This was cute! I wish I’d connected more with the characters and the story—something about the playful style + younger vibes kept me from connecting. This was cute! I wish I’d connected more with the characters and the story—something about the playful style + younger vibes kept me from connecting. Might have been the right read, wrong time, or might have been me. ...more
A new retelling of the fairytale playbook with a direct emphasis on the Brothers Grimm book itself. A mashup of too many tales at once, but not2 stars
A new retelling of the fairytale playbook with a direct emphasis on the Brothers Grimm book itself. A mashup of too many tales at once, but not cohesively, and a very bland protagonist arc really made this one a miss for me.
Concept: ★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★ Character uniqueness: ★ Enjoyment: ★★
Once upon a time, villagers would whisper their desires to The Book of Fortunes, and its pages would reveal how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for evil. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away and the village withered. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned...
Clara is one of the villagers stuck in her small village after the town's fortunes changed—literally—and no one is allowed to leave. But Clara can't coast on the knowledge that others can attempt the journey into the forest for help and safety. She needs to do it herself, because her mother is out there. Years ago, her mother disappeared into the forest and never returned, and Clara needs answers.
So armed with magic, her grandmother's knowledge of fate, and her best friend, Axel, Clara ventures into the Forest Grimm...
Alright folks, I kept my summary portion above extremely short because I don't have too much to say about this story. This is my second attempt at reading a novel from this author (Bone Crier's Moon was my first) and I think it's safe to say that this author and I have to part ways. The target age demographic for the two books I've read are clearly meant for the younger end of the YA spectrum, and a particularly naivety-loving corner of it at that—which feels like a disservice to today's teens??—as the broad strokes of these stories are very obvious from the start and they are just a slog for me to read.
Whether you follow the retelling or do something fresh to the story pieces, the story is made or broken by the strength of the characters themselves and the scene to scene progressions. And that's where The Forest Grimm really tanked for me. The characters fell flat, the romance arc was painfully obvious yet supposedly not obvious (??), the scenes all felt like a holding pattern waiting for the action followed by too much action in short bursts, it felt like we repeated the same themes over and over... Gah. It was the wrong mix for me.
I truly hope this novel finds its audience, and best wishes to those who enjoy this one and future works by this author.
A teenager who can follow unseen paths into new realms, a magic academy filled with hidden passageways and secrets, a looming danger, and an 4.5 stars
A teenager who can follow unseen paths into new realms, a magic academy filled with hidden passageways and secrets, a looming danger, and an angsty ex-best friend drama?? Y'all, I need you try this book.
Concept: ★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★ 1/2 Unique take on magic: ★★★★ Characters: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★★
A Hundred Vicious Turns is the kind of young adult fantasy that I LOVE discovering in the bookstore. When I saw this cover in the stacks, I was intrigued. Then I read the blurb, and I was hooked. It's not often you find a queer YA fantasy with a dark academia atmosphere, multiple realms, and the concept of endless magical doors. (That last one is a particularly favorite trope of mine.)
Rat Evans is the heir to two magical bloodlines in the Northeast United States. They are a relatively timid and nervous teenager who has Been Through Some Stuff. That stuff happened last summer, with their ex-best-friend, Harker, and involved some dark magic, a tower, and some truly terrifying things that Rat would rather forget.
(Rat can never forget. They see the Tower in their dreams.)
But the summer is over, and Rat is enrolled at Bellamy Arts, an exclusive boarding school for the magical bloodlines to hone their magic. Rat doesn't practice magic anymore and actively tries to suppress their affinity for maps and mapmaking, but they know that Bellamy Arts the safest place for them to be—they need an impenetrable home base with wards that keep everyone—and everything—out. So off to school they go, with the plan to ignore their magic and just survive their way through the experience.
But Bellamy Arts and the scary things in Rat's past aren't going to let Rat coast through school unscathed. And neither is the unexpected appearance of Harker, whose hatred for Rat seeps from his pores.
The clock tower is chiming, the walls are closing in, and Rat's seeing doors and passageways out of the corner of their eye that no one else is able to see... and the corners are beckoning.
Don't open a door that you can't close...
Ahhhhhh this was so much fun, folks. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this debut and, as a testament to how much this novel gripped me, I stayed up way past my bed time to read it.
The great: the concept, the setting, and the wholly unique take on magic structures and societies tied up in an interesting multiverse/realm concept that had me in a GRIP. I also loved the angsty drama between Rat and Harker, and the delicioussss slow burn friends-to-enemies-to-reluctant-partners-to-??? that they had going on. I came for the magic, I stayed for the relationship drama and the serious desire I had to discover what was going on at the heart of this story.
The not-so-great: Ok, this debut had some struggles. The worst offender was the clumsy balance between the Big Plot (Rat's relationship to the tower, the antagonist, and the doors into realms) and the entire rest of the novel(the school, the side quests, the scene transitions, the "filler" for depth). There was so much to unpack with the Big Plot that the rest of the novel did suffer a lack of supplemental depth, explanations of the mundane, scene descriptions, and just soft content to pad the real-world attempts of the academy setting. To me as a reader, I didn't care overly much about the filler—it would have catapulted this review from a 4-star to a 5-star favorite, but I didn't need that to make or break my general enjoyment. I loved what I got with the unique magic + Rat's personal journey + the relationship drama.
Overall, a very exciting YA debut from a queer writer to watch. Eagerly looking forward to the second book in this duology so that we can get some answers—I can't wait!
A girl who can't die and falls slowly in love with Death? I love it. Add in some gothic manor nonsense and an interesting murder ghost story 3.5 stars
A girl who can't die and falls slowly in love with Death? I love it. Add in some gothic manor nonsense and an interesting murder ghost story and it’s a good time.
Signa's early life has been a rotating door of tragedies and dead guardians. Like the Baudelaire children in A Series of Unfortunate Events, it seems like every single person charged with caring for Signa ends up...dead. Unlike the Baudelaire children, however, Signa's deaths aren't the result of a bad guy. They're a result of... Signa herself. By accident, and by Fate.
