REVIEW: Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
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REVIEW: Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood
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Read this if you like: � Greek mythology � Sapphic fantasy romance � Multiple POV’s � Enchanting prose � SHOCK ending
SUMMARY: In the cursed kingdom of Ithaca, each spring brings the hanging of twelve maidens, a gift to the vengeful Poseidon. But when Leto awakens from her death on the shore of a long-forgotten island, its enigmatic keeper Melantho tells her that there’s only one way the curse can be broken. Leto must kill the last prince of Ithaca.
CURSE OF THE HEART
The writing is polished and exquisite, effortless prose and a very interesting plot line got me hooked from page 1. Underwood is a very talented writer and for a debut I was completely surprised by the maturity and beauty of her writing.
The pacing is also spot on and each chapter ends with more questions � I just found sucked into the story with nowhere out! The world building is lush with zero info dumping.
The characters were well defined in their voices and I really enjoyed each one’s POV.
In saying all that there are some small plot holes I still have questions about (motives etc.) and I do think this could have been trimmed by about 100 pages.
A tragic, beautiful, heart-breaking book! That ending! My head is still reeling!
RECOMMEND IT FOR: A mesmerizing, lyrical Greek mythology � well written, heart-breaking and beautiful! For fans of Circe.
Overall Rating: 4/5 Publish Date: March 7, 2023 Format: Paperback Number of Pages: 496 Young Adult/ Romance/ LGBT/ Greek Mythology/Fantasy
Thank you to @jonathanballpublishors for the review copy, opinions are my own. ...more
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REVIEW: Chaos & Flame by Tessa Gratton
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Read this if you like: � High fantasy � Rare magical talents � Insta Love � Political fantasy � Two POV’s
SUMMARY: Assassin Darling’s family were murdered by House Dragon. Talon � war general of House Dragon- and brother to the prince meets Darling, who his brother has obsessively painted for years and know he must capture her alive. These unlikely allies must navigate a game of power, betrayal, destiny - and love
ON FIRE
Firstly: Well hello Cliff-hanger!!! I did not see that coming AT ALL.
Secondly the colors of the book are absolutely stunning. I has so much fun with this read along organized by @penguinbooksya @penguinbookssouthafrica, thank you!
The world building was so immersive � I really felt interested in the histories and details of the house factions which felt so Game of Thrones in a way.
My favorite character is Caspian (even though he doesn’t have his own POV) the combination of his magical talent, unreliable personality and mystery made him all the more intriguing!
I did find I wanted a lot more depth to Darling and Talon, but I am hopeful these characters development will progress in the next book. It could be the instalove that felt unrealistic as I personally do prefer a more slow burn. They both have many similarities (maybe too many?) and I love how underneath it all both just want to protect their families.
I adored the magic system � the magical talents were such a unique concept especially Caspian’s prophetic talent.
It did take some time for me to be fully invested in this novel but the political intrigue was perfectly executed in this book. There was an epic action scene that felt straight out of a movie. The pacing was odd to me at times � sometimes I found this book to be incredibly slow and at other times sped up.
RECOMMEND IT FOR: An exciting high fantasy for fans of insta love, magic, court politics and prophesies.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 Publish Date: March 28, 2023 Format: Paperback Number of Pages: 336 Young Adult/ Romance/ High Fantasy/ Magic
Thank you to @penguinbooksya for the review copy, opinions are my own. ...more
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Read this if you like:REVIEW: Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb
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Read this if you like: � Murder Mystery � Quick read � Friends to Enemies to Lovers � Mythical gods and magic favoured
SUMMARY: Can ya’ll read the goodreads description today. My motivation died to summarize this half novel synopsis hahahaha
ALRIGHTY THEN This was a very quick and interesting read but I am not sure it lived up to its full potential. The plot, mystery and the characters were all very average.
I feel the romance was just okay. Since they were initially friends we miss out on a lot of heavy emotional connections we are only told about and not explored properly. I did find Damian to be quite dull but Rossana was the character that kept me sane through this novel.
This wasn’t terrible by a long stretch � personally the murder mystery fantasies are not working for me anymore.
