Candlewax

by C. Bailey Sims

An Ancient Prophecy. A Powerful Relic. An Insatiable Evil. When all three converge, the fate of every living thing will be in peril.

All her life Catherine had hoped to see a fairrier cat. No book, no scroll provided to her by her tutors had ever mentioned this legend, much to her frustration, and now-at the worst possible time-she was getting her wish.

Only, in her wish the cat wasn't about to kill her.

Fleeing an arranged marriage, sixteen-year-old Princess Catherine teams up with the legendary 732-year-old fairrier cat Spelopokos to stop the onslaught of omnivorous trodliks that have awakened, and a rejected suitor might just be the one warrior she desperately needs.

A medieval fantasy novel of adventure, romance and horror for readers 12 and up, Candlewax won Connecticut's Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in Children's Literature, Young Adult category.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Romance, Adventure, Middle Grade, Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published March 24, 2012

Reviews

[Cyberron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book tentatively as I am very careful what I read. I like a great action, fantasy/sci-fy book, but it must be clean as well. Too many new authors feel they must put sex and bad language in a book to make it a good read - the opposite is true! You will never see that in Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Stephen R. Lawhead, Donita K. Paul, H.G. Wells, or Edgar Rice Burroughs books! These great authors with lots of imagination, and the ability to tell a great story - without resorting to these side issues.

I am 60 (soon to be 61) and my wife will be turning 60, so we have both seen a lot of promising authors compromise their talents by resorting to the use of "shock" value to make a story titillating. This just turns me off. I want a great story with a good plot and great character development. I believe that Candlewax meets that criteria. I got engrossed from the beginning and it carried me through with a desire for more (coming soon).

This book, along with most of my entire ebook library, I can easily share with my two grandsons (age 11 & 12) with no qualms or regrets (some of the other stuff is a little too intense - but clean).

Great job Ms. Sims! We applaud you!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a refreshingly wonderful book! When I finished reading Candlewax I was happy. There weren't any niggling complaints about the book teasing at the happiness, nor unsatisfied expectations from an abrupt cliffhanger. Candlewax is quite simply a tight, well-written, interesting, fun fantasy novel for young adults.

Sims' world building is just fabulous; at once I was transported into her world, and there were no frayed edges to trip me up. Even the most fantastic elements had been incorporated in such a way that they fit seamlessly with the others. I completely believed in Lackanay, Cinna, and Candlewax. Yes, there was quite a bit of exposition in the dialog at times, but it rarely felt like info-dumping. Sims' dialog was both plausable and interesting, and the history and adventure unfolded together in a beautifully harmonious sort of way.

The characters were also just so well done! In Catherine we have a believably flawed, beautiful, strong protagonist. Her alternating strength and vulnerability never feel forced, and the fact that she is a girl never factors in either; they are the strengths and weaknesses of any person, not a specific sex. (I think a young male reader could get wrapped up in her adventure just as easily as a female reader.) Pokos is delightful in the way only a talking cat can be, and Cyril is a strong, smart, and nice hero. He is a partner for Catherine, not just a love interest. As I read I truly felt a part of the adventure; the relationships between the characters developed in such as way that it felt like we were all getting to know each other at the same time. I learned to trust and like the characters just as they learned to trust and like each other.

And what an adventure it is! Girl running from an arranged marriage. Girl masquerading as boy. Servant masquerading as Princess. Enchanted jewelry and daggers. Enigmatic cat. Prophesies. Kingdoms to be saved. Destinies to be met. Magical beasts. Secret rooms and hidden passages. Traitors. Archery contests. Evil Kings. Thieves. Campfire cooking. Everything one could possibly love about fantasy is in Candlewax (except maybe dragons. But you won't miss them, promise!)

The novel has a nicely plotted story arc and, even with the cliffhanger set up for the next books in the series, Candlewax has that now-rare satisfying feeling of conclusion when it ends. I won't lie: I really wish it had a more inspiring cover, some of the made up words and names made me giggle - even when they were supposed to be menacing - and the Trodliks never became more than this in my head, but none of that really detracted from my enjoyment of the novel in any way. Hardcore fans of fantasy may find Candlewax to be simple (but not, I think, derivative). There is danger, sadness, loss, fear - but things never get too dark. Therefore, I think it is an excellent introduction to the genre for younger readers while still being a good read for older teens. Sims didn't do anything earth shattering here, but it is a good, strong, fun, readable fantasy that I would easily recommend to any young reader who shows the slightest interest in the genre.

Thanks to Terabyte Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Blogged at Chronicles of a Book Evangelist

[Karissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got an advanced reading copy of this book through NetGalley.com. It started out wonderfully and I really enjoyed the first portion of the book. As the book progressed though the story started to drag and I began to just want the story to be done with. This is a young adult/middle grade fantasy.

Catherine is being forced to marry the king of a nearby kingdom in an arranged marriage. She flees only to stumble upon a 732 year old Farrier cat that tells her that she is the heir to the Ancient Onyxes and is destined to save the kingdom from certain destruction.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. Pokos is the farrier cat and has a wonderfully dry sense of humor. Although it was a bit strange that he befriends Catherine by eating her beloved horse. Despite that I was looking forward to this being a wonderful YA fantasy somewhat in the style of McKinely's Hero and the Crown and Tamora Pierce's works.