And by Death, too. Death seems to have taken a very keen interest in Signa due to the fact that she can't seem to die.
Broken neck, poisonous berry feasts, unfortunate accidents—nothing phases Signa for long, and nothing keeps her down. Death finds himself interested in her development, and Signa finds herself prickly toward Death, this being who keeps ruining her life.
Signa's life takes another turn as we come to meet her. She's 17, her terrible caretaker has died (again) and now it seems she's going to be taken to her late mother's brother-in-law, who owns a crumbling estate. The Hawthorn Estate is the perfect gothic mansion setup, complete with uneasy atmosphere, a dying cousin, and a ghost that seems to be causing trouble.
What better person to have on the scene of an in-progress murder than the girl who can't be killed?
It's up to Signa to solve the case of her cousin's murder before it kills her, and to unwrap the secrets behind her late Aunt's untimely demise. It's a dark puzzle with a lot of twists, and Signa's determined to get to the bottom of it. She refuses to let another guardian die on her watch—Death be damned.
Death just might BE damned, actually, because as he finds himself enraptured by Signa and drawn closer into her allure, things start to heat up for his cold, cold heart...
Belladonna is the kind of young adult fantasy read with the perfect dose of lush romanticism and gothic atmosphere. It's a decadent treat for the readers who like manor houses, somewhat creepy ghosts, and drama with a capital D. It's also for those of us who love when Death is a character. Especially when Death is a character and emotional invested in the main character. (Too niche? It's me to a T, so I'm guessing there are others out there who agree with me.)
I don’t know why I didn’t love this as much as I expected to, but I just… could not get invested. It might have been a case of young adult vs. adult reader and me (the adult) expecting more, unfairly, as young adult books are for young adults. It could also have been the case of "I've read too many stories with X,Y, and Z" and therefore it couldn't hold too much of my attention. Whatever the case was for this particular blend of reader vs. read, I think it's safe to say it was a "me" problem as others seem to adore this story.
I will agree with the popular opinions when it came to the deliciously angsty and interesting arc between Signa and Death. That was the strongest part of the novel for me and clearly the emotional heart of the story. I wish we'd spent more time with that storyline and less with the murder mystery/manor characters. It was clear that they were the situational arc that was supposed to be the backdrop for Signa and Death's actual storyline. However, again, small potatoes for those who like those kinds of setups and enjoying long-form descriptions and immersed gothic atmospheres.
Gripes aside, I found that the very last chapter peaked my interest. More complex magic seems to be afoot in future installments. I would be curious to see what the author does with the second book.
Dreaming means waking up as your worst fear, you say?
Let's also add in some "eh, might die, but I can't afford to be anywhere else" vibes and I'm solDreaming means waking up as your worst fear, you say?
Let's also add in some "eh, might die, but I can't afford to be anywhere else" vibes and I'm sold. This was such a fascinating concept and a really fun read.
Man, I really wish I'd gotten around to my advanced reading copy sooner so that I could have been an AGGRESSIVE promoter of it during its release week. I have fallen down on my duties!!
This book was such a good ride, y'all, and I am definitely paying attention now.
Ness Near lives in the City of Nightmares. No wait, Gotham. No wait, it's not either of those places—it's Newham. Either way, the vibes are the same: this is not the kind of city you'd like to live in.
Rampant crime and violent death. In-your-face political corruption. Unbelievable living conditions. And none of those things are the worst selling point—it's the Nightmares that you have to worry about.
What if every time you dreamed, you rolled the dice on the chance that you woke up as your worst Nightmare?
Ness is very aware of the tragedy and horror of that gamble. When she was younger, one night her older sister, Ruby, went to sleep and woke up as a giant, man-eating spider. Ruby was gone, and the spider in her place killed their father and others in town.
Let's just say that Ness never quite got over that.
Now a young adult living at the Friends of the Restless Soul compound—a charity (cough cough, cult) organization that provides "pay as you can afford" therapies to Nightmare trauma survivors—Ness is eeking away a frightened and barely there existence in the country's most dangerous city and surrounded on a daily basis by her worst fear: Nightmares.
And then, to make matters worse, Ness ends up embroiled in an embroiled assassination attempt beyond her wildest imaginings and finds the little ground she's scraped and bled to assemble ripped out from under her.
Oh, and then there's the Nightmare that ends up in (and on) the same boat she's in, who just might turn out to be her only friend.
Yep. Things are about to get...interesting.
(And that's saying something for the city of Newham, where the current Mayor keeps a Nightmared-pterodactyl on a leash to eat her political enemies.)
Okay, so if you've made it this far into the review and are somehow NOT already interested, let me just say that City of Nightmares was such a fun and self-aware ride.
As a reader who burned herself out on traditional young adult books, it's getting rarer and rarer these days for me to find a hook that invites me into a story. I'd like something new—that I haven't read before—and I'd like it to be done well and with the right amount of believable character traits. I'm ruthless with my reading tastes when I want to be, and for the past year the genre under the chopping block has been young adult fantasy.
But not this one. This one, I devoured.
Ness is the right kind of character for this story. In a world where fear itself is the commodity of choice, Ness is a true scaredy cat. She's a self-professed coward, one who can barely handle the benign Nightmares that walk the streets harmlessly, not to mention the actually dangerous ones. Ness jumps from safe zone to safe zone under the constant internalized threat of Death by Nightmare. She's a right mess, alright?
And that really worked for me. While we all like to pretend we're relatable to the hero of a fantasy story, we're really...not. How many of us would sign up for that dangerous quest, or that big bad boss showdown, or that heist against the odds? I'm self-aware enough to admit that given the actual facts, I'd be like Ness. "How can I survive this experience and avoid personal damage to the best of my abilities, please?" Sign me up for that self-preservation track. Yup.
