Hello! Welcome to the next stop on the Heart of Moors blog tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. I am thrilled to share my thoughts on this book with you! Thank you for stopping by, and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom!
Author: Holly Black
Pub. Date: October 8, 2019
Publisher: Disney Press
Pages: 320
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD
From New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes a captivating original novel set between Disney's Maleficent and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, in which newly-queened Aurora struggles to be the best leader to both the humans and Fair Folk under her reign; her beau, Prince Phillip, longs to get to know Aurora and her kingdom better; and Maleficent has trouble letting go of the past.
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I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.
I had such a fun time reading this one with my monsters! We're actually re-reading it right now, and I've already ordered a physical copy for our shelves. I grew up with Sleeping Beauty, but it was never one of my favorites. I would enjoy watching the beginning of the movie, but even as a child thought Aurora should've been the one fighting the dragon at the end. She never had a chance to save herself, and was constantly sheltered and protected by others. I wanted her to use a sword, get her hands dirty, and do something other than wander aimlessly from one thing to the next.
The Maleficent movie and Heart of Moors have really fleshed out Aurora and Maleficent as characters, and for that I am grateful. They're so interesting, and I think Maleficent is the bee's knees! Aurora is now the queen of both the Moors and Perceforest, so she has a lot of responsibilities and expectations. She can't count on other people to swoop in and save her (although there are a few that try), and I liked seeing her character take charge and make decisions. She's determined to better the existence and perceptions of humans and faeries alike, which was admirable. She may have been young and untested, but she wasn't overly foolish. Maleficent is still beautifully wicked (she resented anyone saying anything nice about her), but she's not wholly evil. She's fiercely protective of Aurora, and she loves her to the best of her ability. Not all godmothers can make flowers that double as daggers!
The Maleficent movie and Heart of Moors have really fleshed out Aurora and Maleficent as characters, and for that I am grateful. They're so interesting, and I think Maleficent is the bee's knees! Aurora is now the queen of both the Moors and Perceforest, so she has a lot of responsibilities and expectations. She can't count on other people to swoop in and save her (although there are a few that try), and I liked seeing her character take charge and make decisions. She's determined to better the existence and perceptions of humans and faeries alike, which was admirable. She may have been young and untested, but she wasn't overly foolish. Maleficent is still beautifully wicked (she resented anyone saying anything nice about her), but she's not wholly evil. She's fiercely protective of Aurora, and she loves her to the best of her ability. Not all godmothers can make flowers that double as daggers!
I also liked learning about the various creatures living in the Moors. They're prone to mischief and whimsy, but that's their nature. They don't all seek out humans just to curse and torment them. The tree sentinels were some of my favorites! They made me think of the Ents from Lord of the Rings. Additionally, we see human hatred for the unknown and unconquerable, and how Aurora deals with those prejudices while maintaining her authority as queen. It was all very complex for a middle grade book! Loved it!
I thought Heart of Moors had a very enriching setting, and I liked that we got to see more of the characters that have recently made their mark on screen. Maleficent's wings are mentioned a few times (from when they weren't attached to her body), and I always cringe remembering what happened to her when she was young and in love. If you're a fan of Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent, or the new movies -- this book should definitely be on your radar! Also, it's written by Holly Black, so it's worth mentioning that I needed Queen of Nothing in my life months ago.
About Holly:
Holly Black is the author of bestselling contemporary fantasy books for kids and teens. Some of her titles include The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), The Modern Faerie Tale series, the Curse Workers series, Doll Bones, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the Magisterium series (with Cassandra Clare) and The Darkest Part of the Forest. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award, and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award, the Mythopoeic Awar and a Newbery Honor. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret door.
Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive a hardcover of HEART OF THE MOORS, US only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
10/28/2019-BookHounds YA Excerpt
10/29/2019-Kait Plus Books Excerpt
10/30/2019-What A Nerd Girl Says Review
10/31/2019-Jrsbookreviews Review
11/1/2019-A Bookish Dream Review
Week Two:
11/4/2019-Novel Novice Excerpt
11/5/2019-PopTheButterfly Reads Review
11/6/2019-Sometimes Leelynn Reads Review
11/7/2019-Fictitiouswonderland Review
11/8/2019-The Pages In-Between Review
Week Three:
11/11/19-Do You Dog-ear? Review
11/12/19-Here's to Happy Endings Review
11/13/19-Geronimo Reads Excerpt
11/14/19-Nerdophiles Review
11/15/19-@fictitious.fox Review
3 winners will receive a hardcover of HEART OF THE MOORS, US only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Week One:
10/28/2019-BookHounds YA Excerpt
10/29/2019-Kait Plus Books Excerpt
10/30/2019-What A Nerd Girl Says Review
10/31/2019-Jrsbookreviews Review
11/1/2019-A Bookish Dream Review
Week Two:
11/4/2019-Novel Novice Excerpt
11/5/2019-PopTheButterfly Reads Review
11/6/2019-Sometimes Leelynn Reads Review
11/7/2019-Fictitiouswonderland Review
11/8/2019-The Pages In-Between Review
Week Three:
11/11/19-Do You Dog-ear? Review
11/12/19-Here's to Happy Endings Review
11/13/19-Geronimo Reads Excerpt
11/14/19-Nerdophiles Review
11/15/19-@fictitious.fox Review
Week Four:
11/18/2019-Jena Brown Writes Review
11/19/2019-Confessions of a YA Reader Review
11/20/2019-A Gingerly Review Review
11/21/2019-Book-Keeping Review
11/22/2019-Book Briefs Review
I have a few of this author's books but have yet to pick her up. I really need to change that!
ReplyDeleteI think you should start with The Cruel Prince since the final book (The Queen of Nothing) comes out in a few days! It's full of unexpected twists and turns, and the beginning is way more brutal than I was expecting.
DeleteThat sounds good. I'm glad you and the kids liked it. I'm loving the cover for it.
ReplyDeleteThe cover is really lovely! My monsters watched Sleeping Beauty for the first time the other day, and it's amazing what you notice as an adult. I think it gave them some background for the book though! Maleficent would have been too brutal for them.
DeleteI adore Holly Black and I bet this was a great one to read with the kids. I saw it this weekend when I was at Walmart.
ReplyDeleteIt was so much fun reading it aloud to the kiddos! Especially since they recently watched Sleeping Beauty (the girls have officially entered the Princess Stage, haha).
DeleteWhat a fun bridge between the movies!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, we need The Queen of Nothing immediately. LOL
I wasn't planning on watching the new movie, but reading this made me want to! YES. QUEEN. OF. NOTHING. I have no idea what Jude plans on doing, but I know it's going to be epic. I cannot wait to see how this trilogy concludes. <3
DeleteI have never read a Holly Black story. My buddies who love her don't think I would like her books. I'm not quite sure why. ๐ค
ReplyDeleteHer books have been hit-or-miss for me, but The Cruel Prince is worth a shot! I'm thoroughly enjoying the series, and I cannot wait for the final book to be released. :)
DeleteThanks! ๐✨
DeleteThis sounds like a cure retelling of a fan favourite. Holly Black probably spends a lot of time in the woods/forest because she does that setting well. Lol.
ReplyDeleteHeart of Moors isn't a retelling, but "a captivating original novel set between Disney's Maleficent and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil". If you liked the first movie and plan on watching the second, I highly recommend reading this first! It fills you in on everything that happens in-between. :)
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