en-US Fri, 04 Apr 2025 01:42:58 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 36538793
In Taisho-era Japan, Tanjiro Kamado is a kindhearted boy who makes a living selling charcoal. But his peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his entire family. His little sister Nezuko is the only survivor, but she has been transformed into a demon herself! Tanjiro sets out on a dangerous journey to find a way to return his sister to normal and destroy the demon who ruined his life.

Learning to slay��demons won’t be easy, and Tanjiro barely knows where to start. The surprise appearance of another boy named Giyu, who seems to know what’s going on, might provide some answers…but only if Tanjiro can stop Giyu from killing his sister first!]]> 192 Koyoharu Gotouge 1974700526 Amy 3 manga, read-in-2022
I didn’t think I would enjoy this, but I did! Solid storyline with some interesting moments toward the end.]]> 4.39 2016
author: Koyoharu Gotouge
name: Amy
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2022/04/13
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: manga, read-in-2022
review:
3.5 stars

I didn’t think I would enjoy this, but I did! Solid storyline with some interesting moments toward the end.
]]> 36495876
A hardcover, deluxe collector’s edition of one of the most beloved manga and anime of all time! Fully remastered with an updated translation and completely fresh lettering, and presented with color pages on large-trimmed archival-quality paper, this gorgeous hardcover edition presents the timeless dark adventures of the Elric brothers as they were truly meant to be seen. Includes brand-new cover art, color inserts and behind-the-scenes character sketches from author Hiromu Arakawa!

In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “auto-mail�� limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother’s bodies�� the legendary Philosopher’s Stone!

The best-selling manga Fullmetal Alchemist finally available in a high-quality hardcover collectors' edition.]]> 280 Hiromu Arakawa 1421599775 Amy 4 manga, read-in-2022 4.59 2011
author: Hiromu Arakawa
name: Amy
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2022/03/28
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: manga, read-in-2022
review:

]]> 53279751 No one ever talks about what happens in Little Compton...

When David left home three years ago, he never looked back. Now, the only connection to his tiny New England hometown is his grandmother Maggie, whose mind is unraveling as she slowly succumbs to dementia. But when her best friend turns up dead and she may be the sole witness to the crime, David has no choice but to return to a place that never accepted his trans-identity and only ever wanted him gone.

Maggie's testimony is shrouded in doubt--in between moments of lucidity she talks about things that never happened, about apparitions, disappearances, and murders. But are they really only stories? After a man's death sets off a hauntingly familiar chain of events, it seems there's some truth to Maggie's words.

With a body count on the rise, David begrudgingly plugs back into the tight-knit community to seek out the truth. And while David returns home a changed man, he finds that the ghosts of his past have waited for him. He'll have to face them head-on before he can begin to unravel his grandmother's story and finally put to rest the mysteries of this little town, lost in the fog.]]> 288 Doug Burgess 1728223210 Amy 5
A near-perfect blend of atmospheric fiction mixed with mystery. Not a standard mystery/thriller by any means...but a spectacular main character voice. I've added this author to my immediate "to watch" list and can see myself rereading this novel many times to come.

Main character/Narrative Voice: ★★★★��
Atmosphere: ★★★★��
Actual Mystery(s): ★★
Pure Enjoyment: ★★★★��

So first off, I think that this novel is weirdly placed in the mystery/thriller category on the shelves when really, it's an atmospheric literary fiction with some dead bodies in it.

It's like alternative take on a Jennifer McMahon, if you gutted all of her unnecessary meanderings and subplots (some people like them, I do not) and left us with just the vibes and atmosphere—and added a main character that pops right off the page and into your living room. Don't come for the devious and hard-to-grasp mystery—this is not a Christie whodunit. This is an atmospheric stay.

Dark Currents follows the story of David, a transgender man who is returning to his childhood small town of New Compton, Rhode Island, a few years after his transition and right on the heels of his recent firing from a university.

Why is David returning to his hometown, you might ask?

Because his grandma, who lives there alone, is in the downward swing of degenerative memory loss and he received a disturbing voicemail from her one night. There's a body, there's a lot of blood, there's a lobster, and there's a man in the dark. Can David come now!?