Catherine starts off as pretty selfish; she wants to flee the kingdom because of an arranged marriage. I can understand that. As the story unfolds though you find out that she didn't really know much about the marriage. She didn't know who the guy was, had never meet him, and didn't really talk to her dad, the King, about why he wanted her to marry him. I was hoping that Catherine would grow into a benevolent Queen who would really show what she had learned on her journey; she grows a little but continues to make narrow-minded and selfish decisions throughout.

As the story continues even Pokos comes off as selfish; he seems to want to find other Farrier cats to ease his loneliness...the fact that it will save the kingdom is secondary.

Catherine does meet the King of the neighboring kingdom and you can guess what happens when she does. It is incredibly predictable. The romance between Catherine and the King is of the sweet and innocent kind; making this a book appropriate for middle grade and older readers.

The later part of the book had Catherine and crew running around and doing one thing after another. It was all predictable and got to be a bit lengthy; I kept hoping for surprises and never really got them. By the second half of the book I just wanted to be done with it. I guess the only thing that was surprising was the horrible enemy which was totally not what I thought it was going to be.

There are some creative things in here (I loved the idea of Candlewax trees) but mostly I think older readers will be bored with the predictability. The story was wrapped up fairly completely, although there are couple loose threads that would need to be tied up in future books. The writing style is fairly simple, again targeted at a younger audience I guess.

Overall this was an okay book. It is a pretty average middle grade fantasy with a touch of romance. The story line has been done many times before: girl runs away from arranged marriage, meets the guy she was supposed to marry, falls in love, save the kingdom, the end. I would tentatively recommend this for fans of Robin McKinley's Hero and the Crown and Tamora Pierce's works. I personally won't be reading any more in this series.

[Jaclyn Cotton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I will be publishing this review on my blog Jaclyn's Musings and on goodreads. This review is scheduled to post on Mon. Nov. 7, 2011. I am including the direct link, HERE, but please note that the link will not work until the publication date of Mon. Nov. 7, 2011.
Thank you so very much for this opportunity!
~Jaclyn~

Review: Candlewax by C. Bailey Sims
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

C. Bailey Sim's Candlewax is the first in a series of novels about an Ancient Prophecy, a Fairrier car named Spelopokos, and a Princess name Catherine. Young sixteen year old Catherine decides that she is not in the least bit interested in an arranged marriage and that she’ll run away instead.
Thus begins a series of events that takes the Princess across the Kingdoms all throughout the land of Lackanay. On her journey she learns about the true meaning of friendship, loyalty, bravery, courage, and love. She also learns so much more about her beloved grandmother (her namesake) that goes far above and beyond the lessons that her grandmother taught her.

Princess Catherine learns that every living thing within the realm of Lackanay will soon be in peril by trodliks (which her father, the King, said did not exist) and a great evil, if she doesn’t choose to fulfill her destiny. And she finds that she is much stronger and self sufficient than her sheltered upbringing would suppose. And that she truly can do whatever it is that she sets her mind to and is necessary stop everything she loves from being destroyed. Somewhere along the way she finds that she has friends who like her for who she is and not what (the title) she has.

I rated Candlewax a 3.5 because the first several chapters were very slow, but once the pace picked up I found that I really enjoyed it. If it wasn’t for the slow beginning, I would have given Candlewax a higher score. That said, I would definitely recommend this book to all those that enjoy the YA fantasy genre.

I enjoyed learning about (the fictional realm of) lackaday and the Candlewax King along with the protagonist Catharine. While the story takes place over days the growth and change in Catharine feels like years. The change is quite remarkable and I would consider this to be a coming-of-age stories. While Candlewax wraps up fairly well in an of itself, the door is open for the next book in the series, Tabrek which I very much look forward to reading when it is available.

Candlewax by C. Bailey Sims is scheduled to be released on April 3, 2012.
~Jaclyn~

*Disclosure - I received an e-copy of this title from NetGalley

Rating system: (stars)
5 - Excellent! Can’t put it down!
4.5 - Fantastic! Definitely a keeper
4 - Compelling, A page turner
3.5 - Very Enjoyable
3 - Enjoyable. A pleasant read
2.5 - Take it or Leave it. May or may not finish
2 - Problematic. May struggle to finish
1.5 - Severely flawed. Pass on this one
1 - Couldn’t finish. Not my kind of book.

[JennRenee · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, so recently I seemed to have been on an epic/high fantasy kick. I have enjoyed Urban Fantasy for quite some time now, and until recently did not know epic/high fantasy could be so much fun. Now that I have said that, back to reviewing the book.

I can’t say enough GREAT about this book WOW. This book was so amazing. The writing was magnificent. If flowed so nicely at a great pace and had me falling in love with so many characters.


Catherine lives in a castle and is bound to marry someone she does not love and not to mention she is not ready for marriage. She runs away and of course along the way finds trouble, a talking cat, friendship, love, loyalty, betrayal, and war.


The setting was done with much creativity. I enjoyed being swept into another world. The cultures and atmosphere of each kingdom and country was done simple but detailed. I really felt a part of each individual world. It was easy to get lost in this well thought out place.

The characters were amazing. I want to be best of friends with each one (well not the bad guys) at first I was weary of the main character Catherine. She seemed a little panicky and scattered. At the beginning she has a great plan in her head of escaping her kingdom and her arranged marriage. She gets out of the castle quickly and without any unwanted attention. I was thinking, great job Catherine!, but then she finds trouble first thing. Well that was expected, as in any epic fantasy. The problem was Catherine had no idea what to do next. She had no back up plans. I though great here we go. Another wimpy female protagonist. Well, I was proven wrong. Catherine does it get together, and comes out in the end a true hero.

