Roxbury Books

Synopsis:

Mossy Cha has only ever wanted one thing: more control over her own life. With high school graduation approaching, she is excited to attend her dream college and experience freedom for the first time. But life takes an unexpected turn when this modern girl learns she is the chosen bride of a powerful Hmong shaman. The last thing she needs is destiny telling her what to do!

Touso Khang comes from a line of shamans that once exiled a great evil from the world. As the demon Du Yong returns to seek revenge, Touso’s only chance to destroy him for good is with the help of his chosen bride. Can he convince Mossy to accept her place by his side before evil forces prevail?

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My Review:

This book has soo much going for it. I don’t think the blurb does it justice. And this review will probably contain spoilers.

First up, lets get the negative out of the way first. This book has swear words. If you don’t like the f bomb, proceed with caution. There is also some kissing and reference to sex/intimacy, but no sex occurs on page in this book. (This is different for book 2, which has more adult language and more adult situations.)

Mossy is graduation from high school, but she is 18. This book captures the heart of an 18 year old well. Especially one with a strong family behind her with traditional values. On top of that, this book is my introduction to all things Hmong. And it does this introduction well. It’s also an urban fantasy.

The evil in this book is Du Yong. He’s based on Ndu Nyong, a demon god who eats human souls. (Hmongs believe a person has 1-20 souls. You can learn more here.) As written in this book, he’s a great antagonist. And he is particular interested in shaman souls. He also wants what he can’t have–a body.

Going back to Mossy. She wants to spread her wings and fly after school. She is known to put her friends first, and has two very close friends (Eva and Cindy) and a boyfriend (Dylan) she hasn’t told her family about. Her mother tells her that a good Hmong girl stays home. Mossy doesn’t want to stay home. Prom is coming up and well, let’s just say Mossy’s plans don’t go the way she planned and she finds out she’s meant to be with Touso. (For those who like Asian dramas, you’ll totally get the multiple life times forever love trope here. It is a romantic notion.) And that love bond quickly unites them, much to Dylan’s chagrin.

Now more on Dylan. He’s a great character. He loves Mossy. For him, she just might be the one. In fact, it’s one of those things that proves to be vital to Mossy’s survival. (And for Kai.)

Kai is Touso’s older brother. His story will play out more in book 2. He’s important.

I enjoyed this book and it’s world that I went on to read book 2 right away.

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Synopsis:

He’s fighting for his life, but for her, he’d sacrifice his soul.

Touso Khang is a shaman with the face of a heavenly prince . . . he’s also cursed.

Driven by the loss of his brother and saving the other shamans in his lineage, he’ll risk everything . . . but now it’s becoming clear that it may cost him his bride.

Mossy Cha wasn’t sure she could ever accept her place as the bride and guardian of a cursed shaman, or anyone for that matter! She just wants to be a normal person with ordinary adventures! But she can’t help feeling certain things when she looks at Touso Khang . . .

Their love was destined, and they have always found each other in every new lifetime—but it doesn’t mean it’ll be easy. With evil spirits and demons coming for them, they must find a way to end the curse for good or risk losing each other forever.

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My Review:

The world building continues to be fabulous. The Hmong cultural details really add to this. In this book, we deal more heavily with the “bad shamans” or necromancers. We also see more of Du Yong, who is orchestrating his plan. He’s kidnapping chosen brides.

Kai plays a bigger role in this book. You see, Du Yong is using him. Kai died in an attempt to save his family. Now, he is being used by Du Yong to try to keep Mossy away from Touso. Not to mention, Kai’s refusal to accept a chosen bride has had dire consequences. On this back drop, we also have a very emotional moment for Mossy when one of her friends dies. And that’s just the tip of what roller coaster of a ride this story will take you on.

The necromancers also play a bigger role.

We learn more about Hmong wedding. Mossy graduates high school.

Now, book one had some adult language in it. This book has a lot more. (If the first book had as much as this one, I might not have continued reading.) This book also has adult situations, which includes an on page sex scene. Now, it may be tame compared to a lot of books and I appreciate that we are spared the dirty details, it was still more than I was expecting from a YA book. (Suitable for 16 and up, if your teen reader is comfortable with the f bombs, the mf bombs and sexual content.) While the romance between Kai and Nia (Kai as a ghost inhabiting Dylan’s body) made me of the movie Ghost, I was a bit uncomfortable with the fade to black scenes with them together. It’s not Kai’s body and it felt akin to cheating. It was also tragic in a way, because Nia and Kai had been married and loved each other. Who wouldn’t want one more chance to love their spouse?

By this time, I was invested in this story and in this world. I also want to know what happens next, and while I do hope the books remain suitable for a teen audience, I’d also be happy if the author released a clean version for those of who prefer less sex and foul language in our books.

Synopsis:

“Your husband is a landowner,” they told her.

“Food and clothing is so plentiful, it grows on trees.”

“You will be able to go to school.”

Of the three lies the matchmaker told Willow before she left home as a picture bride in 1918, the third hurt the most. Never one to be deterred, Willow does all that she can to make the best of her unexpected circumstance. But it isn’t long before her dreams for this new life are shattered, first by a husband who never wanted to marry her in the first place, and then by the escalation of the Korean independence movements, unified in goal, but divergent in action, which threaten to split the Hawaiian Korean community and divide Willow’s family and friends.

Braving the rough waters of these tumultuous years, Willow forges ahead, creating new dreams through her own blood, sweat, and tears; working tirelessly toward a better life for her family and loved ones.

