My Never-ending Bookshelf

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[biblionation]

Underrated mythological creatures in YA books

I have always loved mythological creatures, but I think too many YA paranormal books focus on four creatures: vampires, werewolves, angels and fairies. So with the help of my followers (really they did all the work, I just wrote down the books into categories), I have compiled a list of books with underrated mythological creatures. Just to clarify, I haven’t read most of these books.

So if you like:

Mermaids:

Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz

Ingo by Helen Dunmore

Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli

Ascension by Kara Dalkey

Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

Wake by Amanda Hocking  

The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler

Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper

Tempest Rising by Tracey Deebs

Lies Beneath series by Anne Greenwood

The Siren by Kiers Cass

Daughters of the Sea by Kathryn Lasky

Ghosts:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchison (A retelling of Hamlet)

Shades of London by Maureen Johnson

The Riddles of Epsilon by Christine Morton-Shaw

The Hollow by Jessica Verday

Shade by Jeri Smith Ready

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Ruined by Paula Morris

Necromancers:

The Darkest Powers trilogy by Kelley Armstrong

Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen (a trilogy) by Garth Nix

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

The Johannes Cabal series by Jonathan L. Howard 

Demons:

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Personal Demonsby Lisa Desrochers

Demon Lexicon series by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Demonata by Darren Shan

Banshee:

My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

Sidhe’s Call by Christy G. Thomas 

The Banshee Initiate by Kelly Matsuura

Goblins:

Runemarks by Joanne Harris

The Goblin Wood by Hilari Bell

The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle

The Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynn Jones

Monsters:

The Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey

Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link

Dragons:

Eon by Alison Goodman

The Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen 

Enchanted Forrest series by Patricia C. Wrede

Dragonkeeper series by Carole Wilkinson

Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

Centaur: 

Deep Secrets by Diana Wynne

Soul Colector:

The Collector by Victoria Scott

Water horses:

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

 Pooka:

Other by Karen Kincy

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull.

Dracons/draki:

Firelightby Sophie Jordan

Talon by Julie Kagawa

Unicorns:

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle 

Greek mythology:

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs

Pegasus by Robin McKinley

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

The Devil:

Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

Different creatures:

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Beautiful Decay by Sylvia Lewis

The Changelings by Elle Casey

The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddel

Barnaby Grimes by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddel

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel by Susanna Clarke

Succubus:

Mesmerized by Julia Crane and Talia Jager

Egyptian mythology:

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

Chimaera:

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Djinn:

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

Skin-walkers:

The Darkness Rising trilogy by Kelley Armstrong

Trickster gods and demons:

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge (A retelling of Beauty and the Beast)

Original mythology:

Books of Great Alta series by Jane Yolen

Genies:

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce

Selkies:

Seven Tears into the Sea by Terri Farley

Half Human by Bruce Coville

Reapers:

The Madison Avery series by Kim Harrison

Polynesian mythology:

Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Nightmare:

The Nightmare Affair  by Mindee Arnett

[teralynnchilds]

I would only (humbly) add my Sweet Venom series to this awesome list.

[bookpostsfordays]

Post-Finale Caraval thoughts (*SPOILERS*)

This is a compilation of some questions and thoughts I’ve had after finishing the Caraval trilogy by Stephanie Garber. If you haven’t read it yet, be warned! Spoilers abound! (!!!)

1. In the first book, Caraval, was Armando really going to Do That? You know the scene. Since Julian was originally supposed to ditch Scarlett after dropping her off and Legend wanted her to fall for Dante (who wasn’t there at the time) what was the original plan?

2. What country/culture is the Southern Empire based on? At first, I thought Spain, but then later in Caraval I got a stronger Italian vibe. Then there’s the names. It seemed like Legend’s name was a just a (ridiculously long) jumble of cool sounding Romance language names (Italian/Portuguese/Spanish), while Julian’s was thoroughly Spanish. It’s not inconceivable that the Southern Empires are a blend of (Latin) Mediterranean countries, it was just extremely off putting.