There are also many other great characters, Pokos the fairrier cat, let me say I so want one. He is sarcastic and soothing, dangerous and sweet, scary and cuddly… all in the same breath…. Oh and he is big enough to ride. Who wouldn’t want one right?

Then there is Cyril. He owns my heart as of right now. He is brave, loyal, handsome, strong, smart, and a gentleman. Not always the brightest when it comes to girls, but yummy all the same. He is the man I would want to find myself on a dangerous journey with.

The rest of the characters I loved too. All of them. They each had their own part in the story and worked well together. I started to miss them as soon as I turned the last page.

Not just the characters and setting were amazing. The story, what a wonderful story. Every epic fantasy has the prophecy or legend, a journey, a hero, and a kingdom to save. This is well known. They don’t seem to get old to me because they are also story of courage, loyalty, love, passion, friendship, and growing. This story had it all in abundance. There were too many times to count where I had tears rolling down my face and warm fuzzies inside my heart or tears from laughter, or even bitten fingernails from worry. My heart grew 10 times bigger by the end of this book.



I strongly advise this book to any epic fantasy readers and even those who are not. This book will convert you.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received Candlewax as an ARC. I am not always into fantasy novels, but the premise sounded good, so I thought I would give it a try. I am soooo glad I did because this is one of the best books I have read. It has good guys, bad guys, a really bad guy, traitors, soldiers, kings, princesses, and magical beasts. Oh and can’t forget the castles. It was beautifully written with chapters that split the story up quite nicely. It is easy to follow, even though there is a lot going on in the story.

There is a lot of adventure surrounding a princess whose destiny, which given to her through a prophesy, is to save her country and the surrounding countries in her realm. Unlike most stories with princesses, Catherine is actually a strong female character. Yes there is a very handsome king she is betrothed to, and yes he is sometimes her “Knight in Shining Armor,” but even though she gets into quite a few precarious situations, for the most part, she saves herself.

This is the first book in a series, but this story does have an ending. There is a bit of a cliff hanger that will be the tie in for the next book, which I am quite eager to read.

I highly recommend this book for kids in 4th grade through adults, depending on their reading level and comprehension. This is not a difficult book but there are strange words (created for this story) that could be difficult if the reader did not know how to sound out a word. This book would be good for a boy or a girl; it would be good for a girl because of the strong female character, and the bit of romance aspect. It would be good for boys because of the kings, knights, beasts, and the fighting/adventure aspect. There is absolutely no sex or even references to sex in this book, even though there is a bit of romance, which makes this one of the best books I have read in a while for kids. This book would also be good to read to your kids, a chapter at a time as a bedtime story, a la “the princess bride” style- (if you’ve ever read that book or seen the movie- you’d know what I mean).

I am not paid to review books, I do this to help you, especially parents, find books that are appropriate for your kids to read.

[Shy The WidowMaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start out by saying how much I loved this book. It has been a while since I have read a truly amazing fantasy book. The first pages of this book had me all in once I read about Pokos the farrier cat. He just seemed like such a great character and I was instantly hooked. Pokos is such a major player in this book and the descriptions about him in this book made him seem so real and I visualized him. The world building in this book is some of the best I have seen in a long time. The author created such beautiful cities that sounded like such great places to see. The author knew just how to capitivate the reader and draw them in the cities in this book. I have to say Catherine is what I love to see in my books. She was such a fierce character and yet still so humble and down to earth. I love how she was so determined to fufill her destiny. She was willing to do whatever had to be done to make it happen. Cyril was another amazing character and an awesome leading man. He was all that you expect the hero to be and then some. He was so protective of Catherine and immediately jumped in to help her. I love the budding romance that was sparked between them. I can't wait to see the great things they can do together as a team. My other favorite characters in this story were Bessie and Menard. They were both the great friends you would love to have by your side. They are loyal and willing to fight to the end for you. This book was such a great read and had all that you would want in a fantasy read with the mythical creatures,great battles,romance,and the captivating descriptions. Hats off to the author as she is on her way to having a very promising fantasty series on her hands. I recommend this book to any fantasy lovers out there as they will not be dissappointed. I loved this book so much I wished it didn't have to end. Overall a spellbinding,heart pounding, great read.

[Leigh Collazo · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews at http://readerpants.blogspot.com.

WHAT I LIKED: May I please move to Candlewax? The world-building in this book is incredible! From majestic castles to burning forests of Candlewax trees to the unforgiving land of Cinna, the fantasy world is breathtakingly beautiful and cold and evil at the same time.

Well-paced. I was sucked into the story right away and, for the most part, had a hard time putting it down. Sims provides plenty of conflict to keep the story moving; there were times when I wondered, "How on earth are they going to get out of this mess?"

Strong characters. Princess Catherine, Bessie, and Cyril are all likeable, brave, and clever. Readers will love to hate thoroughly evil characters such as Kallik, Warren, Julia, and Magnus. Even though King Cyril is a bit of a "golden boy," I liked him anyway. His feelings for Catherine are so obvious and shy and sweet, and I especially love how Cyril is not the typical "bad boy" love interest so prevalent in today's YA literature. Though their romance is fairly new, Cyril and Catherine seem to be the kind of couple that lasts.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The battle scene at the end is a little drawn-out, and I found myself skimming the last 40 pages or so. I like how the story wraps up but leaves a few loose ends for the sequel, Tebrek. Maybe Bessie will find love in that one; I felt kind of sorry for her, always having to look on as Catherine and Cyril grow closer and closer.

