All the Stars and Teeth fist caught my eye because of the menacing title and gorgeous cover design. On top of that, I had seen nothing but stellar reviews claiming it would be the big YA book of 2020. Unfortunately, this book was just average for me.
This is a high fantasy novel, and as such I understand it must build an entire world from scratch, but the author introduced the world through two massive exposition dumps. In truth I never learned the names of the kingdom's islands, other than the two we visit in the novel. Nor did I learn the associated magics and gemstones.
We also get the setup for a love triangle, but it's never followed through, as the protagonist's affections are never in doubt.
For the first several chapters, the dialogue and narration feel stiff and forced. Though it never feels perfectly natural, it does eventually flow more smoothly.
Overall, I didn't dislike this book, but I didn't adore it.

All The Stars and Teeth is an amazing debut novel. It follows Amora, a princess of an island kingdom, who is forced to flee after a demonstration of soul magic goes awry. She is helped by a pirate named Bastian, and strikes a deal with him to help him reclaim his stolen magic in return for his help.
There’s pirates, mermaids, magic, monsters, and the pacing is perfect. The magic system is unique and well explained, the main characters are well developed and have personality, and I loved Amora’s confidence throughout the entire book.
Overall, this is an adventure that you don’t want to skip out on. It’s the first book in a duology!
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

ALL THE STARS AND TEETH had me at "vengeful mermaid." This YA Fantasy is WE HUNT THE FLAME at sea. And like WHTF, it left me sad when I finished the book and I yearned for the sequel.

Although a princess in an island kingdom with everything from rainbow coloured mist, one city as stark white as Gondor in LOTR and another city with stained glass streets, Amora must be the "monster" her kingdom Visidia needs.

Although there is friendship, romance and pink guyliner (think the Hunger Game's Capitol) in ALL THE STARS AND TEETH, Amora will not hesitate to use her dagger or satchel of soul magic to save her kingdom.
Fierce fights, spooky secrets and menacing sea creatures had me gripped to Adalyn Grace's debut. It's a must-read, and sure to be a Bestseller.

I was chosen to be a part of All the Stars and Teeth Street Team, and had the opportunity to read an e-ARC of the book, so thank you Adalyn Grace and Imprint!

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

My Rating: 4 / 5 🌟

Being a debut novel, All the Stars and Teeth has been high on my radar ever since I heard about it and especially with all the buzz surrounding it, my anticipation grew bigger and bigger.

After finding out I was a part of the street team, I was really excited to have such an opportunity but it also created a fear within me that I might not enjoy this book.

Fortunately, this book completely blew me out of the waters in the best way possible and yes, pun intended. 😂

The world that Adalyn created to tell this story was absolutely captivating. From the lifestyle of the people on each islands to the positioning of the islands in the kingdom, Adalyn spared no detail to be left untold. It's been a while since I've read a book that was set in a beautifully crafted world such as this one, and this aspect itself deserves my highest compliment.

With the well-established world as its backbone, All the Stars and Teeth did not fail to serve an adventurous story incorporating both the islands and the sea. Each chapter was filled with something new to be explored and the momentum of the book as a whole never seem to slow down as the story progresses. My inner wanderer appreciated how the book truly took this particular aspect and used it to its fullest potential.

Another thing I have to highlight is the writing style that was used throughout the book. Adalyn's way of writing was exactly how All the Stars and Teeth needed to be told. From how each detail was lively described to how she gave character to the ship and the sea, I absolutely fell in love with her style of writing and I can't wait to see how her writing will evolve after this duology.

The only minor complain I have are the characters. As All the Stars and Teeth focuses mainly on the world and the plot, it left little room for the characters to show their personalities beyond the surface level. Although I really did enjoy the characters, it felt as if I didn't have a chance to get to know them well enough. But knowing that there will a be sequel to this story, I have hopes Adalyn will show more depth to the characters in the next book.

All in all, I had a really fun time reading this book and am highly anticipating for the sequel. If you're looking for an adventurous story set in a beautifully crafted world, All the Stars and Teeth should definitely be your next read.

