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dearrivarie



From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu comes a historical YA fantasy about a musical prodigy and the dangerous lengths she'll go to make history remember her—perfect for fans of Susanna Clarke and The Hazel Wood.

Two siblings. Two brilliant talents. But only one Mozart.

Born with a gift for music, Nannerl Mozart has just one wish—to be remembered forever. But even as she delights audiences with her masterful playing, she has little hope she'll ever become the acclaimed composer she longs to be. She is a young woman in 18th century Europe, and that means composing is forbidden to her. She will perform only until she reaches a marriageable age—her tyrannical father has made that much clear.
And as Nannerl's hope grows dimmer with each passing year, the talents of her beloved younger brother, Wolfgang, only seem to shine brighter. His brilliance begins to eclipse her own, until one day a mysterious stranger from a magical land appears with an irresistible offer. He has the power to make her wish come true—but his help may cost her everything.
In her first work of historical fiction, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu spins a lush, lyrically-told story of music, magic, and the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister. 


isbn: 978-1524739010 | pages: 313
publication date: March 3, 2020 | source: own/BOTM

the other Mozart
Nannerl Mozart is every bit the music prodigy that her younger brother, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is - the only catch is that she has to work twice as hard and lives in the ever-present fear of being forgotten. I had never even heard of Nannerl before my Music History class in college and can definitely appreciate Marie Lu giving voice to a figure in history that unfortunately is often forgotten. Nannerl's constant struggle to remain worthy in the eyes of her father and society, to be more than just a pretty face at the piano, speaks volumes to the restrictions placed upon women and music both in the past and still today. It made her story all the more powerful once you put into consideration that she's a child prodigy - meaning she battled the constant judgment and fear since she was eight years old (seriously hoity-toity music needs to stop gender stereotyping so fast).

classical music appreciation
As a music major, I appreciated seeing the (slightly dry) history that I had to learn portrayed in a different way. My personal favorite has to be the Queen of the Night reference and if you don't know what I'm talking about, I highly recommend you YouTube "queen of the night marmot" - I promise it'll be worth your time. In addition to these fun references, the story itself breathed its own personality into 1700s Europe. The grandmeisters I had to read about in my textbooks came to life becoming more than some names and dates I had to remember but, ironically, people who played an important role in the lives of the Mozarts.

absolute preciousness 
It's easy to dismiss Wolfgang and join Team Nannerl when looking at the premise of the story, but honestly, they are such a power duo. Wolfgang's love and admiration for his sister (historically proven too!) once again emphasized the fact that he was just a little boy whose talent was greatly exploited by his father. Nannerl's love for her brother also reflects pretty much every older sibling - love mixed with a little bit of frustration. The relationship dynamic between the two of them are so precious, especially their support of each other's talents.

a second kingdom
Of course, we need to talk about the magical second kingdom that Marie Lu created for this story. The Kingdom of Back (also historically true as well) starts off as a bedtime fairytale and quickly develops into a parallel universe. Nannerl strikes a bargain with Hyacinth and gets pulled into the Kingdom where she has to complete tasks for him in order to be granted immortality in the hearts of men. In some aspects, I wanted more adventures in Back because it was described so magically, but I appreciated the added bit of mystery it added to the otherwise historically rooted story.


8:46 PM No Comments
Going to a circus right now would be absolutely magical, but for the time being we'll probably have to rely on books to take us to faraway places. I was originally planning on getting this post up last week to celebrate the release of Harley in the Sky, but all the school closings took most of my brain capacity and power. So we're coming in one week late, but I'm still excited to share my answers to this tag.

The Harley in the Sky Book Tag was created by Jemma @ Fantastic Books and I found the tag through Kay @ Hammock of Books. Be sure to click on the hyperlinks to see their responses as well!

Ringmaster: What book introduced you to your favorite genre?
The Great Tree of Avalon by TA Barron
This probably isn't the first fantasy novel I read but it was the first one that came to mind. I remember blowing through this trilogy as a sixth grader and becoming completely immersed in the world - one of my favorite things about the genre.

Acrobatics: Fast-paced read
Angelfall by Susan EE
I can't even remember what this is about but I know I read the entire trilogy in a single day - that was how much I loved these books and how quickly I read them.

Clowns: A book that made you laugh
The Heartforger by Rin Chupeco 
I didn't want to put two books on the same trilogy on the list cause I knew The Bone Witch was going to be an answer for a later question, but I honestly could not think of a book that has made me laugh in a while. The banter and relationships between all the characters in this trilogy is why I love it so much and it's probably the closest answer I've got.

Knife thrower: A book that had you on the edge of your seat

The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
To put it into perspective, I cried within the 30 pages of the story and literally felt like I couldn't breathe for the entirety of the novel.

