DNF @ 30%

I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this through NetGalley.

I really really tried to carry on with this book but it just was not good. There is absolutely no sense of world building in this book. There is a big info-dump but it’s just like the author expects you to know everything about this world without actually telling you anything? It seems to be a normal world but there’s magic and weird creatures and firebirds and three levels of spells and a frozen world and I just couldn’t keep up?

There were also so many characters! I had absolutely no idea who was who and couldn’t keep track at all. There was no development of any character and they just seem to be very one note. I had nothing to hold onto to grip me into the story and so just had to say to myself enough was enough.

This was such an intriguing and funny fantasy novel that sets up the world incredibly well and includes a diverse cast of characters that I loved. It tells the story of Tala, a young woman living in the magic-free town of Invierno in Arizona and her best friend, Alex, the refugee prince from Avalon. When the mythical firebird comes to Alex on his 18th birthday, it is time for him to reclaim his throne...with some mishaps along the way and while trying to avoid the minions of the Snow Queen.

The Positives: The world here is so immersive and detailed. Featuring aspects from all different mythologies, legends and fairy tales, we have characters from Arthurian legend, Wonderland and Neverland, to name but a few and these are woven seamlessly into the narrative, which also includes a great big helping of Filipino lore too. I loved Tala as a protagonist. She is feisty and brave, vulnerable and unsure of herself and just feels very authentic. Alex is a more troublesome character, and there were times when his behaviour was downright annoying, but again, he is authentic and believable. I love the other characters making up our band and the banter between them was really fun. I think the plot is basic, but it works well, given that there is an awful lot of other stuff going on in the world and also given that we have to try and come to grips with all of the different magic systems on show. I loved the chapter titles and the general tongue-in-cheek vibe to the narrative. It is wry and witty throughout, which I really appreciated.

The Negatives: I felt like Rin Chupeco does throw you in with both feet into the narrative, which meant that the first 50-75 pages left me feeling a little bit lost and consequently, it took me a little bit of time to get into it.

Overall, this was a really fun and incredibly well written book that left a lot of plot threads deliciously hanging, which means I will definitely be anxiously awaiting the sequel.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

What a beautiful and fresh fantasy this book was! I loved the diverse cast, the interesting concept. There was a few rough edges but overall amazing.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Fantastic Flying Book Club, Netgalley, and Source for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.

Ugh OMG RIN CHUPECO can LITERALLY WRITE ANYTHING AND I WOULD LOVE IT.

That’s it, that’s the whole review. Nothing more to say.

But no, really. Rin Chupeco is one of my all time freaking favorite authors and I’m so freaking lucky to be able to read her novels, okay? From my first introduction to her with The Bone Witch to now, I just have not found a novel from her that I didn’t absolutely love. This is no exception, because Tala and Prince Alexei and this entire freaking world was so amazing. Do you know how freaking awesome it would be to meet Tala and Alexei and Tala’s family in real freaking life? Especially since they are freaking in Arizona right now?! Like… let me just drive all the way down there and just freaking help them tear some stuff up!

Ugh wow I’m just so excited to see what else is coming out of this world, and what Tala and Alexei are going to get up to in the next novel. I still can’t believe that Chupeco somehow wrote this novel, and The Never-Tilting World almost back to back somehow? They didn’t come out that far apart and they are both part of a series. Different series! Like, she’s giving me life right now.

This book is such an interesting concept: a world just like ours, except magic is as commonplace as cellphones and laptops. This book integrated so many fairy tale settings: Avalon, Wonderland, Neverland, etc., as well as fairy tale characters, like the Snow Queen, Peter Pan, and more.
However, I regrettably did not enjoy this book very much. This author's books are always hit-or-miss with me: I love some of them, while others I haven't even been able to finish. But, I still appreciate a lot of things about Wicked As You Wish, most notably the LGBTQ+ representation. The prince of Avalon/the main character's best friend, Alex, is gay, and another important character uses they/them pronouns. I really liked how these aspects of the characters were casually integrated into the story, I think that the YA community needs more books like this.
So, while I didn't enjoy the plot very much, I really liked the diversity among the large cast of characters.