David rushes to the scene, but by the time he arrives his grandma's forgotten the whole thing and is surprised to see him there. But the dead body is real, and its grandma's neighbor and life-long old friend. It looks like an accident, but David can't be sure and neither can the town—their witness isn't exactly reliable, after all.

With small town secrets, histories, family, and more colliding into one tangle, it's up to David and his ex-boyfriend, town cop Billy Dyer, to solve the mystery and untangle the threads of the past before it's too late.

My thoughts:
WOW. This writing voice. Every once in a while, you come across writing that just leaps off the page and into your room with you—the voice of the narrator is so strong and so vivid without being a distraction in its own right. Dark Currents is one of those books. I could practically hear David's voice in my head as I read these pages. I loved this book for that vividness alone as hardly any fiction does that for me these days.

Another thing I loved about this novel was that the story wasn't really about the mystery. It was about the people and their histories and how they converged in this particular point in time. Dark Currents has a bit of an oral history vibe to it, with vignettes of stories interspersed as David's grandma's friends tell him about the past while he tries to untangle the present. It also has a strong small town and maritime vibe, which also appealed to me. The sea and its secrets, and those who keep them.

Also, last but NOT least��this novel was hilarious too. Amid the extremely dark topics of murder, transphobia/PTSD, and degenerative memory loss and its affects on family, the dry one liners and situational humor that the author managed to organically fit into this story was just *chef's kiss*.

I loved it.

| ]]> 3.56 2021
author: Doug Burgess
name: Amy
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/01/09
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: adult-fiction, favorites, mystery-thriller, read-in-2022, queer-as-ffff
review:
4.5 stars

A near-perfect blend of atmospheric fiction mixed with mystery. Not a standard mystery/thriller by any means...but a spectacular main character voice. I've added this author to my immediate "to watch" list and can see myself rereading this novel many times to come.

Main character/Narrative Voice: ★★★★��
Atmosphere: ★★★★��
Actual Mystery(s): ★★
Pure Enjoyment: ★★★★��

So first off, I think that this novel is weirdly placed in the mystery/thriller category on the shelves when really, it's an atmospheric literary fiction with some dead bodies in it.

It's like alternative take on a Jennifer McMahon, if you gutted all of her unnecessary meanderings and subplots (some people like them, I do not) and left us with just the vibes and atmosphere—and added a main character that pops right off the page and into your living room. Don't come for the devious and hard-to-grasp mystery—this is not a Christie whodunit. This is an atmospheric stay.

Dark Currents follows the story of David, a transgender man who is returning to his childhood small town of New Compton, Rhode Island, a few years after his transition and right on the heels of his recent firing from a university.

Why is David returning to his hometown, you might ask?

Because his grandma, who lives there alone, is in the downward swing of degenerative memory loss and he received a disturbing voicemail from her one night. There's a body, there's a lot of blood, there's a lobster, and there's a man in the dark. Can David come now!?

David rushes to the scene, but by the time he arrives his grandma's forgotten the whole thing and is surprised to see him there. But the dead body is real, and its grandma's neighbor and life-long old friend. It looks like an accident, but David can't be sure and neither can the town—their witness isn't exactly reliable, after all.

With small town secrets, histories, family, and more colliding into one tangle, it's up to David and his ex-boyfriend, town cop Billy Dyer, to solve the mystery and untangle the threads of the past before it's too late.

My thoughts:
WOW. This writing voice. Every once in a while, you come across writing that just leaps off the page and into your room with you—the voice of the narrator is so strong and so vivid without being a distraction in its own right. Dark Currents is one of those books. I could practically hear David's voice in my head as I read these pages. I loved this book for that vividness alone as hardly any fiction does that for me these days.

Another thing I loved about this novel was that the story wasn't really about the mystery. It was about the people and their histories and how they converged in this particular point in time. Dark Currents has a bit of an oral history vibe to it, with vignettes of stories interspersed as David's grandma's friends tell him about the past while he tries to untangle the present. It also has a strong small town and maritime vibe, which also appealed to me. The sea and its secrets, and those who keep them.