So I thought that thread of character realism in this caricaturized, fictional version of our real world's dark side was awesome. It lent a dose of grounding to the sensational world building. And it made for a very good reading experience.
Did the pacing lag a bit? Yeah. Did we also kind of rush things there at the end of this first book? Maybe. But honestly, I had such a good time that I don't really care about that.
Book two, I'm waiting for you!
Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Small towns filled with hunters, tasked with killing nightmarish monsters each night to keep the rest of the modern world safely unaware. A g2.5 stars
Small towns filled with hunters, tasked with killing nightmarish monsters each night to keep the rest of the modern world safely unaware. A girl with a burning desire to belong. A boy with secrets. Welcome to the American branch of the Luminaries.
Concept: ★★★★ Pacing: ★★★ Enjoyment: ★★
Hemlock Falls isn't like other towns. You won't find it on a map, your phone won't work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you.
Winnie Wednesday is a teenager with a very abnormal life. For one thing, she lives in Hemlock Falls—a town filled with clans of hunters, all driven to fight the magical nightmares that plague their forests each night. Each day of the week has a clan, and each clan hunts the nightmares on their day of the week.
Except for Winnie Wednesday and her family. Because while they might be "Wednesdays" in name, the truth of the matter is... they're outcasts. So Winnie spends her days ignored, slighted, and mocked. It's not a good living. Her exiled father's one mistake costed her family's entire happiness, and now it's up to Winnie to redeem their name in the only way she knows how: by succeeding in the Hunter trials during the month of her sixteenth birthday.
But there's something stranger than usual afoot in the forests of Hemlock Falls... and Winnie's about to find herself right in the middle of it.
(Oh, and so will her ex-friend, Jay. The mysteriously handsome and aloof boy whom Winnie can't forgive—and yet can't forget.)
My thoughts: Alright.... So I think I'm going to take this book as a sign. A sign that I, for some reason, do not vibe with Susan Dennard's stories. (I love her as a person and will continue to enjoy her on Twitter/etc.) This entire review needs to be taken with a grain of salt because I really should have stopped reading Dennard after I tried and failed to read the Witchlands series after multiple attempts. But that's neither here nor there, so let's talk about this book specifically.
Have you ever read a story that feels like you SHOULD totally love it, and yet it's like just outside of your reach in a frustrating manner? That was The Luminaries for me.
I loved the concept. That hooked me in from the start and continued to compel me throughout the reading experience. Each weekday clan with a motto, a cause, and some shady secrets? Sign me up! How interesting! The atmosphere and general sense of setting was darkly whimsical in the best way.
But... the story itself fell flat for me. The characters felt basic, like templates of the standard YA character tropes. The plot feel both too bogged down with weird details and yet so utterly vague on large concepts.
I also have one major issue, but it is a spoiler so I will keep it vague here for the purposes of this review: the town's reactions to Winnie's family? Made no sense? Literal adults, acting like that? Even family members? I just could NOT get into the logic of that.
Anyways, not one for me. Which is a bummer. HOWEVER, it seems like this author's logic flow and mine maybe are at odds, so it might just be me. Give this one a try if the description interests you!
I think I'm over reading books about main characters who paint? Especially in YA. This was fine, but a lot of personal misses with this story and its I think I'm over reading books about main characters who paint? Especially in YA. This was fine, but a lot of personal misses with this story and its characters.
Characters: ★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★★ Sense of Place: ★★
Myra Whitlock has a gift. One many would kill for.
Known a Prodigy, Myra has the rare and hunted ability to paint adjustments onto people. As in, if she paints a portrait, Myra can change someone's eye color, fix a broken nose, or radically alter someone's shape. A magical version of healing and plastic surgery all in one, if you will.
However, Prodigies are not beloved and cherished members of society—they are viciously hunted and persecuted against like witches. The Artist, this world's version of a higher power, is the only one able to adjust life according to the people in power.
So Myra paints in secret and tries to keep her abilities hidden.
This works pretty well, until her Prodigy mother and her father go missing one night, and Myra finds herself on the edge of poverty with his younger sister. She'll make any deal with the devil that she needs to in order to save her family... including taking up a dangerous job with the wife of the town's most powerful (and anti-Prodigy) senator.
The senator's son fell off a balcony and died, and they want Myra to fix him... as in, "bring him back to life," fix him.
It's a steep charge, but Myra needs the money and if she doesn't do it, the family threatens to out her as a Prodigy anyway.
With a mysterious mansion, a mysterious boy, and lots of murderous plot points, A Forgery of Roses sucks you in...
My thoughts: Now, to be completely fair, I don't think I would have ever picked up this book on my own—it came in a book subscription box. Since I owned it, I decided to give it a try... and I just thought it was fine.
A personal issue for me what the fact that this entire novel hinged on the act of painting. If you don't like discussions of painting, descriptions of the act of painting, and more dialogue about painting, then this novel is not for you. I paint every once in a while in real life, so I'm definitely into the medium itself, but as a reader I am tired of young adult women who paint being featured in books—it seems to be the number 1 hobby for most young women in novels. I think this story would have felt a bit more original if the Prodigy element hinged on a different artistic medium than painting.
However, that pet peeve aside, I did think this novel had a great sense of pacing and character arcs. Lots of well done scenes between Myra and the other characters, as well as some memorable twists at the end to keep things interesting.
Definitely pick this one up if you love painting in books and are interested in a well-told, classic YA plot!
This has a house vibe, a trapped cat-and-mouse vibe, AND a vampire romance. Say no more. I definitely read the heck out of this and had a fun3.5 stars
This has a house vibe, a trapped cat-and-mouse vibe, AND a vampire romance. Say no more. I definitely read the heck out of this and had a fun time.
Concept: ★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★ 1/2 Enjoyment: ★★★
It's current-day. Vampires have replaced the world of human celebrities and rich people with their emergence unto the world stage in their unworldly beauty. With a global fanbase, reality TV shows, and world news turned toward them, the five official vampire houses exist at the very top of society.
