Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco
Series: A Hundred Names For Magic #1
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Pub Date: March 3, 2020
Pages: 432
Format: e-arc | Source: NetGalley
Genres: young adult, contemporary, fantasy, LGBTQ+
Rating:

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.

I am a big fan of fairy tale mashups and seeing it in the context of an (alternate) modern world was really fun but confusing. That was my main problem with the book and could very well be a “me” thing- I was so confused a good portion of the time! I think the mixture of regular stuff (Indiana Jones and Carly Rae Jephson mentions) mixed with alternate history (Royal States of America, spelltech, Wonderland, etc) threw me for a bigger loop than I expected. BUT! I really liked Tala and the crew. The adventures were well-paced and exciting; there is a lot of Filipino culture present throughout the story, as well as substantial POC, nonbinary, and gay representation. I really enjoyed the last quarter of the book especially so I’m interested in the sequel for sure. Maybe it’ll be easier for me to wrap my head around this time!

Are you a fan of second world fantasy and fairy tale mashups? Let me know if Wicked As You Wish is on your TBR!