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My Review

I have a lot of feelings after reading this book. This slice of life is an emotionally gripping tale about Korean Picture Brides. If you are like me, you’ve heard about Chinese Paper Brides. This is the story about three Korean women who became picture brides. It’s not an easy story, but one of bravery, determination, and family.

I do wish the translator had made some different choices. The biggest one being on what to call Korea and Koreans. This story takes place after Japan has invaded and is occupying the country. It is no longer Joseon (Chosun), but the people would surely have still called it that. Referring to it as Korea may have been simpler, but I do wish it has been Joseon.

I did spend some time checking out the real people (Rhee and Park) to get some context about the division in the community, so I appreciated how that was shown.

The ending was a little strange feeling, switching to first person for Pearl. Yet, I feel it sets the stage for the next chapter in the life of the pictures brides, while also bringing closure to this story.

Over all, a well done story.

To protect your people, you must allow yourself to be captured by the creature everyone has feared for over a century.

Or maybe, you’re a stowaway bested by an enemy on distant shores or a princess seeking a deal to save your kingdom.

Whether this collection of stories takes you for a journey through a magical landscape or brings a creature from a distant land to your doorstep, you won’t be left wanting of magic and excitement.

In this collection, you’ll be captivated by dark magic, anti-heroes, and tough heroines who don’t cower in the face of their demons. In fact, you might find some falling for them.

Fae, vampires, elves, and more grace the pages of this book, written by various beloved fantasy and paranormal authors. Be captivated by unconventional enemies to lovers stories with twists to thrill, surprise you, and sometimes, break your heart.

Grab your copy of DANCE WITH DARKNESS today. Discover nearly a dozen romantic fantasy stories for fans of Elise Kova, Emily Blackwood, Sarah J. Maas, and more.

Authors in this collection include: USA Today Bestselling Author Rae Hendricks, A.M. Matsuda, E.C. Hibbs, Adrianna Benavides, E.M. Howell, Sai Marie Johnson, Shelli Rosewarne, LaKeah Shannelle, Paige Clendenin, Kasandra Sheckles, J. Kitana, and Ellie Mack.

Based on a true story, this gripping WWII novel captures the resilience, hope, and courage of a Dutch family who is separated during the war when the Japanese occupy the Dutch East Indies.

Java Island, 1941

Six-year-old Rita Vischer cowers in her family’s dug-out bomb shelter, listening to the sirens and waiting for a bomb to fall. Her charmed life on Java—living with other Dutch families—had always been peaceful, but when Holland declares war on Japan and the Japanese army invades Indonesia, Rita’s family is forced to relocate to a POW camp, and Rita must help care for her little brother, Georgie.

Mary Vischer is three months pregnant when she enters the Tjideng women’s camp with thousands of other women and children. Her husband, George, is somewhere on the Java Sea with the Dutch Navy, so she must care alone for her young children, Rita and Georgie, and her frail mother-in-law. The brutal conditions of the overcrowded camp make starvation, malaria, and dysentery a grim reality. Mary must do everything she can to keep her family alive.

George Vischer survives the bombing of his minesweeper but feels little hope floating on a small dinghy in the Java Sea. Reaching the northern tip of the Thousand Islands would be a miracle. Focusing on of the love of his life, Mary, and his two children, he battles against the sea and merciless sun. He’ll do whatever it takes to close the divide between him and his family, even if it means risking being captured by the Japanese.

Under the Java Moon highlights a little-known part of WWII history and the impact of war on Indonesia, its people, and the more than 100,000 Dutch men, women, and children who were funneled into prison camps and faced with the ultimate fight for survival.

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My Review:

Heather B More weaves another moving tale bringing history to life. If you enjoy histortical fiction and want to read one of the master storytellers, this book is a must.

The inspiring, true story of Sir Nicholas Winton, who ingeniously rescued hundreds of children before Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia.

The shadow of war was spreading across Europe. Hitler’s armies had marched into the borderlands of Czechoslovakia, forcing Jewish families, among others, to flee their homes and seek refuge in any location that would accept them.

When Nicholas Winton, the son of Jewish-German immigrants, traveled from London to Czechoslovakia to help the refugee families huddled in tents in sprawling encampments, an ingenious plan began to formulate in his head. By special waiver, children could leave the country without their parents, as long as host families abroad took them in. As word of his plan spread, parents lined the hallways and staircases of Winton’s hotel, begging for help. If Nicholas could get their children out of the country safely, the families would find a way to join them. Three weeks later, when Winton returned to London, he carried with him the names and photographs of hundreds of children—even babies—entrusted to him by their parents.

With the assistance of his mother and a growing circle of helpers, Winton began recruiting host families, raising funds, and securing visas. For nine months, he arranged for children to travel by train and ferry to England. Then war was declared, and the Czech border closed.

Fifty years later, Nicholas’s wife, Grete, discovered a long-forgotten scrapbook in their attic containing the names and documentation of 669 children. It was the only record of her husband’s remarkable rescue efforts. What followed was a series of equally remarkable events that allowed this heroic story to be told and for millions to learn the fate of these rescued children, all on live television.

The Light That Shines Forever is a beautifully illustrated picture book, with primary source documents and photographs, that brings to life a remarkable wartime rescue. Its lesson and message invite readers to ask the questions: What light will we bring to others? What stories will fill the scrapbooks of our lives?

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My Review:

While I read this short book I realized I had seen a documententary where many adults that stood up in recognition of a man who had saved him. This added an emotional level to this book for me when I made the connection. I’m grateful for men like him who saved others. This book includes a short biography with beautiful illustrations and is definitely a must read. Be prepared to be moved. I could not read this with a dry eye.

I recieved an ARC from the publisher via Net Galley.

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