Marshmallow’s reviews – Page 27

Marshmallow reviews 9 From the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan

Marshmallow reviewed all three books of Rick Riordan’s Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. (You might want to check out her reviews of The Sword of Summer, The Hammer of Thor, and The Ship of the Dead before moving on.) She has also reviewed Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds, a companion book to the trilogy. Today she reviews 9 From the Nine Worlds, a 2018 book of short stories written by Riordan about the nine worlds of the Norse mythology. As a fan of many of Riordan’s series, Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Marshmallow reviews Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow reviews *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, what would you like to tell us about this book?

Marshmallow: This is a collection of short stories Rick Riordan wrote about the nine worlds of Norse mythology. There is one story for each world.

S: Are any of the stories or the characters in them related to the Magnus Chase series?

M: Yes. All of them actually.

S: So these stories complement the Magnus Chase trilogy then?

M: I think they happen after the trilogy ends, but many of the characters are people we met before in the trilogy. There are some new characters, too, of course.

S: Of course. So what did you think of the stories? Did you enjoy them?

M: Yes, I thought the stories were really good.

S: Can you tell us about one or two of them? Did you have a favorite?

M: I liked “This Is Why I Hate Clothes Shopping” by Amir Fadlan the most.

S: Wait, weren’t these stories all written by Riordan?

M: Yep. Amir Fadlan is a character from the world of Magnus Chase. Maybe you remember? He was engaged to Samirah al Abbas.

S: Oh, yes, I remember. So the stories are each narrated by a character from the Magnus Chase trilogy.

M: Yes. I guess I should have said that earlier. Anyways, in the story by Amir, he gets tricked into wearing a pair of pants and the pants are– oh wait, no spoilers, so I cannot tell more.

S: But somehow some weird stuff happens about the pants, right?

M: Yes. Some magical stuff.

Marshmallow is reading Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow is reading *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan.

S: Okay, so how does Riordan manage to narrate nine stories from nine different voices?

M: I really don’t know how he does it, but he definitely does it well. And they are all very funny. Or at least lighthearted.

S: And I saw that there were some full-color pictures in the book. Can you tell us a bit about those?

M: Yes, there are sixteen full-color full-page pictures, by James Firnhaber, Jim Madsen, and Yori Elita Narpati. Eight of them portray eight of the narrators, all except Amir actually. And the remaining eight depict eight of the nine worlds. Midgard is missing, probably because that is our world, the world of humans and bunnies, so we already should know what that looks like. There might be bunnies in Alfheim, too, actually, but I would not know. I have not been there.

S: Do the portraits of the characters fit your image of them in your mind from before?

M: A little. It is always interesting to see how other people visualize a character.

S: For sure. So overall, you enjoyed this book, right?

M: Yes, and it definitely is a quick read, and since it is made up of many short stories, you could stop and start and it would be okay. Just keep in mind that the stories are all kind of connected.

S: So does one need to read the book in order?

M: I think it would be better to read the stories in order.

S: And do you think one would need to have read the Magnus Chase trilogy before diving into these stories?

M: That would probably be a good idea. There might be some spoilers. And you would know the narrators much better then.

S: Okay Marshmallow, it seems like you will be lending me yet another book of yours soon. I am eager to read this book now that I know more about it.

M: Sure. I think you will like it!

S: Okay, it is time to wrap this up now. How would you rate the book?

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Great! And what do you want to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates Nine from the Nine Worlds by Rick Riordan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Nine from the Nine Worlds* by Rick Riordan 100%.

Marshmallow reviews The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary by Media Lab Books

Today Marshmallow goes back into the world of Harry Potter and writes about a 2021 book about its many fascinating creatures: The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet’s Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World, published by Media Lab Books.

Marshmallow reviews The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet's Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World by Media Lab Books. — Marshmallow reviews *The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet’s Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World* by Media Lab Books.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like the wonderful world of Harry Potter or reading about magical creatures, then this might be the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary is a full A to Z guide to all the magical animals and creatures in the Harry Potter Wizarding World. Similar in format to The Unofficial Ultimate Harry Potter Spellbook, which I reviewed earlier, this book includes detailed information on pretty much every magical creature or animal ever seen or mentioned in the Harry Potter universe, with citations of where and when it was seen or mentioned.

This book also has information about unnamed mundane creatures, enchanted animal candy, house mascots, known animagi and their animal forms, Patronuses and their known shapes, the finer points of potion ingredients, Quidditch critters by team, transfiguration spells with animals, and Luna Lovegood’s magical menagerie.

