**Disclaimer: I was given a free ARC in exchange for an honest review from the publisher.**
Title Wicked As You Wish
Author Rin Chupeco
Description from Amazon
Many years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left encased in ice when the Snow Queen waged war. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in…Arizona.
Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn’t even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them.
A new hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala must unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it.
Release Date March 3, 2020
Initial Thoughts
I received a copy of this ARC in my December 2019 Fairyloot box. I had very high hopes. I’ve heard amazing things about Rin Chupeco’s other books and Fairyloot included ARCs of Furyborn a few years ago so I know they make good choices.
One Thing I Liked
- Nods to fairytales. I like a good fairytale retelling and was excited to see how the author would weave these into the over-arching world.
Some Things I Wasn’t Crazy About
- The world building was nothing short of chaotic. I’m trying not to be mean, but it made little to no sense and if I had to describe it in two words, I’d say it was a dumpster fire. The world building was incredibly dense right from the jump and I was confused until the last page.
- The romance. All the romances between any given characters. Terrible. It felt whiny and middle grade and honestly, wasn’t romantic at all.
- Way too many elements. There were way too many things going on, references, and plot elements. I couldn’t follow the story most of the time and it barely kept my interest.
Series Value
I would absolutely not continue with this series. I literally don’t care at all what happens to these characters.
Furthermore, I am reconsidering reading Rin Chupeco’s other books. This book was terrible and if her other books have the same problems, I don’t think I’d enjoy them either.
Final Thoughts
Real talk. It took me 10 months to finish this book. Honestly, I strongly disliked it. I think it had kernels of goodness sprinkled throughout, but this book was mostly just a challenge to read.
⭐️⭐️
Recommendations for Further Reading
- The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco – I haven’t read this series, but I’d be willing to give Rin Chupeco another chance. I’ve heard good things about this series.
Books Over Everything 