BOTTOM LINE: Despite a slightly sluggish ending, fans of Cashore's Graceling or Golding's Dragonfly will love this!

[Ayesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had serious doubts when I first started this book. A huge white dog that seems like it could be the pet version of White Fang, and she names it "Wolfy"? I cried a little for White Fang. The writing also seemed rather forced - not a huge fan of super short, easy sentences. Makes me sad when authors think their readers can't handle a run-on, or a compound word here and there.

But once you get into it, you realize the story in and of itself is actually quite compelling and you want to know more. And there's twists and turns aplenty to keep you guessing. A little bit of everything is thrown in - a quest, a chase, a case of mistaken identity, treachery. romance, humor, an almost-fatal wounding - pretty much the only thing missing was the kitchen sink. Jut the plethora of sub-plots made the book drag a bit in places, in a "is this still going on?" kind of way.

All in all, though, I can see where the comparisons to Cashore might come in, and it really is a fun little romp, with just enough danger thrown in to make you honestly care about the characters. The only thing that I found seriously lacking was the the abrupt ending. It's almost as if Sims put everything into the story, but then couldn't be bothered to add in a satisfying conclusion. I mean, it was alright, but..... Just..... I might be the only to feel this way, too; I don't know, a lot of you might be perfectly happy with the ending, but..... It's still good, though, and you should read it! :)

Ohh! Thanks to netgalley for the ARC :)

[Jill Kerler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a paperback ARC courtesy of Terabyte Press. I typically read this genre to discuss books my children are reading. Although, now that they are older I have not found this genre as tempting. However, my interests in history, adventure and suspense made this book intriguing. The beginning was complex -- filled with character introductions and the lay of the land -- but I enjoy flipping back and forth to maps and character listings and found both of these in Candlewax! What seemed at first to be a somewhat female-oriented story with talk of wedding and jewelry soon become a tale of adventure with characters you wanted to know more about. I didn't feel like an observer through the story but a participant. I could feel the fur in my boots as I ran through the woods amazed at how the branches never got in my way. The cast of characters grew as the plot thickened with details that kept me wanting to find out what would happen next. The skilled storytelling of the author made me believe I was sharing every experience with the characters and I could even chuckle at what seemed like insiders’ jokes. The climax kept building as the antagonistic forces kept approaching. And when the end of the story came, which it always must, I felt a sigh of relief that all was well but then saddened to think I would know no more about the future of my new friends. I was delighted to find Sims has a sequel in the works and look forward to catching up with Candlewax soon.

[Vidya-Book Driven Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books, I would like to buy and keep it at home..such an engaging and enthralling plot!

Princess Catherine of Crystallia runs out of her kingdom, to escape from a forced arranged marriage to the King of Candlewax. She meets Pokos, the last fairrier cat (a huge cat, which can talk) in their land, whom she learns is in search of her. Catherine and the fairrier cat starts on a dangerous adventure to fulfill the prophecy that will save their lands from Trodliks (flesh eating monsters, which were considered to be a myth). Soon, they were joined by Bessie, who helps Catherine escape Crystallia, Cyril, the King of Candlewax and his counselor. The five of them take on an interesting (to us!) adventure to other lands to bring other fairrier cats.

This book was one of the highly satisfactory books, where you can get fantasy, adventure, romance, courage and humor in equal parts. The characters are so well-developed and so, no complaints in those areas. Also, being the first book in the series, the author clearly knows how important world-building is. She has done a great justice to the job. The romance between Catherine and Cyril was awesome, that you crave for more. The loyalty and courage of the Candlewax soldiers were so adorable. Great read!

This is the first book in the series and I will definitely be going out for more. Highly recommended for fantasy lovers!

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have and advanced reading copy of this that I got from my dad. I'm 12 years old and I was supposed to read it to give feedback. I kept putting it off because I had other things to read and I don't particularly like reading new books by new authors. As I started Candlewax though I really enjoyed it.
It was a really original plot with original characters. I really liked Pokos. He seemed nice and gentle at times but at others he was defensive and angry. I really like characters with flip sides to their personalities because you can never see what's coming next. I also liked Catherine. She was adventurous and didn't want to obey what other people said. she reminded me of some of my friends and I. Catherine thought that her father and friends were wrong even though they were trying to do what was right for the kingdom.
The setting was very interesting too. I think that my favorite kingdom was Candlewax. It really intrigued me. Just the thought of trees that burn endlessly... amazing. I also liked Lackanay. I really like snow and the cold and that was an awesome place. With it's cliffs and mountains, and icy winds, is just held so much fascination.
There were a couple places where it moved kind of slow, like when they were traveling but those parts are necessary and everything can't be action :D.
All in all I really enjoyed this book it was very well written with a great plot, characters and setting.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Princess Catherine is running away from an arranged marriage, when she meets a farrier cat. Pokos is one of the last farrier cats an ancient race that protects the lands from invasion. He believes it was prophesied that Catherine would be the princess to save the lands from the Trodliks, creatures who eat a land barren.

I kept trying to get through this story. I usually enjoy traditional fairytale style stories, but there were a lot of things that didn’t work for me. First I just had a hard time liking Catherine, she was selfish and headstrong, the kind of princess that usually gets cursed before growing into a good person. Then the writing style was pretty rough. Lots of choppy sentence structure, and horribly unpronounceable names. The dialogue felt fake. Everything was very simplistic, running away from an arranged marriage without ever meeting the groom, meeting a girl who distrusts her and befriending her in a matter of days, getting attacked by bandits, and so one. It was at this point that I gave up on the story. I have no problem with the usual elements of a fairytale being present if they are pulled off well. These were not. This may not matter for the intended target of middle grade readers, but it’s not going to work for any more advanced readers.