I am a little split down the middle on this one; on one hand the story was well crafted � elite pacing and prose but on the other hand - I felt very underwhelmed overall. Emoji for this book would undoubtedly be meh.
This is the worst day for me to finish this review, I have had a few very average reads lately and I am so sorry SFS gets the brunt of my laziness lol
RECOMMEND IT FOR: If you love a fast paced book with a murder mystery prose this book has your name on it!
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 Publish Date: February 7, 2023 Format: Fairyloot Exclusive Edition Number of Pages: 365 Young Adult/ Mystery/ Fantasy/ Romance ...more
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Read this if you like: � Rivals/enemies to REVIEW: Divine Rivals
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Read this if you like: � Rivals/enemies to lovers � Historical fiction � Warring gods � Exquisite romance
SUMMARY: When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.
SUBLIME
I have to admit I got emotional now and then, the writing is absolutely superb!
This is how you do enemies to lovers friends
Personally for me I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand this book was a gorgeous escape but on the other I often felt underwhelmed by the plot. This is more of a character driven romance novel and the fantasy aspects are not the main aspect at all, although I suspect due to that ending we will see much more of it in the next book. This is definitely a me thing, I just enjoy more action/adventure forward books in general.
Ross is an immensely talented writer, each word selected with care and every sentence perfectly composed. If for nothing else, I would recommend reading anything this author writes. This is not the average YA book. It has depth, sublime prose and quotable pages. Iris and Roman , what can I say about these feuding rivals turned lovers?
Each character (even the side characters) = pure perfection. Real, honest, and raw. I felt very much emotionally involved.
The ending will leave you heartbroken, worried, confused and completely invested in purchasing book 2 immediately.
RECOMMEND IT FOR: An emotional and beautiful historical fantasy. Perfect for romance readers and fans of enemies to lovers.
Overall Rating: 4.3/5 Publish Date: April 4, 2023 Format: Owlcrate Exclusive Edition Number of Pages: 368 Young Adult/ Historical Fiction/ Romance/ Fantasy ...more
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REVIEW: One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake
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Read this if you like: � Romeo and Juliet retelling � Rivalry/tense politics � Melodramatic � Sibling/family bonds � Romance � Crazy twists � Emotional ending
SUMMARY: In New York City two rival witch families fight to maintain control of their respective criminal ventures until fate intervenes with a chance encounter where everyone must choose a side.
WITCHY WONDER
Woah this was a totally different experience to The Atlas Six! This just shows how diverse Blake is and a teachable lesson to always read more than one book from an author.
I didn’t think it would; but the Romeo and Juliet retelling with the Russian (Mythology/?Folklore?) somehow worked perfectly.
I adored the setting of NYC and did I mention almost every page has a memorable quote? LIKE HOW?
At first I thought Sasha and Lev would be the main feature but I think my heart truly belonged to Masha and Dima. Blake really gets to the heart of relationships and I truly felt Masha’s growth kept me tethered to this book in the best way.
I still have a lot of questions about the magic and how it worked, I also would have loved more detail on all the sisters and their powers but knowing this author we will surely get a novella. Explaining the pace would be: great start, slow middle, quick end.
It’s important to know that this is a character driven book. Blake’s writing is really the shining star of this novel.
RECOMMEND IT FOR: If you love a character-centric lyrical romance, witches and soap opera type dramas: This is the perfect book for you.
Overall Rating: 4/5 Publish Date: January 24, 2023 Format: Trade Paperback Number of Pages: 416 Adult/ Urban Fantasy/ Romance/ Paranormal/Retelling
Thank you to @panmacmillan for the review copy, opinions are my own. ...more
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Read this if you like: � Arab
REVIEW: Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim
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Read this if you like: � Arabian inspired � Secret tea magic � Love triangle � Rivals to lovers/enemies to lovers � Epic adventure � Families fractured � Betrayals
SUMMARY: Raised to protect her nation from the monsters lurking in the sands, seventeen-year-old Imani must fight to find her brother whose betrayal is now their greatest threat.
