Book Review & Blog Tour: All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace (ARC)

Happy Friday everyone! Today is my tour stop for the blog tour of All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace!

All the Stars and Teeth

Author: Adalyn Grace

Publication Date: 04 February 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 384

Publisher: Imprint (Macmillan YA)

Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice, Adalyn Grace’s All the Stars and Teeth is a thrilling fantasy for fans of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval and Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series.

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder—and more peril—than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.

I have been DYING to read All the Stars and Teeth since I first got wind this book was going to be published. A YA fantasy revolving around pirates, mermaids, and magic?! Not to mention, when I saw the cover reveal, I was like GIMME GIMME GIMME!

For the inhabitants of Visidia, they are able to choose one type of magic to wield. For Amora, she has never had a choice. She will practice soul magic. Soul magic is the deadliest form of magic and is only practiced by the royal family.

In order to claim her place as rightful heir and future High Animancer, at Amora’s coronation, she must demonstrate that she is in full control her magic in order to continue to protect the kingdom from the beast that will return if the people start practicing more than one magical ability.

Unfortunately, Amora loses control of her powers, which leaves a man brutally maimed. She is thrown into the dungeons to await her fate until a mysterious pirate named Bastian, who is determined to regain his stolen magic, crosses her path. Rather than take her chances in the dungeon, she strikes a deal with Bastian. Together, the set on an adventure with Amora’s fiance Ferrick, and a vengeful mermaid, Vataea to restore Bastian’s magic as well as save the realm from an evil magic that will be the end of them all.

While I did end up really enjoying this book in the end, I did struggle with the pacing of the first part of the book as the magic system was being explained and the world was being constructed. I felt that the plot was a little too slow, but the complexity and thoroughness of the world building as well as Bastian’s snarkiness kept me going.

About halfway through book, the action takes off like a spring loaded cannon. There was so much action and excitement that I found myself tearing through the pages to find out what was going to happen next. I absolutely loved Vataea! She’s a mermaid with a grudge, and nothing is going to keep her from her desired freedom.

Overall, this magical debut is entertaining and definitely makes me want to read the next book.

Thank you to Macmillan for the tour invite and providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Adalyn Grace graduated Summa Cum Laude when she was 19-years-old. She spent four years working in live theater, and acted as the managing editor of a nonprofit newspaper. During and after college, she studied storytelling as an intern on Nickelodeon Animation’s popular animated show, The Legend of Korra (sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender). She was a participant in Pitch Wars 2016, and is a former literary agent intern for an established agency.

Adalyn splits time between San Diego and Arizona with her bossy cat and two dorky dogs, and spends her days writing full time while trying to find the city’s best burrito.

She has several projects in the works, and hopes to continually push the boundaries and explore the limits of upper young adult fiction.