Special thanks to Negalley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

[Carrie Ardoin]

Princess Catherine has decided to run away from her home, because she is very upset about the arranged marriage her parents are forcing her into. Shortly after beginning her journey, Catherine meets the over 700 year old Fairrier cat, Spelopokos. He is believed to be the last of his species. The two get off to a rocky start, but soon Spelopokos begins filling Catherine in about her family's istory...and am important prophecy, of which she is the key.

I won't give this a starred rating, because I didn't get far enough to love or hate it too much either way. I guess I just found myself...disinterested. The story did not draw me in after a considerable amount of pages, and I did not care enough about the characters or the plot conflict to find out what happens in the end.

Now, I am a fan of both high fantasy and middle grade novels, so I can't say for sure what the problem was. Maybe I am too old for the book's target audience? I am 26.

I might recommend this book for younger readers who love fantasy and aren't daunted by the prospect of huge books...perhaps Eragon fans? This book just wasn't for me but I bet those types of readers would love it.

[Regina Linton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read taking you to a time long forgotten. Back when their were arranged marriages to save kingdoms and the smell of evil is something the trained few can detect.

Catherine is a princess. A right stubborn one at that and when her father tells her that she is betrothed to the King of Candlewax, she is furious. She doesn't want to marry a stinky old king. What she doesn't know is that the old king passed away and his hot son has taken over.

Cyril, King of Candlewax is waiting for the princess to come to the kingdom to take her place by his side to rule with him. Catherine has other plans and that is to run like hell.

On her way out of town, she is befriended by a ferrier cat names Pokos. He tells her of the prophecy and her role in it. She feels like that is the right thing to pursue so that the trodliks don't destroy everything. With the help of a new friend, Bessie, Catherine, Pokos, and Cyril try their hardest to save their kingdoms.

Can they stop the trodliks in time? Find out now.

YA Paranormal Recommended.

[Worldpeas14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of this book. I love to read fantasy novels in my free time, and this book was up to par with my favorite books such as "The Hunger Games" and "The Maze Runner". I think that this book is made for a younger age group than those books, but I truly believe that people of all ages will thoroughly enjoy reading "Candlewax". There is just the right amount of action to keep the pace of the book going. The romance in the novel is lovely but not too mushy to deter male readers. There are so many intricate details that went into the book; the reader will be sad they cannot actually live in Lackanay and help Catherine along in her quest. Even if you are not looking for another book to read right now, put "Candlewax" on your list of must-reads!

[Nancy Woodhull · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the story, it's extremely creative. The heroine, Catherine, is adventurous, brave, and is willing to fight for something bigger than herself. When the farrier cat Pokos' eyes change color they reveal his emotions, which makes this character intriguing. The fictional world of the story is fascinating--it is elaborate and detailed and surprises await you around every bend. If you liked The Wizard of Oz, you'll like Candlewax.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The intriguing Candlewax story draws you in and won't let you go until you find out what happens to the Princess, the kingdom, and the Farrier Cat. Adventure, romance and a touch of the supernatural---great stuff for all ages.

[Cyp]

"...young readers of Paolini and Cashore will gobble up this award-winning debut."

Cashore? Did I hear Cashore? Sign me up, man!

[Karen Kensek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little magic, some romance, and a whole bunch of adventure, makes this story truly enjoyable. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every chapter. I could use some of that farrier cat fur!!!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book immensely. Well developed characters with an interesting plot and kept me intrigued throughout.

[Julie Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

From Goodreads: "An Ancient Prophecy. A Powerful Relic. An Insatiable Evil. When all three converge, the fate of every living thing will be in peril. All her life Catherine had hoped to see a fairrier cat. No book, no scroll provided to her by her tutors had ever mentioned this legend, much to her frustration, and now-at the worst possible time-she was getting her wish. Only, in her wish the cat wasn't about to kill her. Fleeing an arranged marriage, sixteen-year-old Princess Catherine teams up with the legendary 732-year-old fairrier cat Spelopokos to stop the onslaught of omnivorous trodliks that have awakened, and a rejected suitor might just be the one warrior she desperately needs. A medieval fantasy novel of adventure, romance and horror for readers 12 and up, Candlewax won Connecticut's Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in Children's Literature, Young Adult category."

My Opinion: As a lover of high fantasy, I was intrigued when I saw this book listed on NetGalley, but I was a bit nervous going in because high fantasy can be really tough to get just right, and since this was an author I was not familiar with I didn't really know what to expect, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the story. The characters were well developed and the fantasy aspects of the book were unique and well written. I can't remember reading any books about farrier cats but the descriptions in this book were written so that I could easily picture what they looked like and how they behaved.

The story begins with Princess Catherine running away from home to escape an arranged marriage to the King of Candlewax. Catherine doesn't get far before she has an encounter with a farrier cat, Spelopokos, who informs her that she is the only one who can help him fulfill a prophecy, one that will save the lands of Lackanay. Spelopokos is the last of the farrier cats in Lackanay, and without them, the land will be overrun with creepy little creatures that eat anything that gets in their way, including crops, forests, and yes, people! To ensure this doesn't happen, Catherine and Spelopokos must cross the borders into a dangerous land and find more farrier cats to bring back with them. Along the way Catherine meets Bessie, who I absolutely loved because of her courage and never give up attitude. They also meet up with Cyril, the King of Candlewax, who, much to Catherine's delight, isn't the old man she was expecting him to be! Instead he's handsome and courageous, and promises her that he will help her fulfill the prophecy and save the land, and in doing so they will have the chance to get to know each other better before deciding whether they will end up betrothed or not. The thing I really liked about this book was that there was no instalove here, more like insta-annoy! Cyril and Catherine took their time getting to know each other and their attraction was able to grow naturally. There were also lots of bad guys to fight, with treachery and treason and back stabbing to keep things interesting!

