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The Younglings: Mayhem & Magic
Helena M. Craggs’ third installment in The Younglings series welcomes back the gang of supernaturals who continue to fight for a safer world for both humans and magical creatures. In The Younglings: Mayhem & Magic, the same team of supernaturals find themselves in college and embroiled in action from the beginning. Rhys, the vampire-tracker and personal favorite of many readers, has caused mayhem by alerting the world to the existence of vampires, resulting in the death of two hundred people and videos of the Younglings using their powers flooding the internet. Meanwhile, the group travels through time to 1612 to ensure that the Veil of Souls grimoire remains intact.
This installment is narrated from various characters’ perspectives, which satisfies the readers’ desire to dive deeper into their minds. Rhys, in particular, is a complex anti-hero who adds drama and tension to the plot. He is fiercely jealous, bitter, and determined to have Eve as his Queen, and he is willing to eliminate the Younglings to achieve his goal. Craggs’ writing is quick-witted, adding an excellent flow to the novel. The alternating time periods are extrinsically described, allowing the reader to travel alongside the Younglings as they master their powers and navigate relationships, family, and schooling. It was heartwarming to see original protagonists like Quinn maintain their personalities throughout the series. One of the highlights of this novel is Quinn’s relationship progression with Eve, as well as the evolution of his relationship with his father. While these themes may be overlooked, readers who have followed Quinn’s background since Book 1 will appreciate the underlying message of the importance of family bonds and trust.
The book is well-written, the plot is captivating, and the characters are well-rounded and memorable. This installment of the series is a testament to Craggs’ skill as a writer and her ability to keep the story fresh and exciting. If you are looking for a great read combining action, romance, and magic, then The Younglings: Mayhem & Magic is worth your time.
Pages: 312 | ASIN : B0BTMB8FXB
True Love Never Runs Smoothly
Fire & Magic is book two in The Younglings series. What were some new ideas you wanted to explore in this book that differed from book one?
Stakes are higher in Fire & Magic. The Younglings are under attack, and have some major trials and tribulations to deal with, as well as normal teenage life. The joie de vivre that teenagers have is inspiring. But most teens can experience many difficulties in their day-to-day lives, and—like Shadows & Magic—I feel this book is the messy, real deal. I wanted to show The Younglings mature and grow, and watch their bonds of friendship develop and strengthen. Would you give your life to save a friend?
I’ve also introduced some interesting new characters, into Fire & Magic.
Love is a huge thing for teens, and some unexpected relationships develop. Of course, true love never runs smoothly, and we have several relationship issues. Will they be resolved? You will need to read the book to find out.
Eve and Quinn have matured in this book. What were some obstacles in this book that you felt were important to defining their characters?
For Quinn, as a half-demon, he is constantly worried about becoming evil, and as a result, his self-confidence suffers. Can an angel truly love a demon? In this book, we watch him grow in confidence, and trust that Eve loves him unconditionally. As for Eve, she is a feisty, strong female lead, and this develops throughout the book. A badass half-angel who won’t tolerate BS.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
I think the final chapter. As well as being sensual, without being explicit, the coming together of Eve and Quinn is beautiful on so many levels.
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Stranded spirits, rogue vampires and demons are bad enough, and now merciless witch hunters are stalking Millie.
Eve’s angelic blood is like a siren call—one a tenacious vampire tracker cannot ignore.
Are things for the Keepers about to turn messy?
It’s hard to know who’s the good guy and who’s the enemy. Monsters don’t always have claws or fangs, and they’re not always in the shadows. Sometimes they hide in plain sight.
Can the Keepers protect their own?
Praise from The Younglings: Shadows & Magic
“Author Helena Craggs expertly crafts a brilliant young adult novel and navigates the reader through first loves, sexuality, friendship, and familial unity.” (Literary Titan)
“Craggs’ ability to pull me into the world she created and keep me turning the page and second guessing myself was just brilliant. If you love supernatural books. This is a must from me.”
“Whether you are into demons, angels, vampires, witches, or werewolves – or merely just teens being teens – this book ticks all the boxes.”
The Younglings: Fire & Magic
The Youngling gang of supernaturals is back in the second installment of Helena M. Craggs’ series. This time Quinn and his friends are more experienced, more determined, and have even more troubled spirits to clean up after. A wannabe vampire on the loose, stalkerish witches and the pressure cooker of first years of college mean that their break from the supernatural realm has well and truly come to an end.
The Younglings: Fire & Magic picks up from where it left off, continuing the journey of first loves, sexuality, friendship, loyalty and familial unity. The ongoing guidance of demon nanny Mrs. D was the feel-good stability and wisdom that can often lack in the young adult genre.
Narrated predominantly from Quinn’s perspective Helena M. Craggs has done well to maintain his humorous and charismatic character. The addition of storytelling from multiple perspectives created the perfect amount of angst to keep the reader feverishly turning pages and builds upon the logic and reason of characters the reader has already had the opportunity to understand.
The natural progression of the original characters truly shines through in this second installment. Eve and Quinn have matured immensely; tougher and more direct, they set the tone of the novel to be logical and infallible, genuinely growing into the ruling roles so heavily focused on in book one. An outstanding friendship dynamic with purposeful powers and personalities, Craggs has taken her time to evolve relationships through real-life themes young adults face. The romantic subplot solidified this novels place in the workings of a brilliant young adult read.