EPIC FANTASY
This started off slow but I think it kind of grew on me?? At first I really thought this would be one to set aside, there was nothing unique or exciting about it but at about the 150 page mark it started getting more interesting as the plot developed.
The characters: Our main girl Imani was a bit of a let-down (stubborn, irritating and short-sighted) � I might hate her - but I was interested in learning more about her sister, brother and especially Qayn and Taha.
The world building is lush with the idea of the Spice Road ,hidden kingdom, monsters and magic.
Overall as an epic fantasy this book is relatively slow but it does get better as the adventure starts.
This book is not without flaws: I could suffer through the characters but this novel could have been a lot shorter. I really enjoyed the last Chapters and I hope there is significant growth and depth in the next book.
RECOMMEND IT FOR: Fans of The City of Brass (I think was better), but this Arabian inspired epic fantasy has amazing potential.
Overall Rating: 3.9/5 Publish Date: January 24, 2023 Format: Fairyloot Exclusive Edition Number of Pages: 488 Young Adult/ Epic Fantasy/ Romance/ Mythology/Magic ...more
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REVIEW: City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer
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Read this if you like: � You live in a city of monsters finding safety with a cult � You’re terrified of said monsters � Criminal syndicate mystery � Vampires and Kickass best friends � Finding family and inner strength
SUMMARY: A cowardly girl who finds herself at the center of a criminal syndicate conspiracy, in a city where crooked politicians and sinister cults reign and dreaming means waking up as your worst nightmare.
WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
This started off good: A unique story, a city of monsters, a cowardly MC but it soon fell apart for me.
I can only take so much repetition before it pisses me off, we know from the synopsis Ness’s sister turned into a huge spider, but it’s constantly brought up in this book ad nauseam.
The plot was slightly chaotic and although this has a strong start it loses sense of itself in the middle.
I think, although the world building and unique concept were fantastic, the plot/writing style took away from the characters and smooth reading process. The twists were either easy to see, or ridiculous in my eyes.
Sadly the idea was there but the execution and plot/story choices for me were not. (AND THE REPITION FFS WHY)
Redeeming qualities: Found family, cool monsters, friendships, weird cult vibes, Gotham-esque city of criminals, unique characters.
RECOMMEND IT FOR: Chaos, monsters and criminals your thing? If you want a unique urban fantasy about monsters and mysteries this might be the perfect read for you.
Overall Rating: 3.2/5 Publish Date: January 10, 2023 Format: Fairyloot Exclusive Edition, Number of Pages: 374 Young Adult/ Urban Fantasy/ Supernatural/ Horror/Mystery ...more
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REVIEW: These Infinite Threads by Tahereh Mafi
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Read this if you like: An addictive YA fantasy with magical Jinn and romantic tension!
SUMMARY: Kamran’s grandfather, the king of Ardunia, lays dead. Cyrus has stolen Alizeh away to Tulan, the neighboring kingdom where he rules. Cyrus has made his own deal with the devil—one that would require Alizeh to betray her feelings for Kamran if she’s to reclaim the Jinn throne.
ALIZEH SAYS HOW DARE YOU
Listen. Linda. There is zero plot to this book but that didn’t stop me from reading until 3 am this morning. I AM ADDICTED. � New fictional boyfriend � Tension � Love triangle, maybe? � More questions than answers
Mafi really made me hate loathe and want to skip all chapters related to Kamran, was this done on purpose? Damn this man became irritating, stupid and frustrating FAST
Alizeh is a hot confused mess and around Cyrus I can’t blame her
Alizeh is kidnapped, wrestles with a long of feelings. Kamran wrestles with a lot of feelings and eventually leaves to get revenge for his grandfather and see Alizeh, this is the book lol
Irked there was no recap so I would suggest a reread of This Woven Kingdom or to read it this series consecutively (or find a magnificent book summary)
RECOMMEND IT FOR: This is so fun and compelling; all YA fantasy lovers would enjoy this! Overall Rating: 4/5
Publish Date: February 07, 2023 Format: Illumicrate Exclusive Edition, Number of Pages: 402 Young Adult/ Fantasy/ Romance/ Magic ...more
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Read this if you like: � A quest REVIEW: The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
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Read this if you like: � A quest across dangerous fae land � A reluctant secretive Prince � A feral runaway queen
SUMMARY: Return to the opulent world of Elfhame in the first book in a thrilling new duology, following Jude's brother Oak, and the changeling queen, Suren in a quest that may destroy them both.