The prose was a bit forced at times, but not enough to detract from the story. I have to mention the amazing world building in this book! You can tell that the author has a very active imagination, much to my delight! I was easily able to picture both the scenes and the people that Catherine and her friends came across, and this allowed me to enjoy the book even more.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow at first, but there was a lot of background needed to fully understand the story, and once that was done the pace picked up a lot. I liked the ending and since it appears to be a set up to a sequel (fingers crossed), I look forward to reading more about this land and its people :D

[Ning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hollow Tour presents:
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Wow, I always enjoy a good fantasy read, but this one was a lot better than my expectation. Candlewax is filled with adventure and magic (talking cats anyone?) and non-stop action that had me glued to the pages, especially the ending! I read through it so fast because I couldn’t wait to find out what happened!

This is strange because at the start of the book I had my doubts. Catherine, Princess of Crystallia, is running away from home after being forced to marry King of Candlewax. First of all, for a princess, that’s really irresponsible of her. I like it reflected her independence, but it also made her extremely selfish for someone of her station. Secondly, later she finds out that the King is actually pretty handsome and regretted running away. Gee, so the fact he’s young is more important than the fact he’s a good king and the alliance is important? (Sorry, I had to get this little rant here. It made me want to strangle Catherine!)

Now on to the good parts! Despite having problem with Catherine’s choices, her adventure and the prophecy instantly drew me in, not to mention the Candlewax trees. When I read about them I was so shocked! It’s such a unique idea! I love the world-building in this one with the burning trees and crystals and hunters and Tabrek. Clearly, one can see that everything is well thought out. I just wish that some of the world-building could be clearer. Also, I have a little problem with how tiny the countries are.

But Catherine and her companion’s adventures more than made up for that. The world-building was more than enough for us to understand the characters and their situation! Everything falls together very nicely and smoothly in the end. All the characters had a role to play in the story and their motivations were very real and believable.

With that said, Catherine came off a bit too trusting and she was very lucky to stay alive. She listened to the cat without asking too many questions and just went with the flow of things. I felt like she could be a little bit more proactive about things. Instead, she’s just being led around by others who know more than she does. Lastly, the writing is a bit choppy and could be improved. Some of the sentences are short and of the same sentence type so they don’t flow together very well, but I was able to ignore this mostly as I got further into the story.

In the end, I would recommend this to those who love stories with a great adventure and an independent heroine (although not perfect) and thoughtful world-building. I personally enjoyed this one very much regardless of my complaints and am very happy I got to read this. I can’t wait to return to the world of Lackanay in the next book!

[Vanya D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I received from NetGalley upon request.

I really liked the story, because the idea was original. I loved the concept of the ferrier cats and the power of the Onyxes; the speaking aloud vs. speaking in thoughts only. I also liked how Catherine (the lead female) compared her studies at the castle with the much more helpful hands-on experience she got in the world outside. It meant that she was learning and growing, and that is important to see in a character.

However, the writing style really put me off. It felt like it was written in partitions. Some chapters sounded really good, really interesting, with depth to plunge in. While others felt like they needed more substance.

Another thing that wasn't quite to my taste was that the entire book was written in the manner of a fairy tale, i.e. with language quality more appealing to younger audiences (10-15), while the story itself seemed to have an older target audience (16-20).

Some scenes (like the longbow shooting) felt forced to me. As if the characters wanted to do something else, but the author forced them to just go along with her wishes. It felt unnatural and unrealistic. Made me feel sympathetic toward the characters.

In addition to all that, I'm quite sorry to say that not even one of the characters made me really love them. Catherine was brave and all, but she was too trusting and naive. Besides, she was a 16-year old pampered princess, who upon her running away from the castle is suddenly perfectly capable of taking care of herself. I am not sure how this transition happened. Also, there were scenes that should've scared her - if she was true to her character - but she simply dismissed them.
Cyril wasn't really the strong male I had expected him to be. He was more like a boy at the age of 22, than the grown king he should have been. I know that young readers can't realize this, but a king at 22 cannot allow himself to think like a boy where his kingdom and people are concerned. I'm afraid that Cyril wasn't really all that concerned.
Spelopokos, the ferrier cat, kind of made an impression in the first couple of chapters, then he faded in the background of it all.
The only strong feeling I got was for the villain - Kallik. He was ruthless, ambitious and ready to obliterate the entire realm just so he can rule it afterwards. When he was described, the images I got were grotesque and mind-shuddering. Perhaps, he was the only real, deep character in this book.

And just a final side note: I hope that the published version of this book has the characters' thoughts marked in Italic, because otherwise it gets confusing as to who is saying/thinking what.

I would recommend this book to readers 12-15, although there was some violence that isn't quite
appropriate for that age group.

[Meagan Myhren-Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

CANDLEWAX

By C. Bailey Sims


An ancient danger sleeps outside the boarders of Lackanay in the Desert of Devona. A danger that could wake at any moment if Spelopokos the last Fairrier Cat stops breathing within the boarders of Lackanay.