The Younglings: Fire & Magic is a lighthearted paranormal fantasy that takes young adult readers on an action-filled adventure. The supernatural characters are engaging and will have readers hooked from the start.
Pages: 340 | ASIN : B09YHMTV4Z
Supernaturals Coming Together
The Younglings Shadows & Magic follows a teenage boy as he comes to terms with his supernatural powers and hunts a killer. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I’ve always been a lover of fantasy & the supernatural. The concept of a diverse range of supernaturals coming together to fight for good, has been an idea of mine for quite a long time. I wanted this concept to be a coming of age type story—teenagers dealing with teenage life, and being thrown into a supernatural world, whilst discovering who they are, forming the bonds of friendship, and falling in love, as well as all the usual teen-angst.
Quinn has a few shocking revelations in this novel on top of being a teenager figuring out who they are. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
As a mother, I have, in the not too distant past, had a house full of teenagers. The joie de vivre that they have is inspiring. But most teens can experience all sorts of difficulties in their day to day lives—from bullying, to gossip, to drugs, to deep depression, isolation, and so on. Subsequently, overly polished plots and people won’t resonate. They want to see themselves in your characters—they want the messy, real deal.
The characters in my series are real teenagers, from the decisions they make, to their reactions to certain situations, and the confusion of falling in love—like real teens. Their heightened sense of emotion (and hormones) can cause immaturity and self-doubt issues. We see The Younglings grow and mature throughout the series. For Quinn, though, it was a matter of integrity—finding out your father is not human but a demon king—would it break him or make him stronger?
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
As a writer, I wanted to be edgy, to write like young adults would think and speak, and really get into their mindset. The theme of self-belief, family bonds and friendship are important to me—but all in all, I felt that my characters needed to be portrayed honestly.
Another thing I needed to remember, was that my book would need to exclude any insight a typical teen would not yet have—for the characters integrity. As teenagers, The Younglings wouldn’t have the wisdom of a forty-year-old, would they? And we have to remember, teens don’t want to be treated like kids. Teens read to understand friends, frenemies, but mostly themselves. I feel the goal should be to empower teen readers.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
The sequel—The Younglings: Fire & Magic is out early June 2022. I’m hoping the third in the series—The Younglings: Starlight & Magic will be out December 2022, or early 2023.
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“This is such a hilarious and well-paced YA read that introduces us beautifully into a new series. It is absolutely packed with demons, angels, ghosts, witches, and more, all wrapped up in teen angst, misfits and unwitting heroes.”
Supernaturals are fantasy, right?
Wrong … so very wrong.
When Quinn Carter finds out his dad is a demon king, his life spirals to Crazyville.
As if being secretly in love with his best friend, Eve, isn’t bad enough, he also starts to develop freaky powers, then finds out Eve and his grandma aren’t all they seem.
His new friends have secrets too. Apparently, demons aren’t the only paranormals out there.
Throw in a few spirits, stab-worthy demons and black witchcraft, and life becomes messy for Quinn and his team of supernaturals.
On top of it all, the vampire ministry covet Eve’s angelic blood. Will the team rescue her before it’s too late for Quinn to admit his feelings?
“If you’re a Twilight or City of Bones fan, this is for you.”
“I also loved the grannies! What a fabulous team of guardians they had watching over them!”
“If you are a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Supernatural this is perfect reading material to satisfy your paranormal obsession.”
“Quinn is so well written, funny, frustrating and loveable.”
“I simply loved the world building, the characters that are diverse in their supernatural abilities, gender and sexuality which is fantastic to see.”
The Younglings
Destined to be Keepers – the Protector of innocents in the mortal realm, Quinn and his team of supernatural friends must safeguard their town of Portaville from all the mystical energies that come their way. When a teacher’s heart is torn out of their chest and students start to go missing, the friends combine forces to reinstate the safety of those closest to them. With their freshly discovered powers, the teens can sense something isn’t all that it’s made out to be. All it takes is Mrs. D – Quin’s demon nanny – to confirm their suspicions and their plan to stop the murderer begins. All while Quinn is coming to terms with the fact that he is the demon king’s son!
Author Helena Craggs expertly crafts a brilliant young adult novel and navigates the reader through first loves, sexuality, friendship, and familial unity. Readers will find the characters in the story to be entertaining, full of personality, typical teenage moods, and dedication to their cause. In addition, the author injects humor in the story which lightens the mood of some of the darker drama that they face, and the twists and turns of the storyline as they discover more information about the town, paranormal activities, and themselves, making this an unpredictable urban fantasy novel.
Craggs has done well to create realistic characters and an easy-to-follow storyline with enough action to keep readers engaged. There is a character for everyone to relate to with demons, angels, ghosts, witches, magic, and teenagers. I enjoyed reading about Quin’s character especially as we followed him on his emotional journey of discovering his own powers and learning the truth about his family.
The Younglings: Shadows & Magic is a fast-paced, jam-packed paranormal fantasy novel that is perfect for younger readers looking to be taken on a fantastical journey that is filled with supernatural beings and teen angst.
Pages: 401 | AISN : B09C6JLDQW
LITERARY TITAN 