In a strange world, with a hard-to-follow mythological/political/historical/economical settings, evolved different and very enjoyable characters. I really appreciate the diversity and the personalities of the characters and it kept me from losing interest of the plot even if it was very unclear to me. I also adored the influence of the Filipino culture and the originality of the magical elements.

The writing of Rin Chupeco is really strong, fluid, and captivating. There are a lot of things going on but her words were always well-placed and relevant.

I’m having a terrible time to adapt myself in the urban-fantasy kind of books and this lost me several times. It reminded me my reading of Infinity Son by Adam Silvera where the world building was a bit chaotic and it was impossible for me to set up my mind on where and when we are. Alt universe ? Alt earth ? XXI century ? Magic VS Science ? Cellphone ? Shows and movies references ? Kingdom or democracy ? Nah it’s getting to big for me.

It’s a bit frustrating to like the characters and the writing style but being constantly lost in the way by a bad portraying of the world the book is evolving. It was not really for me I guess.

meltotheany recommend rin chupico and she did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this book., I will read more from her in the future.

Wicked as you Wish is the story of Tala, a teenage girl of Filipino descent, who has lived in the Royal States of America for 12 years. When she was only 6 years old, she and her family had to flee the Kingdom of Avalon to come and settle here. The arrival of Alex in her family, the King of Avalon, will turn her life upside down. The young king wants to save his kingdom, frozen in the ice for twelve years and inaccessible since, and defeat the Snow Queen, the person who threw the curse on Avalon.

My summary may not be the most precise I could give you, but this book is quite complex, and I will need more than 20 lines to summarize the general context. On the other hand, I can tell you one thing, which I think will give you a general idea of ​​it: this book contains all the tales and legends that you have once read, seen or listened to, and make them the history of this world, which resembles our own, without being entirely so. If you know the Once Upon a Time series, this book uses the same principle. For example, we will mainly follow seven characters, including the grandson of the Sheriff of Nottingham, well known for being Robin Locksley's enemy, Robin Hood. The majority of the other main characters are the Bandersnatchs, sent by Cheshire (Alice in Wonderland) to protect Alex. Each character in this book has a story, each weapon is a well-known weapon, and I'm sure like me, you're going to have fun trying to guess who's who before the story tells you.

What I liked most about this story, apart from the fairy tale aspect, was the universe. I really like books that take over our world, by modifying certain elements, like here. Avalon is a country, magic is an essential component of this world, allowing a certain technology similar to ours, and wars are not the fact of religions but of power, in order to appropriate ever more glyphs, sources of magic.

I must warn you however, this reading is very dense. This is a first volume, and so if you like fantasy you know that a first volume is always very dense, in order to be able to pose the universe, the context, in addition to the characters and the story. So you really have to take your time with the first part (30%) of this book, so as not to be lost. However, once this step passed, for me it was only happiness.

I loved the little passages on the Filipino’s traditions. This is a country I loved to visit, and any mention of this country in a book always puts me in a good mood, and makes me appreciate it even more. The author being Filipino (and still living there), I plan to read her other books very, very soon. I really liked her style, and I think The Bone Witch could be a very good saga.

The only “negative” point that I could give to this novel would be the density of the first part. If you are not in a good period, if you have little time to read each time, or if you want to read a book that devours itself in a few hours, this is not for you. You should be aware that it will take you time to read it, otherwise, given the amount of information given, the urge to abandon it could be strong.

For those asking, I'm happy to tell you that in this book, in addition to the Filipino representation, some major characters are LGBT+ characters (gay MC and non-binary MC) !

A huge thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in advance !

In conclusion: I found this book to be a very good introduction, with very interesting writing and I must admit that I really want to read more!

I love the other works of Rin Chupeco, but this one clearly didn't make me love it like the other books. I have some issues with it in terms of how dragging the narration is to the point that it never holds my full attention and interest in reading and enjoying the story. Though I admit that I really really want to dive into the story, especially it has a lot of Filipino references in it like the cultures and traditions we have. I love reading those familiar Filipino terms like agimat, puto, bibingka, abanico fans, and many more.

