were even 60 more, just to resolve things, the book wouldn't have been overly long, and there would be more of a conclusion. But still, a really great book, and I'll definitely be reading more of Mesrobian's novels in the future - going to keep my eye out for Perfectly Good White Boy!

Thank you to Carrie Mesrobian for the review copy.



Published: 1st September 2015
Publisher: HarperCollins
Carrie Mesrobian's Website

Review: The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle (proof) - It's the accident season, the same time every year. Bones break, skin tears, bruises bloom.

The accident season has been part of seventeen-year-old Cara's life for as long as she can remember. Towards the end of October, foreshadowed by the deaths of many relatives before them, Cara's family becomes inexplicably accident-prone. They banish knives to locked drawers, cover sharp table edges with padding, switch off electrical items - but injuries follow wherever they go, and the accident season becomes an ever-growing obsession and fear.

But why are they so cursed? And how can they break free? From Goodreads.

A number of months ago, when discussing upcoming LGBTQ YA,  Charlie Morris highly recommended The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle, so I requested a review copy. I resisted reading it until recently due to not being able to discuss it for months if I read it sooner, but I kind of wish I had! It's SO good!

Every October is the accident season for the Morris family. They will bump, they will slip, they will trip, they will fall, and there will be torn skin, blood, and broken bones. Every October. No-one knows why this happens, but Cara and Alice, and their ex-stepbrother, Sam, must put up with the extra layers, the the padding around the house and the removal of certain electronic devices like the kettle their mother/guardian insists on. Because the accident season is no joke; family members have died. October is a time when everyone is on edge. So when Cara discovers that someone, Elsie, a girl from school, is in every single one of her photos - an elbow, the back of her head, a shoe - Cara starts to worry. Why is Elsie in every photo? Is she following her? And why has she suddenly stopped coming to school? It looks like she's disappeared, but Cara is determined to find her and get her answers, with the help of Sam and her best friend Bea. Secrets abound, but during the accident season, it might be safer if secrets stay undiscovered.

The Accident Season is incredible! It's atmospheric, haunting, and completely mesmerising! There is so much intrigue to the mystery behind the accident season and what's going on with Elsie. I couldn't stop turning the pages, desperate to know what was happening, what was behind everything. It's not a horror story, but it has such a creepy vibe, an eerie feeling that something is watching Cara, Alice, Sam and their mother/Melanie, causing these accidents at the precise moment. With every scrape, cut, bruise, broken bone and near-miss, it felt like watching a Final Destination movie. You read in a constant state of trepidation, with a sense of foreboding, knowing something terrible could happen at any moment.

I loved how I was never completely sure what was real and what wasn't, continually guessing. There was the accident season, there was Elsie's disappearance, yet still turning up in the photos, the changeling siblings - Fae creatures that Cara dreams about, whose looks and lives have similarities to Cara, Alice, Sam and Bea. Then small things, like a shop that can't be found a second time, or a frozen river when it's so hot out. Plus there's Bea's interest in tarot and her mystical stories, and strange things turning up in a wooded clearing. It's absolutely gripping, and I have no idea what to class this book as! Contemporary fantasy? Magic realism? Paranormal? Something else altogether? Either way, it's brilliant!

The various romances in The Accident Season are subplots, which was nice. The focus was firmly on the weird and the strange, and the romance aspects happened alongside all that. There is an LGBTQ element to the story, but it's not explicitly stated. Sexuality isn't discussed*, what is discussed is a character's feelings for another character, but nothing more than that, nothing about identities. It's about the romance, not sexuality. Some might argue that this should be developed further, but I feel the romance in the book is treated just as romance, rather than straight romance or LGBTQ romance. It's all the same, and I think this is great.

This review hasn't done The Accident Season justice. I don't know if I can. It's delightfully suspenseful, deliciously ominous, and incredibly exciting! I absolutely adored The Accident Season, it's an unbelievably good debut novel! I just wish it was longer! There is no doubt I'll be reading whatever Fowley-Doyle writes next. She's going to be one to watch.

*Although sexuality isn't discussed, I know it's important to see yourself represented in the books you read, so, although it's not actually printed, from what I've read, I would say the characters would identify as bisexual. But I'm not the author, so I could be wrong here.

Thank you to Corgi Children's Books for the proof.



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Published: 2nd July 2015
Publisher: Corgi Children's Book
The Accident Season Website
Moïra Fowley-Doyle on Tumblr

Review: Shadowplay by Laura Lam

Shadowplay by Laura Lam (eProof) - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the others in the series. Read no further if you're planning on reading this series and don't want it spoilt for you.

