This book was very sarcastic and I loved it. I definitely needed to laugh and just enjoy a book. For it being about a teenager, I was surprised that it was super whiny. I enjoyed the mystery and just following along these characters lives.

I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

From the imaginative mind of Ms. Bauer, comes another unique paranormal fantasy series. Once again, my only lament is, where was Ms. Bauer when I was a young teenager, looking for books to read? This new series, Fairy Tales of the Magicorum is a darker look and feel for those who like Mercedes Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdom series. Once again, I picked up the series midway and it is easy to follow and enjoy. This can be read as a standalone.

In this world, it seems the paranormal creatures - witches, fae or shifters all fall under a template. Specifically a fairy tale template which kind of dictates their life. Bryar Rose is supposed to be the Sleeping Beauty archtype. I find it fascinating how Ms. Bauer weaves in the different fairy tale characters, reinterprets them and then blends them into a cohesive story that even involves ancient civilizations in South America and in Egypt. Ms. Bauer is gifted with creativity and innovative amalgamation skills. For those who are well read in both fairy tales, paranormal fantasies and a bit of ancient civilizations, this is a treat to read.

The main character Bryar Rose is a teenager just trying to get into the special school for paranormals. Whilst trying to get into the schoo, her boyfriend who will ultimately be her mate is getting sicker and needs to find a "magical" fountain. Bryar is ideally suited to help him because she can read ancient hieroglyphics. She's piecing together little bits of scrolls to figure out how to find this fountain, what it does and how it impacts her and her friends.

This story becomes a wild ride as we learn Bryar's past is not as it seems. More importantly, a fairy tale template does not always mean a person has to stick to it. Especially if they don't like the template they have been born into. I enjoyed the action in this story as it keeps the story flowing. Learning how Bryar Rose came to be as well as what she is meant to be makes the book end in a happily ever after. I am pleasantly caught off guard with a few reveals just as I anticipated a few things as hints are nicely placed for a reader to guess what is going to happen. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to YA readers who enjoy character growth through quests stories.

i really loved the first book so i couldn't wait for the second one! i just loved the romance between Bryar and Knos. The friendship also from Bryar and Elle is so amazing. i loved them together in the first book but almost more in the second book. The silly humor made me love this book so much! and how this story ended just perfect!!

I really liked reading about finding the fountain and hoping to save Knox and all magic. Wont tell lot more otherwise I am afraid I will spoil a lot for you!

This one wasn't bad. I was hoping the tone would change to the girls being slightly more mature, but this really read like middle grade fantasy with the very shrilly girly fashion it was written in along with the things they said. I want to say I love it, and it's true the premise was good. In fact, I can read any middle grade book if it has good prose, but this one well and truly reads for middle grade, which I'd highly recommend it for.
3 stars for if I was reading it when I was 12.

I would like to thank Monster House Books and the Netgalley website for this partnership.

Since I had been hearing about this author for a long time, that her books were well rated, I discovered this author by reading this book.

We immediately learn that Bryar Rose was raised by fairies who were the meanest of all, now she lives her own life by attending a very ordinary high school. She will discover that some students are part of the Magicorium. She dreams of pyramids in Egypt and sees Knox and her best friend in danger. She's going to leave school to see what's going on in these pyramids.

A book read almost in one go, I found the story so captivating, full of suspense and twists and turns and the characters endearing. Too eager for this author's series to be released in complete boxset.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

Since I had already read (and liked) Scythe from Christina Bauer I requested the arc for Shifters and Glyphs. I hadn't realized, however, that this was not a book from the same series, but from another series altogether. Fortunately, this story was easier to understand than the two-dimensional part of the Dimension Drift Series. Because shifters, fairies and wizards? Those I understand. We meet Bryar, who apparently is transcendent from one of these lines. You have to read Wolves and Roses for that story. But in this part she is going to a special school for shifters, fairies and wizards. Together with her boyfriend (shifter and hottie Knox), her BFF Elle (fairy) and friend Alec (wizard) she is planning on going to school and try to be normal.
But for the Magicorum there is no normal. Especially not when Knox is getting sicker and sicker. And Bry keeps having nightmares about the fountain of magic. Around the Equinox (every 5000 years) this fountain is supposed to appear to keep all magic intact. And the date is due...
On a mission to keep Knox healthy, the fountain from erupting and the world from exploding, the friends have a lot on their plate. Fastpaced, funny and exciting. Loved the story. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

You can find this review and all of my others over at www.readbookrepeat.wordpress.com