HOW DARE I
“Pretend with me.�
Please make an orderly line to the right to throw rotten tomatoes at my face
I have been trying to convince myself for 3 weeks it’s me and not the book � but honestly I suspect it’s a bit of both. I found the storyline/plot/quest to be ……�.. boring.
As a diehard fan of JUDE/CARDAN I went into this ready for a new adventure in Elfhame but as a very character driven book, this turned out to be my biggest issue (and biggest disappointment) Oak and Wren just didn’t capture my heart. Wren was a slightly more interesting character but for me personally, both of them were unbecoming.
Oak was difficult to imagine as a young man � how can I not see him as Jude’s baby brother?
We explored the different places of Elfhame but it just wasn’t as amazing as what I expected it to be.
I pushed myself through the last half of this book but ultimately I felt quite bored most of the time. Ugh, that guts me to say.
As always Holly’s writing and world building are spectacular but wasn’t enough for me to enjoy this one.
I am sure many people will ADORE this book so I hope I haven’t done too much damage but sadly, this just didn’t work for me.
My rating is down the middle on this one. Is it a terrible book? No. But did I enjoy this book? No. Does the last 100 pages make up for everything. Maybe�..????
Book 2 I think will be much much better.
RECOMMEND IT FOR: If you have been dreaming of returning to Elfhame this adventure will surely help your addiction.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 Publish Date: January 03, 2023 Format: Paperback Number of Pages: 356 Young Adult/ Fantasy/ Fae/ Magic ...more
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Read this if you like: - Monstrous pow
REVIEW: Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
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Read this if you like: - Monstrous powers - Enemies to Lovers - Incredible urban fantasy/sci fi mash up - Plot twists/heart pounding action - Monster or Hero?
ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY: 16 year old Joan spends summers at her late mother’s family and learns they’re monsters with powers and the cute boy Nick at work isn’t just what he seems but a legendary monster slayer � to save her family she will have to embrace her monstrousness.
THIS GRIPPED ME FROM THE FIRST PAGE
Unique, original, layered and bursting with action � I was completely addicted to this book and finished it in two days. (Who tf am I even?!)
This book takes all our familiar YA troupes and kicks it in the face. WAM. Every time I thought I knew what would happen � it didn’t.
Usually contemporary / urban / paranormal books don’t quite get along with me but I loved this book from the first sentence!
I loved our protagonists � these characters were fun, interesting and I loved their personalities. I adored every side character especially Joan’s family, Ruth and Aaron.
I felt fully immersed in the world and absolutely cannot believe this is a debut for Vanessa Len, her writing and ideas and phenomenal.
The plot was unique and the pacing and structure of the chapters were MAGIC, I couldn’t stop reading.
I DON’T THINK IT’S POSSIBLE TO WAIT UNTIL JANUARY 2023?!?
Things do wrap up in this book neatly and I cannot wait to see what Len has in store for us in the next installments.
This book has a lot of mixed reviews: I can’t tell you what the secret is and why I feel in love with it I JUST DID. Usually I pick apart books (even the ones I love) and peel off the scab � not happening with this one. I loved it and I’m leaving it there!
RECOMMEND IT FOR EVERYONE. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did! 5 monstrous bloody stars!
Overall Rating: 5 Trilogy Publish Date: February 22nd 2022 Format: Hardback Fairyloot Special Edition Number of Pages: 361 pages Young Adult/Urban Fantasy/Paranormal/Romance ...more
REVIEW: The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
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Read this if you liREVIEW: The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber
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Read this if you like: A sweet and enchanting fairy-tale fantasy!
