He learns quite a bit about himself and how he should be treating other people, and it was just really refreshing that he was the one who really needed saving instead of having the hero being the one doing the saving. Events and people change him for the better, and I really enjoyed watching him turn into this incredible young man. I'm still a huge fan of Gideon, and just when I thought he was stable and maturing nicely, he grows into a completely different person over the course of this book. There was also some relationship drama that wouldn't have worked nearly as well if we hadn't been able to see the explanations from both sides. The fresh viewpoints really added a depth to this story that helped move events along at a great pace, especially when everyone was split up. Don't get me wrong, I loved being in Raven's head for The Artisans, but I don't think this book would have been anywhere near as good if we had only seen things from Raven. The Paladins is written from Gideon, Cole, and Raven's perspectives, and I was so glad to be able to see what the boys were thinking. I think this would still be a fun read for someone who isn't familiar with much of the mythology or anything, because Reece establishes the rules of the world in her own way so that things still feel fresh and new. I'm sure there were references to things that I didn't catch because I wasn't familiar with certain elements of the stories, but I did enjoy all of the things I did recognize. For me, everything meshed together well and it didn't feel like Reece was trying to do too much.

There's a little Rapunzel, a little generic damsel in distress, and a lot of Greek mythology (especially centering around Pan and the Labyrinth). I felt like there were several fairy tales and myths incorporated in this book, and I actually thought that was much more exciting than just retelling one specific story. While The Artisans is pretty obviously a new take on the classic 'Beauty and the Beast' story, The Paladins is quite a bit different. The Paladins was a great continuation of Raven, Gideon, and Cole's story and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it! I really enjoyed The Artisans, so even though it ended with a Happily Ever After, I was still excited to find out that there was going to be a sequel! I definitely still had a few questions left over, and even more about what would happen moving forward. *I received an advanced copy of this book as a part of the blog tour in exchange for an honest review* This review and more can be found at The A P Book Club!

The Artisans by Julie Reece