Series: Mine #2
Author: Janeal Falor
Author: Janeal Falor
Release Date: May 5, 2014
Pages: 291
Goodreads Rating: 4.28/5 Stars
My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
My Content Rating: YA (Nothing more than kissing)
Summary from Goodreads: Cynthia has always hidden from her father’s hexes behind her older sister. When her family gains independence unheard of for women, she’s relieved that her days of harsh punishments are over. But as her seventeenth birthday approaches—the typical age to be sold to a new master—death threats endanger her sisters. She now faces two options: run or meet society’s expectations.
For once, Cynthia isn’t going to let her older sister shield her from the problem. She’s going to prove to herself, her sisters, and society that her family isn’t a threat to their traditions. She willingly chooses to be purchased by a new master. A bold step that takes her somewhere she never thought she would go and to a man she might possibly fall in love with. With his help, she may just find a way to save her sisters while discovering how to stand up for herself. If she lives long enough.
Mine to Spell is a fantastic follow-up to You Are Mine, in which Cynthia, Serena's sister, finds her own way to rebel against a misogynistic society.
The negatives:
- Not exactly what I expected from the blurb. The synopsis makes it sound like this book is all about how Cynthia makes this big sacrifice and allows herself to be sold and then somehow finds love and freedom because of that decision. Well, that's all kind of true, but Cynthia being sold is only the focus of the very beginning of the book. And she certainly doesn't gain anything from that decision - at least not directly. Most of the book is actually about how Cynthia is a woman who is actually able to perform magic (something that their society has always insisted is impossible) and how she goes about proving to herself and the world that women are just as capable and worthy of magic as men are.
What I loved:
- The worldbuilding. Once again, Falor does an excellent job of portraying a miserable society in which women are considered nothing more than property (or breeders). We also got to learn more about the people who are fighting to change that!
- Cynthia. I really enjoyed Cynthia as a main character. In fact, I think I enjoyed her point of view the most out of this series so far. Cynthia has spent her life pretending - pretending to be a sweet, brainless girl who wants nothing more than a handsome warlock to take care of her, while she's really secretly been suffocating. Her one joy has been learning magic. I thought that Cynthia had a realistic mixture of strength and self-doubt. She really wanted to do what was best for her family and for herself, but she didn't always know what that was. I loved that she wanted to be a role model for her little sisters and show them everything that they could be.
- Lukas. I loved Lukas, the gentle stranger who comes into Cynthia's life and helps her to come into her own. He was Cynthia's protector, but he also encouraged her to be brave herself and to not let go of the ideals she was fighting for. As Lukas and Cynthia grew closer and sparks started to fly between them, I found myself loving their romance!
- The magic. We really got to see more of the magic of this world in this book, which I was so excited about! Not only did we see the hexes and the defensive spells, but we also got to see a fun and beautiful side to the women's magic. There was plenty of magical action in this book as well!
If you're a fan of YA fantasy, you should definitely check out this series! I can't wait to see what Falor has in store for us next (actually, check out my interview below for some hints!). I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own***
I saw on your blog that you made a drastic Cynthia-inspired hairstyle change. (Check it out here). So, was it fun to channel Cynthia? Are you glad you did it?
It was a blast! I'm so glad I went through with it even though it was hard. I've always been curious to try it and glad I finally had an excuse to do so. Doing something crazy every once in a while is good for me.
So far we’ve gotten stories from Serena’s, Katherine’s and Cynthia’s POVs. Which has been your favorite to write?
Definitely Katherine. Her story just flowed out so smoothly, and I feel like I really understand her.
In Mine to Spell, the female characters are once again trying to overcome the societal chains that bind them. What inspired you to write about a society where women (and Tarnished) are so incredibly denigrated and sometimes abused? Were you hoping to make a statement about equality (racial, Gender or otherwise) or was this just a story that called to you?
Honestly, it was just a story that called to me. When I first thought of the idea—women being sold off for the magic in their blood—a society full of brutal men who would want to take advantage of that naturally followed.
Can you give us any hints about the next book in the series? Whose POV will it be told from?
It will be from Waverly's POV which I'm very excited about. She's so different than any of other characters I've written from, I look forward to exploring the Mine world through her eyes.
Hints:
-At least a little part of the story will take place in Envado.
-Waverly will, of course, have a love interest.
-There's a scene I've already written that makes my heart break for my characters, but at the same time made me gleeful (poor Serena and Zade). What can I say? Sometimes I just like me some angst.
Tell us a little bit about your writing process. How long did it take you to write the books in this series? Do you start with a solid outline or surprise yourself as the story unfolds?
You Are Mine took about nine months to write. Mine to Tarnish about four months. Mine to Spell was a beast and took well over a year to complete. I do start with a decent outline, but I'm happy to adapt as the story unfolds. My best ideas usually come from outside the outline.
One more fun question. Since my blog is called Feed Your Fiction Addiction, I always have to ask: What are you addicted to?
Besides reading? Pizza!
Amazon best-selling author Janeal Falor lives in Utah with her husband and three children. In her non-writing time she teaches her kids to make silly faces, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and attempts to cultivate a garden even when half the things she plants die. When it's time for a break she can be found taking a scenic drive with her family, fencing, or drinking hot chocolate.
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