When 16 year old Princess Catherine of Crystallia flees her father's castle and her upcoming marriage to the mysterious King Cyril of Candlewax she doesn't realize that she is running to her destiny and Spelopokos. Catherine and Spelopokos are part of an ancient prophecy which says, “the wearer of the Onyxes of Tabrek, named Catherine is to save Lackanay, but if the Fairrier Cats pass from existence Lackanay will fall to the trodliks and be destroyed.”

Pokos, who is hundreds of years old, knew the last wearer of the Onyxes of Tabrek – Catherine's grandmother, Queen Catherine of Tabrek and of Crystallia. He tells Catherine of her part in the prophecy and how together they must bring more Fairrier Cats to Lackanay. But to do this they must leave Lackanay leaving the land without the protection that Pokos has provided. But to fulfill their destiny they must face many dangers.

As Catherine and Pokos travel towards the Cinna Gate they must outwit her father – King Stephen, King Cyril, and the evil men under Kallik. But Cinna Gate is located in Candlewax a land forever burning. When King Cyril discovers Catherine's deception he is determined to stop her, but with the Ancient of Onxyes Catherine and Pokos cannot be stopped. When King Cyril threatens to follow Catherine through the gate, Catherine tosses the pendant to him so he too can enter Cinna unharmed. Cyril is determined to protect Catherine from the dangers that lurk in Cinna. But the dangers that await them in Cinna could end their quest and doom Lackanay to the same fate as the once lush Devona.

Can Catherine fulfill her destiny and survive the dangers of Cinna or will all be lost to the Trodliks? With King Cyril in Cinna, King Kallik of Tabrek is determined to steal the throne of Candlewax and to control the Fairrier Cats.

Candlewax is an exciting tale of action and friendship. It is also a story of self-discovery, but does Catherine have the time to discover who she truly is and what she wants from life? As events unfold Catherine is forced to find new strengths within herself or all will be lost.

Be sure to read Candlewax the first title in a new series filled with excitement and intrigue. Candlewax is a delightful debut novel from a talented author!

I received a Digital ARC loan of this title for the sole purpose of reviewing this title.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the reason I chose to review Candlewax is because it sounded like something I would like: a prophecy, a magical heirloom, a mythical beast, and a story that happens long ago and far away. But, I was completely unprepared for how much I would enjoy it! C. Bailey Sims has crafted a story that rivals other greats in its genre, like Christopher Paolini’s Eragon.

The story follows Princess Catherine of Crystallia as she flees her kingdom rather than marry some prince from a nearby land. She sets out with a bag of jewels and some heirlooms left to her by her grandmother, but her journey to a far away town by the ocean is quickly sidetracked when Catherine is attacked by robbers. A fairrer cat, a magical creature the size of a horse, named Spelopokos saves Catherine, and in doing so changes her life forever. This wise and sarcastic beast reveals parts of Catherine’s heritage that have been kept from her and clues her into the real dangers that the land of Lackanay is facing. In addition to an evil ruler named Kallik, ravenous trodliks are waiting for Pokos to die so they can awaken and feast on the land until it nothing but barren desert. Unable to leave Pokos to fend for himself after saving her life and educating her on an important part of her legacy, Catherine embarks on a dangerous journey that will either completely save or destroy her kingdom and all of the surrounding lands.

The plot moves swiftly and often in directions you don’t expect (although there are a few guess-able plot points, as well) yet the action doesn’t flow at the expense of character development. All of the characters are very well developed with their intentions clear and their personalities very distinct. Candlewax‘s heroine, Catherine, is stubborn, bold, spoiled, and brave, but she also as the uncertainty of someone still finding her way in the world. Cyril, the Candlewax King and Catherine’s intended husband, is wise for his age, brave, and mature in the way that all good rulers are in this type of story. I loved watching them work together despite her unwillingness to be part of an arranged marriage and his inability to figure her out (Cyril sounds like a lot of guys I know;)

Sims’ also develops an amazing world in which the setting is another character. The landscape contains so many exotic features: the ever-burning Candlewax trees, gothic castles, the wilds of Cinna, even the barren desert of Devona.

I highly recommend C. Bailey Sims’ Candlewax. It is expert storytelling that draws you into the novel and I savored every second of reading it. Its sequel, Tabrek, will be on my must-read list.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book through a Goodreads giveaway and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I thought the world building was excellent, particularly the kingdom of Candlewax. The description of the Candlewax trees made it one of my top favorite fictional places. In addition to this, I also thought the overall plot was good if not somewhat predictable.

There were, however, two main issues I had with the book. First was the pacing. It felt a bit slow to me and this made it hard for me to get into the story. Although I could read several chapters at a time, once I put the book down, I wasn’t eager to pick it back up again. This was better towards the last twenty or so pages when the climatic battle got underway, which I wound up liking quite a bit. I was somewhat surprised to see that Sims didn’t hold back on putting a bit of gore in there, especially considering this book seems to be aimed mainly at a middle school audience. Still, she didn’t overdo it. It was just the right amount.

The second thing I took issue with was the romance between Catherine and Cyril. At first it started off beautifully. She was disguised as a boy and rather than being taken with her appearance right away, they bonded a bit over horses. However, when her identity is revealed to him, their romance seems to head straight to the I-can’t-live-without-you phase. It was all just...too fast for me. I mean, he’s already basically in love with her after knowing her for a handful of days and vice versa. I would have appreciated it if their relationship developed a bit more naturally. Also, I found that after the two of them automatically fell in love, rather than growing closer over things they had in common, they merely seemed to be attracted to one another physically. Whenever one of them was admiring the other for something, it was usually their looks. Occasionally it was for something else, though in the end I found this pairing to be slightly forced.