3. Why did all the cool ladies get killed? Cool ladies as a group aren’t off limits for the body count, but their deaths just seemed like easy ways to up the stakes. Paloma’s death was especially frustrating because besides making Tella sad, her death really didn’t do much for the plot (and Tella magicked her feelings away soon after, so what was the point?) I just feel that after a whole series’ worth of build up, we deserve more than 20 pages of this character’s appearance. For such a smart character, it was also a predictably ineffectual death.

4. Alright the most annoying part of this book was the Love. Legend is pretty emotionally distant the whole time and his main charactersics are being sexy and secretive and yet that’s enough for Tella to fall in love with him. Julian is loyal and protective, but he’s quite jealous and he can’t stop his constant lies. Except, once Scarlett accepts his inability to be reliably honest, the lies stop and all is well. More on love problems below.

5. Tella’s perspective consisted largely of being in love with Legend despite his inability to love her back and still choosing to pursue him to a point where she was more of a lovestruck girl than a leading protagonist trying to save her sister/the continent. Dont get me wrong, you can be both, but the romance took up a disproportionate amount of space in this book—to the point where it was more about angsting over Legend than about trying to stop the Fates. Tella’s whole thing with Jacks and Legend was also very annoying, like she was equally drawn to them both and she was falling in love with Jacks at the same time as she was deeply in love with Legend—just so excessive on the romance front.

6. The age gap. Both Legend and Julian have been around for decades (at least), possibly centuries and yet Julian maintains his youthful nature and both he and Legend decide to romance literal teenagers. It was just a bit gross, and never properly addressed.

7. Also, both Legend and Julian were born human, but in Finale, Legend mentions how he’s never loved anyone before, thus including his time as a human when he was able to love. You mean to tell me Legend never loved his brother when he had the capacity to love? Excuse me? I get that he might have lost his ability to love after turning immortal (actually I don’t, why do you stop loving when you become immortal? How does becoming an immortal get rid of preexisting love?) but to say he’s never loved anyone before is somewhat unbelievable.

8. And lastly, I get that romantic commitment means you choose your partner a la Meredith Grey, but does that really mean that they *replace* your sister as your “first love”, or, specifically, as the one you go to when you’re trying to escape malicious gods? I don’t think romantic love is inherently superior to familial/platonic love or that they have to compete, but apparently this book does *shrug*

9. (Okay I lied this is the last one)This book was definitely way less plot driven than Legendary, which was disappointing since that was one of the highlights of Legendary for me. So much of the character-action was about being in love/falling in love, rather than the dangerous adventures that made the first two books so enjoyable. There were still dangerous adventures, though, so while this book is a more or less satisfying end to the series, it was also a bit of a letdown. Fin.

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Smoke in the Sun Review

Smoke in the Sun by Renée Ahdieh

Smoke in the Sun is the second book of Flame in the Mist. It has new characters and a more in depth look at previous ones. The different perspectives of the characters were nice and the many plot twists had me hooked. If this was a show, I would totally binge watch it. I did enjoy the book and can't wait to read more books by this amazing author!

[myneverendingbookshelf]

The Court of Miracles Review

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant

The Court of Miracles is a retelling of Les Misérables and The Jungle Book set in an alternate history of France. I was a bit wary of this book in the beginning, but I loved it! The plot kept my attention and I loved how sneaky Nina was. I thought the different guilds were interesting and I liked the different take on the characters. Now I can't wait to read the sequel!

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Stepsister Review

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

Stepsister is a retelling of Cinderella and what became of her stepmother and stepsisters. This book was amazing! I like how it was a redemption story of both sisters and I totally symphasize with them. It also has a bet between Chance and Fate throughout the whole story. I recommend this to Cinderella lovers and who love a redemption arc for any sort of character.

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Of Beast and Beauty Review

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Of Beast and Beauty is a Beauty and the Beast retelling set in space. This book was amazing! I loved the new spin on the tale and the plot had my attention from the beginning. It was a little out of my comfort zone, but I'm glad I did read this book. I may have cried a little at the end! I would recommend this to any Beauty and the Beast lover and who likes to read interesting retelling of timeless stories.