3.5 out of 5 stars

All the Stars and Teeth follows the story of Amora. A young princess at her “coming of age” trial to prove she has control over the dangerous soul magic that only her bloodline can control. Only that trial doesn’t go the way it should and she ends up imprisoned until chance would through a pirate into her path. Now she’s on the run, learning things about her kingdom that have been kept from her all her life. Worse then that, is the truth behind the magic that runs through her veins. Add that a madman is delving into forbidden magics and is trying to overtake her families throne on top and you’ve got for one crazy adventure.

On to the story….

Not going to lie. The first 110 pages of this were so slow. It was a lot to do with preparations for Amora’s trial of her magic to claim her spot as the heir. While I liked the almost lyrical writing and descriptions, it dragged on for a bit too long for my taste. Once it took off, it took off. I enjoyed the rest of it for what it was. For a debut it shows a lot of promise. I’m really interested to see where she goes from here with the story.

Characters:
You follow four characters predominately.

Amora- The main protagonist. I absolutely could not stand her for quite some time. While she does have some astounding character growth throughout the book, it didn’t always come across as authentic. She would reach a certain level of maturity then react to a situation that would seem more appropriate to an early version or just out of character completely. I liked the use of give and take for her magic. She had to use bones and teeth along with something of the persons to tie it to them in order to use it on other people.

Bastion-Enter our pirate rouge who (for me) saved this book. I found him to be very entertaining and the dynamic between him and Amora is hysterical. I loved their banter. Bastion has his own issues to overcome which we don’t really find out about until closer to the end. The romantic relationship between them was enjoyable to read, but I don’t think it was necessarily needed. I do think he will be very popular among readers though.

The last two characters felt more like an afterthought to round out the party. I thought they were interesting, but they didn't get enough interplay to really seem like active characters.

Ferrick-Is introduced as Amora’s betrothed. He has some really interesting abilities. Not only is he a healer but if Amora needs bones for a spell he just holds out his hand for her to take a finger or two and keep going. Its like it didn't even phase him when she would do this which I found odd. Granted he could regenerate the missing bits back, but you'd think there would still be an acknowledgment that it hurt. Ferrick is genuinely a good guy. I hope he does end up with a happy ending cause he does get the raw end of the deal in most situations.

Vataea- Our mermaid friend. She is mouthy and give absolutely zero-fox about what others think. At least anyone outside their little team but even that’s dodgy. We don’t get a lot about her. Other then she can control water, lure men to their death with her singing (something she rather enjoys) and can switch back and forth between fins for water and legs for land. Her people are dying out because they seem to need to mate with humans to reproduce but she’s really not all that interested in that happening anytime soon. Much like Ferrick I feel she was often used as a way to move the story forward or to get through the scene


The world-The world consists of several islands. Each island centers around one type of magic, healers, fire, charm..etc. People are discouraged from learning more then one magic because it will corrupt and destroy the person. Eat them alive if you will. In order to keep the temptation down those with certain affinities are kept to certain places. And absolutely no one outside the royal family is allowed soul magic as it is the most dangerous of them all. We get to see so little of the world I do hope it is explored more in the next book.

E-ARC provided by Macmillian via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

This was such an exciting start to a very unique fantasy series. I thought the magic system was very unique- particularly the type of magic our heroine possessed, and I loved how fierce she was. Looking forward to the next book in the series immensely!

Thanks so much to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC. This review will be posted to Goodreads and on Amazon's and Barnes & Noble's websites on the date of publication.

All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace has just kn0cked my socks off. I’d say it has knocked my teeth out but that might be a spoiler. *Winks like a corny book nerd*

WOW! All the Stars and Teeth is a fantasy book that has all the sort of beauty, mystical arts, and “bad assery” a fantasy reader thirst for!