SUMMARY: After finding her own magic a new curse is revealed. Evangeline Fox and the Prince of Hearts go on a new journey of magic, mystery, and heartbreak.
SWEET AS PIE
I love these books: Cute, interesting and unique. Evangeline and Jacks are well fleshed out and interesting characters and not a damn thing would stop me from reading about them. This series is better than Caraval � Yup I said it.
I also really admire Garber’s writing style and page plotting � the pages flew by quickly. There are some small reveals in this book but I was hoping for a lot more.
The world building as always is on point and the action was fantastic! Garber has a talent for writing there is no doubt about it.
ONE GRIPE: I have to be honest here: The repetition of “I can’t trust him but I want him� almost drove me insane. Authors need to trust the readers especially in the second book to understand the characters feelings without mentioning it 30000 times.
Can I also mention I love authors that explain BOOK 1 in a very short summary when it’s a series. COULD ACTUALLY KISS EM. ALSO: � Holy heck the ending � Holy heck the tension � JACKS
RECOMMEND IT FOR: If you love cutesy fantasy with magic and curses this is the perfect series for you.
Overall Rating: 3.9/5 Publish Date: September 13, 2022 Format: Paperback Number of Pages: 416 Young Adult/ Fantasy/ Magic/ Romance ...more
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Read this if you like: An aweso
REVIEW: The Darkening by Sunya Mara
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Read this if you like: An awesome cover, epic fantasy, experimental magic, enemies to lovers to enemies.
SUMMARY: Unique magic story about girl and a prince that must save their city from a cursed storm.
EH NO HERE WE GO
Just because this wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you!
It started off great � I was really intrigued in the unique magic system and our cast of characters. The pacing to me was just slightly off though. The world building also left a lot unsaid, I am still not sure exactly how the storm works in cursing who and why.
I know exactly where this all falls apart and it’s totally the MC’s fault. She was the martyr/ weird /guilty/annoying self-deprecating girl that I completely could not like at all. She could do no right by me friends. The storyline also felt very odd. I also could see no sparks or connection with the other characters- tbh it was all a bit bland.
I just felt very underwhelmed.
This had so much potential but ultimately the characters just weren’t for me personally.
RECOMMEND IT FOR: Fantasy, magic and family!
Overall Rating: 3/5 Publish Date: July 5, 2022 Format: Fariyloot Exclusive Edition Number of Pages: 392 Young Adult/ Fantasy/ Magic/ Romance ...more
Personally this is just an author I can't connect to, I felt the same way about Sorcery of Thorns. There is just a disconnect to her writing and chara Personally this is just an author I can't connect to, I felt the same way about Sorcery of Thorns. There is just a disconnect to her writing and characters I can't explain. ...more
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REVIEW: One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
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Read this if you like: An addictive dark fantasy, a unique magic system, a dangerous quest - a maiden and her monster.
SUMMARY: Elspeth must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom-but the monster in her head isn't the only threat lurking.
MONSTERLY
This was such a fantastic surprise, what a joy to read! Where Belladonna fell flat and sometimes boring for me personally, this novel exceeded all my expectations.
This has everything I adore in a fantasy book; superb writing, fast paced chapters, a unique take on magic, a well-developed world, an interesting plot line with moments of action that left my heart beating faster.
The magic system was very unique and captured my interest from the beginning. Cards with magic abilities (Providence Cards) that have to be tapped to be activated? YES
The atmosphere was spot on � spooky, gothic, fairy tale/folklore-ish but DARK.
Our main leading lady Elspeth is authentic and well written, but I might be more in love with The Nightmare.
I was quite impressed with the level of darkness this book offered. The horrors were descriptive so if you are sensitive to that sort of thing I would suggest reading up on the Trigger Warnings first. The only thing I did not enjoy was the romance. I found the MC’s love interest to be very dull and I felt the relationship to be, not insta-love but just dry and slightly forced. It’s possible I just don’t enjoy the quiet brooding type even though I married one lol
I must have book 2 IMMEDIATELY
RECOMMEND IT FOR: ALL OF YOU, friends I highly recommend this one!