Marshmallow is reading The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet's Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World by Media Lab Books. — Marshmallow is reading *The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet’s Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World* by Media Lab Books.

Marshmallow’s Review: If you enjoyed reading any of the Wizarding World books written by J.K. Rowling, then this book will make a great addition to your knowledge base. Size and notable features of, and fun facts about all sorts of magical creatures make this a must-have for Harry Potter fans. A handy table of contents in the beginning makes the book easy to navigate and allows you to flip to whichever page you need. Stories about Muggle perceptions and notable members of each species make this a great read for any and all interested in delving deeper into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

While Newt Scamander’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a great book to read, too, The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary furthers the world of Harry Potter with extra fun facts. If I were to compare Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary, I would say that Newt Scamander’s is more of a field guide for wizards and witches, whereas, The Bestiary is more for Muggles interested in learning about magical creatures. The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary goes more into depth with information, not only about magi-zoology (but there certainly is a lot about it too!), but also about animals and creatures in the entirety of the Wizarding World, such as Patronuses, Animagi, and enchanted animal candy. The Unofficial Harry Potter Beastiary also has more information about each species, mentioning notable members of each species and going into how Muggles incorporated some magical creatures into myths, legends, and stories.

This book is appropriate for all ages and is a great read for all, although having read the Harry Potter books before or planning on reading them would be a good idea. I, being a huge Harry Potter fan, loved reading this book and would definitely recommend it to all bunnies great and small.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet's Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World by Media Lab Books 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Unofficial Harry Potter Bestiary: MuggleNet’s Complete Guide to the Fantastic Creatures of the Wizarding World* by Media Lab Books 100%.

Marshmallow reviews The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro

As a big Rick Riordan fan, Marshmallow could not pass on the opportunity to read a new book about the world of Greek and Roman demigods he created. Today she shares with us her thoughts on The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro, which came out this month. Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Marshmallow reviews The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. — Marshmallow reviews *The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure*, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, as far as I understand, this is supposed to be the story of the quest hinted at at the end of The Tower of Nero, which was the fifth and last book of the Trials of Apollo series and which you reviewed almost a year ago. Did you need to reread the series or at least that last book before you dove into this one?

Marshmallow: Well, it might have been a good idea I guess, but honestly, I did not reread anything. I just dove right in.

S: But at least you already knew who Nico di Angelo and Will Solace were, right? So should readers know them before they read this book?

M: I think it would be good to have read some of the earlier Rick Riordan books, so that you would know some of the characters, and the general thrust of the world they are living in, but the plot of this book is solid enough and can stand on its own, so I think one could actually enjoy this one on its own. Of course you would get much more out of it if you had read all of the other books before.

S: Okay, so let us talk about that plot. What is happening? And tell us in a sentence or so who Nico and Will are.

M: So these books are always about adventures of certain demigods. That means that the heroes are always children of one of the Greek or Roman gods or goddesses. So Nico is a son of Hades, and Will is a son of Apollo. And they fell in love some time in the third or fourth book of the Trials of Apollo series, and they are already a couple in this book.

S: Okay, now we know the main characters. And what is the quest they are on?

M: They are going to save Bob from Tartarus. Bob is a Titan but he eventually became friends with Percy Jackson and helped him and his friends but now is taken prisoner and so needs saving.

S: That sounds dangerous.

M: It is. There are many monsters and evil spirits that they have to fight along the way. And the place itself, Tartarus, is trying to kill them. Or rather driving them insane, by making them lose all hope and such. And Nico, being a son of Hades, already feels pretty dark and unpleasant feelings. Will calls him his “little grumpy ball of darkness”, or something. And Will is of course so opposite, always bright and cheery. Not to mention he can glow! But in this book he needs to also figure out the darkness in himself.

S: Ooh, that sounds intriguing.

M: Yes, Sprinkles, I think you should probably read the book some time.

S: I just might.

Marshmallow is reading The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. — Marshmallow is reading *The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure*, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro.

S: So overall what did you think? Two authors writing a book together is not that common. I know Caramel reviewed The Menagerie series by Tui Sutherland and Kari Sutherland, but other than that, I don’t think we reviewed any fiction authored by more than one person.

M: I did review one book like that: To Night Owl From Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer. But you are right, I have not read too many other books like this one. And this book, especially the first half of it, did not sound like Rick Riordan’s other books. So it was clear it was not only him.

S: I understand that Riordan wanted to share this task with Mark Oshiro because the book centers two gay characters and he did not want to assume their perspective as a straight man himself. I think that is a good thing, but of course he also wrote several books where he told the story from the points of view of female characters.

