Allison Tebo

"The Key to the Chains" is a phenomenal story that blew me away completely and most definitely remains quality upon re-reading. It's a brilliant showcase of the author's masterful skill in plot, theme, character, and so much more.

There are so many wonderful things packed into this story despite its relatively short length.

-The characterization is extraordinary, riveting, and intriguing. Slade and West are both incredibly vivid, complex, and real. They feel and seem like actual living people, and I can see them clearly and expect them to walk off the page at any moment - and they did walk off the page straight into my mind and heart. Both characters are driven by realistic motivation, and their mannerisms, emotions, and actions are vivid and believable. Also, Slade's character arc and development were sensational.
-Despite the short length, there's plenty of explosive action and riveting excitement, complete with laser guns. My teenaged younger brother was engaged the whole time and said he loved the fight scenes, and the same was true for me. The plot and pacing are both fabulous, and there's suspense from the first page as the reader is drawn in by the intriguing characters, backstory, and setting.
-The story has such depth and power of theme and emotion in addition to its deep characters. It made me think and feel deeply, to the point of sobbing and tears. The themes of grace and redemption are incredibly vivid, poignant, beautiful, and profound, and they subtle recur and are interwoven throughout the story. There is such deep and essential truth subtly, clearly, and accessibly portrayed within this story - the truth of all truths, the gospel. Yet it's never blatant, invasive, or preachy and always feels natural and gentle. The gorgeous and understated symbolism and imagery representing this truth absolutely blew my mind. And I was amazed the way a certain meaningful verse was woven into the story - it brought me to tears.
-There's humor included as well, and I laughed often in addition to my tears - even both at once at one point. Slade's bitterly biting, witty, and often sarcastic dialogue and narration is entertaining to read.
-I love the subtle worldbuilding and interesting setting of the story. The reader is given the opportunity to figure out the details of the world as they're described while always feeling grounded in and sure of the realistic setting. Mildly futuristic details are worked in naturally, and the author's vivid imagination shines - and invites the reader along on a journey through outer space. It made me feel as if I was present with the characters and amid the action.
-The author has such a powerful and lovely writing style. Her descriptions, metaphors, and general wordcraft and skill are wonderful.

"The Key to the Chains" is a fantastic story for all teens and adults, whether or not they love science fiction or futuristic tales. I hardly ever read or enjoy sci-fi, but I adore this story, and it's exactly the sort of futuristic story I do love. There's some non-gratuitous violence, death in battle, and blood, so young teens who are more sensitive should wait till they're slightly older. However, it didn't bother me in the least, and I recommend it highly to teens and up. I've enjoyed sharing this book with my siblings, and I enjoy recommending it to many others.

I look forward to reading more from this author as she writes other amazing stories such as this one in the wide range of genres she's skilled in.

(I was privileged to beta-read this story, but it did not affect my honest review.)
… (más)

Our favorite grouchy young fairy godfather, Burndee, and his mischievous ward, Prince Colin, are at it again in the much-anticipated sequel to The Reluctant Godfather, and their newest shenanigans are not to be missed. Burndee and Colin's hysterical and exciting antics and adventures had me laughing through each and every page of A Royal Masquerade--and the events were often crazy and surprising. This book is incredibly well-written, and every sentence pulses with crisp and energetic wordcraft, smoothly and artfully bringing the story, scenes, and characters to vivid life. It's a wonderful fairytale retelling that turns the original tale on its head in a new and different rendition of the classic story.

As I touched on already, few books have made me laugh harder, louder, and more often than Burndee's adventures, and their latest installment is by no means an exception. Each time I've read and re-read A Royal Masquerade, I've enjoyed every single moment of the hilarious dialogue and narration, events and situations, comedy and wit, mishaps and pranks. And each character is hilarious, quirky, and unique, like the cast of a wild and rollicking comedy, as they find themselves careening through humorous misadventures.

