Calla

Pixieland Diaries #2

by Christina Bauer

Big news in Pixieland! The Blue Fairy is sending our fave pixie, Calla, and her crush, Dare, on a mini-quest. Unfortunately, it’s an adventure that requires a lot of togetherness. We’re talking tons of touching, people.

Blue believes that since Calla and Dare are just friends, then this situation shouldn’t be awkward.

It’s totally awkward.

***A 45,000+ word diary written by Calla***

“ I absolutely love Christina Bauer’s style, full of action, intense scenes, and characters that will test one’s imaginations to the max!” – Tome Tender Book Blog

PIXIELAND DIARIES
1. Pixieland Diaries
2. Calla
3. Dare

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal

150 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 28, 2020

About the author

Christina 'CEE BEE' Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes young adult romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too. Christina lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby. She loves to connect with her fans at ChristinaBauerAuthor.com.

ANGELBOUND ORIGINS
About a quasi (part demon and part human) girl who loves kicking butt in Purgatory's Arena
1. Angel bound
2. Scala
3. Acca
4. Thrax
5. The Dark Lands
6. The Brutal Time
7. Armageddon
8. Quasi Redux
9. Clockwork Igni
10. Lady Reaper
11. Reaper Games
12. Angry Gods

ANGELBOUND OFFSPRING
The next generation takes on Heaven, Hell, and everything in between
1. Maxon
2. Portia
3. Zinnia
4. Rhodes
5. Kaps
6. Mack
7. Huntress
8. Gage
*This is a finished series

ANGELBOUND LINCOLN
Events of Angelbound from Lincoln's POV
1. Duty Bound
2. Lincoln
3. Trickster
4. Baculum
5. Angelfire

ANGELBOUND XAVIER TRILOGY
The story of the Archangel Xavier
1. Archenemy
2. Archnemesis
3. Archangel

FAIRY TALES OF THE MAGICORUM
Modern fairy tales with sass, action, and romance
1. Wolves And Roses

2. Moonlight And Midtown

3. Slippers And Thieves

4. Shifters And Glyphs

5. Bandits And Ball Gowns

6. Fire And Cinder

7. Fairies And Frosting

8. Towers And Tithes
9. Mirrors And Mysteries
10. Rapunzels And Powers

DIMENSION DRIFT
Dystopian adventures with science, snark, and hot aliens
1. Scythe
2. Umbra
3. Alien Minds
4. ECHO Academy
*This is a completed series

PIXIELAND DIARIES
The story of sassy pixie, Calla, and her elf crush, Dare
1. Pixieland Diaries
2. Calla
3. Dare
*This is a completed series

BEHOLDER
Where a medieval farm girl discovers necromancy and true love
1. Cursed
2. Concealed
3. Cherished
4. Crowned
5. Cradled
*This is a completed series

VAMPIRES OF THE DAEMONVERSE
Adult fantasy written under my pen name, CEE BEE
1. Violins and Vampires
2. Veils and Vampires
3. Vixens and Vampires
4. Valor and Vampires

Reviews

[Sanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A easy and swoon worthy romance book. Going on a quest with your big crush to find your missing father, what can go wrong? Well let me tell you. A LOT. Its hard and long way to find her father. Calle will have to fight for it till the very end. I can't wait for the next book!

[Monster House Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisty! Turn-y! Romance-y! This book has everything you want in a sweet escape! Calla must go on a quest to find her missing father, Tristan. To add to the drama, Calla's mega crush Dare must go along, too. Can't share too much without spoilers, but this one NOT TO MISS!

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite sassy and feisty pixie, Calla is back. Calla’s father is missing. Calla sets out to find her father. She learns that the reason for her missing father is that someone may have wanted him dead. Now the question is who would want her father dead? Calla is also determined to find out who would want her father dead while she is searching for him.

When the guy Dare learns that she is going hunting he tags alone as he is always wanting to protect Calla. Calla has had a crush on Dare for a long time but Dare is not aware of this fact as Calla is not a forward person or pixie when it comes to matters of the heart.

