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A review by olivialandryxo
Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Chupeco’s The Never Tilting World duology is one of my top five favorite fantasies of all time, so even though I didn’t know much about it, I was very excited for Wicked as You Wish. From the very first page, it hooked me, and I had such a fun time reading. It’s definitely a new favorite!
This book is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s an urban fantasy set in an alternate version of our world, where America is a monarchy and various storybook worlds like Wonderland and Neverland are actual countries. This world’s history is an amalgamation of different fairytales blended with real world history, with King Arthur as prominent a historical figure as George Washington. Other stories and characters mentioned include Cinderella, Robin Hood, Briar Rose, the Snow Queen, Alice in Wonderland, and more. Loki is a prominent side character. Although it seems like a lot for one book, Chupeco made it all work. In fact, I found the creativity of it all quite fascinating.
I loved the characters. Tala, Alex, Zoe, Ken, West and Loki are all brilliant and complex, with such fun dynamics between them. They’re now one of my favorite found families. I know I say that about nearly every found family I come across, but I can’t help it. It’s one of my favorite tropes, and I really do love this ragtag group of heroes. I think Tala, Loki and Zoe are my favorites of the bunch.
One thing I noticed that I really appreciated was the lack of romance. Aside from a crush Tala has early on that quickly goes south, the only love here is familial and platonic. Zoe’s dating someone but they’re never actually on-page. As much as I was hoping for Tala and Zoe to end up together—despite there being no evidence of attraction on either end—I like that Chupeco chose to put the story’s focus elsewhere.
Although the story was slower at times, I never minded because the characters kept me entertained. I found myself always wanting to get back to the book whenever I had to put it down.
The ending went much smoother than expected, given that there’s a sequel, but I’m not complaining. My heart can only take so many cliffhangers. I will say that I found one thing predictable, saw it coming a mile away, but Tala’s reaction to said thing was interesting. I’m very curious to see if she changes her mind in the sequel.
And then there’s the epilogue….. excuse me, what? Like I said, not a cliffhanger, but also not something I ever, ever expected.The firebird is loyal to the Snow Queen?? Was, this whole time?? I’m very concerned about what this means for Tala and Alex and the rest of the crew. Much concern, very feelings.
Looking very forward to book two!!! Stop sleeping on Rin Chupeco’s books, y’all!!!
Representation
This book is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s an urban fantasy set in an alternate version of our world, where America is a monarchy and various storybook worlds like Wonderland and Neverland are actual countries. This world’s history is an amalgamation of different fairytales blended with real world history, with King Arthur as prominent a historical figure as George Washington. Other stories and characters mentioned include Cinderella, Robin Hood, Briar Rose, the Snow Queen, Alice in Wonderland, and more. Loki is a prominent side character. Although it seems like a lot for one book, Chupeco made it all work. In fact, I found the creativity of it all quite fascinating.
I loved the characters. Tala, Alex, Zoe, Ken, West and Loki are all brilliant and complex, with such fun dynamics between them. They’re now one of my favorite found families. I know I say that about nearly every found family I come across, but I can’t help it. It’s one of my favorite tropes, and I really do love this ragtag group of heroes. I think Tala, Loki and Zoe are my favorites of the bunch.
One thing I noticed that I really appreciated was the lack of romance. Aside from a crush Tala has early on that quickly goes south, the only love here is familial and platonic. Zoe’s dating someone but they’re never actually on-page. As much as I was hoping for Tala and Zoe to end up together—despite there being no evidence of attraction on either end—I like that Chupeco chose to put the story’s focus elsewhere.
Although the story was slower at times, I never minded because the characters kept me entertained. I found myself always wanting to get back to the book whenever I had to put it down.
The ending went much smoother than expected, given that there’s a sequel, but I’m not complaining. My heart can only take so many cliffhangers. I will say that I found one thing predictable, saw it coming a mile away, but Tala’s reaction to said thing was interesting. I’m very curious to see if she changes her mind in the sequel.
And then there’s the epilogue….. excuse me, what? Like I said, not a cliffhanger, but also not something I ever, ever expected.
Looking very forward to book two!!! Stop sleeping on Rin Chupeco’s books, y’all!!!
Representation
- Filipino protagonist and side characters
- gay side character
- East Asian side character
- Chinese nonbinary side character that uses they/them pronouns
- side characters of color
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Racism
Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Child abuse and Genocide
A prominent side character’s parents died prior to the story and that’s referenced a few times. Same with the genocide and the child abuse, though the latter is regarding a minor side character.