Naturally, humans are a part of this capitalist/celebrity food chain—literally.
To accommodate the vampires' need for blood and to satisfy the masses of humans obsessed with their allure, the five vampire houses have a system in place for blood donors. You can submit to become a blood donor, get paid for your time, and spend a set amount of time inside the vampire house. The catch? You sign a contract, you can't leave until they let you, and sometimes people don't come back out...
Renie Mayfield has just been accepted as a blood donor for the house of Belle Morte. But she's not the typical groupie looking for a blood fix and some dangerous sex. She's looking for her missing sister, June. June disappeared in Belle Morte's house several months ago. And Renie is going to find her.
The only problem is, one of the vampires has a special interest in Renie. And Renie can't help but notice him back...
Cue the angst, the forbidden romance, and the drama of a locked-house atmosphere...
Belle Morte is something you need to have on your radar if you're a fan of the late 2000s and early 2010s vampire teen romance fiction. This book is clearly a love letter to that type of story, and it definitely attracted the right audience—I was a sucker for those then, and I had a nostalgically good time with this one too.
Was this amazingly written? Not really. Was this an original plot? Almost no. But did this give vampire fans something fun to read in the current era where vampire romances are harder to come by? Oh heck yes.
Come for the fun, not the literary value. Belle Morte is waiting.
Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Four siblings with secrets. A kingdom built on magic now struggling desperately to maintain itself. A whispered myth about an Ivory Key that 4.5 stars
Four siblings with secrets. A kingdom built on magic now struggling desperately to maintain itself. A whispered myth about an Ivory Key that can fix each sibling's problems—for four different reasons. Drama. Intrigue. Familial complexities. This was a fantastic debut.
When you read a lot of young adult fantasy, it's easy to fall into the middle of the pack with a lot of very similar-feeling stories. The chosen one trope. The plucky girl with way too much magic. The found family with issues. The basics, really.
But every once in a while, a story comes out that just knocks my socks off because it feels new.
The Ivory Key is one of those fantasies, and I am gearing up to talk about this one to everyone for a long time.
In the kingdom of Ashoka, four siblings grew up as the children of the ruling maharani, A.K.A. their mother. One is meant for the throne. One is meant to be the magical leader. One is doesn't have a clear path besides political marriage. And one has an unclear place.
When the maharani is assassinated, the four siblings fracture.
Vira is thrust into the spotlight as the new maharani with little to no support and a nest of unsolved problems left to her by her mother.
Kaleb, the siblings' half-brother with a non-Ashokan mother, is charged with treason and exposed as supposedly the mastermind behind the maharani's assassination. Imprisoned, he waits for sibling assistance that doesn't seem to be coming.
Ronak, Vira's twin brother, has several grudges against his twin and the ruling system and just wants out of the situation—no matter the cost.
Riya, the daughter with too much fire for her mother's expectations, ran away from her role in the maharani's court and took up with a Robin Hood-esque clan of robbers and thieves intent on taking down the ruling class. Her hypocritical place in their camp has a time limit on it, whether Riya likes it or not.
When the myth of the magic-wielding Ivory Key seems to have more truth than fiction to it, the four siblings converge for the first time in years and have to work together to locate it for Ashoka. They might not be telling each other the truth, but their motivations temporarily align and they're making the most of it in the twisted court of their birth.
Will their blood ties overcome their personal desires by the end?
Y'all....
This was so. much. fun.
With alternating chapters on each of the four siblings points of view, I never got bored with the plot. The pacing was perfect. Even though some of the siblings' drama fell into some clichés and semi-predictable dramas, I was invested at each step and couldn't stop myself from reading on.
Engaging, extremely well written, and lushly described,The Ivory Key is perfect for fans of The Gilded Wolves, Indiana Jones, and anyone interested in sibling relationships.
Also, I really appreciated that this novel did not hinge on romance—it had romance, but the plot didn't require our investment into the romance element and it was clearly the backburner to all of the other pieces. That's getting to be rare in young adult these days.
I’m rounding up because I had so much fun. Caraval mixed with Night Circus mixed with Nevermoor… this was such a fun adaptation of a lot of 3.5 stars
I’m rounding up because I had so much fun. Caraval mixed with Night Circus mixed with Nevermoor… this was such a fun adaptation of a lot of popular young adult themes.
Characters: ★★★ Plot: ★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★
Jani lives with her younger sister in a boarding house, trying to make ends meet in a city filled with people. They're teetering on the edge of poverty, and their dreams are dimming with each year spent eeking away a meager life for themselves in the working class.
But then, one day, they get the news: The Hotel Magnifique is coming to town.
A magical, teleporting hotel catering to the richest of the rich and filled with wonders unlike any the world has ever seen, the Hotel Magnifique is a mysterious wonder. It travels from city to city, taking years—sometimes decades—to return to its former destinations. It's filled with sumaires (magicians) and enchantments. Once you get inside, it's a nonstop magical thrill ride. It is run by the most powerful sumaire who ever lived: the maître. And it only has one catch: once you leave the hotel, you forget about your magical time spent inside its walls.
Being there when the hotel magically appears in town is easy... It's getting inside the doors that is hard. You either need to win a ticket, be extremely wealthy and therefore invited, or get inside as a worker.
Jani and her sister try the employment route—and they get in (with a few hiccups).
Now ensconced in this traveling spectacle of magic, secrets, and dreams, Jani quickly discovers that the Hotel Magnifique is not all that is appears to be. With some blunt sleuthing, a lot of mistakes, and a knack for getting into trouble, Jani's in for an interesting ride.
Oh, and of course, there's a boy...
Welcome to the Hotel Magnifique. We know you'll enjoy your stay—you just won't remember it very well.
I have a soft spot for magical stories with heavy doses of whimsy.
I am also a sucker for stories centered on hotel locations—there is something so transient and eerie about a location that sees so much turnover and is both extremely visible and yet simultaneously invisible to the eyes of the passing public. It's a place of constant change and yet remains stagnant.