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Tightrope walker: A book you just couldn’t put down
The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst
 I really want to reread this because I remember I couldn't stop reading it and it's been so long that I can't recall what happens. However, I remember being so engrossed into the pure brutality of the world and the story itself.

Ventriloquist: A book with a great twist
Wicked as You Wish by Rin Chupeco
There are several curve balls that are thrown throughout the plot that keeps you constantly second-guessing people's intentions. At the end, the only conclusion I could reach is that things are not quite as they initially seem.

Magician: A book with a magic system you love

A Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
 I just have a soft spot for books with lovely monstrous personalities. While it's not one of the most fascinating and complex systems, it's honestly the most recent one that popped into my mind. 

Static Trapeze: Best or Worst cliffhanger
The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco
I have way too many Rin Chupeco books on this list, but I remember finishing this story and being in complete shock at the twist of events. While it wasn't a heart-stopping cliffhanger that made me want to throw things at the wall, my stomach definitely did a drop so that counts right.

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This tag was a lot harder than I initially thought. I would love to know your answers for these questions because it seems I am in desperate need for some recs - if you have any books that made you laugh till you cried, please let me know (that question took me way too long to answer). ðŸ˜‚😂

Also, if you haven't checked out Harley in the Sky, I would definitely recommend you pick it up. We follow a teenage girl (named Harley) who decides to run away and follow her dreams of becoming a trapeze artist. It's full of great coming-of-age themes like wonderful relationships, following your passions, and accepting mental health. I'll end with one of my favorite quotes -


Stars shine their brightest in the dark. So take this opportunity and supernova the shit out of it.
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If you haven't checked out Wicked As You Wish yet, it's finally out and you should definitely pick it up! The story follows a half-Filipino character with magic cancelling abilities and a group of wonderful individuals on the journey to save Avalon from eternal frost. There's a snarky firebird and all the fairytale references you could possibly want! 
pick a theme song(s) for the Order of the Bandersnatch
All-Stars by Smash Mouth, because they are corny like that and it's that kind of classic song that people still remember and recognize, even among teens. (Also, it's such a great song to swagger to, which they would also love!)



which character do you see yourself most in? 
As hilarious as it sounds, probably the firebird. I have jerkward tendencies that I see are also inherent in the firebird, and didn't realize it till after I was done with the initial draft! A very close second would probably be Kensington Inoue, because he has my sarcasm and general humor, though I am not actually an Energizer bunny the way he is in real life. That aspect of his personality I took after my husband, who is the most cheerful person I know - the happy dog to my grumpy cat.
Aww that's absolutely the best (and now only) reasoning that's acceptable  ðŸ˜„ ðŸ˜„

recommend a recent favorite book/movie to a character you had the most trouble writing
Tala was always the hardest to write, just because I was so nervous about her representing my Filipino identity - and as a consequence, other Filipinos - that I was constantly second guessing myself about whether something she does would be what Filipinos would also do. But I persevered! HELLO, UNIVERSE by Erin Entrada Kelly would be excellent - we Filipinos always consider ourselves the underdogs in a lot of situations, and it's a perfect book about never giving up!
Ooh that sounds amazing, will definitely be adding that to the TBR as well.

ice wolf or firebird and why?
This is a tough one, because I love both wolves and cool ass birds! Maybe the firebird, just for the previously mentioned jerkwad personality.
That's the best reason  ðŸ˜‚😂😂
what is one fairytale that isn't mentioned in the novel that you would want to incorporate now? 
I would love to figure out a way to add Japanese ghost stories, which is basically also one of Japan's version of fairytales, into the book. Okiku from THE GIRL FROM THE WELL could make a special guest appearance since her story is based on a Japanese tale called the Bancho Sarayashiki!
Ooh that would be another awesome crossover that I would love to see.

If you reached into cornucopia what would you pull out?
It's gonna be either spicy salmon sushi or garlic-fried crab. If I could pull out a whole Korean grilling station from inside a cornucopia, I would.
That sounds so good ðŸ˜‹ðŸ˜‹ and pulling out an entire KBBQ set would be amazing, I'm hungry already.

I love the Bone Witch trilogy - which two characters (one from The Bone Witch and one from Wicked as You Wish) would you want to meet in a crossover?
Imagine Kalen and Cole meeting. They're just gonna stand around and grunt at each other, take out whatever trouble there is that's coming their way, then go back to just grunting again. 
Imagine also Kensington and Fox. The utter chaos they would cause. Also, Fox would probably goad Ken into cutting off his arm or something, and Ken would freak out when he successfully cuts Fox's limb off, since his sword isn't supposed to slice through anything living. 
Kalen and Cole would be hilarious but at the same time they would dominate the battlefield. And now I definitely need a cross-over where Ken cuts off Fox's limb and freaks out - the imagery is enough to make to crack up.
I have a full review up which you can check out HERE if you would like to see more of my thoughts regarding Wicked As You Wish!
Huge thank you to Rin Chupeco for taking the time and answering all my questions. 