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Flame in the Mist Review

Flame in the Mist by Renée Ahdieh

Flame in the Mist is a Mulan retelling with Japanese mythology with some historical background. I really like this book and the cover is so beautiful! Mariko is an interesting character that has an interesting development that is against tradition. It has a great plot with twist and turns that made me want to read more. If this was a show, I would totally watch it! The only problem I had with it was I felt like the romance was a bit forced. I would recommend this to any Mulan lover and anyone who likes an interesting look at Japanese mythology.

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Prada & Prejudice Review

Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

Prada & Prejudice is a retelling of Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. This was such an amazing book! It's about a young girl named Callie who accidentally travels back through time. Callie is such a relatable character who sasses anyone and is a bit of a klutz like me. I recommend this to any Jane Austen lover and anyone who loves a goofy romance.

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Lobizona Review

Lobizona by Romina Garber

Lobizona is an amazing retelling of Argentine folklore. This was by far one of my favorite books I've read this year. It is about the legend of the seventh born children who are either a werewolf or witch based on gender. Manu is the main character who stumbles into this magical world of her dead father. It is a beautifully written story of magic and great characters. I recommend this to anyone who loves magic, werewolves, and a great point of view of being illegally in the United States.

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Stain Review

Stain by A. G. Howard

Stain is a retelling of The Princess and the Pea with a supernatural twist. This book was dark but with beautiful imagery. I fell in love with Lyra and Vesper and everything in between! I cover is also beautiful. I would recommend this to any one who loves a great retelling with twists and turns and it's a good sized standalone with many points of views.

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns Review

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Can

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is a fantastic, Asian retelling from the point of view of the Evil Queen of Snow White. Some parts of it reminded me of a few Game of Thrones moments. I grew to love Xifeng in a way of sympathy for what she believed. The setting was beautiful and the details of the culture was interesting. I totally recommend this to anyone who loves a good villain story. I can't wait to read the sequel!

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Cinderella Is Dead Review

Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

*Spoilers Ahead*

Cinderella Is Dead is a retelling of the classic story of Cinderella. First off, the cover is gorgeous and ties in well with the plot. I was surprised to enjoy the twist of the tale as Prince Charming as the villain. It was a fresh look at what we grew up as kids. There should be more books like this to empower young women. I recommend this to any Cinderella lover who is looking for a book you can't put down.

[myneverendingbookshelf]

The Guinevere Deception Review

The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White

The Guinevere Deception is a retelling of the legend of King Arthur. I loved this! It has magic mixed in with a sort of historical element. No spoilers - but, one of the characters is gender bent. The plot twist had me wanting more and the cover is so beautiful. The setting and plot has we wanting to just step into the book! I would recommend this to any King Arthur lover with strong female characters those who enjoy a great adventure for all ages.

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Snow & Rose Review

Snow & Rose by Emily Winfield Martin

Snow & Rose is a wonderful story based on a tale by The Brothers Grimm. I loved this book! The sisters Snow and Rose are heroines who solve the mystery of their forest. I enjoyed reading this and it has the most beautiful illustrations. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a short story with twist and turns and wonderful characters.

[myneverendingbookshelf]

The Wrath and the Dawn Review

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

The Wrath and the Dawn is a retelling based on the 1001 Nights. I have read some retellings of this story, but none like this. This story captured my attention and caused my emotions to go everywhere! Shahrzad and Khalid's relationship was so dynamic and beautiful in a dangerous type of love. Both have pasts that entwine with one another. It also made me really hungry for all of the food descriptions in it. I would re-read this book over again for this amazing story. I recommend this to anyone who loves a building romance and a little bit of violence.  

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Beauty Review

Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley

Beauty is one of many retellings of the timeless tale of Beauty and the Beast. This one was a bit similar to Cameron Dokey's story in some ways but the way the tale flowed was different in its own right. This was the first book I have ever read by Robin McKinley and it won't be the last! I would recommend this to anyone who loves Beauty and the Beast and to people who like a quick read.

[myneverendingbookshelf]

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky Review

Tristan Strong Punches A Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

I loved this book! It's based on African folk stories and African American tales with an Amazing adventure. The characters were easy to love, especially Gum Baby, and it was interesting to see a new look on the African Gods. I was surprised to see not that many books on African Myths and Folktales. I would recommend this to everyone to read for this amazing story and if your a fan of Rick Riordan's books. I promise you it will make you laugh and it will leave you hanging for more.