When you combine a magical setting WITH a hotel backdrop, you best bet I'm going to read that story.
Hotel Magnifique took all of the parts I loved about some of my favorite tales—the high stakes contracts, the endless rooms of magic, a setting that's both a beautiful respite and a bejeweled trap—and combined them into a new remix that I appreciated very much.
It was fun! It had familiar takes and new takes on prevalent YA themes. It incorporated real stakes and dangers—a HUGE plus in my book, as most YA stories have "stakes" and yet no one ever reaps the consequences. It also had a romantic arc that I authentically enjoyed as a back-burner side plot, which was fun.
I will say it had some moments of cliche, and leaned a bit too heavily on its whimsy to cover up a lack of detail—but those are quibbles to me. I had a wonderful time, and I think others will too.
Pick this up if you're a fan of Caraval, The Night Circus, or Nevermoor and you want to step back through the portal...
This entire review is a reaction review, NOT a book summary. It is also filled with spoilers for the entire series.Please don't read if you don't want spoilers.
My journey with this series was a rollercoaster.
I absolutely LOVED the first book. I was obsessed. As an early ARC reader, I devoured it and then spent several months hyping it up to anyone that would listen. (I didn’t care for the second book very much, but I pushed through it in hopes of this third one being amazing.)
Kingdom of the Feared was much better than Kingdom of the Cursed—more plot, a return to Maniscalco's clear plot strength (mysteries), and the character development felt authentic again. Kingdom of the Feared had a few notable plot twists that surprised me and I felt that the ending fit Emelia's journey given her particular set of character traits.
I guess... I just wanted more from this series. I wanted Wrath to be a stronger character. I also continued to find Emelia's weird blend of naivety + adult content super weird to read. She's a baby in terms of life experience and yet the plot throws her into these very New Adult situations and I'll be honest, it squicked me out a bit. Her weird switch from immature teen to Grown Adult Woman vibes in between books two and three due to... plot reasons... was super abrupt to me. I wanted that transition to either have more time to grow organically or have it occur earlier in the story so I had time to get used to it. The immediate flip was odd.
Strengths in this series—even with my lackluster feelings—were still present in Kingdom of the Feared. I think this concept is super fun. I think the realm of Hell and its various kingdoms is worth exploring further, possibly with more intention spent on character depth and unique plot structure. I loved the gimick of the seven deadly sins represented in seven men. The romantasy element there is promising—I am planning on picking up her spinoff with Envy this fall, which should lean into that quite a bit. I think the storytelling is there.
I'm worried I'm alone in this corner, as a lot of other people whose reviews I trust not only LOVED book two, but they also seemed to enjoy this last book more than I did. Oh well—I still will recommend this to older teens and adult readers who don't mind a weaker plot arc.
A girl made of lies who can see the threads of fate. A prince with an interesting fate for the girl to weave around her. A plot, a curse, and2.5 stars
A girl made of lies who can see the threads of fate. A prince with an interesting fate for the girl to weave around her. A plot, a curse, and some blood magic. This had all the makings of an interesting spin on the YA fantasy court tropes...
Concept: ★★★★ Plot: ★★ Character arcs: ★★ Enjoyment: ★★
Violet is the official Seer of the kingdom. From a child of the streets to the pampered Seer in the tall tower, Violet's rise to riches involved one simple moment: she saw the future and saved the Prince's life.
Ever since that fateful day, Violet has done all that she could to keep her position as the powerful court Seer and personal advisor on all things fate to the King. She likes her cushy job, ok? And she's willing to fight tooth and claw to keep it.
That fighting instinct is sorely tested with Prince Cyrus.
Ever since Violet saved Cyrus' life, Cyrus has been the worst. They're basically nemesis now, with Cyrus hating Violet—her incessant lies to "save" the kingdom per his father's orders are apparently a personal betrayal—and Violet detesting Cyrus for making her daily life as difficult as possible.
There's a fine line between love and hate...
However, the hatred between these two reluctant coworkers has nothing on the drama waiting from them in this tale. Violet and Cyrus have bigger problems now: there's a curse coming for them both, and whole lot of deadly magic with inescapable consequences.
With the fate of the kingdom, Cyrus, and her own life placed in Violet's hands, things are about the get interestingly deadly.
Alright, y'all. Let's talk about it. Given my low rating, you can tell that this story really, really didn't gel for me. That was due to multiple different aspects.
I thought the fixation on Violet and Cyrus' hatred toward each other was a bit over the top and nonsensical after a certain point. From "I HATE YOU" screaming to passion, this arc was somehow both basic and overcomplicated for me. For me, it reduced both Violet and Cyrus' character development down to this one trope.
I also had a hard time with the balance between worldbuilding, plot, and character development. This might have been a “me” problem, but it felt like this story constantly pivoted away from whatever I wanted to have next… When it was time for an action point, we went into a snarky internal Violet moment. When it was time for some character growth between people, it seemed like we jumped into world building descriptions. I don’t know, it was off to me for the entire read.
All in all, not a new favorite read for me. But this might find its audience in younger readers less well versed in the genre. I'd recommend this to young tweens and newer fantasy readers without hesitation.
For those of us who can straddle the lines between dark death, wry humor, and quick fantasy—this one's for us. And for anyone who's ever been interestFor those of us who can straddle the lines between dark death, wry humor, and quick fantasy—this one's for us. And for anyone who's ever been interested in the Black Death plague.
Cas is on his way home. He's got a lot of PTSD and some new scars. He's the sole plague survivor of a POW labor camp for the enemy. He's also got an interesting and upsetting new ability to see ghosts of the recently dead. And he's got a horse. (That last one is the most important, as he's also scant broke and is trying to get home.)
Cas is dealing with a lot, obviously.
The last thing he needs is a random girl stealing his one horse out from under him.
Luckily, the girl gets stuck and needs some help—so now Cas has a horse AND and a girl...and still a bunch of emotional baggage. Cas would rather not have two of those three things, but hey, no one's ever asked for his opinion on the matter.