Something I may love even more than the humor is the immense heart that this book contains, just like every book in the series. Author Allison Tebo has such skill in writing fairytale retellings that are not only hilarious and unique but also deep, insightful, sweet, and even--at times--heart-wrenching. She has a knack for seeing and conveying the meaning, truth, and wisdom behind each fairytale, and I'm amazed each time I witness her vision for a new book. This one is no exception. The themes represented in this book are wonderful and profound, which takes great skill in such a lighthearted book.

But the best part of this book is, as usual, the characters. Burndee and Colin return to once again delight me and other readers with their friendship, bickering, banter, endearing personalities, and vivid character, separately and together. Burndee's narration is as awesome as ever, and his caustic, clever wit shines in both inner and outer dialogue. His character change is only beginning, even though he's come so far since the beginning of his first book. It's awesome to watch his new struggles and growth, since his character arc and character development are so fabulously executed each time--though it's agonizing at times as well as joyful. It's difficult to believably leave a character with room to grow after each sequel while still bringing them gradually to a better place, but Miss Tebo does so smoothly and skillfully.

And in addition to the beloved main duo, there's a fabulous supporting cast of vivid, sweet, and hilarious new characters, joined by my other favorite familiar and beloved characters, who return in the sequel alongside Burndee and Colin. Each character, relationship, and interaction is engaging.

I especially love the four central characters from the first book (including Colin and Burndee), and being with them again is like visiting old and dear friends. I also love watching the results of the happenings and relationships of the first book! I highly enjoy seeing what happens after these characters' happily ever after, especially because no story ends there even once the book ends. I only wish these things were shown on the page more often, instead of happening off-screen for most of the book--but even when they're shown off-screen, they're present, frequent, and vivid.

My favorite new aspect of this book is a sweet new character whom I love very much. I'll be cryptic to avoid major spoilers, but I can't review this wonderful book without mentioning her. This person is my favorite type of character in so many ways--especially because she is a young female character who is both gentle and strong. Her role and journey, both inner and outer, use elements that I've always loved in stories--yet she's unique and all her own. This character's story and plight pierce my heart and touch my emotions, and her determination, goodness, sweet heart, and so much more make me root for her and cheer her on through the hardship she experiences. When I was younger, I needed and craved more characters like her to identify with--and still do even now--and I'm so pleased to know that young girls like I once was will read A Royal Masquerade and be encouraged and inspired by this young woman. I would have loved this book and its newest main character as a preteen, and I loved and enjoyed them both just as much now that I'm few years older.

A Royal Masquerade is a hilarious and heartwarming adventure that will delight readers of all ages and genders, preteens and up--whether or not they typically enjoy fairytale retellings. With fabulous characters, themes, and writing, every word and moment shines. Humorous, touching, exciting, entertaining, sweet, and insightful, this new tale of Burndee and his companions will bring enjoyment and laughter to all its readers, as it did for me. I'm so excited to finally be able to share it with family, friends, and other fans now that it's published at last!

I received an advanced copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was not obligated to provide a positive review, and all opinions are my own.… (más)

The Reluctant Godfather is a delightful and entertaining novella and an incredibly original and twisty retelling of Cinderella. It is one of the best books I have read in recent memory – and certainly the most entertaining I have read in many years! I only wish it had been longer, but I made sure to enjoy and savor each page, laughing through all of it and experiencing every emotion along with the characters.

My favorite part was definitely the characters. Good character development is always my favorite aspect of a great book, and Allison's writing and characters always go infinitely above and beyond that requirement. I never fail to be amazed at how incredibly vivid, complex, endearing, and deep each one of her characters is, no matter what story they are in. I greatly admire the way she develops each character's personality, flaws, inner and outer dialogue, backstory, and character change. The characters in The Reluctant Godfather were no exception.

Burndee was a wonderful and entertaining point-of-view character, and seeing the story from his perspective was so enjoyable – and original! Who would've thought that the story of Cinderella could be told from the perspective of the fairy godfather . . . a fairy godfather who doesn't like being one? And what a personality Burndee was! Stubborn, bad-tempered, sardonic, and rebellious, yet forever lovable – and perhaps with potential for a soft and caring heart underneath, although he would never admit it even to himself. Seeing his transformation over the course of the book was such a treat, and his character development was masterful!

