Blog Archives
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
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
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 