Cas is on his way home to his family's city estate and desperately hoping his brother made it out of the plague times alive. But when he gets home and is returned into the royal fold as the official Lord Cassia once more, Cas discovers more things have changed than just his own backstory—the royal court is now in residence at his own family's estate. And they've brought the enemy with them.
Now embroiled in an assassination plot, armed with baggage, and working through a bizarre interest in his horse thief girl—who is revealed to be the court's historian AND half-sister to the king, to boot—Cas has a lot on his plate.
He'd really just like the quiet life. But needs must, and Cas is nothing if not a wry utilitarian. There's things to be done.
Wow. I'd like to start by saying that Year of the Reaper is a book that I should have picked up a LONG time ago. I loved it. The fact that I picked it up at all was by chance—Fairyloot included it in their book box and it arrived on my doorstep. I feel compelled, obviously, to read those books. I would have never picked up the U.S. version based on its artwork... and what a shame that would have been, because this book was my vibe to perfection.
Macabre reading fans, rejoice!
This novel could have been depressing. It also could have used the Black Death inspiration as a shameless plot device and not done the topic justice. Year of the Reaper did neither of these things. In a true slice of grace, the author managed to write a novel that paid homage to the horrors, grief, and lingering fears of a generation dealing with extensive and unaccountable trauma while somehow maintaining a thread of hope and dose of wry humor. This was so, so deftly handled, I'm a bit in awe considering this novel's standalone status and shorter page count.
Pick this one up if you can! It's a gem in the genre.
This review will spoil elements of the first book. You've been warned!
Sirscha and her allies are in a tight spot. The Soulless has awoken and is gaining strength in the Dead Wood with each passing day. Their enemies, the anti-Shaman queen and her military, are chasing them. And the other kingdoms and shamanborn of the realm believe that Sirscha is a soulguide, a bringer of light and hope, instead of what she actually is—a soulrender, just like the Soulless they all despise and have since outlawed as a shaman-type.
With these pressures and secrets nipping at Sirscha's heels, she and her friend, Saengo, are trying to find a way to defeat the Soulless, protect Sirscha's true identity, save the realms' delicate alliances and avoiding all-out war, and save Saengo from the rot consuming her day by day as a result of the Dead Wood's infestation.
There's also some serious political intrigues too, but let's stop here because it's already a lot to juggle in this average-length YA book.
Sometimes, there's just the right combination of things for you to enjoy something and have just a damn good time reading it despite some trips along the way. This series is that for me.
I think Broken Web suffered from a bit of a sequel slump where the storyline needed to get from Point A: the end of book one, to Point B: the tip-off point that ended this book and prepared it for the next book. There was just too much that needed to happen, not enough length to make it happen, AND not enough fluff content for me to forgive the sheer amount of action that took place here.
That last thing is a personal note, sure, but as a character/dialogue/soft moment type of reader, I struggled with how much literally happened in this plot in terms of movement, action, and drama as opposed to some of the softer, resting moments that we had in the first book. I wish we'd had a few more of those in this one so that I could have caught my breath!
However, I did still really enjoy it and look forward to the final book. Fingers crossed its the perfect blend!
The spider vibes on this cover did not disappoint, and I had a heck of a great time reading this in one sitting. Why are people slee3.5 spidery stars!
The spider vibes on this cover did not disappoint, and I had a heck of a great time reading this in one sitting. Why are people sleeping on this series?
In a concept that feels like an interesting mashup of Asian inspiration mixed with the "classic" Western/white fantasy tropes, Forest of Souls was a pleasant surprise for this seasoned YA fantasy reader.
Did it do anything revolutionary? Did it turn the genre on its head with some mind-bending new trick, trope, or twist? No.
But did it deliver on a damn good time with a nuanced world, refreshing characters, and subtle twists on the classic model? Yeah, it did.
Forest of Souls follows our Chosen One, Sirscha—before she knows that she is chosen, of course—in a storyline that feels like other storylines. (Stay with me...)
Sirscha is the outcast in the Queen's army ranks—the nobody, the orphan with a chip on her shoulder, the girl with way too much of a "need to prove myself" complex, and yet somehow also the one with the masterful ability to fight.
Sirscha is training in the Queen's army in a kingdom where the magic users, known as shamans, are hunted to extinction and/or enslavement. Sirscha has spent her life working toward a career as the Queen's elusive and only Shadow, a prestigious honor given to only one person at a time, when the unthinkable happens.
Her latent shaman powers burst into being during the traumatic death of her closest friend, Saengo. In a shocking move, she is able to bring Saengo back to life. But life's about to get super complicated, because now her eyes glow like the other shamans and the kingdom is out to get her.
So when the Spider King of the Dead Wood offers Sirscha sanctuary, she doesn't think twice. She and her friend enter the Dead Wood, where the souls of the dying and dead have made the woods alive...and hungry.
Her world is about to get a whole lot more complicated, creepy, and complex.
This had SPIDERS. It had INTRIGUE. It had complex worldbuilding that occasionally veered too much into telling instead of showing, but I was in a story-time mood so I didn't mind. It had a fierce FRIENDSHIP BOND that outlasts the dead. It had snark, sass, and wit—and a refreshing lack of romance.
If you don't mind a fresh twist on the classics, check this one out!
SPOILERS for the first book in this series, Caraval, in order to cover this one. I repeat, SPOILERS for the first book. (No spoilers for this actual book, the sequel.)
...Are they gone???
GOOD. Let's talk about this awesome sequel that did NOT suffer any form of a sophomore slump.
Legendary picks up almost immediately after the events of the first book, Caraval. But this time instead of Scarlett, we're following her sister Donatella's point of view. Donatella, the enigmatic and reckless younger sister of Scarlett. The sister who was pseudo-kidnapped by the Caraval architect, Legend himself, to set off the events of Scarlett's journey through the mystical game.