Of course I loved Burndee from the very first, and each of the other main characters earned my love in turn. Sweet Ella, clever Colin, and vivacious Cynthia endeared themselves to me just as much, and I loved many of the supporting characters as well. And even the most minor heralds and footmen leaped off the page with lifelike mannerisms, dialogue, and appearance. The inevitable nasty characters were no exception, and they were vivid in their own right – and so fun to detest – while still being human, however nasty they were. Each character had such an interesting and deep character arc, and it was wonderful to watch them change and learn over the course of the story. And I loved seeing the interactions and relationships between the characters, whether between friends, potential love interests, or enemies. The humorous, teasing banter between Burndee and Colin was one of my favorite parts of the book, as was the sweet friendship of Burndee and Ella. Yet Burndee's relationships with both his wards was complicated and convoluted, and I loved seeing the exploration and progression of each. And those were not the only interesting relationsips to be had. . . .

Nearly every good fairytale must have romance, yet the romantic elements in this book were so unexpected that Allison kept me guessing right up until the end with delicious suspense. I knew what I wanted to happen at the end, but I was unable to predict whether it would – yet everything worked out even more satisfactorily than I could ever have hoped! I cannot mention what that ending was for fear of spoilers, but suffice it to say that I was rooting for a perfect and happy ending for all concern – and did the ending ever deliver! My expectations were huge, and the ending still blew all of them away with it's amazing-ness. Much squealing from yours truly ensued throughout the book, but especially at the end.

Not only were there amazing characters in this book, but the plot was also masterful. I was in suspense for the entire book, and the suspense only crescendoed as the end of the book drew near, culminating in a wonderful climax that more than paid off the anticipation that had been built through the book. So many threads of events and backstory were woven together in a twisty, interesting cloth, and all of the threads were tied up in an extravagant bow at the end – overwhelming even my own high expectations.

This book has such an enjoyable and engaging writing style. I love the way Allison seamlessly integrates dazzling descriptions, rich dialogue, eloquent narration, laugh-out-loud humor, and lively, entertaining escapades.

The fairytale elements in this story were just right. The book kept many familiar and recognizable aspects of the traditional story of Cinderella, yet turned others completely on their heads. It is the most original and unexpected fairytale retelling I have ever read – new and refreshing instead of boring and cliché. The twists were perfect for the story and felt completely right, but they were often totally unpredictable, and they more often than not used the opposite element or event than the well-known tale. Skillful foreshadowing tied all of these things together into a cohesive whole – both traditional and unexpected elements.

The humor was one of the best parts of the book! Allison is one of the funniest people I know, and this book showcased her ability to entertain. I laughed often throughout the book and, especially, laughed my way nonstop through the entire last quarter of the book, during each line, paragraph, and page. Burndee was hilarious!! And so were all the other characters! I particularly loved Burdnee's unique character voice, dialogue, and point-of-view narration, which sparked with wit and humor – and hysterical, zany expressions and terms that sizzled from his biting tongue and sharp mind. It also included many wonderful words from Burndee's prodigious vocabulary, and they gave the story such character while meshing perfectly with the existing character and writing.

In addition to delightful laughs and humor, The Reluctant Godfather was refreshingly deep, with wonderful themes. Disguised within this lighthearted fairytale are profound and beautiful truths about people, life, and much more. Burndee must learn how to open his heart. Ella strives to love others . . . and seeks someone who will truly love her. Colin struggles to find his own desires and battles against the expectations placed upon him. And many other characters also have their own journeys that share insight with the reader, whether or not they are likeable or good. There is wisdom to be gleaned from analysis of even the nasty stepmother and stepsister.

Overall, The Reluctant Godfather is a wonderful, humorous, and sweet read that will be enjoyed by everyone whether or not they are a fan of typical fairytales and fantasy. I recommend it highly to all and have already gushed to many of my friends and family about it.… (más)