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Monday, September 4, 2017

Update on Writing Projects

When I realized it was September, my jaw literally dropped. Seriously, where has this year gone? It has been quite the whirlwind. Writing will always be my passion, and I have big plans for the Changeling Sisters Series and the Afterlife Chronicles in the years ahead. However, this year has been gobbled up largely by personal life events, one of which involves wedding bells - enough said! I could start an entire separate blog on the intricacies of wedding planning in today's age. Those of you who elope are pretty smart :) However, I have faith that the big day will all come together and I am truly looking forward to it. 

As such, please know that I have continued writing on the newest Changeling Sisters novel, Year of the Rat, in all of my spare time. Soon of which, I will have much more of! So thank you for hanging on, faithful readers, and I hope that all of you as well on the day-to-day will be blessed with that elusive gift of time. 

-Heather 

September 2017 Book Review: The Grimm Legacy

The Grimm Legacy
By Polly Shulman
~Book Review~ 



*Warning! Spoilers!

THIS IS A HEART-WARMING middle school read in the vein of modern-day fairy tales. Elizabeth is lonely and has trouble fitting into a new school but her luck perks up when she accepts a job at a mysterious repository where patrons check out ancient artifacts instead of books. However, Elizabeth soon catches on that some of the artifacts are far from normal. When objects belonging to these “special” collections start going missing, suspicion falls on her group of newfound repository friends.

The Grimm Legacy is a nice change of pace. Light-hearted, fun, and full of curious rooms to explore like the Garden of Seasons or the sci-fi chamber with its own shrink ray, I was endlessly entertained by where Elizabeth would end up next. Of course, the star of the repository is the Grimm Collection, full of cauldrons that can make delicious meals, seven league boots, and magic carpets. I was mentally urging Elizabeth to hurry up and discover its secret, but eventually, she realizes how much of a unique job she has undertaken. Elizabeth has a well-depicted diverse group of friends with the lovely, intelligent Anjali, handsome jock type Marc who struggles to juggle family obligations, and the sarcastically humorous Aaron. Elizabeth learns to speak up for herself and not to be bossed around by others, especially once it becomes clear that not everyone’s interest in the Grimm Collection is benign. However, it is Anjali’s younger sister Jaya who most often steals the scene, declaring herself the defender of the group by handcrafting special “protection” knots as they go after the artifact thieves.

The charm and creativity of this book is something lacking in many fantasy tales these days that feel like a flat rehash of other authors’ ideas. I felt like I was reading something more along the lines of Harry Potter with the spark and right touch of magic to make the pages fly by. Much recommended when you’re in the mood for a slower read that takes its time to reveal a wondrous secret world.

Recommended for fans of: Lloyd Alexander, JK Rowling, Terry Brooks

Upcoming Book Review: The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kate Locke