The circus lies behind Micah Grey in dust and ashes.

He and the white clown, Drystan, take refuge with the once-great magician, Jasper Maske. When Maske agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival challenges them to a duel which could decide all of their fates.

People also hunt both Micah and the person he was before the circus–the runaway daughter of a noble family. And Micah discovers there is magic and power in the world, far beyond the card tricks and illusions he’s perfecting…

A tale of phantom wings, a clockwork hand, and the delicate unfurling of new love, Shadowplay continues Micah Grey’s extraordinary journey. From Goodreads.

It's taken me quite a while to read Shadowplay by Laura Lam. I really enjoyed the first book in the Micah Grey trilogy, Pantomime, but I've struggled to find the motivation to read the second book. And now I've read it, I wasn't missing out on too much. Considering how much I loved Pantomime, I'm quite disappointed in Shadowplay.

Micah and Drystan are on the run for the events that happened at the circus. They seek the help of Jasper Maske, a magician and an old friend of Drystan's. Maske can no longer perform magic to an audience due to losing a duel 15 years ago, and agrees to teach the two runaways magic to perform at the Kymri Theatre. Cyan, also an ex-circus performer, is hired as a magician's assistant, despite Drystan and Micah's misgivings and distrust. Discovering that Maske is teaching, his old rival, Taliesin, challenges him to a rematch duel; Maske's students against Taliesin's grandsons, the outcome of which could be disastrous. Meanwhile, the Phantom Damselfly turns out to be more than she seems, and as he tries to figure things out, Micah discovers so might he and Cyan.

Despite being gripped by Shadowplay, really eager to find out what happens, it left so much to be desired. I am a huge fan of magic. In a big way. If there's a magic programme on TV, I'm watching it. I've even been to see Paul Daniels perform live. I love magic! However, Shadowplay's magic was far from magical. I wasn't interested at all, and except for the fact that it gave Drystan and Micah somewhere to live at the theatre, and introduced them to Cyan who is quite important, I was struggling to understand why any of it mattered. The outcome of the duel was predictable, so other than being an environment where Micah gets to grow, in my opinion, there was no reason for all the magic. I was reading along hoping something interesting would happen soon far too often.

And when those interesting things do happen, I ended up with more questions than I had answers. I understand the Damselfly now, but there were no other distinct revelations in this book. We got hints, and clues, and questions, and I'm still none the wiser. I still know very little about Micah's nature, and - although for this story it's linked to what I'm interested in - I'm not talking about Micah being intersex. I'm talking about what happened with the Penglass, and why. What is so special about Micah? (With regards to my comment about Micah being intersex, it might seem dismissive to those who've yet to read Shadowplay, I'd like to just clarify, I'm not being dismissive of his being intersex, it's obviously a very important factor when it comes to how Micah views himself, to his identity. However, there's something that happens in this book in relation to him being intersex that I can't talk about that has me less interested in it than I am in other aspects of the story.) So the fact that we get possibilities about Micah - and Cyan - but nothing concrete, nothing definite, and that even these infuriating hints are so few and far between, I was so frustrated by the time I finished the book.

As for the romance between Drystand and Micah, what romance? I didn't feel it, I didn't believe it. Considering I started this book hoping something would happen between them, I'm so upset that I found it unbelievable, that it did nothing for me; I wasn't wowed, I wasn't hoping for more, I didn't particularly care about their relationship.

The brightest point in this book, other than the Damselfly, which I can't really discuss, is Cyan; she's a little funny and she's quite intriguing, and I found her to be a much more fascinating character than Micah in this book. Yet, saying that, I'm not sure I care about her enough. Too much of this book left me flat and unfeeling.

Considering how most of the story went, I was expecting a great deal from the ending, but it didn't deliver. Shadowplay is very much a middle book, with not much happening. Quite the let down. On the plus side, despite how disappointed I am, I am still intrigued by this world, even if I'm not so infatuated with the characters. So I will read Masquerade, the third book in the trilogy, sometime after it's release in 2016 from Tor - who bought the series after Strange Chemistry closed last year - but I won't be rushing out to get it. Don't get me wrong, I have read far worse books, but with Pantomime being so incredibly good, I can't believe how badly Shadowplay disappointed. It just didn't come close to the story I expected.

Thank you to Strange Chemistry via NetGalley for the eProof.




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Published: 7th January 2014
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Laura Lam's Website

My other reviews from the series:
Pantomime (Micah Grey/Dark Circus Book 1)