The book is an intricately woven tale of the soon to be Queen of the island kingdom of Visidia, High Animancer Amora Montara. Starting with her mentally preparing for her ceremony, in which she will earn her title of heir. With her father, the king by her side, as well as mother and other close entourage the kingdom is buzzing for the pending celebrations. There is a ghost of doubt in our main girl Amora though, with a strong will, brilliant mind, and adventurous spirit she is determined to excel in this test she must pass in front of all the kingdom plus all visiting isles that pertain to her kingdom’s rule. Amora’s, heart though, is heavy with fear and self doubt. She is not wanting to let the strength of her magic take over, causing her to loose the trust of her people and be rejected as the true heir.

… I must prove myself to them if I’m to earn the title of heir. And I’m to do it by showing them a proper demonstration of Aridan magic, the magic shared only through the blood of the Montara family.”

Sadly her performance does not go as planned. After dealing with her failure she strikes a deal with a questionable new ally, a pirate, promising to show her all the answers she has questions for. Boarding his ship and she is surprised to find her betrothed sneakily got on the ship as well. They then venture off in astounding and daring journey, where they encounter many mystical beings, uncover many truths, and find out their true strengths.

My experience with All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace is one that merged with the adventures of the story. I felt myself becoming Amora, feeling her anger, rage, sorrow, and determination. Adalyn Grace can easily be dubbed as the creator of a fantastical and epic read.

Encountering this book is very close to that off reading an epic fantasy read that I read years ago, one that has a huge following, with the author initials S.J.M. If you know, then you know. Yes, I am bold enough to make such claim this story speaks for itself. Read it if you don’t believe me.

I am Amora Montara, Princess of Visidia, and I will be the future High Animancer. I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.”

Speaking of reading it go pre-order it now, this is a fantasy read you want to be a part of. It’s ground breaking and heart wrenching. All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace comes out February 4th, 2020. I say this with all seriousness go open a new tab and pre-order real quick. Better yet here is the link.

I give All The Stars and Teeth FIVE magical stars! It took me on a most magical and thrilling ride. I highly recommend this to fantasy read fans!

This was a fantastic book with a lot of Pirates of the Caribbean / Daughter of the Pirate King / Seafire vibes. I love a good pirate romp with a fierce female lead. The characters were really interesting, and the world had a great magic system. I love that this was both a swashbuckling pirate novel and magical fantasy combined. There was a lot of action and I felt like the pacing was good. I'm really excited to get a copy of this book!

All the cover love here! While my rating is middle of the road, I'd ask you to take my thoughts with a grain of salt, as I am NOT the target audience, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this book. I think it's more a case of right book, wrong reader, mainly due to my fickle mood lately and my having read so many pirate themed YA fantasy books in the past year. The writing was really well done and I have no doubt that the author is one we'll see many great things from in the years ahead. Definitely recommended to those searching for more of the nautical adventures that YA fantasy has to offer!

This just missed the mark for me, and I can't even explain why. I think reading fantasy is just not going to gel for me. This is a cool idea and concept, but it fell flat and felt tropey.

This book is powerful! It has serious Pirates of the Carribean vibes with a super strong female character in the captain's seat. At times I found myself wanting to be in the story, but I really just like to read about pirates and not be one. I loved the relationships between the characters, but I also appreciated that romance wasn't the main storyline in this book.

I had mad respect for this author. If you check out this book on Goodreads, you will find that the author has written out a very detailed post with content warnings. Thank you, Adalyn Grace! I will definitely continue on with this series!

I ❤❤❤ this book!!!!!
Amora is fierce and able to take care of herself, and her magic is extraordinary. ALL THE STARS AND TEETH is a sweeping, magical tale filled with pirates, a whip smart mermaid, a princess thirsting to prove herself and protect her kingdom, and a soft cinnamon roll boy who captured my heart. Everyone is fleshed out, with engaging personalities and distinct voices.
And the magic. It’s different and bloody and extraordinary. I read this ebook in a couple of hours wanting the sequel!!!!!

