Series: A Hundred Names For Magic #1
Release Date: March 3rd 2020
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 432
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis

When a hidden prince, a girl with secrets, a ragtag group of unlikely heroes, and a legendary firebird come together…something wicked is going down.

Many years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left encased in ice when the Snow Queen waged war. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in…Arizona.

Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn’t even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them.

A new hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala must unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it.

Review

Rin Chupeco is an author I’ve always wanted to read but haven’t yet had the chance to pick up yet. I have The Bone Witch on my TBR and I really want to read it but just haven’t gotten around to it. When I received an ARC of Wicked As You Wish I was so excited to dive in. This unique and spellbinding tale completely stole my heart, and I’m now desperate to read all of Rin Chupeco’s back catalogue.

The story follows Tala and her best friend Prince Alexei as they attempt to free their magical kingdom from the curse the ice Queen has laid upon it. With a ragtag group of warriors they escape Arizona to travel back to Avalon and save their homeland.

I loved everything about this book. The world building is incredible, with a wonderful world inspired by well known tales like the legend of King Arthur, Alice in Wonderland and the Snow Queen. It’s the kind of story you want to get completely lost in for hours on end, and I found myself thinking about this book even when I wasn’t reading it.

The characters were really fascinating, and the group made for unlikely heroes. They were a complex and diverse group and I loved seeing them come together to fight their enemy. I really enjoyed getting to know them and am looking forward to seeing how they develop in the rest of the series. Each of the characters had really interesting and unique talents, Tala has the ability to stop magic which I found fascinating.

I really enjoyed Chupeco’s writing style, it was so easy to sink into the story and the world and magic system felt well laid out and explained. I am absolutely desperate to find out what’s going to happen in book two, and The Bone Witch has shot right to the top of my TBR pile. If you’re looking for a unique and engaging new fantasy read, this one is worth picking up.