M: I guess a lot of men write from female perspectives. And lots of women write from male perspectives. I’m thinking of the Harry Potter series for example.

S: I guess it is good that he was being thoughtful. It makes sense that he felt out of his element when thinking about a relationship of two young men and wanted to be careful.

M: Anyways in the end, the book turned out pretty good.

S: So you clearly enjoyed it. You did finish it rather quickly, and after all, it is more than 450 pages.

M: Yep. It was scary at times, and a bit mushier than some of the other books, but it was a lot of fun.

S: So how would you rate it?

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Sounds great! I will then have to borrow it from you for a while.

M: Sure.

S: And in the meantime, what would you like to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Sun and the Star: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure*, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro 100%.

Marshmallow reviews Fall of the School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Last June, Marshmallow reviewed Rise of the School for Good and Evil, the first of the two prequels Soman Chainani wrote for his School for Good and Evil hexalogy. And this week, finally, she was able to get her paws on the second prequel book, Fall of the School for Good and Evil, fresh off the press (the book just came out on May 2, 2023). Below, she shares her thoughts on this long-awaited book.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like books about fairy tales, friendship, family, or any of Soman Chainani’s other books, then this might be the book for you. But to understand the book fully, you should probably have read (or checked out my reviews of) some of the other School for Good and Evil books. For example check out The School for Good and Evil, the very first book that started this whole saga, or the book right before this one: Rise of the School for Good and Evil.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Twins Rafal and Rhian rule the School for Good and Evil (a school that trains children to be in fairy tales) together. Rafal is the evil twin, and Rhian is the good twin. Their two contradicting souls, bound by their love for each other, balance the school and allow them to serve as School Masters. That is until they start having problems and tensions rise between them. If their bond does not last, they will both lose the immortality and magic given to them by the Storian.

Fall of the School for Good and Evil starts off when the twins go to Gavaldon to find new students for their school after losing several of their best ones. Gavaldon is a town outside of the magic of the woods, and the townspeople are called Readers. Gavaldon is not magical, but its inhabitants read the stories and fairy tales that happen in the woods. Their children read of magic, unaware that it is real. Rafal hopes that this will make them more effective and excited students, as opposed to the children who come from the kingdoms in the woods who have grown up with magic their entire lives.

Upon visiting Gavaldon, Rhian selects a Reader named Midas and takes him to be a new student at his School for Good. Rafal also picks a Reader to take to his School for Evil, but unfortunately, this person betrays him; Rafal is captured and accused of being a witch. Luckily, the brothers manage to escape with Midas. When they return to the School for Good and Evil, the twins discover their immortality is fading. They fear losing their powers and immortality. But a new division has started with Midas; each twin wants Midas to join his school, which causes competition between them. By the time they realize and recognize their division, the cracks are too big. The fight that started out as a small sibling rivalry becomes a full-blown war for the position of School Master with more than two competitors. But the result of the conflict is not what anyone would have expected and will change the course of fairy tales forever.

Marshmallow is reading Fall of the School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. — Marshmallow is reading *Fall of the School for Good and Evil* by Soman Chainani.

Marshmallow’s Review: This is a sequel to Rise of the School for Good and Evil and is set before the School for Good and Evil series. I would definitely suggest reading those books before this because otherwise nothing will make sense. The other books are necessary for understanding the fantasy world that this book is set in. However, for those who have read the other books, this book is full of twists and turns that will leave readers astonished by revelations hidden throughout the entire series. Even though the reader thinks they know what will happen (since this book is set before the others), the road to the future of the School for Good and Evil is long and not as straight as one may think. The characters (specifically one!) in the other books is not who we thought they were.

I loved how Fall of the School for Good and Evil added nuance to the other books and built the world in which they are set. The depth of Chainani’s characters is astonishing. The characters we read about in Peter Pan and other fairy tales are transformed into living, breathing, and complex characters. I loved how characters from other fairy tales are given a new level of nuance and depth.

Fall of the School for Good and Evil did not have as much romance as previous books written by Chainani, which I think was a good move since it left more room for character and plot development.

This is a book that is appropriate for most ages, though it is likely more interesting for readers 8 and up.

Overall, this is an amazing book for those who like (retellings of) fairy tales and the School for Good and Evil series.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%.

Marshmallow rates Fall of the School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani 100%. — Marshmallow rates *Fall of the School for Good and Evil* by Soman Chainani 100%.