When I started this novel, I'm excited because, yay, another book from Rin Chupeco. I also get amazed whenever she was able to sew some Filipino references in the story together with some magical stuff. But, I don't know what's happening in the story because everything is a mess in my head. The plot, the characters, the magic systems, and the world-building looks like entangled with one another that makes me lost in the story. Though it somehow gets better after some chapters.

Overall, I feel overwhelmed in reading this book because of too many characters and other details, even though I love how the author cast diverse characters and use different fairytales, legends, and myths in creating the story. I will still recommend this novel to everyone who likes reading young adult fantasy because you might love this despite my opinion and experience with it.

So at the beginning of the story it gave me Carry on vibes by Rainbow Rowell. I just finished both books and i am here for more magic stories. It also gives me Reverie vibes, and I was thinking Harry Potter but not as much.

We have our two main characters, Alex and Tala are just trying to live life, go to school and not get caught. When a teacher of theirs comes out with a viral video about magic, everything becomes haywire. People are looking for Alex, Tala and her family are trying to protect him and Tala learns more about her life than she thought. Trying to juggle this, her love interest, and just life I was really intrigued on how she would pull through.

It took me a little bit to get used to some of the way the characters talk. After reading Outlander I am a little used to people talking differently, but it takes me a few chapters to really understand what they are saying. My favorite character has to be Talas father, he’s funny, and just care so much about his family. Even though Tala couldn’t see it at first she knows he is only doing what’s best for her.

Overall, this was such an amazing book and I can’t wait to recommend this to everyone.

On no, this was a DNF from me. I really wanted to like this one but I just couldn't.

Rin Chupeco takes us into the world of magic and the famous Avalon. The main character, Tala Warnock is the descendant of Maria Makiling, the legendary Filipina heroine. The Makiling family is famous for negating magic spells, meaning spells do not work on her, nor do the work if Tala does not want them to.

Unfortunately I did not finish this book. I really loved the world the author created but it was just too much. I tried to keep reading but I felt the way the world was explained was too complicated. I did love the diversity of the characters. There were different ethnicity and varying sexual preferences of the characters.

As a Filipino I was super excited to read this book, but sadly I'm going to add this to the DNF pile. It's a little too info dumpy for me at the beginning and it's starting to get confusing. And I'm having a hard time connecting with its characters. I enjoyed the author's writing as usual, though.

I like fairy tales and mythology in an urban setting. Hence I loved the concept of this story. I felt as if I were binging on a television series where each chapter, with a humorous heading, felt like an episode.

Tala negated spells. Prince Alexei of Avalon was in hiding after the war with Snow Queen which caused his kingdom to freeze. The Snow Queen too had disappeared. But the appearance of the firebird at Tala’s place changed the dynamics of the equation. Now Alex, Tala, and the rest had to go to Avalon to fight the Snow Queen.

My first book by author Rin Chupeco, I was quite excited to lay my hands on it. As I turned the pages, I realized the hard truth. It would be a difficult book to review. I stood at the precipice and tried to find a balance in the prose. Not knowing how to write a review, I decided to make a list.

There were a few things I liked; it reminded me of one of my favorite television series Once Upon A Time. The author cleverly transformed all the known fairy tales as subplots of the story. The characters were varied and diverse, each with their own ways of fighting. The firebird, as a weapon, added to the fun of it.

I have always loved villains more than the heroes. The Snow Queen was all I thought her to be. She was foreboding, and she really made the gang work hard to kill her. Her character added spice to the story. The twists were interspersed well, some of them did roil the insides of the main character. Social issues were touched upon which were valid in today’s times.

There were a few confusing things, maybe it was because I was not well and my brain synapses were slow. I didn’t understand the rules of magic. There were too many things told to me. The dialogues too felt a bit off, there was no zing. The worldbuilding initially was all over the place but settled down later. Same with the number of characters.

Things in Avalon were much better, I enjoyed the story much more when it was set in the magical Kingdom. The last few chapters really went hopping. The fight between the gang and Snow Queen and her minions made the story so exciting. The last line of the epilogue was a game changer, for sure!!

