Tips for Tuesday - Books: Sorcery & Small Magics & The Judgement of Yoyo Gold ; Movies: For Prophet; & : Misc.: Predicto Cat

We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any books, products, and/or any other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

Books: Sorcery and Small Magics & The Judgement of YoYo Gold 

Me-  Leovander Lovage is a disaster of a sorcerer. Small magic he can handle, but anytime he attempts something bigger it goes horribly wrong, which is why he vowed long ago not to even attempt grand magic anymore. That is until a spell mix-up results in him being forced to obey his nemesis, Sebastian Grimm’s every command. Rigid rule-follower Sebastian is the opposite of sarcastic, slacker Leo, but the two must put aside their rivalry and team up to figure out a way to break the curse and suddenly the sparks begin to fly.

This book is a cozy fantasy with opposites attract, enemies to lovers, and an extremely slow burn. I really liked Leo as a narrator. He was goofy and funny and never took himself too seriously. Sebastian was a little harsh and judgy for my taste at first but as he warmed up to Leo, I warmed up to him. 

If you like a slow slow burn, this one’s for you. These characters hated each other for at least half of the book. The two of them were total opposites but as time went on, they came to see that they worked well together and had more in common than was apparent at first. Once they began to open up to each other, they shared some very sweet and some very angsty moments and I look forward to seeing their relationship develop further in the sequels.

The magic system in this book was really unique and fun as well. I enjoyed learning about the magical monsters/creatures, sorcery school, casters (who cast the magic), scrivers (who write the spells), and the costs of performing magic for each.

The only reason I didn’t rate this book higher is because it was incredibly slow for the first 50%. Barely anything happened, and I had to force myself to keep going. If there had been a little more action or development earlier on I probably would’ve rated this book at least a 4 stars if not higher. That said, the second half definitely picked up a lot. The plot as Leo and Sebastian began to uncover more information about the curse and come closer to breaking it had me intrigued and curious to see how everything would wrap up. Additionally, the relationship development between them had me smiling and squealing.

Overall, despite the slow-paced beginning, I enjoyed this book. Hopefully, now that the world/story has been established, the sequel will begin faster and I'll like it even more. Either way, I look forward to continuing the series when the next book is published. 

If you like cozy fantasy with a fascinating magic system and an extremely slow burning enemies- to-lovers romance, you should check out Sorcery and Small Magics!

Mom - Today I am recommending The Judgment of Yoyo Gold by Isaac Blum. Yoyo Gold is a young girl growing up in an Orthodox Jewish family. She has always been a good and obedient girl but when her best friend is cast out of the community, she begins to question everything she has been taught. She starts to notice all the little hypocrisies within her community and secretly reports them on TikTok. However, when her videos go viral she is forced to make a choice about her life and the kind of person she wants to be.

This book is a thought-provoking coming-of-age story. Yoyo Gold is a likable relatable heroine. Anyone can relate to the feeling of coming to an age when you start to question some of the things you've always been taught. Yoyo doesn't hold others to a higher standard than herself which is admirable. She is equally willing to secretly report on her own transgressions.

It is also admirable how she is always her own person and never really worries that much about fitting in. None of her friends are that likable anyway they are all kind of selfish even her alleged best friend, Esti, who doesn't tell Yoyo the real reason she leaves town among other things. The only one who really seems to care about her is Shua, the boy she likes and they are not even really supposed to have a relationship because of their religion. It is too bad because they are really sweet together. 

It is nice that the characters of Mickey and her mother demonstrate that there is not only one way to be Jewish. However, Mickey's character is too extreme. She makes it seem like if you are not in a strictly religious family then you are just running wild, and rebelling all the time which is definitely not always true. Mickey is also mostly selfish like Yoyo's other friends, but when Yoyo really needs her she is there.

Yoyo's family takes her for granted and kind of treats her like a servant. As the oldest girl, she is expected to take on quite a lot of responsibility that isn't expected of the others. However, in the end, they realize this and show they care about her. It is also nice that they don't go too overboard in response to what Yoyo has done like you'd think they would because of their strictly religious views and also because Yoyo's father is actually the rabbi. They are at least there for her which is more than can be said for her so-called friends. This girl definitely needs to get some new friends.

Today we are talking about the movie, For Prophet. A man named Damon finds out he is a part-time prophet who is tasked with saving his town from corruption. He has both the Archangel Raphel and a demon whispering in his ears and trying to pull him in different directions. Both of them are equally annoying. It's also weird how the demon character speaks perfect English but somehow the Archangel doesn't. 

Damon seems like a good enough guy who would be inspired to help people even without the Archangel whispering in his ear and without almost losing his relationship with his wife.  In the end, this is mostly an uplifting feel-good story, but  it also is quite predictable and doesn't offer anything new,

For Prophet  is available now on DVD or for purchase or rental digitally.

Misc; Predicto Cat

Today we are talking about a Predicto Cat. Predicto Cat is like a Magic 8-ball in the form of a cute fluffy cat. However, unlike a Magic 8-ball, which only goes off when you shake it, the Predicto Cat goes off arbitrarily and doesn't always wait to be shaken before giving a prediction. It is not as soft as a typical stuffed animal either because of its inner-workings.

On the plus side, it has more different responses than a Magic 8 Ball and you don't have to read to play with and enjoy it because it gives responses verbally. This makes it suitable for young children who will probably like its adorableness and how it lights up in pretty colors when giving a prediction aside from just the fact that it talks.  It is not good for very young children though because of its small batteries that surprisingly and happily are actually included with purchase. Very young children and pets might also be scared of it because it talks.

Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday. 

Movie images in this post have been sent to us by publicists, artists, and/or PR firms and are used with permission.  All other pictures are our own, If there is a problem with the rights to any image, contact us here, and we will look into the matter.