Blog – Page 2 – Eliza Prokopovits

September 14, 2022January 22, 2024Book Release

Undone

She must destroy the most powerful magical object of the age… or the dragons will destroy her family.

Four hundred years ago, a hero with an enchanted sword defended the kingdoms from increasingly violent dragons. Their numbers decimated, the dragons forged a treaty with the fairies to entrap the Dragon-killer and destroy the sword. But fairies are nothing if not treacherous…

The sword, as powerful and dangerous as ever, has fallen again into the claws of the dragons. In return for their help rescuing her sister, Zia has rashly promised to destroy it. Unfortunately, she has no idea how.

Together with her sister Meri and the all-knowing Talking Dog, Zia must find a way to finish off the sword for good, navigating fairies, wizards, love, magic, and another unwanted prophecy. If she doesn’t, she’ll never see her parents or younger siblings again…

This is the third and final book in the completed Charmwood Chronicles trilogy, which should be read in order. The two previous books are Sabryn and Firstborn.

May 11, 2022January 22, 2024Book Release

Firstborn

When fifteen-year-old Zia’s cursed and exiled older sister reappears only to be captured by the fairies, Zia is determined to use her magic and join the rescue. But between visions, prophecies, infuriated dragons, and a sword that shouldn’t exist, Zia may be getting into more than she bargained for.

This is the second book in the Charmwood Chronicles trilogy. While it can be read without reading the previous book, Sabryn gives helpful background. Because this is the middle book in a trilogy, several things are left unresolved until the final book, Undone, coming September 13, 2022.

February 16, 2022February 2, 2022Books I've Read

Books I’ve Read: 2021

In 2021 I read a lot. But most of that was bingeing sweet romances and cozy mysteries, not MG and YA. I did read a handful of YA that I loved this year, though, and I’m glad to share them now. (If you want the full list, including the romances and cozies and the few nonfiction titles, my email subscribers get access to everything.) A few of the YA books include some adult situations, violence, or language that may not be suitable for younger readers, so I’ve marked them as PG13.

A lot of these books knocked my socks off, to be honest. I always love Patricia C. Wrede’s books (as you can see by how many of them I reread this year), and Naomi Novik has quickly become one of my new favorites. The Night Circus and Instructions for Dancing were both gorgeous and heartbreaking, and I’m already thinking of rereading Dear Hero. I hope you find some books to enjoy!

The Westing Game—Ellen Raskin

Daughter of the Forest—Juliet Marillier (reread, PG13)

Son of the Shadows—Juliet Marillier (reread, PG13)

The Girl Who Drank the Moon—Kelly Barnhill

Child of the Prophecy—Juliet Marillier (reread, PG13)

The Graveyard Book—Neil Gaiman

The Silence Between Us—Alison Gervais

Holes—Louis Sachar

The Good Hawk—Joseph Elliott

Sorcery and Cecelia—Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer (reread)

A Deadly Education—Naomi Novik

Mairelon the Magician—Patricia C. Wrede

Magician’s Ward—Patricia C. Wrede

Beauty’s Cursed Sleep—Mary E. Twomey

Spindle’s End—Robin McKinley (reread)

Children of Blood and Bone—Tomi Adeyemi (BIPOC)

Dear Hero—Hope Bolinger and Alyssa Roat

Beauty—Robin McKinley (reread)

The Lady Jewel Diviner—Rosalie Oaks

The Moria Pearls—Rosalie Oaks

The Sapphire Library—Rosalie Oaks

The Crossover—Kwame Alexander (BIPOC)

The Rose Legacy—Jessica Day George

Tuesdays at the Castle—Jessica Day George

Merci Suarez Changes Gears—Meg Medina (BIPOC, Newbery)

The Night Circus—Erin Morganstern (PG13)

Instructions for Dancing—Nicola Yoon (BIPOC)

More than His Best Friend—Sally Henson

When You Reach Me—Rebecca Stead

A Thief in Time—Cidney Swanson

The Blue Castle—L.M. Montgomery

Pure—Catherine Mesick

Thirteenth Child—Patricia C. Wrede (reread)

Across the Great Barrier—Patricia C. Wrede (reread)

The Far West—Patricia C. Wrede (reread)

From the Desk of Zoe Washington—Janae Marks (BIPOC)

Anne of Green Gables—L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Avonlea—L.M. Montgomery

The Bear and the Nightingale—Katherine Arden

Rule #1: You Can’t Date the Coach’s Daughter—Anne-Marie Meyer

Ink and Bone—Rachel Caine

Off Limits: the Best Friend—Kat Bellemore

The Girl in the Tower—Katherine Arden

The Last Graduate—Naomi Novik (PG13)

January 19, 2022November 4, 2023Book Release

Sabryn

Sabryn’s throat erupted in pins and needles, and she began coughing uncontrollably. The spasm passed quickly, replaced by something on the back of her tongue, causing her to gag. She spit it out into her hand. An emerald and a ruby twinkled in her palm. She gaped, a second too slow to close her hand.

“Saby, what is that?” Li gasped.

The royal family of Alondra is forbidden to have magic. When a fairy’s curse forces eighteen-year-old Princess Sabryn to flee the kingdom in search of dragons and the all-knowing Talking Dog, she’s faced with unexpected choices: should she embrace the wild magic now bursting from her, uncontrolled? And how much should she risk to save the kingdom that won’t welcome her back?

January 22, 2021February 2, 2022Books I've Read

Books I’ve Read: 2019 and 2020

I love books. I love talking about books and recommending books, but most of all I love reading books. In light of this, I’m posting the list of books I read last year. Technically this time it’s a year and a half—I started keeping track in June 2019. This list is just MG/YA—join my newsletter to get the full list, including adult books and nonfiction, plus the books I started but chose not to finish. Any titles with links will take you to the book reviews I’ve posted about them. You’ll see some that I read aloud to my boys (ages 6 and 4). I marked some as rereads, meaning I’ve read them multiple times before. Some of the others I’ve read before as well, but if I read them as a kid I’m not counting that as a reread, since it’s been a while.