3.5 stars

Chupeco's stories are closed to my heart after what she has done to Shadowglass. I also loved her new series, The Never-Tilting World, and I expect that A Hundred Names of Magic would be wowed because it represents Filipino own voice magical story.

Well praise for Chupeco's representation of the Filipino culture and even incorporating the Filipino language. This not a middle-grade story. It is a Young Adult/Fantasy. The author incorporated the Filipino curse language which I laugh up through the story. It may not be for you, but this story is very close to my heart.

The characters are superbly astounding. Tala and the squad are witty, charming, and funny.

One thing that makes me off was the world-building. I don't have any information or knowledge of what would be the story is. I just accept the book for representing a Filipino inspired fantasy. The story was hard to take in because Avalon was massive but, the other side of Avalon was much bigger than it. World-building needs more construct foundation.

Still, I am excited about the sequel and expect more of that astounding storytelling and Filipino sass!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. A huge thanks to SOURCEBOOKS fire for this!

TW: Rin Chupeco's book deals with issues like homophobia (against Alex and Loki's fathers), racism, child abuse, abuse, bigotry, poltical stance on immigration, police (ICE agents) abuse of power.

Tala Warnock is the descendant of Maria Makiling, a Filipine heroine able to negate spells and she lives in a world where magic is strictly controlled, a modern world where magic and techonology are both present and connected. In Invierno, a boring town in Arizona, magic rarely works and thanks to her family's ties to the country of Avalon (unreachable, frozen and bespelled for almost 12 years) they are chosen to protect and guard the heir of Avalon, Alexei, taking care of him against people and countries who want to exploit his kingdom's magic for their cruel ends.
While both Tala and Alex try to have a normal life, going to school, to parties, trying to have boyfriends, their life are abruptly changed when the firebird, one of the Avalon's deadliest weapon, appears to Alex and the Snow Queen, presumed dead, attacks him.
They are forced to run, leaving the town, helped by Tala's family, by the Bandersnatchers, a contingent of young people, teenagers, tasked to protect their heir. On the run, in a kingdom she thought lost, Tala is confronted with family's secrets, magic and the need and desire to protect her best friend and understand her own powers and story.

I really liked Wicked as you wish. In the beginning, to be honest, I found the worldbuilding a bit confusing, but while reading everything clicked and I found myself involved in this amazing story. Set on a Earth where fairytales' characters like Alice in Wonderland, the Cheshire Cat, Arthur Pendragon and so on and where places like Avalon, Wonderland and Beira, the Snow Queen's kingdom are real, the reader is pushed right away in a complex and captivating world.
It's almost possible to divide the book in two parts, the first one, set in Invierno and the other one in Avalon.
In the first part, the reader get to know Tala and Alex, their secrets, Tala's being a spellbreaker, Alex being gay and closeted and the Avalon's heir in a world not so different from our own, except for the magic.

The firebird, the Bandersnatchers, the Snow Queen change everything and Tala is separated from her family, with a friend to protect and she's is forced to rely on herself and her new friends, in their attempt to reach Maidenkeep and to try to save their kingdom, but their trip is full of surprises. Ice wolves, secrets, frog marsh king, profecies, dooms and fights. During the trip the reader, through Tala, get to know the Bandersnatchers, their bonds, friendship, families, powers and weapons and Avalon's story.