All the Stars and Teeth is a story about a princess who must travel her land to discover the secrets that will save the kingdom but may also tear apart her life as she knows it. This world is full of so many different kinds of magic and the princess, Amora, can use soul magic. I absolutely loved this book. It is full of action, adventure, fierce female characters, brave and interesting male characters and a really cool magical world. Amora is hands down, one of my new all time favorite characters. She is so smart and clever and strong but she also is loyal to her kingdom and actually listens to those around her when something happens. The small crew that she builds throughout the story are so great and I love every single one of them. The characters feel really well written, they are multi-layered and interesting. The action scenes are super fast paced and incredibly fun to read. I will admit though, I thought the ending could have been better. It just felt too rushed to me. I had been expecting more of a cliffhanger knowing that this is a duology, but then a lot of the action that I thought would be stretched over the series was wrapped up more quickly that I would have preferred. I'm not quite sure what will happen in the next book but I am very excited to find out and to keep an eye out for more that this author writes.

A powerful story and Amora is awesome! I love stories about magic. Add in one fierce female protagonist , pirates, a mermaid and I’m all in.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This review will go live on my blog, The Library Lane, on January 22, 2020.

All the Stars and Teeth is the book of my dreams! I loved everything about it. The world, magic and characters were absolutely incredible. This was my first read of 2020 and wow, what a great way to start off the new year!

I am completely blown away by the world that Adalyn Grace has created. As her debut, this story draws you in and will not let you go until the very last word. You will be whisked away by beautiful & descriptive writing. While reading, I could picture walking through Arida and being on board Keel Haul. It was magical. All the Stars and Teeth takes you on an epic journey on the sea. There will be tons of twists, turns and danger along the way. You will not want to stop reading!

The magic system was so interesting and different from anything I’ve ever read. The kingdom of Visidia is broken into islands with each one being the home of a certain magic. Once a person chooses a magic they’d like to practice, they go live on the designated island. Of all the different types, curse magic and soul magic play the biggest role in the story. Both of these are complex, dangerous, and pretty violent. I loved learning about how they work and what their limitations are. Everything was thoroughly explained and I never once felt confused.

Then there were the amazing characters! Amora is the princess of Visidia and heir to the throne. She loves the kingdom more than anything in the world. She goes above and beyond in order to protect it. She is so fierce and won’t let anyone or anything stand in her way. Amora definitely makes my all time favorite characters list. The rest of the crew is fabulous as well. Bastian was mysterious and hilarious. Ferrick was sweet and protective. And Vataea was powerful and dangerous. I loved the connection that they shared and I am looking forward to seeing more of them in the sequel.

This was not a romance based fantasy, but I will say there was a relationship that I was living for. The chemistry between the two was literal fire. With the way this book ended though, I am SO interested to see what will happen next for them. I was in complete shock reading the last few pages. Ahhhh!

I know for a fact that this book will be on my mind for quite a while. I’m also very aware that it is only January but I cannot imagine this book not being on my favorites list for 2020. If you are looking for a fast paced fantasy that is full of action, magic and adventure…put All the Stars and Teeth on your TBR! You will not regret it.

This book was fun, entertaining, and full of magic and adventure. Would recommend if you love complex magical systems and interesting characters.

I didn’t totally hate this book, but I have to say that I was a bit disappointed by it. Most of my issues stemmed from the fact that I just never connected with the characters in any way that made me care about them. But the world and the magical system were both interesting enough to keep me reading to the end.

This book is great and very fun but the main characters fall flat. The cover is eye catching because of the colors but on closer inspection looks like a cliche YA book cover. I will wait for a student to ask for this before purchasing it for the library.

So amazing! I loved the uniqueness of the magic. Plus, a good pirate and mermaid story. A combination of all the things I long for in YA. And somehow, it all meshed together perfectly.

Looking forward to what’s next!

This book had a very unique magic system. Each region of their kingdom represents people with a different type of magic. It had a couple twists and turns that I didn't expect. The main group of companions we follow make a good group of companions with distrust that grows into trust and dependence on each other. I found it fairly fast paced and it kept my interest.