For all of us who want an exciting sea voyage while stuck in quarantine, we're in luck. Adalyn Grace brings us the newest adventure of a lifetime between the pages of her debut YA fantasy novel, All the Stars and Teeth. If you've always wanted a novel about a princess who will sacrifice everything for country, this is the book for you. If you've always wanted a novel with underlying themes of feminism and women in power, then you need to pick up this book. If you just want a fast-paced read where secrets are uncovered and lies are exposed at the turn of each page, don't hesitate to order this book from the safety of your home. In essence, this is a book for everyone, and this is the book for you.
Adalyn Grace is a New York Times bestselling author of All the Stars and Teeth, which was named "2020's biggest YA fantasy" books by Entertainment Weekly. Prior to becoming an author, Adalyn spent four years working in live theatre, acted as the managing editor of a nonprofit newspaper, and studied storytelling as an intern on Nickelodeon Animation's popular series The Legend of Korra. Local to San Diego, Adalyn spends her non-writing days by watching too much anime, and by playing video games with her bossy cat and two dorky dogs. You can find Adalyn at adalyngraceauthor.com.
As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer--the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it's never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy's dangerous soul magic. When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he'll help her prove she's fit to rule, if she'll help him reclaim his stolen magic. But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder--and more peril--than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she'll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stowaway she never expected . . . or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.
Tomi Adeyemi, in her shining blurb for Grace's YA fantasy debut, called the characters "fierce and unrelenting." The most fierce and unrelenting character is, of course, our protagonist Amora. The words "loyal" and "determined" also seem too small to describe a character as large and full of life as she is. Amora isn't just a princess -- she's a woman who's driven to lead her country the way she knows it should be led. She stands for her people because she holds a position of power that allows her to provide for them. Everything Amora does throughout this novel is for her country and birthright, Visidia and her people. While those actions lead her down dark paths, she stands firm: her people are worth the cost. It's refreshing that a character in fantasy stands for more than just herself, and continuously sacrifices for others, even if she doesn't know everyone she's sacrificing for. Amora stands tall and proud for these people, and at her worst, this is the only purpose that pulls her back into the fight. Her sense of adventure, duty, and purpose all aligned with her desire to make her kingdom the best it can be, even as her kingdom changed around her and showed her its scars, history, and lies. But Amora is also flawed, as every truly well-written character is, and because of this specific purpose, she can sometimes fall in the zone of being morally gray. Her flaws allow readers to be inspired by her, and to be taught by her. We can be inspired by her drive, and learn how to apply that same fierce determination to our own lives. Amora didn't back down, when things got hard or tough -- this is definitely something we can all learn to apply to our own lives. More than just being relatable, we all have a piece of Amora in us, and after finishing this novel, we all want to be a bit more like her. Adalyn goes more in depth about the drafting of Amora and her novel in her podcast with Yin Chang, on 88 Cups of Tea -- click here to see the podcast and show notes!
Grace stated in her acknowledgments that all the people who helped her create this book (specifically, her agent, editor, publisher, designer and cover artists) were all women. This is incredibly fitting for a book that champions women of all kinds: the oppressed, the powerful, the helpless, and all the women in between. Amora is a woman in power who's determined to earn her power, and to also help all the women in her kingdom once she has the ability. Until she succeeds into that power, Amora stands up for the mermaid, Vataea, when she receives unfounded criticism after just escaping the clutches of a toxic and abusive man. She also spends a whole day fixing the rundown town with other women laborers, and promises another group of women safety. The themes of feminism, power, and not needing any man kept me excited as I read through the entire novel. The men in the novel do play an important role in some points, but I felt seen by the way Amora viewed men in power. It is, of course, no coincidence that men were the ones lying to her her whole life, or that men built her country on a foundation of corruption. Yet, men were also the ones that helped give her the tools to earn her kingdom back (like a ship, or healing powers, for example). But just because they gave her the tools doesn't mean she didn't do it herself -- only Amora had the sheer willpower and rank to travel across her kingdom, learn its real history, and fight its true enemies.
For fans of Leigh Bardugo and her ground-breaking Six of Crows, look no further for another rambunctious, dedicated, messy and flawed crew-type cast of characters. Amora is truly not on her own during this journey. She has a crew comprised of a pirate, a stowaway, and a mermaid. Her journey would have been very different had she not been accompanied by Bastian, Ferrick, and Vataea. The four of them bring out the best and worst in each other, as crews and groups of friends often do. Wary of one another at first, they fall into a tight-knit unit based on trust after an encounter with a legendary monster. The four of them would do anything for each other, as evidenced by that aforementioned encounter -- but that also means that they are the ones that can hurt each other the most. I loved the dynamics between the four of them at the beginning -- Ferrick as Amora's fiancé (a man she never would have chosen for himself), Bastian as a lying scheming pirate (and the man Amora truly does want), and Vataea as the most dangerous of them all. As soon as they find their footing with one another, those dynamics are tested by battles, mind games, and circumstances that put them in sticky situations. Each character has a part in the molding of the other characters. Amora, Bastian, Ferrick, and Vataea all grow as characters, but only because of their interactions with the other three. I loved the intimacy within the friendships, the secrets and curses that unravelled, and how the four of them truly did stick together through it all. I, of course, always enjoy a book where the central conflict doesn't revolve around friends turning on one another, but how the characters truly depend on the others to help them succeed. Adalyn Grace gives us exactly that, and for it I am grateful.
Grace's world-building skills are unparalleled. Sometimes it's easy to be overwhelmed by an enormity of description, but I never once felt overwhelmed by Grace's descriptions of Visidia and the people that inhabit all of the kingdom's islands. I felt like I was walking the streets of the cities and run-down towns with Amora -- Grace not only relied upon sight, but the writing element of synesthesia. I felt like I could hear, smell, taste, and touch parts of the kingdom. I could hear the cheers and the waves as Amora sailed the sea; I could smell the wonderful food or the charred remains of burned land; I could taste the delicious little cakes Amora loved so much; I could run my fingers across the hull of Keel Haul or over the fabrics of all the luxurious fabrics. By not depending on sight, Grace is able to pull us into the world of Visidia, and let it become our own for a while. Combined with the politics Amora uncovers throughout the novel, Visidia felt like a real kingdom in a place I would love to visit. Grace didn't just bring Amora to life on the pages, but also a whole other fantasy world. That is not something easily achieved, and kudos to her and her writing team for making that happen. When I closed the pages of All the Stars and Teeth, I truly didn't want to leave the world of Visidia behind. I was excited to have finally uncovered all the lies and secrets of the world, and looked forward to seeing what Amora was about to do about all of it.
The good thing is, we're in luck -- Amora's story isn't over yet, not even close. The next segment of her journey takes off on February 2nd, 2021, in All the Tide of Fate. For more information on the sequel, click here, and stay tuned for my review!
*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*
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