Book Review #1: Coriander’s Light by MJ Vaughn

Hello Dear Reader!

So, I’ve been wanting to do this for a really long time on this blog. A lot of things had been eating up my time, so I’ve only been able to do this on my Instagram account. To make a long story short:

WELCOME TO KIBBLE CORNER’S FIRST EVER BOOK REVIEW

This book review is on Coriander’s Light by MJ Vaughn, which is available on Amazon as an ebook! I actually won this book through a giveaway I entered, and MJ Vaughn is one of the indie authors on Instagram that I keep pretty good contact with. So, if you ever read this @mjvaughn1_author, thank you so much for the free ebook as well as all the goodies you’ve sent me! They have been enjoyed and are still being enjoyed. Let’s just say I’ve already eaten all of the chocolate.

Anyway, onto the review!

Coriander’s Light is a mix of genres that I like as well as genres I don’t usually go for; however, that doesn’t matter because I still found myself thoroughly enjoying it. There are elements of romance, young adult, mystery, and sci fi, the last of which I don’t usually read and enjoy. So, if you like any of those genres or maybe all three of them, I recommend this book! And even if you don’t like one or any of these genres, still give it a try because there is so much more to it than this nice blend of genres.

But before I get into that, here is the synopsis of Coriander’s Light (from Amazon, might I add):

“My name is Coriander Fenton. I'm seventeen-years-old and I am in WAY over my head. All I want is to find the mother that I've never known and using the brilliant blue stone necklace she left me is the clue that affords me the opportunity of a lifetime. Unfortunately, I am now barreling down Lake Shore Drive with this uber-gorgeous guy that I barely know, who has the unique distinction of having just saved my life, in a semi-stolen car going who-knows-where and for what? So I can maybe possibly locate the woman that left me? My dad tells me that he knows that my mother loved me but it's hard to feel that when I don't know why she left. Why didn't she stay with us? My dad, Grandma Jojo, my best friend Kyla and my dog, Beans, have given me all the love that I will ever need and more but what I need now are answers. The prospect of receiving these answers are the only thing keeping my rear planted in this grimy car seat. I don't even know what I'm going to find if this whole thing works out the way I'm hoping but still, the question remains: do I stay here and see what may be waiting for me or do I bail and live.”

End synopsis. Review time!

The main character, Coriander Fenton, is super relatable, at least to me personally. Like me, she is short, considered cute, not physically fit in any way, and has no chance in winning a physical fight. She also very much represents teenagers in the way that she really is still trying to find herself, which makes her that much easier to relate to. The emotions she feels, the issues she experiences, the friendships she has, even the quirky expletives that she says makes me feel like I could actually meet her in person. She is her own person, and her character was really well thought out and developed.

The main cast of characters in Coriander’s Light are also very unique and have a group dynamic I can also relate with. Everyone is pretty close while at the same time, not everyone is buddy-buddy with each other. There were also characters I personally couldn’t help but like more than others, and that’s something I look for when it comes to character development and such. Also, there is so much witty dialogue that goes on between these characters that it makes me miss my own friend groups. There are characters that clearly like each other, characters that are best friends, characters that irritate each other, even characters that have hidden conflicts with each other.

The other world/dimension that Coriander travels to with a person from said world/dimension is also really interesting and unique. The bug-like aliens were really well-described, sometimes to the point that I would actually be grossed out. The magic system with the stones and absorbing radiation is something I’d love to learn more about in future books. I’d also love to be introduced to more of the dimension and visit different sectors and see what they look like. In addition, the way royalty and royal rankings work is something I haven’t encountered either, so it was really refreshing. Also, MJ Vaughn created her own language for this world. Major props to that!

While there were a lot of things that I really loved in Coriander’s Light, there was the occasional little something I noticed that gently poked at me while reading. They are things such as simple grammar-related things I noticed, the way things were phrased, and how a dramatic scene would be set up and executed. With that being said, while these things did stick out a bit, they didn’t take away from the story at all. And honestly, any scene with Coriander and her love interest was very much enjoyed by me. I’m just a sucker for cute, sweet romances dear reader. I can’t help it.

So, Coriander’s Light rating:

8/10 and seriously looking forward to that sequel because that ending was definitely a cliffhanger that no book character would want to be a part of. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and if you like well-developed characters, a nice story-line, and the blend of genres mentioned above, I suggest you give this book a try, because despite it’s slow start, it does surprise you in a really good way.

That is all for this book review! I hope you enjoyed reading it, and I really do hope you give Coriander’s Light a try. Also, check out the indie author @mjvaughn1_author on her Instagram because she’s really active and always posting amazing things. Her passion really shows, and I’d like for you to experience that as I have.

Thanks for reading!