Also, last but NOT least��this novel was hilarious too. Amid the extremely dark topics of murder, transphobia/PTSD, and degenerative memory loss and its affects on family, the dry one liners and situational humor that the author managed to organically fit into this story was just *chef's kiss*.

I loved it.

|
]]> 56748837 Stephen Spotswood hard-boils with the best of 'em! --Alan Bradley, bestselling author of the Flavia de Luce mystery series

Someone's put a blade in the back of the Amazing Tattooed Woman, and Willowjean "Will" Parker's former knife-throwing mentor has been stitched up for the crime. To uncover the truth, Will and her boss, world-famous detective Lillian Pentecost, travel south into a snakepit of old grudges, small-town crime, and secrets worth killing for.

New York, 1946: The last time Will Parker let a case get personal, she walked away with a broken face, a bruised ego, and the solemn promise never again to let her heart get in the way of her job. But she called Hart and Halloway's Travelling Circus and Sideshow home for five years, and Ruby Donner, the circus's tattooed ingenue, was her friend. To make matters worse the prime suspect is Valentin Kalishenko, the man who taught Will everything she knows about putting a knife where it needs to go.
To uncover the real killer and keep Kalishenko from a date with the electric chair, Will and Ms. Pentecost join the circus in sleepy Stoppard, Virginia, where the locals like their cocktails mild, the past buried, and big-city detectives not at all. The two swiftly find themselves lost in a funhouse of lies as Will begins to realize that her former circus compatriots aren't playing it straight, and that her murdered friend might have been hiding a lot of secrets beneath all that ink.
Dodging fistfights, firebombs, and flying lead, Will puts a lot more than her heart on the line in the search of the truth. Can she find it before someone stops her ticker for good?
Step right up! Murder Under Her Skin is a delightfully hardboiled high-wire act starring two daring heroines dead set on justice.]]> 352 Stephen Spotswood 0385547129 Amy 4 circus, a murder, and lot more depth than I was expecting. This is a cozy/not cozy mystery series that needs to be on more people's radar!

Concept: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★��

Murder Under Her Skin is the second in a series, but frankly I started with this book and did not have any trouble picking up the plot or the characters. So consider this an entry point if you want!

Willowjean "Will" Parker works for Lillian Pentecost, a private detective in New York City area in the 1940s.

Ms. Pentecost is in her older middle age years, and still sharp as a tack mentally speaking, but her chronic multiple sclerosis makes certain parts of the private eye lifestyle harder for her. So she has Will.

Will used to work for the circus and now works for Ms. Pentecost. She's younger, fiesty, filled with plucky attitude, and our fearless narrator of these stories. (Think Watson.)

In this particular adventure, Will and Ms. Pentecost receive a very unusual call from Will's past—the circus that raised Will for years has a problem. A dead body problem.

Will and Ms. Pentecost head down South to solve a murder...

The dead woman is the marvelous Ruby Donner, the circus's tattooed woman. The supposed killer is their knife-thrower, Valentin "Val" Kalishenko.

The circus swears that it can't be one of their own, but Val can't remember that night due to his drinking problem. Everyone has clammed up, and the police are not interested in other theories—they're determined to bring justice to Ruby, as this particular circus stop is in Ruby's long-forgotten hometown.

To Ms. Pentecost and Will, this means the suspect pool is much, much bigger than the circus assumes...

Y'all. I loved this! Talk about a fun romp through the 1940s with some cutting modern-day retrospectives—racial tensions are addressed, societal treatment of women and marginalized groups are discussed, and Will herself is a proud bisexual woman. I loved the textured atmosphere of all of these blended elements, along with Ms. Pentecost's medical condition accurately portrayed and not used for "color" in the story.

The mystery itself was also clever, which I appreciated. Cozy mysteries aren't often very mysterious, as we're more on board for the character development, but I was pleasantly surprised by the twists of the ending.

A very witty, well-paced, and entertaining story. Looking forward to reading more in the series!

| ]]> 3.99 2021
author: Stephen Spotswood
name: Amy
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/04/16
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: cozy-mystery, read-in-2022, queer-as-ffff
review:
A circus, a murder, and lot more depth than I was expecting. This is a cozy/not cozy mystery series that needs to be on more people's radar!