Donatella, who's apparently been hiding quite a few secrets of her own.
Caraval might be over for Scarlett, but it's not over for Legend's cast of actors or for Donatella—in fact, the game is just now getting started again for a very special round two. And Donatella is ready for it as her motivations for winning the game are higher than ever. She got involved with Legend's twisted games for a reason, and not for the same motivations as her sister. Donatella's looking for their lost mother, Paloma, and she's willing to make any number of deals to find her.
Donatella's even willing to make deals with a hidden stranger...one who bargains for everything he takes, and leaves a trail of heartbreak and death in his wake. You might even say he relies heavily on fate. (rhymes, anyone? I couldn't resist.)
But Legend is also interested in Donatella for his own reasons.
As two powerful individuals circle Donatella's fated path and the boundary lines between myths, the Fates, and power collide... Donatella's in for quite a time. And like all players of Caraval, she has a front row seat with some seriously real stakes.
This time, it's NOT only a game...
Ahhhh! Legendary is a new favorite book. Everything that bothered me about the first novel was fixed in this one. Naive main character in Scarlett? Fixed, as we're following the much more interesting sister now. Dragging sections of lagged pacing? Fixed, as this novel includes so. much. movement. we never got a chance to sit still. Limited world building? Fixed, as this novel expands on the world with a fresh setting, more intrigue, and a very densely packed plot with a LOT of room to grow and develop. Predictable (cough, boring) romance? Fixed, as Donatella's romantic entanglements proved to be so much more interesting.
I have no complaints. So much fun. It's time for the finale!
So I abandoned this book years ago, but I guess I'm a different reader now, or maybe I just missed the magic the first time—because now it's a 4 stars
So I abandoned this book years ago, but I guess I'm a different reader now, or maybe I just missed the magic the first time—because now it's a new favorite. Sometimes, second chances are worth it...
Concept: ★★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★★ Main character: ★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★
Scarlett and her sister, Donatella, live on an isle under the controlling rule of their abusive father. Scarlett believes in happy endings. Donatella...doesn't so much.
So when their grandmother tells them tale after tale of the mysterious Legend, the man behind the magic of the realm's mystical Caraval game, Scarlett's the one who writes to Legend year after year. If Legend would only invite them to participate in Caraval, then Scarlett and Donatella could win the game and be granted the grand prize... one wish. No restrictions.
For two girls with a very bleak future, winning Legend's elusive wish is one of their last shots at happiness.
So when Scarlett's letter finally arrives with invitations, Scarlett and Donatella can't believe it.
It's all about to begin, now. And remember, it's only a game.... (Right?)
Filled with lush descriptions, fantastical and transportive scenes, and enough twists and turns to actually surprise this jaded YA reader more than once, Caraval was more than worth the read!
My thoughts: Alright, so like I said from the beginning, this was a second-chance read for me. In 2018ish, I tried to pick this up and actually DNF'd it a few times within the first few chapters. I just couldn't get into it, the main character bothered me (I have a personal taste issue with really naively-written older teen characters), and I just. didn't. vibe.
But then, this author came out with a spin-off series in this universe in 2021 called Once Upon a Broken Heart. And I totally loved it. It made me curious enough to give Caraval another shot—again—and see if anything good lay beyond the opening part of the book.
Spoiler: a LOT of good things exist beyond the weak opener. So if you're like me, maybe give this one another shot.
I loved the main character and the book's action...but thought the plot and romance needed to be more fleshed out.
Characters: ★★★★ Pacing: ★★3.5 stars
I loved the main character and the book's action...but thought the plot and romance needed to be more fleshed out.
Characters: ★★★★ Pacing: ★★★★ Worldbuilding: ★★★ Did I believe in the romance? ★ 1/2 Enjoyment: ★★★
The Shadows Between Us was a book that I didn't have an interest in when it was first released. But then TikTok happened, and everyone kept saying how it was full of these tropes that I love, and I was like huh, I wonder if I'm missing out? So I bought it!
Sadly, this was not the enemies-to-lovers and/or Slytherin romance plotline of my personal dreams. It was good, I'm happy I read it, but I needed more. However, take this review with a grain of salt, because it sounds like other people love it!
Alessandra Santhos is the overlooked second daughter of a lord of the realm, and she's tired of being in the metaphorical shadows, consigned to forbidden dalliances with young men and waiting on her chance to seize control of her life.
She's been waiting a long time for her opportunity—and it has finally come.
With her sister finally married and out of the way, Alessandra can now come to the palace and introduce herself at court. She has these deviously plotted goals: woo the "Shadow King," marry him, kill him, and then take over his kingdom as the widowed queen.
The "Shadow King," as he's called, is wreathed in shadows—literally—and can't die as long as his shadows protect him. Don't think about this element too hard, just run with it, because there's not much more to it than that.
Alessandra tackles the court like a conqueror. She has a plan, she has ruthless dreams, and it's like the plot of the novel falls at her feet in order to accommodate her. Kallias, the Shadow King himself, has some deep secrets and motives. She does too. As they dance around each other and the court watches, which one will win? Will Alessandra's goals change along the way?
Overall, I had two takeaways from The Shadows Between Us. One wasn't a surprise, but the other was.
The surprising element was that I enjoyed the lack of worldbuilding. Usually, I'm screaming from the rooftops praising this or that book for its worldbuilding... or screaming in frustration in those reviews when it is the reverse. But for this novel, which was so utterly character driven and limited in scope, I didn't mind that the world was just a faded backdrop of set decoration. In this way, The Shadows Between Us read like a good YA that knew what mattered: the action and the drama.
The not-so-surprising element was the romance. Or lack thereof. Or just... the not-build-up version of it that we saw on the page. For a novel that claims to be fiercely tied to its romantic agenda, I kept waiting for the meat of the matter. The relationship wasn't given a lot of time to grow. There wasn't enough time to give the characters the level of angst that they felt toward each other. I didn't buy their feelings. Frankly, they didn't spend enough time together on the page for me to believe that they were feeling the way they were feeling.