Overall Rating: 4.8/5 Publish Date: September 27, 2022 Format: Fairyloot Exclusive Edition Number of Pages: 394 Young Adult/ Fantasy/ Magic/Gothic Romance ...more
REVIEW: Glow by Raven Kennedy (The Plated Prisoner 4)
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Read this if you
REVIEW: Glow by Raven Kennedy (The Plated Prisoner 4)
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Read this if you like: A dark romance series perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas!
SUMMARY: After she burnt it all down, Auren will rise from the ashes. But when you turn against the King, everyone will turn against you. If will be the villain so be it � Auren will never be used again.
I'M GLOWING
If you have been following my reviews you know I fell unexpectedly head over heels for this dark romance series. This fast paced series consumed my week as I sped through each book. But with Glow � it came to a slight screeching halt.
In this book we really get to seen the history of Slade, as well as Auren’s journey to healing after the traumatic events she experienced � this one was emotionally action packed but wow, what a long journey for me � many times I felt this one dragged a little too much.
Found family � friends this is it. I am obsessed with the whole posse. Low key fangirling over Osrik. It was interesting to delve into the past and at the same time we follow a sub plot of Queen Kalia and her “companion�. I found this to be the most interesting sections and her character growth the most appealing.
This novel was slightly thin on the plot and action however I know this is the climatic lead up to the final book in the series so I am trying to not complain but I feel like character history should have been revealed in the beginning novels.
This novels pace was very slow � at over 700 pages I did feel this was a filler and far too much page time was given to training and flashbacks HOWEVER, I understand we need to build up the background and understand these characters in greater detail � what are we if not parts of our past?
I do think the last 15% made up for it. Sort of.
RECOMMEND IT FOR: If you want a new series to get lost in and make your whole personality � I cannot recommend this series enough! I have a new obsession!!
Overall Rating: 4.5/5 Publish Date: June 18, 2022 Format: Trade Paperback Number of Pages: 736 Adult/ Dark Romance / Fantasy/ Magic
Thank you to @penguinbooksya and @penguinbookssouthafrica for the review copy, opinions are my own. ...more
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Read this if you like: Twilight - but make
REVIEW: Wolfsong by T.J Klune
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Read this if you like: Twilight - but make it queer werewolves!
SUMMARY: Ox was twelve when his daddy left and said he wasn’t worth anything. At 16 he met a boy that talked and talked , who had just moved into the house at the end of the lane, but the boy has a secret. When murder came to town, that boy sought revenge and left, but now, the boy is back and Ox can no longer deny the song that howls between them.
TWILIGHT IS THAT YOU?
Firstly if you haven’t read The House in the Cerulean Sea I would highly recommend it but if this author is brand new to you, you must know TJ Klune has a talent for queer, powerful and emotional stories that hit the heart HARD.
Prepare yourself.
These characters were so perfectly imagined; I could see and hear them as clear as I do my own family � and how quickly all these characters crept into my heart was surprising even for me! This is definitely a found family that will stay with me for a while. I would usually steer clear of more character-centric novels but I am always drawn to T J Klune books for their heartfelt tenderness.
Klune has an almost lyrical flow to his writing and it fit perfectly with this story.
The world building is incredible, even though this book is over 500 pages, almost immediately I was pulled into Ox’s world and I couldn’t escape even if I tried. I loved Gordo and Ox himself had such a special place in my heart.
I did feel at times a slight cringe at some of the dialogue and events. Joe (the boy) came across as quite possessive to me which might of affected my opinion on the overall story. Correct me if I am wrong - this was Klune’s first novel and from here he goes from strength to strength. He also has a laugh at himself with some Twilight references! Can he be more endearing?!
RECOMMEND IT FOR: If you love gut wrenching, MM romance and werewolves � this is the perfect book for you.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5 Publish Date: June 20, 2016 Format: Trade Paperback Number of Pages: 568 Young Adult/ Romance / Fantasy/ Paranormal/LGBT/Werewolves
Thank you to @panmacmillansa for the review copy, opinions are my own. Review by Tammy-Leigh @book.barbarian ...more