Concept: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★��

Murder Under Her Skin is the second in a series, but frankly I started with this book and did not have any trouble picking up the plot or the characters. So consider this an entry point if you want!

Willowjean "Will" Parker works for Lillian Pentecost, a private detective in New York City area in the 1940s.

Ms. Pentecost is in her older middle age years, and still sharp as a tack mentally speaking, but her chronic multiple sclerosis makes certain parts of the private eye lifestyle harder for her. So she has Will.

Will used to work for the circus and now works for Ms. Pentecost. She's younger, fiesty, filled with plucky attitude, and our fearless narrator of these stories. (Think Watson.)

In this particular adventure, Will and Ms. Pentecost receive a very unusual call from Will's past—the circus that raised Will for years has a problem. A dead body problem.

Will and Ms. Pentecost head down South to solve a murder...

The dead woman is the marvelous Ruby Donner, the circus's tattooed woman. The supposed killer is their knife-thrower, Valentin "Val" Kalishenko.

The circus swears that it can't be one of their own, but Val can't remember that night due to his drinking problem. Everyone has clammed up, and the police are not interested in other theories—they're determined to bring justice to Ruby, as this particular circus stop is in Ruby's long-forgotten hometown.

To Ms. Pentecost and Will, this means the suspect pool is much, much bigger than the circus assumes...

Y'all. I loved this! Talk about a fun romp through the 1940s with some cutting modern-day retrospectives—racial tensions are addressed, societal treatment of women and marginalized groups are discussed, and Will herself is a proud bisexual woman. I loved the textured atmosphere of all of these blended elements, along with Ms. Pentecost's medical condition accurately portrayed and not used for "color" in the story.

The mystery itself was also clever, which I appreciated. Cozy mysteries aren't often very mysterious, as we're more on board for the character development, but I was pleasantly surprised by the twists of the ending.

A very witty, well-paced, and entertaining story. Looking forward to reading more in the series!

|
]]> 50666983
It’s 1942 and Willowjean “Will�� Parker is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of New York’s best, and most unorthodox, private investigator, Lillian Pentecost. When the dapper detective summons Will a few days later, she doesn’t expect to be offered a life-changing proposition: Lillian’s multiple sclerosis means she can’t keep up with her old case load alone, so she wants to hire Will to be her right-hand woman. In return, Will is to receive a salary, room and board, and training in Lillian’s very particular art of investigation.

Three years later, Will and Lillian are on the Collins case: Abigail Collins was found bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball following a big, boozy Halloween party at her home—her body slumped in the same chair where her steel magnate husband shot himself the year before. With rumors flying that Abigail was bumped off by the vengeful spirit of her husband (who else could have gotten inside the locked room?), the family has tasked the detectives with finding answers where the police have failed.

But that’s easier said than done in a case that involves messages from the dead, a seductive spiritualist, and Becca Collins—the beautiful daughter of the deceased, who Will quickly starts falling for. When Will and Becca’s relationship dances beyond the professional, Will finds herself in dangerous territory, and discovers she may have become the murderer’s next target.]]> 321 Stephen Spotswood 0385546556 Amy 4 A witty duo, the 1940s with a modern edge, and a whole lotta mystery. If you read anything remotely related to cozy mysteries or dynamic female duos being badasses, you NEED to have this on your radar.

Characters: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

It's the mid-1940s in New York City and Willowjean "Will" Parker is working as night shift muscle for an abandoned construction site. Will's always looking for cash in between circus gigs, and this one pays as well as anything. (And Will knows how to handle herself.)

What Will isn't expecting, however, is to witness Lillian Pentecost in action. Middle-aged, wielding an elegant cane for her multiple sclerosis (M.S.), and dressed in an impeccable tailored suit, Ms. Pentecost is here to catch a killer and completely unbothered by Will's presence.

Will ends up killing said murderer—with a throwing knife to the back—for Ms. Pentecost's sake.

The dynamic duo is born.

