By: Manuela Soares Fantasy stories, especially magical fantasy, require several things to be successful: great world-building, a believable magic system, characters that are given room to grow and have their arcs, descriptive writing to show readers what’s going on rather than just telling us, and a decent amount of patience to bring all these things... Continue Reading →
Stephanie’s Review of “To Catch A Pirate” by Jade Parker
By: Stephanie Wyatt To Catch A Pirate by Jade Parker is a young adult novel that tells the story of Annalisa Townsend, who was on a trip with her father to the Americas when pirates ambushed their ship. Annalisa is corned by one of the pirates, James Sterling, and thinks her life is finished. He... Continue Reading →
Cait’s Review of “Break the Stone” by Cassie Swindon
By: Cait Marie Blurb Raelyn Bell defies her father’s wishes by investigating the truth of her mother’s death. If she keeps snooping, it could sever the fragile relationship with the only parent she has left. Army Specialist Kody Walsh obeys unethical orders that lead him straight to Raelyn. Their instant attraction doesn't mean they'll have... Continue Reading →
Mariah’s ARC Review of “New Year’s Resolution” by Hope Kingston and Ivy Penn
By: Mariah Brown I started this ARC book with no clue what I was getting myself into. Turns out, it was an amazing read, and I can't wait to read more in this world. Hope and Ivy work really well together when they write books, and I cannot wait to read more by them both... Continue Reading →
Destiny’s Review of “Death in Potter’s Woods” by Betty Jean Craige
By: Destiny Constantin *I received a free copy of the book from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for my honest review. It is a captivating murder mystery novel full of history, plot twists, and charming characters with wandering minds that lead them on a hunt to find Robin Hood. Story Synopsis: What is a Georgia mountain... Continue Reading →
Destiny’s Review of “Chances Are…” by Kelly Leslie
By: Destiny J. Constantin *I received a copy of Kelly Leslie's book from Reedsy Discovery in exchange for my honest review.* Chances... Are is an inspiring young adult novel full of adventure about self-discovery, overcoming obstacles, great characters, and a blossoming romance. Story Synposis: “Come on, Chance. Take a chance!” The all too familiar voices... Continue Reading →
Stephanie’s Review of “House of Earth and Blood” by Sarah J. Maas
By: Stephanie Wyatt House of Earth and Blood tells the story of Bryce Quinlan, a young half-human half-fae. She's relatable because she lives with her best friend Danika in a slightly rundown apartment in Crescent City. She works for a magic artifact dealer, Jesiba Roga, who doesn't pay her nearly enough for the danger she... Continue Reading →
Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Got Me Into An Author
By: Manuela Soares Happy Tuesday, readers, and welcome back to Top Ten Tuesday here at Functionally Fictional! I've been spending more time on bookstagram and booktok lately and have seen so many great reels and videos. I don't know about you, but sometimes I'll pick up a book before even reading the summary simply because... Continue Reading →
The Crazy Eights: Black Ops 888
Author: William Pierre & CinqueGet it here! Joseph "Spade" Spader, Pamela "Smoke" Prescott, Christopher "Eight-Ball" Chen, Cornelius "The Hammer" Brown, Chisella "Chill" Martinez, Chaco "Crossbow" Hawikuh, Antonette "The Huntress" Hunter, Clinton "Ballistic" Andrews. These are The Crazy Eights: Black Ops 888. An elite paramilitary group employed by the United States government to handle the dirty... Continue Reading →
Destiny’s Review of “Twilight’s Curse” by K. M. Wray
By: Destiny Constantin Originally published on Reedsy Discovery The Twilight's Curse is a spellbinding YA fantasy novel that embraces the meaning of power and magic held in an enchanting elve realm. SYNOPSIS Zoe: All elves have magic. Mine is great for helping plants grow. But when my parents found out, they used me as their... Continue Reading →