Actual rating of 2.5 - 3

Bryar Rose is now free from her imprisonment by her Aunties, and excited to finally be doing normal teenager things, such as going to school with her boyfriend and mate, Knox, best friend Elle and Knox's best friend, Alec. Just because it's a school for the magicorum means nothing, it's still school. That is until she starts remembering her dreams, read nightmares, in which she is being visited by the Shadowvin Tithe and Slythe as well as their creepy friend, The Void, who keeps screaming about his fountain. Enter in Knox becoming severely unwell and his guardian's thoughts that it is the fact Bry and Knox are mates and things aren't exactly going to plan for Bryar. Everything keeps leading back to the fountain of magic, so Bryar sets off on a journey and a half to try and locate what she needs in order to FIND said fountain, meeting colourful characters along the way and learning that the term family isn't always reserved for those who's blood you share. Will she find the fountain in time to stop Knox's downward spiral towards death?

So this is the second book I've read by Bauer, the first being Angelbound, I went into that series having read none of the other books and fared pretty well. The same can be said for this one. This is actually book 2 in Bauer's Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series and I can't say that I was left wondering about many things having not read the first instalment. Obviously I only have a brief idea of what happened with Bryar Rose's Aunties and the imprisonment and all that, but it didn't impact my ability to follow the story happening in this book.

I absolutely LOVED the idea of the fairy tale life templates, I also love that they aren't just talking about Cinderella and the rest of the fairy tale princesses we all know and love, it's also talking about Ursula and the badies that we just love to hate. So that is a really awesome idea and I kind of wish it was explored more in this story, or at some point in the near future, I'd just love a bit more spotlight put on this.

The story itself was enjoyable enough, but I felt like the pacing was a bit off, it just seemed to drag a lot to me. It took me way longer to finish than it should and I'm still not sure why. I was surprised when we find out about the fountain of magic, I didn't see that coming, so that was definitely a plus here. I thought I had it figured out then NOPE, WRONG! So that was really awesome.

The characters were well rounded and I did enjoy them, though Bryar irked me terribly. She was a likeable enough character, it just really started to piss me off that she constantly refers to: Knox being her mate - we get it, we know, it's been told to us already, her unshreddable clothes - how many times to we have to be told that she has an unshreddable outfit made by the fae that means her clothes don't rip and die when she shifts, in the final quarter of the book constantly being reminded that the threads of magic are red for witch/warlock, gold for shifter and silver for fae - MY GOD WOMAN I GET IT, IT WAS EXPLAINED ALREADY, PLEASE STOP! and her wolf speaking and acting like a 2 year old a lot of the time. Don't get me wrong, I loved the character of Bry's wolf, I just felt it extremely childlike in execution? Like she's not some badarse, brutal, strong machine, she's a whiney 2 year old - this just pissed me off for some reason. I felt sorry for Bry's wolf because of this. I feel like she should've been given a stronger voice.

I found sometimes when we were about to find out something (like Knox's life template) the dialogue just went on and on and on and on and on and on and on...then we don't find out anyway? It just seemed like so much of the dialogue was used to flesh out the story when it really wasn't imperative to the story itself.

I really do enjoy the way Bauer writes for the most part, I just feel that this story could have maybe had another round of editing to polish it up to an unparalleled shine. I enjoy the way that she writes her characters and makes them 'real' and well developed as when this doesn't happen, a story can fall incredibly flat.

I feel like I'm in the minority with this book in regards to ratings and opinion (though I have seen someone else who is annoyed with the repetitiveness) and I'm okay with that, I'm glad that there are so many people out there who truly enjoyed the hell out of this book, I wish I was one of you. I will definitely continue with this author, and I will check out the other books in this series even if I will be subjected to repeats in regards to my annoyances listed above. I enjoy the world that Bauer has created, the fairy tale life templates are an absolute stroke of genius, and I do enjoy these characters. I'm looking forward to see where they go.

What I enjoyed the most about reading Shifters and Glyphs was the mysteriousness of it all. I spent a large part of the book wondering what was going to take place next and considering what everything that had taken place meant.

Bauer has done it again...another great book to add to her ever growing list of winners. When does the next one come out because I need to finish this series.

Bryar Rose is attending high school for the first time and she is excited about her first day. She is excited to be going to school with her best friend Elle and her new boyfriend Knox. Bryar runs into a little trouble on her first day and is sent to the principle office to find out what is going on.