However, I did really enjoy walking through the plot with Alessandra. She was a fun female character to follow, and I enjoyed her lack of remorse and/or guilt over certain plot decisions. She owned who she was, and I loved that. I'd read more novels following her, actually. (Without or without a lackluster romance.)
Deals with Fate, a whimsically dark, wintery setting that reminded me of the Night Circus's atmosphere, and a twisty-turny love plot to fit all4 stars
Deals with Fate, a whimsically dark, wintery setting that reminded me of the Night Circus's atmosphere, and a twisty-turny love plot to fit all of the classics. I loved it.
Concept: ★★★★ Writing: ★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★ Entry point for new readers? oof, equal yes and no Enjoyment: ★★★★★
NOTE:Once Upon a Broken Heart is set in the same universe as this author's previous trilogy, Caraval. I was not smart enough to realize that before reading this (whoops), so I want throw that out here at the start of this review. This has crossover with Caraval. It is, however, marketed as the start of a brand new series.
Evangeline Fox grew up on fairytales. Her life is one, after all, even if some people don't realize it. A recent orphan, Evangeline works in her late father's curiosities shop and is in love with a boy. Her mother raised her on stories of the magical North, where curses and magic are real and everyone knows it. Evangeline's very existence—her hair is the color of rosy gold, her upbringing shrouded in magical mystery—everything points to the start of a good fairytale.
But then the boy becomes engaged to Evangeline's stepsister, and everything in Evangeline's life shifts sideways.
She decides to believe in yet one more fairytale—the existence of Jacks, the Prince of Broken Hearts. For those who need him in Valenda, Jacks has a temple where the broken hearted can go and ask for a bargain.
It's dangerous to bargain with a Fate, but Evangeline is desperate and "dangerous" sounds like it could get the job done.
She strikes a deal with Jacks. Things don't exactly go as planned. He's a Fate, of course, and Evangeline is a girl straight out a fairytale—the story isn't going to let them go that easily.
It's time to let the story unfold...
I don't want to get into the plot too much, as half of the fun is going into the story with as little knowledge as possible, but WOW! In short, I really enjoyed this one.
Highlights: I loved the dynamic between Evangeline and Jacks. Even though Evangeline was much more naive than I prefer for a protagonist, the dynamic really worked for me and fit the story's vibe. I was also a huge fan of the world. It takes a rare type of author to write with the same je ne sais quoi quality as early Erin Morgenstern, but Stephanie Garber reached it. It's the YA, winter version of the Night Circus in terms of atmosphere and I was into it.
Negatives: Was it easy to jump into this world WITHOUT having already read Caraval? ...No. I wish I'd known how many references, nods, and hidden nuances in this novel were going to directly relate to that previous storyline. I would have taken a second look at Caraval first. It wasn't as bad as jumping into a direct sequel, but I did feel like I'd entered a TV show at the start of the second season. New character arc but same setup, and it was a bit confusing.
Read this if you like well-told tales, fairytales and their retellings, the power of hope, a dang good time, and nothing too dark.
Cool concept, really loved the death lord angle. Annoyed as heck by the main character to the point where I wanted to skim…so a mixed bag of th3 stars
Cool concept, really loved the death lord angle. Annoyed as heck by the main character to the point where I wanted to skim…so a mixed bag of thoughts here.
Concept: ★★★★ Main character: ★ 1/2 Pacing: ★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★
Violeta Graceling and her brother, Arien, live in a wooded world filled with a mysterious blight. They live off of the long-suffering "goodness" of their adoptive mother, who works for the local villager as a painter for the village's important religious icons. It's a light versus the darkness, goodness versus shadow demons type of religion... and to Violeta and Arien's horror, every night Arien wakes to shadows coating his body.
Violeta knows that if Arien could just wish the shadows away, they could be safe. Harsh control is the only answer to Arien's issue...right? (Oh dear)
One day in the village, Arien is caught with his shadows by the visiting lord from the nearby Lakesedge estate: Rowan Sylvanan.
Rowan Sylvanan might be close to Violeta's age, but he's already a nightmare story that parents warn their children about at night. He killed his whole family, they say. He's filled with evil, they say.
Rowan takes one look at Arien and his shadows and makes the decision to take Arien home with him. And because Violeta is fiercely protective of her brother, Rowan begrudgingly takes her too.
But neither the estate nor Rowan are what they seem, and Violeta's going to have to face certain truths whether she's ready for them or not...
Sometimes, it's not really the book's fault or the reader's fault when the reading experience is "meh." Sometimes it's just....the main character. And for Lakesedge, my issues all circle around one thing: Violeta herself.
I thought this world was cool. I loved the gothic atmosphere, the mystique of the estate, the dark shadow magic at the core of the story. I thought the ending in particular was spectacular.
But.... I can't give this more than 3 stars, because for the first half of the book (and frankly, ok, the rest of the book too) I couldn't stand Violeta. When you have a first-person narration with only one POV, a lot of the story rests on that one main character and whether the reader can get behind them and their actions. And I just could not do it.
Violeta was stubborn to the point of dumbness, prejudiced to the point of fear mongering, and at the end of the day she was also... weirdly reactionary to her own story?
(Except for the very, very end where my complaint turns into a spoiler: (view spoiler)[When Violeta finally gained agency, it was ONLY for the sake of her love for Rowan and in an effort to save her man. She was going to risk it all for herself and her brother for the sake of her romantic partner. Completely losing herself in him. While I have totally fallen for this trope in other books, it's true, this particular book rang false for me in that moment because... there wasn't enough depth to Rowan and Violeta's relationship to justify this move. Especially as Violeta didn't have much of spine before then, and then at this micro romance she flips the script? It was too much. (hide spoiler)])
I'm not sure if all of that stands up outside of my own personal opinions, but that was how I felt. Oh well. Another case of "it's not you, book, it's me!"
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