She is still my favorite sassy and feisty pixie she is just different when it comes to Dare. What I think Calla is missing out of the fact that Dare is always around is that I think Dare likes Calla too.

Calla is also having problems with some of the other fairies not wanting to be around her. Calla is determined to find out why the pixie doesn’t like her or want to be around her. What Calla doesn’t know is that the pixie are a little bit afraid of her.

I just love this little pixie, Calla with all her spunkiness. I love the use of the cheetos. I would so love to see the Pixieland Diaries on the big screen I would like to see the pixies flying around. I would love to see this world come to life before my eyes like it does in my head. I can just see the pixies flying around and I can hear their little voices in my head as well as Calla and her sassiness when I’m reading her story.

Calla is a great fun little read that will sweep you away once you pick it up you won’t be able to put it down until you have turned the last page and even then it will leave you wanting more from this little pixie world. I can’t wait for more of Calla and Dare’s adventures in more books in the future.

If you like sassy little pixies then be sure and one click your copy of Calla but oh please one click the first book in the series Pixieland Diaries as well. Why because you don’t want to miss meeting this pixie from the beginning as her introduction into the world was more than awesome. It was...well I’m not going to say as I don’t want to spoil it. So one click those copies now, today!

[Ally Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

---4.5 Stars---

This book was such a fun, exciting, entertaining, hilarious, and adventurous read!!

This book was unlike anything I’ve read before – but in a good way!!

This book is filled with sass, drama, adventure, many LOL’s, and lots of OMG's!!!

Can you imagine going on a trip to find your dad who may be in trouble and being escorted by a total hottie that you have a huge crush on, but have to play it cool and act like it’s no big deal?? Oh, and this journey requires lots of close moments and touching and uhhh yea awkward!!! How is Calla going to make it through this trip with her heartbeat racing so fast and she can’t stop thinking about Dare?? This is going to be a longgggg trip!!!

This book is told in a diary format, which at first, I was a bit hesitant about, but this story quickly grabbed a hold of me and immersed me into the faerie world!! I also enjoyed the strikeouts and silly drawings that made Calla's diary more realistic. My diary was certainly filled with lots of doodles and squiggles lol.

There is so much to this creative story, with complex characters that are strange, unique, but still able to connect with or at least sympathize with.

I really liked the main character, Calla. She is feisty, scrappy, vivacious, determined, caring, gritty, gutsy, and just down right kick ass!!! Definitely Book BFF material!!! I also liked Dare and found him alluring, seductive, charming, strong, and protective.

I haven’t had the chance to read many Faerie books, but after reading Calla, I am very interested in this genre – or at least Bauer’s telling of these cleverly innovative and imaginary entertaining little creatures!!!

There are some predictable scenes. However, there are still a few unexpected twists and turns that you won’t see coming!

I also really liked that the author included an afterword note at the end of the book. She provided further insight into the story and little tidbits of how she crafted this enchanting treasure!! It was a bit randomly put together but felt like a mind-blowing glimpse into the author's gray matter. I often wonder how author's come up with such clever story ideas and it was definitely a treat to have such an open interaction hearing directly from the author about her process and inspiration behind Calla.

This book is Book Two of The Pixieland Diaries Book Series. This book can be read as a standalone, however, there are significant character and story line overlap from the previous book. Even with the overlaps, this book wouldn’t be confusing to new series readers, but I personally would think it would make more sense and have a stronger impact on the understanding of this book series, if you started with book one first. It looks like the author has written a total of three books in this book series so far with books one and two available for sale at any major bookstore. Book Three, "Dare," is listed to be released on March 30, 2021 and as it's appropriately titled, focuses on the story of the character, Dare. And there seems to be some strong indicatation that there will possibly be two more additional books making their way out sometime in the near future for a total of five books in this series. I am looking forward to checking out what’s next in this book series as there is still so much more adventure to come!!