Bryar is having nightmares, every night she dreams about her boyfriend Knox and her best friend Elle being in danger. Bryar knows that she must find the fountain and fix it to keep Knox and Elle alive. Bryar will do anything to save her best friend and boyfriend even if it could cost her, her life.

I love the world of Shifters and Glyphs it is so intense and keeps you hanging on with all the magic sparking in the atmosphere. I just love how Bryar Rose and her wolf interact with each other. Wolf sure does love her mate and wants to be with him all the time. Wolf likes that Knox owns castles because that means lots of dens for cubs. Wolf and Bryar had me laughing real hard at times and at other times I could feel the love. It was so sweet. The love they have for their mate and their friends and how far they would go for them.

I would love to see Shifters and Glyphs on the big screen with all the magic and the lights. The way Christina describes the magic floating around the room was so awesome. I kept trying to picture it with all the different colors but I know I couldn’t do it justice. So with saying this to me it would be so grand to see that magic and the way Christina describes it.

I would recommend Shifters and Glyphs to all fans of the paranormal with witches, shifters, fairies and a whole lot of magic.

I will not be posting my reviews on Amazon or my blog.
Bryar Rose is annoying, and her inner wolf (stand in for unfiltered emotions) is even moreso. I had hoped that from book 1 to book 2 that the writing for this series would improve, but unfortunately I was mistaken. The writing still feels childish and unpolished. The bones and concept of a good story are there but the choppy writing and unlikable main character are huge detractions.

*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.

Another great installment to this great paranormal series. Bry is still trying to figure out her powers after book one but the one thing she knows is that Knox is her mate. They still have to find the fountain while started at the new school she had been dying to go to. Her human life is almost within reach when life throws her a massive curveball that comes with lots of surprises as well as danger. Can they figure it all out before the bad guys? Great writing that will really pull you into the story. Perfect for fans of the genre. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.

Hello happy readers! Well it has been a crazy weekend to be sure. Three days of all day adopt-a-thon action which will leave you surprisingly sore each day and a double birthday party for my bestie ad her smallest mini-me. That said while I sit in my comfy robe and sit on ice I am finally able to type and post my review of a recent release for you! That book in question is Shifter and Glyphs (Fairy Tales of the Magicorum #2) by Christina Bauer. I previously reviewed the first book Wolves and Roses and the following novella Moonlight and Midtown which I highly recommend as this is a series I really enjoy and look forward to continuing on in but even more the author is one of my auto-buy authors!

Rating: 5 Stars

Bry is about to start school, real school for the first time and it's all she has dreamed of for so long, but the dreams she has had her whole life of pyramids and papyri have turned much darker. It should be enough to worry about with three different types of magic to work on and an inner wolf who wants to chomp on a 1/3 of your classmates but that's not enough pressure for Bry. As the equinox approaches and those she love most seem to be in danger Bry must step away from her dream of school life and solve the mystery of her life and the attraction to the pyramids or face untold consequences for herself and the world.

So Bry has her un-shredable outfit to help ease her modesty should she have to shift and her best friend, her mate, and her newest friend all with her in this endeavor that is school. And the search for the fountain of course. Things should go well. But Knox has been looking rather unwell as of late and the nightmares Bry has and can't remember are only making things worse. The sense of time running out and the search is kicked up into high gear. Everyone's magic is acting a bit wonky as the equinox approaches.

Things move quickly as we have fights of will, power, and kick butt action. Still the characters are why we really care as much as we do. I love Bry for sure but I think I love the best friend dynamic between Bry and Elle above most else. They are friendship goals and remind me of some of the stuff my bestie and I would say and/or do though less magically, like make fun of people in horror movies doing the stupidest things….yep that's us. Then you have Knox because you can't forget the sexy werewolf mate! Speaking of mate the inner conversations Bry has with her wolf had me rolling most of the time. Like she has a literally voice in her head trying to convince her to do things, like chowing down on your mates ex, when they pop up. Knox and Bry the story is sweet and amazing as always, he could save me anytime! And Alec who is basically Knox's Elle. Their brotherly dynamic is on point and adorable. Plus no matter how hard they try to play as friends Elle and Alec are super cute and impossible not to ship.

We dig deeper as we approach the conclusion to the fountain search. Things that are translated always have multiple meanings as anyone well knows but in this care old papyri is no exception. Mysteries are solved, truths revealed, and life templates are put to the test. I was so excited to go on this ride for the search for the fountain and the hope to fix magic. And maybe get a little bit of normal high school time if you're lucky! So I can't say much else without spoiling things and that will not do. The book flies by so pick it up and give it a go!