Despite this, I did genuinely like Catherine’s character. I also really wound up liking Spelopokos and the other farrier cats. Part of me wishes the journey had stayed exclusively with Catherine and Spelopokos rather than adding in Cyril, Menard, and Bessie (who sort of became unimportant after we left the town we met her in). I feel that if the book had focused on the two of them, it would have been a stronger story.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Candlewax, by C. Bailey Sims, is a young adult fantasy novel. Catherine is sixteen years old, and a princess. When her father, the king, announces that she will marry the king of Candlewax Catherine is less than thrilled. She has never met the man and knows nothing about him, including his age. So, Catherine sets off into the woods, with some supplies and her grandmother's amulet, and goes in search of her future. Little did she know that her future involved an ancient prophesy, a fairier cat the size of a horse, and fighting evil. That cat is tightly tied to her country's very survival, but he is the last of his kind there. As they travel together to fulfill the prophesy and bring more fairier cats home, the meet a cast of characters that either help or hinder them as they race towards their fate.

I am unsure how to begin with Candlewax. I enjoyed the story, so lets start there. Catherine is a plucky character that has a will and mind of her own. Cyril, the king of Candlewax, is a thoroughly good guy, but still comes off as realistic even though he is a little too perfect. The other characters, even some unimportant background characters, are also very well-defined. The book changes from a few different points of view, but this is done well and helps the reader understand the larger picture of what is happening.

The world building is really well done, including widely varied environments and people. I loved some of the world elements, like the burning trees in Candlewax. However, there were a couple of moments when I found myself checking the page count to see if I was at the end yet. Not because I was not enjoying the read, but because it felt like a very long read even though it was not. It seemed like there were a few viable points where things could have been wrapped up, but there was another fight or something else that needed to be done first. Then, there was the promise that more evil plots would be hatched.

I can recommend Candlewax to readers around eleven to fourteen, and older readers that enjoy epic fantasy. Readers that like battle scenes and creative world building will particularly enjoy the story. There is some violence, but very little in way of romantic contact, so there is not much to keep the younger set to pick this up. This was an enjoyable read, with some very promising elements.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the things I loved about this book is the Fairrier cats – large magical cats that protect Catherine’s realm. It has been a while since I’ve seen a new and different supernatural creature. So many writers are obsessed with reimaginings of animals and paranormals we already have from mythology and it’s nice to have something different presented in a very prominent position. Pokos, the main cat we deal with, is an especially fun character because he has such a strong personality. I loved the prologue from his point of view and I almost wish he had narrated the whole book.



Unfortunately, other than that, the book was a little blah for me. I will be the first to admit that MG isn’t my favorite and it’s partially my fault for not researching more and finding out Candlewax was MG before I requested it from NetGalley. There were several places I felt like the solutions to the problems were too simple and easy, and they were introduced too quickly. I also had a hard time believing in the romance – It felt a little too convenient that Cyril was “mysteriously” attracted to Catherine while she still was disguised as a boy. I’ve said before that I’m getting a little tired of the fated love stories that have no problems. I find there’s too little development of the relationship in these stories for it to be believable for me.



Another big element of the book is the quest. This is a textbook example of the quest genre and a great introduction for the young reader. It has all the elements, but for me it overdid on the obstacles portion of the quest. Don’t get me wrong, obstacles are necessary, but I would have liked fewer obstacles with more elaboration, or more difficulty to them. Once I start stepping out of the story to say to the author “now you’re just being mean!” it’s a little too much.



All that said, I think I would have absolutely loved this book if I had read it 10 years ago, when I was the age this book was intended for. I would definitely recommend this to those who enjoy MG and Fantasy novels, and to those who fit the age group the book was intended for.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5
This was another one of my "adventurous" picks on Netgalley, meaning that I did not know anything about it going in. However I love fantasy and saw a comparison to the stories of Kristin Cashore, which is definitely a positive so I took a chance.

Main character Princess Catherine runs away from home to escape an arranged marriage. Before getting very far, she is assaulted and robbed, finding solace in the supposedly mythical fairrier cat Spelopekos (Pokos) who needs her assistance on a quest to find him a mate. As the last of his species in their kingdom, he is the only power keeping away the destructive trodliks. Pokos guides Catherine over an epic journey to fulfill an ancient prophecy and save the kingdom.

For the most part I liked this. There are some cool worlds and magic introduced with some exciting action scenes. There is a lot of movement as Catherine and her motley crew of traveling partners move around, narrowly escaping dangers. Catherine also is a decent young woman with the making of a leader and queen.

However I did end up with some confusions about characters especially as the end neared. There are just so many introduced that I struggled to keep them all straight. Once I reached the end, I discovered that there is a comprehensive list of characters so that may be helpful for a future reread or for you to know if you choose to read this. I also found the characterization lacking; if more of the characters had distinctive personalities, I would have been less likely to confuse them. As the first book in a fantasy series, significant time must be spent creating the world, but there are inevitably gaps. I personally would like to know much more about the fairrier cats.

Overall: An interesting fantasy story with a strong heroine.

Cover: It's okay; not my favorite (although I have an admitted weakness for girls in pretty dresses which would not be the best cover for this book). The sword conveys power and epic fantasy to me but it also seems overdone and similar to other covers.