One of the things I loved the most are the characters. I loved the diversity in this book. Tala is biracial Filipino, Alex is gay, Loki is non-binary, Chinese-Canadian and was adopted by two men, Ken is from Japan.
Tala is smart, brilliant and determined and in a situation where she's utterly unprepared, but where she's eager to learn and fight. Betrayed, full of question, she's focused on their mission, willing to do anything to protect her best friend and save Avalon.
The Bandersnatchers are amazing, I loved them so much. Zoe, who is the leader of the mission, is brilliant, sensible and weighed down by the responsiblity of protecting a stubborn and with attitude heir.
West, whose family is naturalist, so doesn't know many modern things, is funny, cute in his questions and he's a Roughskin, a shapeshifter. (I laughed so much while reading him shredding his clothes and Zoe complaining about him being naked.)
Ken,with his magical swords and their hidden powers, is playful and funny. Loki, with their magical staff, is a ranger, resourceful and without them and their sense of direction, they would have been stuck in the forest forever.
Cole with his scary scythe, his attitute and his secrets is the brooding type, but with his heart in the right place (I hope). And Nya, the latest addiction, full of surprise and ready to be part of their group and adventure. I want to know more about them, from Zoe and her boyfriend (and his bond with Alex), West's shapeshifting, Ken's explanations and joke, Loki and their fathers' love and their powers.
I LOVED the firebird. Like the bantering between the Bandersnatchers, the firebird was unbelievably funny and I laughed so much reading the scene with it in it, like when he blew raspberry or rolled his eyes.

Alex is another interesting character, with a painful past. When he was five years old he saw his parents being killed and was saved and taken away from Avalon, before the frost hit the kingdom. He spent all his life hiding, running for his life, shuttled from one family to the other, until Tala's family, who was forced, with the firebird's arrival, to leave Invierno and run away. Coming back in his kingdom, destroyed, frozen and hurt by the Snow Queen and her vendetta is painful and for most of the book, in Avalon, Alex is rude, hurtful and full of lies and secrets, keeping himself away from Tala and the others. I hope he and Tala will find a way to be more honest around one other in the next book.

Complex are the "villains" in the story, like the Snow Queen, her story and past really interesting, like her vendetta and obsession and Ryker, who is a intruing character, his past and his reasons for his loyalty painful and raw to read. I liked Ryker, a lot, and I can't wait to know more about them, their full and bigger plan.

Amazing are the side characters, like Tala's family, Lumina and Kay, their love and relationship strong and inspiring, and Lola Urduja and Katipuneros, a group of old warriors, unbelievably tenacious and ready to do anything to protect their families and heir and the Cheshire, a mastermind.

Interesting and unique is the use of profecies and dooms, so important in this world that a certain kind of doom can get some priviliges. It was amazing trying to decode the Dame's and the priestess' predictions, while reading! Fascinating the magic and the concept it comes with a price, usually a physical one,.

Brilliant and funny are the chapter titles, like (In wich government agents are assholes, but what else is new or In which Loki uses a toothpick and Ken loses a fight with a library)!

Above all, I really loved this book. I loved how the author deals with important themes, like abuse, homophobia, racism in Wicked as you wish, talking about the political tension in their world, the power abuse, the countries' stance on immigration and so on. At the same time it's a journey of discovery, of trying to do the right thing, of protecting others, of taking back a kingdom, of learning things about others and oneself.
The characters are amazing, the story is full of mysteries, plot twists, fairytales characters and this mix of modern world and fairytales was amazing and funny. I can't wait to know what will happen next.

Wicked as you Wish is a fun mix of fairy tales and urban fantasy that touches on important current issues, but unfortunately not my cup of tea. Based on the Bone Witch series I was expecting something dark and gritty from Wicked as you Wish. It's completely my fault for not reading the blurb.
There are a lot of great jokes and fun to be had here for fans of a more lighthearted toned urban fantasy. A bad-ass squad of diverse protagonists and an Ice Queen villain. Ooh and meme references!

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I really wanted to like this but it didn't click with me personally, I feel like teens might really like it though. I am usually a fan of fairytale and classic retellings but I didn't like the way it was done in this book. Worlds like Wonderland or Neverland were referenced way too often. I got to a point where I wanted to say, "Okay! I get it!" The almost our world but with a slight twist thing wasn't my favorite either. I think some of the action and twists were fun but it just wasn't enough for me to really connect to the story or to care for it at all.

3.5 stars rounded up because I genuinely enjoyed this story! I've never read anything by Chupeco before so I didn't know what to expect but I can say for sure that it wasn't what I got--and I don't mean that in a bad way! I've been trying to think if I've ever read anything like this before and I honestly can't say that I have. It definitely gets points for uniqueness!