Until next time…

**Come visit me at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/ **
Bryar Rose is finally getting what she wanted- to start regular high school. But is seems that nothing every really goes her way, and school is the last thing on her mind. Instead, she is focusing on the fact that she is having terrifying nightmares that she can't remember but knows are important, the search for the fountain is still going on with no answers, and it seems Knox, her mate, is getting sick. It is past time that Bryar figures out her place in the world so the people she loves can survive.

When I speak again, my voice comes out as a chirp. “There was no moment.” I know Knox is just busting on Alec, but it still feels important to clarify the moment thing. It’s not like we were getting naked in Knox’s fancy dining room.
In his castle.
Which his ex-girlfriend just decorated in red slime that looks a lot like blood.
Did I mention my life is weird?

I have made my love for Christina's books known ever since I first got my hands on Angelbound, from then on I have spent my time devouring everything she writes. I just love her snarky humor and the well developed characters she brings to life- they feel like friends by the end of the book. This series has not let me down with either of those qualities as well as magic, adventure, fairytales, all things werewolf, and romance. Whenever I get the chance to pick up a Magicorum book, I get so excited to lose myself in this fantastical world and go on an epic battle with Bryar Rose. I can 100% say that I have never encountered another fairytale retelling like this series before and I love the twists that Christina puts on the characters and their roles.

Werewolf stories are just about my most favorite thing ever to read about and when you add the unbreakable, don't-even-try-to-fight-it mate bonds, there is no way I can resist the book. And Knox was the most dreamy and understanding of wolfies, enough said. And as per the norm, I focus on romantic love (because reasons!) but I really like how Bryar also goes on a trip for self-discovery and realizes that family can be what you make it to be, regardless of where you came from, and that was ever so sweet (she really does have the best of friends).

"Minutes pass. So much staring at a screen makes my inner animal restless. “We hates computers,” she grumbles.
For the record, when my wolf gets grouchy, she starts talking like Gollum."

The internal monologues that Bryar has with her wolf are hysterical and hands down my favorite part of the story. Her wolf has so much personality and spunk, I love her- she also slightly reminds me of my very exuberant, let's-go-play-with-the-other-animals-that-hate-us puppy. I'm pretty sure some of his inner thoughts sound just like Bryar's wolf.

“I don’t like leaving our mate,” she growls. “But I do want to scent all those delicious fairies. Let’s play!”
Here it comes. Again, my wolf sees the fae as magical chew toys. “No, We’re not playing with the fae. They’re murderous and cast curses, remember?”
My wolf sniffs. “We’ll play nicely with the yummy fairies.”
I pull at the golden shifter magic inside my soul, commanding my wolf to obey. “No playing with the fae.”

You could almost say that this ends happily ever after, but with what I know about Bryar and company, I am sure that the gang's adventures are just starting (or at least I hope so because I am not ready to say goodbye!). I really enjoyed this story and I highly recommend that the series be read by anyone who likes humor, love, adventure, mayhem, magic and a new spin on the classic fairytale.

Another instalment in the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum, in Shifters and Glyphs, the story continues where Bryar Rose and her mate, Knox, continue their hunt for the fountain of magic before it is too late. As Bry tries to translate the egyptian runes from an ancient text, a new enemy enters the ring with aim to get the magic Bry is chasing after. They follow her through her dreams and wipe her memories in the morning.
It was fine. The writing style was fairly consistent to the first book in the series, the characters were still developing, which was nice, and the story expanded the world and added to it. My only real reservation about this book was that I got bored. It was unfortunate situation, but I just didn't feel drawn into this one and just didn't fall in love with it. I'm honestly not sure why, but I just am not pumped over this book. It hits most of the notes, but was just missing something. That extra push/hook that would really have helped this book over the hump, but in the end, I felt Shifters and Glyphs was just fine and give it the rating of FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS!!!

Shifters and Glyphs is the second novel in the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series by Christina Bauer and is another bubbly and fun magical fairytale retelling with a light-hearted twist.

Bryar Rose lives in a world where magic exists. As a wolf shifter, Bry is one of a number of people living out fairytale templates. As a sleeping beauty template, Bry has spent her life living in seclusion with her evil fairy aunts, but that is all changing. Preparing to attend a prestigious school for wizards, fairies and shifters, Bry is ready for a somewhat normal life until her regular dreams of pyramids and papyri begin to take on a darker shade. Soon Bry will have to delve into long suppressed secrets but alongside her mate Knox and her best friend Elle, Bry is ready for anything….or so she thinks.

