Review: ALL THE STARS AND TEETH by Adalyn Grace
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.
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.
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When the cover for ALL THE STARS AND TEETH was revealed, I was immediately enthralled and intrigued. After reading the synopsis, I was in!!! A seafaring adventure with pirates, mermaids and magic? SIGN.ME.UP! I read the book over the course of a week during a very difficult time in my personal life. It was the perfect mental break and distraction. I do think I want to do a reread when I'm in a different state of mind to fully absorb everything.
The book follows four main characters, Bastian, Amora, Ferrick in their ship Keel Haul, along with the mermaid Vataea. It's told in first person present tense through Amora's point of view. I love when a book has a sassy character like Bastian. His humor and snark are everything I look for in a book boyfriend! Plus he's a pirate, swoooon . Amora, the Princess, is a little lost and has a lot to learn. Her magic is something I've never seen before and I found the details of how it all works fascinating. Ferrick, the stowaway, has so much heart and reminds me a lot of myself. He wants to help everyone but ends up in some tricky situations. Vataea, the mermaid, ... where to even begin with her. She is bad a$$ and never does what you expect! The whole Sea Crew was a just a joy to read about. I really don't know if I could choose a favorite, even if you made me.
ALL THE STARS AND TEETH is set in a world that's been divided by war. There are several islands each with their own form of magic. It took me a bit to remember the details and who could do what sorts of magic. The book doesn't start out with extensive world building and it was like being thrown right into it. Honestly? I kind of loved that! I feel that sometimes the world building aspects of a book can be very long and drawn out. Overall I like how Adalyn set up her world. The plot starts out quick and the adventure never really stops. I'm really excited to see where this ends! It's going to be a long year waiting for book 2, but I can't wait.
The book follows four main characters, Bastian, Amora, Ferrick in their ship Keel Haul, along with the mermaid Vataea. It's told in first person present tense through Amora's point of view. I love when a book has a sassy character like Bastian. His humor and snark are everything I look for in a book boyfriend! Plus he's a pirate, swoooon . Amora, the Princess, is a little lost and has a lot to learn. Her magic is something I've never seen before and I found the details of how it all works fascinating. Ferrick, the stowaway, has so much heart and reminds me a lot of myself. He wants to help everyone but ends up in some tricky situations. Vataea, the mermaid, ... where to even begin with her. She is bad a$$ and never does what you expect! The whole Sea Crew was a just a joy to read about. I really don't know if I could choose a favorite, even if you made me.
ALL THE STARS AND TEETH is set in a world that's been divided by war. There are several islands each with their own form of magic. It took me a bit to remember the details and who could do what sorts of magic. The book doesn't start out with extensive world building and it was like being thrown right into it. Honestly? I kind of loved that! I feel that sometimes the world building aspects of a book can be very long and drawn out. Overall I like how Adalyn set up her world. The plot starts out quick and the adventure never really stops. I'm really excited to see where this ends! It's going to be a long year waiting for book 2, but I can't wait.
Adalyn Grace graduated from Arizona State University when she was nineteen years old. She spent four years working in live theater and acted as the managing editor of a nonprofit newspaper before studying storytelling as an intern on Nickelodeon Animation’s popular series The Legend of Korra.
Adalyn splits time between San Diego and Arizona with her bossy cat and two dorky dogs, and spends her days writing full-time while trying to find the best burrito around. All the Stars and Teeth is her debut novel.
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