The Writing
This is where I think I faced the most difficulties. There was something about Chupeco's writing style that made it hard for me to focus and so it took time for me to warm up to the story. There is a lot happening in this book and especially early on it felt a little bit all over the place. It required all of my focus, although that's not necessarily a bad thing and I didn't mind once I got used to it, but that also made for a much slower reading pace! I loved the humour in the writing though and some of the quirky comments really had me laughing out loud. The chapter titles were also so spot on and got me excited for what was to come in each chapter!

The World building
This book is set in our modern day but with a twist. There's magic but also the fairytales that we've known and loved since we were kids exist in this alternate history. I mean, Wonderland, Alice and the Cheshire Cat, King Arthur and the sword in the stone, Cinderella and her glass slipper, Robin Hood and the evil Snow Queen are all real, but they have character or plot twists that are slightly different to the stories we know. I absolutely loved this aspect of the story and have never read anything like it before! That said, the world building was honestly quite confusing. There's a lot to take in and at the beginning especially it felt like a lot of info dumping. Even now I'm still not 100% sure how exactly spelltech and glyphs work? But I loved what my imagination was able to conjure up based on Chupeco's writing. I don't know if the final version will have a map but I think it'd be so helpful to have one particularly for Avalon, Wonderland and Beira!

Also interesting was how Chupeco touched upon the current political climate (applicable globally but mostly in America). There was little hold back when talking about the treatment of immigrants, especially by the ICE agents, and of people's hatred for those who are different from them (whether it's because of skin colour or sexual orientation). The 'shade' toward ICE and the Royal States' policies was real and I was sitting there snapping my fingers as I read through those parts!

The Characters
There are a lot of characters in this book and I loved them all (well, save for a few). I really liked Tala's parents, Lola Urduja and the Katipuneros, but I loved the Bandersnatches most. Their witty and cheeky banter was hilarious and I got strong found family vibes from this group of friends, including Tala, Cole and Nya. We learn little bits and pieces about them but there's still so much complexity in their characters to explore. I'm particularly interested in learning more about Kay (Tala's da) and Cole Nottingham! I wasn't too sure about Tala's character at first but she grew on me as the story progressed. She was relatable. I enjoyed watching her learn more about how to use her powers defensively. ALSO although romance plays a very minor role in this, there are some ships I can see taking shape and I hope they start sailing in the coming books!

If there's one character that really disappointed me, it was Alex, the last remaining Prince of Avalon. Anytime he would open his mouth I just wanted to shove a sock in it because this dude was just hella rude. I get he has all this pressure on him as the cursed prince who is trying to save his people and free his country that has been encased in ice for the last 12 years. But his attitude was so unnecessary! Even after the Bandersnatches rescued him several times this bro still had to keep being rude AF. No redemption at the end either, so I guess his character is consistent but I was not here for it.

Overall, although I had some issues with the world building and writing, I ended up genuinely enjoying this unique book! That epilogue had my jaw dropping so hard and it threw me off completely--like WHAT?! After an ending like that I can't wait to see what happens next and I can't wait to read more of Chupeco's books! Thanks to Netgalley and Rin Chupeco for the free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I think it's important to mention that if you want to read this book because you love the Bone Witch trilogy and think this book will be similar, then don't.

It's a completely different story, way heavier and the characters and writing style feels different as well.

The topics mentioned in the book can be triggering for some, so proceed with caution.

However, I enjoyed the detailed and rich world-building, the two main characters, and the story is an interesting mixture of fantasy, fairy tales, and folklore stories.

It's an entertaining YA fantasy story with dark layers and is beautifully written.

*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am so so grateful for this Arc, so thank you so much to the publisher!

I hate to say it though, i DNFed it :((((

The world building is so confusing, i couldnt understand most of it. I like my fantasy to be fantasy and contemporary to be contemporary, this strange mix of the two whilst trying to make it 'modern' really didnt work for me.

I honestly try not to let other reviews and ratings affect me prior to diving into a book but unfortunately this one was definitely a victim of me doing a whole lot of side-eye as the GR rating went down, down, down in the weeks leading up to release and now i can see why. I would still like to read some more of the authors works though!