If you could reach into the cornucopia (magical bag of food) - what would you pull out?

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Tala Warnock has little use for magic – as a descendant of Maria Makiling, the legendary Filipina heroine, she negates spells, often by accident. But her family’s old ties to the country of Avalon (frozen, bespelled, and unreachable for almost 12 years) soon finds them guarding its last prince from those who would use his kingdom’s magic for insidious ends.

And with the rise of dangerous spelltech in the Royal States of America; the appearance of the firebird, Avalon’s deadliest weapon, at her doorstep; and the re-emergence of the Snow Queen, powerful but long thought dead, who wants nothing more than to take the firebird's magic for her own – Tala’s life is about to get even more complicated….



isbn: 
978-1492672661 | pages: 432
publication date: March 3, 2020 | source: e-ARC
all the diversity
This story has so much diversity it makes my heart happy. Our main character and her large (and slightly chaotic) Filipino clan has become one of my favorite fictional families ever. There was a touch of nostalgia that came from reading about occasionally overbearing titas and lolas that can kick some serious butt with their canes and fans. I'm honestly such a fan. 

our current struggles in print
With such a diverse cast, comes the topic of displacement and immigration following a major war and that is something incredibly relevant in our time. I appreciated the reality check, but it is kind of scary when the chaos of a fantasy-based novel hits home to our world today. It really makes you take a step back and reflect on how society has compartmentalized every aspect of humanity's differences and how the inability to see past divisions ultimately produce more harm than good.

so many fairytales
This is perhaps one of the few "cons" (to quote Zoe) about this book for me. Don't get me wrong, I loved how Rin Chupeco incorporated so many of our favorite fairytales from Arthur and his Knights to Chinese Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Wonderland all into one book. It just seemed as if there was a need to tie in with as many pop culture references as possible which made the world-building itself difficult to follow at times. There was just so much happening all at once that my brain underwent major sensory overload.

a journey with unlikely heroes
To end my thoughts, we have such a wide cast of characters throughout the novel, but particularly in the Order of the Bandersnatch, the elite group of warriors charged with protecting the prince of Avalon. I loved that each character had their own unique quirks - Kensington's Japanese heritage, Zoe's love for literature, and Loki and their gender accepting philosophies to name a few. Each character has that little something that makes them special and memorable and while I didn't necessarily click with any particular one character, I did feel surrounded by friends at the end of the story.

Huge thank you to Rin Chupeco and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to be part of the Wicked As You Wish street team! I truly had a blast interacting with everyone in preparation for this novel's release!




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Happy March! I'm currently wrapping up my final week student teaching at the elementary level before I head over to high school and it's been full of sad goodbyes and the impending stress of change (and learning more student names). I only managed to complete two books in February, not as high as I would have anticipated but I started a lot of books that I'm really loving so I'll take a small victory where I can. 
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the hazel wood by melissa albert - 3 stars
intricate stories and stolen fairytales
While this was only a 3 star read for me, it will forever have a special place in my heart as the first audiobook I finished from start to end. I became wrapped up in the narration of the story as the plot was brought to life. I really loved the intricate storytelling and how the author didn't shy away from the creepy and sinister nature of fairytales. One thing I loved a little less were the actual characters as Alice irritated me beyond words, but I pushed through simply because I had to find out what happened next.

the cruel prince by holly black - 3 stars
cruelty and greed together create power
I finally caved and read this occult favorite and...was honestly not super won over. The characters were another weak link for me and the story itself didn't really take off until the latter 25%. However, I was still intrigued by the seeds of plot that were planted, enough so that I picked up the second book on audio (and boy am I glad I did). 

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the wicked king by holly black - audio - 74%
wicked as you wish by rin chupeco - ebook - 57%
loveboat, taipei by abigail hing wen - physical - pg. 74

I did start three other audiobooks but ended up putting them down either due to my loan period running out or just not clicking so much with the narrator. I still want to read all three of them, but I might end up picking them up in a different format instead.

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I had a lot of fun being more active on the bookish community this month from (actually) posting somewhat frequently to commenting on other blogs that I follow. It was a great reminder of how much I loved blogging and why despite my many ups and downs I always find myself coming back. 

What was your favorite book and/or blog post that you read this month?

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DearRivarie

DearRivarie
Hi there! My name is Rivalie (Riv for short). Welcome to my blog where I share book reviews, discussions, and more fun things! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a fantastic day! 🌸

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