I wanted to like this one, but it just dragged on and felt way too long. Cozy fantasies have been hit and miss for me and this one sadly is on the ‘miI wanted to like this one, but it just dragged on and felt way too long. Cozy fantasies have been hit and miss for me and this one sadly is on the ‘miss’ side of things. It sounded adorably fun, swashbuckling, pirates, ships galore, dragon eggs, adventure. But it just didn’t work for me.
I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own. ...more
This was a cute, cozy fantasy! I was excited to get into this one, it seemed like the perfect fall read and it definitely delivered! This started so sThis was a cute, cozy fantasy! I was excited to get into this one, it seemed like the perfect fall read and it definitely delivered! This started so strong, I thought I would rate it higher from the beginning vibes but it kind of tapered out for me in the middle. Still solid and I’d recommend though!
Basically in this one we follow Kiela, a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium. Kiela has been responsible for the spellbooks in the library for the past 10+ years and lives for her job. Revolutionaries have recently taken the palace and have started fires in the city and library, so Kiela quickly evacuates and takes as many spellshops that she can grab. Along with her is Caz, her magically sentient spider plant assistant. They head for a faraway island that Kiela grew up on since her family left her an abandoned cottage there.
While the plot and world is pretty light and just easy. There is a light romance in here, which was fine but not the reason I was picking up this read. I was here for the cozy vibes and the side characters honestly stole the show! I adored Caz’s worrisome thoughts about goats in particular. ...more
3.5 stars! I enjoyed this one more than the first book in the series, but that is personal preference for sure. This series just gives cozy vibes to m3.5 stars! I enjoyed this one more than the first book in the series, but that is personal preference for sure. This series just gives cozy vibes to me, but also there is high stakes and fun. Basically the heroine ends up tossing a drink, it hits the hero and was spiked with a love potion. Now he’s absolutely smitten with her and she’s just trying to break the spell. ...more
So I expected to like this one a lot more than I did sadly. This ended up just being okay, but I am still interested in checking out the next in the sSo I expected to like this one a lot more than I did sadly. This ended up just being okay, but I am still interested in checking out the next in the series. I just could never really get into this one or the characters. Basically the heroine Cinnamon, whose family owns a spices farm, ends up accidentally saving a demon, then finds out the goddess they all believe in is actually not good and they set off on an adventure together to save the world. This kind of gave similar vibes as Legends and Lattes, but steamy with even some light BDSM. So it gives cozy fantasy but smutty. ...more
4.5 stars! I read Legends and Lattes last summer and thought it was a cute, cozy fantasy read with lots of slice of life moments. So when I saw a new 4.5 stars! I read Legends and Lattes last summer and thought it was a cute, cozy fantasy read with lots of slice of life moments. So when I saw a new book was releasing in the same world/series, I was excited to give it a go! And Bookshops & Bonedust I ended up loving even more!
I was surprised this 2nd release in the series was a prequel to L&L, but honestly it really worked for me. I enjoyed seeing more of Viv and the version of who she becomes later. She’s healing up from a battle injury and meets a whole slew of characters along the way. We get that cozy feeling again, the found family vibes, the friendships, and so many fun bookish vibes with the bookshop setting. I just loved the characters and the plot of this story so much more than L&L! The epilogue is definitely going to be for those who have already read both books. I love that the author narrates the audios and just can’t recommend enough if you want a cozy, fantasy read!
Thanks so much to the publisher, Tor, and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own! Bookshops & Bonedust will be out November 7, 2023....more
3.5 stars. This was exactly what everyone says it is, a super cute and fluffy slice of life fantasy story. This was like the perfect, rainy day-going 3.5 stars. This was exactly what everyone says it is, a super cute and fluffy slice of life fantasy story. This was like the perfect, rainy day-going into fall, cozy read! I grabbed the audio and the author narrates. An orc, a succubus, a new coffee shop, all the side characters, and the “milky bean water”. ...more
“Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that can change everything when you least expect it.”
This is described as “a queer retelling of The Adventures of“Sometimes, it’s the smallest things that can change everything when you least expect it.”
This is described as “a queer retelling of The Adventures of Pinocchio” by the author and it gave all of those vibes, plus mixed in with little dashes of Frankenstein (a sci-fi/robotic take), The Brave Little Toaster, The Wizard of Oz, The Swiss Family Robinson, and Wall-E! And honestly, I was here for all of it! This delivered on that quirky, soul-brightening, joy-filled, heart-achy ride that TJK always does.
The story opens with Giovanni, an inventor android, finding a curious, dilapidated building—long forgotten, in an old and lonely forest, far away from almost everything. He decides to fix it up and make it into a house, a house for many things. Except when he finishes, he realizes there isn’t much space for himself and he decides to build up amongst the trees: a big house, a sunroom, and a laboratory, all connected by rope bridges. One day, a few years into Giovanni living in the forest alone, a man and a woman show up asking for his help. They leave him a baby bundled in rags, asking Gio to take the baby and keep him safe. Gio names the baby Victor and raises him as his own.
We then cut to years later. Victor “Vic” is now 21, and spends most of his time in the Scrap Yards with his robotic friends collecting parts. He found and repaired a tiny vacuum robot, that he named Rambo, who has anxiety and worries about most things: dirt on the floor, dirt on Vic’s hands, and death in all manner of ways. And Nurse Registered Automaton to Care, Heal, Educate, and Drill (or Nurse Ratched for short), who loves to threaten Rambo for fun and has sociopathic tendencies at times. One day Vic, Rambo, and Nurse Ratched happen across an android in need of repairs. They bring back to life “HAP” and while Vic feels pulled to this new android in his life, he also learns some dark secrets of HAP and Vic’s father Gio. When androids show up in the secluded forest to take Gio away to the City of Electric Dreams, Vic and his family set off to bring Gio back home!
This felt unique, yet familiar. I grew up a sci-fi fantasy loving girl, so my heart was happy…so many fun nods and inspirations you can feel while reading this. The writing was really quite lovely and I loved the adventure tale it told! While some of the humor and dialogue didn’t always work for me, I still really enjoyed the found (created) family in here and these characters that were so much more than the parts they were made of!
Thank you to the publisher (Tor Books) for an e-ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own. In the Lives of Puppets is out April 25, 2023!...more
Definitely don’t go in with the same expectations of The House in the Cerulean Sea (one of my fav 2020 reads), but tha“Lives don’t end, they move on.”
Definitely don’t go in with the same expectations of The House in the Cerulean Sea (one of my fav 2020 reads), but that said this book was really lovely on its own! Cerulean Sea is YA where this one deals with adult characters. I liked the topics of death, suicide, mental health. TJ Klune just has a really lovely way of writing that feels comforting. ...more
The House in the Cerulean Sea was the most delightful, uplifting, whimsical read. It’s about found families, kindness, embracing your true self, loveaThe House in the Cerulean Sea was the most delightful, uplifting, whimsical read. It’s about found families, kindness, embracing your true self, loveable characters, a sweet love story, diversity and it was all rolled into a beautiful, fantastical story. This book is so heartfelt, the story & the children made me smile so much and I love the message of belonging and acceptance; everyone needs to read this. Definitely one of my favorites of the year! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ In this world, there are magical beings who exist and they are feared and shunned by the non-magical humans. The magical children live in orphanages that are regulated & overseen by the government. Our main character, Linus is a government case worker who has an ordinary life and does everything by-the-books. He is sent out to an island to check in on some “problematic” magical children to report back on; the story follows his time spent with them and the orphanage director....more
Christi (christireadsalot)
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Books:
cozy-fantasy
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