"All the Stars and Teeth"

 "All the Stars and Teeth"

Written by Adalyn Grace

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

All the Stars and Teeth jumps out onto the young adult fantasy scene, boasting a magical and swashbuckling tale of pirates, legendary monsters, and dark magic. Princess Amora's parents are the king and queen of Visidia. Amora may not claim her right to heir to the kingdom, unless she learns how to master her island's magic, soul magic. The other island citizens practice other types of magic: elemental, enchantment, mind, time, restoration, and curses. Amora's call to action arrives from the catalyst: Kaven, a member of the exiled curse island, is planning a revolution to win the kingdom. Amora must team up with Bastian, a secretive pirate, Ferrick, her bumbling fiance, and Vataea, a beautiful but dangerous mermaid. 

Amora's tale was very entertaining. Adalyn Grace's writing style is detailed, fun, and thorough. Grace provides fantastic legends and history of the kingdom. The plot follows an aquatic adventure full of sailing, dark creatures, strange yet opulent locations, and a brilliant battle sequence. With a toned down love triangle, the story tends to focus much more on Amora's ambition to save the kingdom and her courage, which is a refreshing take in comparison to many other entries in the genre. There are many heart-pounding and exciting scenes, especially during the fight sequences. I also loved the small scenes in which our crew sought information, like when they entered the barracuda club.

The characters in the story were likeable and entertaining. Bastian is handsome and cocky, while Ferrick is awkward and nervous, afraid of everything. Vatea is headstrong while cautious. While Amora is protective of her kingdom, she is not selfish. As secrets become unveiled about herself, Bastian, and the kingdom, Amora stays calm and recognizes the importance of the events at hand, without being blinded by emotion. Amora's character is a strong and healthy protagonist, one that I think can be a great role model.

I really enjoyed this novel, but it does not feel like a brand new favorite. I felt that the novel dragged in some places. Additionally, the novel felt a bit confusing at times, giving us large chunks of exposition about the kingdom. Lastly, I felt the villain and his reveal were a tad lackluster. The stakes did not pay out to be high enough, leaving Kaven to feel a bit boring and not very frightening. The last act of the story progressed so quickly, it felt too rushed. I feel that if you might enjoy a Disney princess in a Marvel movie story with pirates and legendary creatures, you'll like it. It's a lot of fun, and I look forward to a sequel if it comes!

I rate this story at four out of five stars.

I received a finished copy from Titan Books to read and review. Thank you to the publishing company for the opportunity.