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it! I think all young adult paranormal romance readers will like this book too! So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**

[Westveil Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary review copy of Calla from author Christina Baeur in exchange for an honest review through Goddess Fish Promotions as part of my participation in the blog tour for this title. Thank you to both Christia Bauer and Goddess Fish Promotions for the opportunity! This has not swayed my opinion; my thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Calla is the story of a budding queen of the Summer Court who thus far has had no luck in gathering or pranking her royal subjects, as any good faerie queen should be able to do. There's also this curious energy-draining issue with her misbehaving magical scepter, Sammy. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that Calla has earned the affection of Winter Court prince Darius (Dare) and his mother isn't happy about it. So when Calla finds herself on the Gargoyle King's sh*t list, and her father and one loyal court member Ivy go missing, what's a queen to do? Enter into an inter-court betrothal oath and go off on a grand rescue adventure with her betrothed, of course!

I absolutely adored every moment of this book! I can't decide if Calla's just really young or if all faeries are eternally immature in this version of the fae world, but this reads like a preteen girl playing queen and I love it. We do eventually reach a chosen one/rite of passage moment when Calla comes into her own, but for a good half of this book she's delightfully naïve and full of unfounded optimism.

This book is written in diary entry format -kind of. Chapters start with a "dear diary" entry but flow into first person, present tense narration of the story as it's happening. I'm glad it does, because books that stick to the true diary format tend to end up with very passive feeling characters, and that's not the case here. Calla is a lively, active, growing heroine, even if it sometimes feels like there's nothing but cotton candy between her ears. (And I'm convinced that's all that's between Ivy's ears. Or maybe it's Cheeto dust. You'll get the reference when you read it, I promise!) The only part of the diary entries as chapters format that throws me off is sometimes a new chapter will start, and thus a new diary entry, but it doesn't feel necessary. No time has passed between the end of the previous entry and the start of the next one.

Prince Dare is cute and endearing but turns into a bit of a damsel in distress as the adventure progresses. I definitely liked him best in the beginning when he was visiting Calla in "ghost" form. Their interactions at this stage, aided in no small part by Dare's noncorporeal presentation, reminded me quite strongly of interactions between Babette/Varanus and the ghost of her fiancé Korbinian in G. D. Falksen's Ouroboros Cycle novels. A young man with jokes to spare who can't be seen or heard by anyone other than his lover, who has to pretend she doesn't hear and see his nonsense when in the presence of anyone else in the land of the living lest they think her mad. The whole "Ghost Dare" presentation in Calla made me hope something like that would take place in front of Calla's skittish court. Perhaps in book three?

All in all this was a fantastically fun and whimsical read, and I absolutely recommend it to any fan of the fantasy genre looking for something light and entertaining. Whether Calla charms or annoys you, the plot moves quickly and the story is unique. Love her or love to hate her, Calla will take you on an adventure you've never been on before, and it's one you won't soon forget.

--
I read this title for a blog tour! To read the rest of the post and gain easy access to the rest of the tour, visit: westveilpublishing.com/?p=3072

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Calla in order to write a fair and unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book. When comparing this book to the first book of the Pixieland Diaries I enjoyed it more. I think that is because the plot is set at the start and we have a fairly straight forward path towards that goal and the diary format is cute but doesn't get in the way of the story. I already know Calla and so the reminders of her "prankster" nature aren't inserted as a constant reminder but rather they are just an implicit part of her nature.

*spoilers*

The main plot is that Calla needs to save her father in order to save herself from destruction. The Gargoyle King has taken her dad and the a member of her court so she now she is on a quest to save them.

Along with Calla's main quest, the added development of her romantic storyline with Dare was sweet. It is fairly tame and we are reminded that Calla is still in her teens even though she is a Queen. However, I wasn't a fan of the "asking for permission of the father" - I understand that's my personal preference and I liked how Tristan wasn't a pain and talked about Calla's interests and feelings but I just didn't like the idea of it. It felt like an added obstacle that didn't actually add anything to the plot. It will be interesting to see how this courting ritual develops in later books though as each stage has some new requirement that must be met.