Months later, Will and Ms. Pentecost are the best private detectives in the game, with cases spanning from the mundane to the spectacular. And this time, it's a classic locked-room mystery that's piqued their interest. A rich man dies, supposedly by suicide. A year later, his widow dies in a locked room after a disturbing séance.

Are the two deaths connected, and if so, are they murders?

This was so. much. fun. I can't state that enough. For one thing, it's rare to find a cozy mystery series that packs a punch at every single level. Engaging characters? Check. Engaging plot beyond the basics? Check. Authentic bisexual representation? Check. Intricate world-building beyond the murder? Check. Humor for days? Check.

Fortune Favors the Dead had it ALL, folks. I am in love with these characters and their adventures. I hope the author writes many, many more to come. Do yourself a solid and pick this up, I promise you won't regret it.

| ]]> 3.96 2020
author: Stephen Spotswood
name: Amy
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2022/04/25
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: favorites, historical-fiction, mystery-thriller, cozy-mystery, read-in-2022, queer-as-ffff
review:
A witty duo, the 1940s with a modern edge, and a whole lotta mystery. If you read anything remotely related to cozy mysteries or dynamic female duos being badasses, you NEED to have this on your radar.

Characters: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

It's the mid-1940s in New York City and Willowjean "Will" Parker is working as night shift muscle for an abandoned construction site. Will's always looking for cash in between circus gigs, and this one pays as well as anything. (And Will knows how to handle herself.)

What Will isn't expecting, however, is to witness Lillian Pentecost in action. Middle-aged, wielding an elegant cane for her multiple sclerosis (M.S.), and dressed in an impeccable tailored suit, Ms. Pentecost is here to catch a killer and completely unbothered by Will's presence.

Will ends up killing said murderer—with a throwing knife to the back—for Ms. Pentecost's sake.

The dynamic duo is born.

Months later, Will and Ms. Pentecost are the best private detectives in the game, with cases spanning from the mundane to the spectacular. And this time, it's a classic locked-room mystery that's piqued their interest. A rich man dies, supposedly by suicide. A year later, his widow dies in a locked room after a disturbing séance.

Are the two deaths connected, and if so, are they murders?

This was so. much. fun. I can't state that enough. For one thing, it's rare to find a cozy mystery series that packs a punch at every single level. Engaging characters? Check. Engaging plot beyond the basics? Check. Authentic bisexual representation? Check. Intricate world-building beyond the murder? Check. Humor for days? Check.

Fortune Favors the Dead had it ALL, folks. I am in love with these characters and their adventures. I hope the author writes many, many more to come. Do yourself a solid and pick this up, I promise you won't regret it.

|
]]> 57007967 A lush, sweeping queer historical romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material—perfect for fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Manda Collins!

When Viola Carroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood.

Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become.

As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.]]> 460 Alexis Hall 1538753758 Amy 3
I think the concepts, representation, and emotional journeys were all top tier. I laughed out loud a lot and absolutely loved the side characters with all of my soul. But I must say, the actual plot and pacing were dull by comparison.

Representation: all of the stars
Plot/Pacing: ★★
Characters: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★��

Viola Carroll is finally living the the life she's always wanted. When Waterloo and the war gives her the perfect opportunity to disappear for good and start a new, true life for herself as Viola, she runs with it and never looks back.

But Viola's past has not fully escaped her, and one of the people from her past haunts her still. Her childhood best friend, Justin Gracewood, needs help.

The Duke of Gracewood is in mourning for his lost best friend. He blames himself for the loss, the war, and for his disability returning from the warfront. Gracewood is slipping into an opium dependency and a depression with no light in sight. Things are dire.

When Viola learns of Gracewood's distress, she and her sister-in-law, the Lady Marleigh, decide to intervene. Viola knows she's playing with fire—how long can she hide her very-much-alive presence from her oldest friend?—but the choice is a done deal. She is going to help Gracewood no matter the cost.

But Viola's new ability to explore life as her true womanly self has opened up yet another wrinkle when it comes to Gracewood: she can no longer ignore the fact that her feelings for him are considerably more than friendly.

