[Skye’s Review]: All the Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace

All the Stars and Teeth
by Adalyn Grace
Series: All the Stars and Teeth #1
Pages: 384
Published by Imprint
Release Date: February 4th 2020
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Format Read: ARC, eBook

Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice, Adalyn Grace’s All the Stars and Teeth is a thrilling fantasy for fans of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval and Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series.

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder—and more peril—than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A princess. A pirate. A mermaid. And a Ferrick. This, my friends, is the golden recipe for your new favorite bookish squad. Amora is the princess of Visidia. When we first meet her, she’s awaiting her coronation. However, before she can claim her royal title and right to the throne, she must prove to her people that she is worthy. How will she do this? By proving she has mastered soul magic. I don’t want to spoil the plot, so I won’t say anything more. 

In this world, there are 7 different types of magic: soul, elemental, enchantment, mind, time, restoration, and curse magic. However, no one is allowed to control more than one type of magic as it’s against the law. It’s believed that a cursed monster will resurface and condemn the world if more than one type of magic is practiced. 

One of my favorite things about this book is the lack of a cliffhanger. There was definitely a moment where I feared the author was going to end the book on a cliffhanger, but she didn’t. A cliffhanger is a tricky thing, in my opinion. A lot of authors use cliffhangers as a tool to make readers pick up the next book, whether it be out of curiosity or interest. I believe cliffhangers should only be used if it fits the story and helps enhance the reading experience.

Overall, I found this book to be a solid debut. I enjoyed the characters and the world-building. I think the main reason I didn’t rate this book higher is due to the hype. I’ve seen tons of people rave about this book and profess it as the latest YA Fantasy obsession. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book; I just didn’t love it. I expected to love it, but the book didn’t quite meet my expectations. That being said, I still recommend this book to any and all YA Fantasy lovers–particularly those that like books with pirate vibes.