Overall I enjoyed it, it was a fast read, I would say that it's appropriate for younger YA readers or readers who like stepping into that teenager mindset of the character.

[Lynn Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calla shows how much she’s grown – not. She continues to make the reader laugh. This is the type of book that you can get lost in. This is a story that is all pure imagination. The imagination that starts from the first book. It’s a series that must be read in order.

If you really want to enjoy Calla than in order to enjoy her you need to start where it all began. You won’t doing that because the author has ways to make you laugh out loud. It may be listed as a book for young adults/children but I think anyone would enjoy.

The author is very creative. She takes an imaginary character and we get to see her through her diaries. All her feelings and impressions are written down for us to experience. The author takes the time to include pictures which was just a plus. If you’ve gotten through Calla’s current adventure then the ending will get you ready for the next.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awkward was not the word I would have used for this situation. Blue had plans. Those plans were not going to be derailed by a spirited pixie, Calla. Nor her supposed friend, Dare. If you enjoyed the prequel and book one, you have nothing to fear. You will enjoy this mini-quest that Calla and Dare go on. Their minor discomfort aside this was that chance needed. The writing was a lesson in experiencing a different world thought very vivid descriptions. Christina gives me a world that entices me to expand my imagination beyond the extraordinary and think much bigger, dream exponentially.

This second full book of the series builds on the previous and allows you to follow along as Calla explores and grows. And Dare happens to be there along for the ride with a little push or two from Blue. Blue had me feeling like that was something more. But only time will show. Up next Dare.

[Nextbookaroundthecorner · Rating 4 out of 5]

After The Pixieland Diaries, I was very happy to see that Calla still kicks ass! She is now the Queen of her land, but apparantly her not-so-loyal-subjects think she will not be able to wield her scepter for very long. Because they think she will explode. Literally... And while even Dare seems to think that Calla's scepter is up to no good, Calla is convinced that she can pull it off. But first she needs to take care of the newest threat of her Kingdom. Fortunately Dare decides to come along. Because going alone on a rescue mission would suck. Wouldn't it? Find out for yourself which hilarious actions Calla will undertake and how she continues to be a bad-ass Pixie. Fun garantueed. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m new to the Pixieland books and to this author, but I must say I love her writing! It is unique and the diary route is a very fun and exciting way to join the journey of Calla and Dare!

I early enjoyed getting to know the characters, their personalities, especially the cheeky Calla. It was interesting from to start to finish and very easy to read. The flow of the diary worked so well and really kept you both on your toes and very interested in the story, from the first moment you meet Calla and her diary.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and am looking forward to going back and reading book 1. I highly recommend this book and really think it is a fun read that a lot of people will love.

[Brandy Mulder · Rating 5 out of 5]

this sequel is great. Calla is queen now but things are not going smoothly. She is having trouble with her subjects and now there's a nasty gargoyle king stirring up trouble. Writen in the same style as book one calla is still fun but is maturing into her new role just a bit. Highly recommend reading book 1 first but it's not necessary to read it to keep up with the events in this book.

[Amazeballs Book Addicts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book two in the Pixieland Diaries series. Calla is back and this time she's on a quest to find her Dad and her crush Dare is going with her. I love Calla, she's still sassy and feisty. There are awkward moments between Calla and Dare but they are so normal for Calla. I like both Calla and Dare and I'm looking forward to reading Dare next.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calla is a point of view that is unique in which you are reading the story as diary entries and you will not stop laughing.
The entries are comical and sweet and take you on a ride you wont forget.

This is the second book so make sure you read the first one before you read this one. You won’t regret it

[M.T. DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. Read an excerpt and follow the tour here.