Will these two old friends see past themselves and achieve an ideal form of happiness?

Quaint, happy, and filled with heart, A Lady for a Duke is a shining example of a new type of inclusive historical romance.

My thoughts:
Let's start this reaction off with some honesty: I am very conflicted about my star rating of this review.

On the one hand, I want to support this title and showcase how happy I am to see it exist, see it hold such a positive and happy storyline, and see it receive a wide readership. Squeals all around, this was adorable and wonderful and I felt all of the feelings.

On the other hand, I have to discuss the significant flaws in this novel's pacing, plot construction, and overall sense of boringness due to its drawn out pacing and lackluster scenes.

This novel is almost 500 pages long... and it feels like it. Cute scenes of emotional honesty between Viola and Justin were awesome and I loved them, but after the 200 page mark it became painfully obvious that we as readers were going to basically experience the same variant of the same type of emotional scene over and over again. Viola and Justin have barely any drama—which was good for the health of their relationship—but it did lead to a lack of opportunity for newness in their dialogue and interactions. Justin reassures Viola about X, Viola reassures Justin about Y....wash and repeat. So many of their scenes could have been remixed into any spot in the plot and been completely fine, that's how identical in tone and importance they were.

The only spot of freshness in this story did not come from the main characters at all—it came from the side characters, Lady Marleigh (sister-in-law to Viola) and Lady Gracewood (Justin's younger sister). They were doing fresh things in this story, thank goodness, and Justin and Viola got to semi-react to those events throughout the novel. But that did make for awkward reading in a romance subniche that tends to rely on its main characters to provide the agency in a story.

Definitely a conflict, and frankly a good one to have as again, the fact that this book is here at all on the bookshelves in the store is a wonderful thing. I'm glad this book exists and that I can quibble over its issues—but as a reviewer I do still need to highlight them.

Eagerly looking forward to more fresh stories in the historical romance canon to join this one on the shelves.

| ]]> 4.05 2022
author: Alexis Hall
name: Amy
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/05/21
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: historical-fiction, romance, read-in-2022, queer-as-ffff
review:
3.5 stars

I think the concepts, representation, and emotional journeys were all top tier. I laughed out loud a lot and absolutely loved the side characters with all of my soul. But I must say, the actual plot and pacing were dull by comparison.

Representation: all of the stars
Plot/Pacing: ★★
Characters: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★��

Viola Carroll is finally living the the life she's always wanted. When Waterloo and the war gives her the perfect opportunity to disappear for good and start a new, true life for herself as Viola, she runs with it and never looks back.

But Viola's past has not fully escaped her, and one of the people from her past haunts her still. Her childhood best friend, Justin Gracewood, needs help.

The Duke of Gracewood is in mourning for his lost best friend. He blames himself for the loss, the war, and for his disability returning from the warfront. Gracewood is slipping into an opium dependency and a depression with no light in sight. Things are dire.

When Viola learns of Gracewood's distress, she and her sister-in-law, the Lady Marleigh, decide to intervene. Viola knows she's playing with fire—how long can she hide her very-much-alive presence from her oldest friend?—but the choice is a done deal. She is going to help Gracewood no matter the cost.

But Viola's new ability to explore life as her true womanly self has opened up yet another wrinkle when it comes to Gracewood: she can no longer ignore the fact that her feelings for him are considerably more than friendly.

Will these two old friends see past themselves and achieve an ideal form of happiness?

Quaint, happy, and filled with heart, A Lady for a Duke is a shining example of a new type of inclusive historical romance.

My thoughts:
Let's start this reaction off with some honesty: I am very conflicted about my star rating of this review.

On the one hand, I want to support this title and showcase how happy I am to see it exist, see it hold such a positive and happy storyline, and see it receive a wide readership. Squeals all around, this was adorable and wonderful and I felt all of the feelings.

On the other hand, I have to discuss the significant flaws in this novel's pacing, plot construction, and overall sense of boringness due to its drawn out pacing and lackluster scenes.