As far as fairytale retellings go, Fairytales of the Magicorum is one of the lighter, more playful series I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Christina Bauer picks up where the previous story left off with Shifters and Glyphs once again drawing readers into the world inhabited by Bryar Rose and her friends. Bauer takes liberties with the traditional fairytales you may be familiar with, weaving together a magical enhanced story that takes elements of beloved fairytales and gives them a modern and fun twist.

Shifters and Glyphs is once again told through the eyes of Bryar Rose who is a lively and vivacious character. Bry has character and spunk; keeping readers on their toes with quick quips as well as inner dialogue exchanged between Bry and her wolf which makes for some adorable reading. Bry’s wolf is like an eager puppy with some of her comments and directions and I feel like she’s a really entertaining inclusion on Christina Bauer’s part.

Much of Shifters and Glyphs is spent following Bryar and her friends as they search for the mysterious fountain of magic that has been haunting Bry’s dreams. Christina Bauer includes some developments you won’t necessarily see coming but includes plenty of moments of friendship and sweet romance too to keep things interesting.

As Shifters and Glyphs brings Bryar Rose’s story to a close, I’m super excited about the possibility of reading Elle and Alec’s story. They are just adorable together and I can’t wait to begin their story next. I’m even hopeful that one day Christina Bauer might write a story featuring Ty, because after the initial problems she caused, I do think she’s a really promising character and has plenty of potential.

A fun and entertaining fairytale retelling, Shifters and Glyphs ends perfectly to conclude Bry’s tale and leaves me keen to see what Christina Bauer has in store for this magical world next!

Shifters and Glyphs was an action packed adventure that was filled with friendship, laughter and love. If you're not familiar with this series, you definitely need to start out with the first book Wolves and Roses. You can read my review of that book here. Each book flowed into the next and the storytelling was very creative. The characters were living out their lives according to their fairy tale theme and it was a mix of shifters, wizards, fairies and other creatures too. So if you adore paranormal romance, definitely check this series out.

Knox gently rests his palm against my cheek. “I’m not leaving you. I’m not losing you.” All the intensity in the world shines in his ice-blue eyes.


If it's been a while since you have read Wolves and Roses, this book catches you up and then some. I felt like I easily stepped back into this world and it contained all of the knowledge from the previous book. Life has changed so much since we first met them. Bryar and her best friend Elle were getting ready to start their senior year in a school for magical beings. Knox became Byrar's mate and while it seemed like there were feelings between their two best friends, Alec and Elle, they still claim to be just friends and I loved that they play video games together lol. I loved their little group of four, they were as thick as thieves and I couldn't wait to see what awaited them!

Leaning in, Knox brushes the barest kiss across my lips. “You’re my mate, Bry. My life. My soul. I love you.”


As more pieces of the puzzle started to fit together it became easier to see the bigger picture. While I guessed how a lot of things played out, I was shocked by the hugest twist of all. I definitely didn't see that one coming! And it was so much fun getting answers to so many answers of the questions I had. Even some that have been lingering from book one! The only thing I missed was hearing Knox's pov. I loved listening to his chapters in the first book, he was beyond intoxicating, and I was secretly wishing to hear his voice again. If there's ever a novella released in his voice I'd completely devour it! So if you enjoy paranormal romance that has silly humor, a snarky heroine, a wonderful hero and two fabulous best friends then definitely check this one out!

Bryar Rose is now free to live her life outside of the penthouse her auntie fairies had raised her in. She is scheduled to start school at West Lake Prep, a special high school for members of the Magicorum. Bry doesn’t like the idea of high school, but she is looking forward to life with other magical teenagers. Unfortunately, Bry continues to have dreams about the Egyptian pyramids and her friends in danger. She doesn’t want her friends to get hurt and sets out in search of the pyramids by herself. Luckily, her wolf mate, Knox, is not willing to let her solve this mystery on her own. Will Bry be able to discover the mystery of the pyramids in time? How are Knox and Elle involved in all of this?

Shifters and Glyphs is the second book in the Fairy Tales of the Magicorum series. Bauer’s characters are remarkable in skill and fearlessness, yet I was constantly annoyed by repeated reminders of who everyone was and what they did in the first book. I understand that some nudging is needed to remind readers about the first story, but once I move past chapter 3, I like to experience the new story and don’t want these continuous reminders. Overall it was an enjoyable story and I will be looking forward to the third book when it is released.