In a book world saturated with very serious stories of faerie and the terrible things that happen to humans there, this was refreshing. It’s fairies with fun and sass. Calla’s voice is unique and definitely got personality. The diary writing style reminded me of Princess Diaries, only Calla seemed to be writing as things were happening and not summing up with dialogue and such. There were moments where I wondered how she was possibly writing in her journal with what else was going on, but it’s faerie. There’s magic. It works.
There’s even a handsome and brooding prince. Though, he’s very light on the brooding, which I appreciated. Like the story itself, he was a breath of fresh air in terms of fae royalty. He and Calla also make a great team.
I did feel a disconnect between Calla’s voice and age. I found out pretty early on that she’s 16, but her voice sounded younger, maybe 11 or 12. As a result, it startled me every time there was YA (rather than MG) romance scenes. I had to constantly remind myself how old Calla was, which drew me away from the reading experience.
All in all, this is a fun romp through faerie and all it’s trickery. If you’re looking for a lighthearted fae alternative, definitely give this a shot.

[Mrs. Kenyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calla and Dare are being sent on a mission. The Blue Fairy doesn’t think it is a big deal, but if they aren’t successful, they will be dead in a week. That is a big deal on everyone’s level! Blue also thinks that since Calla and Dare are friends that it won’t be awkward, but this is awkward to the extreme since Calla has a huge crush on Dare. It doesn’t help that they would like to ask Calla’s dad for permission to court and if they do any inappropriate touching without that approval, then the answer will be an absolute NO! Will Calla and Dare be successful in their quest? What will Calla’s dad say when asked if they can court?

Calla is the second book in the Pixieland Diaries series. This book picks up quickly after the last book and it is still written in diary format. Since diaries are meant to be casual in their presentation, this book reads very quickly and without a lot of drudging details. I feel this book is meant to be an escape read and is not intended to be looked at as high literature. Calla was fun to read and could easily be read in one sitting or over a weekend. I can’t wait for the next book, Dare, to get released.

[anie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this series.

It's funny, intense, full of action and starry eyes... there is something about it that made me feel giddy when I read it.

Calla is not just a feeling anymore, she is badass fae Queen, with mighty scepter Sammy. Only, her royal subjects hide from her and Sammy might just be killing her.
Then comes the Gargoyle king, he seems to have all the answers, but there is something fishy about him.

The only way to save her father, Ivy, and herself is to trek to the top of the mountain, no magic, and find an answer. On the plus side, she has to go with Dare, but she might freeze to death. :)
I love Calla, she is still a prankster by heart, but with a lot more power & trouble that comes with it. And Dare, he is just dreamy. :)

It's a joy to read! So good! Highly recommend it!

received from Xpresso Book Tours

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are so fun!

If you're looking for a lighthearted story told in a very easy way, these books are sure to lift your spirits. Calla is newly queen and dealing with some drama in her kingdom. Nobody wants to be near her and she's getting very little respect. Oh, and she's also getting stalkery letters from the gargoyle king on the regular. Roll all that together with a prank-prone pixie and you get Calla, ready to adventure!

This book takes Calla on a journey to avoid some pretty bad side effects to her new rule. She's got Dare by her side (don't worry!), but I'm sure there's some major twists and turns ahead! I completely enjoyed this wild ride to new and exciting lands. Calla might be young and impetuous, but she is seriously growing on me. I can't wait for more!

[Andrea Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love this series. These characters are so vibrant and fun to read! Calla and Dare have a quest. There's a crush. There's adventure. There's hilarity.

I say this with all of Christina's books, but if you aren't reading them yet, WHY NOT?? We need this kind of escapism right now and it's just so well done.

[Ronni Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the second instalment of adventures with the prank loving Queen Calla. I love how this book is set out in diary format, not only dies this gives you more of an involvement is Calla's days, but also serves to break down the book into manageable portions.
Looking forward to reading Dare next!!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Another cutesy story. Calla is having to learn and grow - which I like. The twist at the end surprised me. But I liked seeing Calla and Dare get closer.

[Twyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review, I also received the first one in the series prior to this. I really like the writing format and the story is great. the slow burn romance is killing me. And I am excited to read further books in this series.