This novel is almost 500 pages long... and it feels like it. Cute scenes of emotional honesty between Viola and Justin were awesome and I loved them, but after the 200 page mark it became painfully obvious that we as readers were going to basically experience the same variant of the same type of emotional scene over and over again. Viola and Justin have barely any drama—which was good for the health of their relationship—but it did lead to a lack of opportunity for newness in their dialogue and interactions. Justin reassures Viola about X, Viola reassures Justin about Y....wash and repeat. So many of their scenes could have been remixed into any spot in the plot and been completely fine, that's how identical in tone and importance they were.

The only spot of freshness in this story did not come from the main characters at all—it came from the side characters, Lady Marleigh (sister-in-law to Viola) and Lady Gracewood (Justin's younger sister). They were doing fresh things in this story, thank goodness, and Justin and Viola got to semi-react to those events throughout the novel. But that did make for awkward reading in a romance subniche that tends to rely on its main characters to provide the agency in a story.

Definitely a conflict, and frankly a good one to have as again, the fact that this book is here at all on the bookshelves in the store is a wonderful thing. I'm glad this book exists and that I can quibble over its issues—but as a reviewer I do still need to highlight them.

Eagerly looking forward to more fresh stories in the historical romance canon to join this one on the shelves.

|
]]> 59808133
Irene’s widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to accept―his calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.

Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He's seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn't extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousy―and Irene’s death is only the beginning.

When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal, and the gates of Lavender House can’t lock out the real world forever. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business.]]> 274 Lev A.C. Rosen 1250834228 Amy 4
A locked room mystery, a 1950s queer haven manor, and an interesting soap side plot. This was so wonderful—and remarkably cozy even with its dark themes.

Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★��
Mystery(s)/Reveal(s): ★★ 1/2
Enjoyment: ★★★★

1952, California.

Andy is a former detective at the end of the line. He's ready to call it quits in a very real way—trigger warnings right out the gate—and he has nothing left to strive for. He's gay in 1950s America. Recently outed at a raid by his own former police officer coworkers and ruthlessly fired from the force, Andy doesn't know what is next, and if it's worth finding out at all.

The last thing he expects is to be offered a job sitting at the bar, blind drunk at 11 am. A well-dressed, wealthy older woman wants him to solve a murder. Well, maybe it was a murder. Either way—she wants to know what happened, and she's willing to pay Andy and house him for his trouble.

Oh, and the best part? This woman and her surviving found family live in a hidden utopia of queerness. The dead woman is her wife, and their blended family are all queer on the estate.

Andy doesn't know how to receive this news, but he takes the lifeline for what it is and accepts the job.

However, the family is hiding secrets. (Aren't they all?) And Andy's stepping into a much bigger scene than he's anticipating. When you factor in the dead woman's soap dynasty... things are about to get interesting.

Lavender House was the perfect read for me at the right time. It was surprisingly cozy, the right blend of serious with quaint, and a remix of the classics bringing something fresh to the character tableau of the "classic" murder mystery setting.

It also deftly handled the line of realism vs. utopian ideals surrounding the concept of a hidden queer family living happily in the 1950s. They were a wealthy family who kept to themselves and had the resources to keep their happiness separate from harsh realities, true, but the doses of reality in this novel kept this story grounded for me.

I will caution my queer friends and those reading this review—given the contents, there is a lot of potentially triggering content for period homophobia and other elements. Please proceed with caution.

Overall, a fantastic cozy read that I would be happy to pick up again when I'm in need of a quaint escape.

Thank you to TOR Forge for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

| ]]> 3.84 2022
author: Lev A.C. Rosen
name: Amy
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/06
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: arcs-reviewed, adult-fiction, mystery-thriller, cozy-mystery, read-in-2022, queer-as-ffff
review:
4 lavender stars

A locked room mystery, a 1950s queer haven manor, and an interesting soap side plot. This was so wonderful—and remarkably cozy even with its dark themes.

Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★��
Mystery(s)/Reveal(s): ★★ 1/2
Enjoyment: ★★★★

1952, California.

Andy is a former detective at the end of the line. He's ready to call it quits in a very real way—trigger warnings right out the gate—and he has nothing left to strive for. He's gay in 1950s America. Recently outed at a raid by his own former police officer coworkers and ruthlessly fired from the force, Andy doesn't know what is next, and if it's worth finding out at all.

The last thing he expects is to be offered a job sitting at the bar, blind drunk at 11 am. A well-dressed, wealthy older woman wants him to solve a murder. Well, maybe it was a murder. Either way—she wants to know what happened, and she's willing to pay Andy and house him for his trouble.

Oh, and the best part? This woman and her surviving found family live in a hidden utopia of queerness. The dead woman is her wife, and their blended family are all queer on the estate.

Andy doesn't know how to receive this news, but he takes the lifeline for what it is and accepts the job.

However, the family is hiding secrets. (Aren't they all?) And Andy's stepping into a much bigger scene than he's anticipating. When you factor in the dead woman's soap dynasty... things are about to get interesting.

Lavender House was the perfect read for me at the right time. It was surprisingly cozy, the right blend of serious with quaint, and a remix of the classics bringing something fresh to the character tableau of the "classic" murder mystery setting.

It also deftly handled the line of realism vs. utopian ideals surrounding the concept of a hidden queer family living happily in the 1950s. They were a wealthy family who kept to themselves and had the resources to keep their happiness separate from harsh realities, true, but the doses of reality in this novel kept this story grounded for me.

I will caution my queer friends and those reading this review—given the contents, there is a lot of potentially triggering content for period homophobia and other elements. Please proceed with caution.

Overall, a fantastic cozy read that I would be happy to pick up again when I'm in need of a quaint escape.

Thank you to TOR Forge for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

|
]]> 58724626
What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.

Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.]]> 165 T. Kingfisher 1250830753 Amy 5
Oh YES. I had such a horrifically good time. This is the mirror-twin counter melody to Mexican Gothic, the Fall of the House of Usher done grotesque.

Concept: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Well, it's happened again: I have fallen in love with yet another bizarre and lingering horror story with a special focus on mushrooms. ("Again," yes, because this niche apparently has multiple books in it.)

Join me and the spores...

Alex Easton has heard word that their childhood friends, the Ushers, are struggling. Madeline is gravely ill, Roderick is not faring much better, and something is amiss.

Alex arrives, and they quickly realize that Roderick's understated things. There is something very, very wrong with this scene.

Madeline looks like she's already dead, Roderick doesn't look much better. The Usher estate is damp, moldy, and near-death itself. There's a visiting American doctor who has no idea what is going on, and a wandering older British woman on the grounds with a passion for mushroom study and a daughter named Beatrix Potter.

As Alex stays in the home, a creeping sense of foreboding and inevitability starts to sink in. The longer they stay at Usher, the worse it seems to get...

And that's IT. I won't say any more.

What Moves the Dead looks like—and sounds like—a repeat of concepts to those of us who have already read and loved Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic. In fact, T Kingfisher themselves writes in the Author's Note that they'd been chewing on this idea already, and then Mexican Gothic came out and What Moves the Dead disappeared into a drawer, almost for forever, as Kingfisher went "gah, I can't do it better than THAT!"

Well I, personally, am thrilled that someone got T Kingfisher to revisit and finish this tale. This is something akin to a cousin, a neighbor, someone with the same facial features as Mexican Gothic but with an entirely different set of personality traits. These two novels are NOT the same, and—as a Moreno-Garcia superfan I can't believe I'm saying this��What Moves the Dead did it... better.

This was grotesque, truly horrifying, and went somewhere that even I didn't full expect. I thought I knew the steps, and I was having a good time, but then... yeah. This seasoned reader was still surprised in an interesting way. A very, very good horror novella that I recommend to anyone with the stomach to handle it.

Thank you to TOR/Nightfire for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

|

Merged review:

5 stars

Oh YES. I had such a horrifically good time. This is the mirror-twin counter melody to Mexican Gothic, the Fall of the House of Usher done grotesque.

Concept: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Well, it's happened again: I have fallen in love with yet another bizarre and lingering horror story with a special focus on mushrooms. ("Again," yes, because this niche apparently has multiple books in it.)

Join me and the spores...

Alex Easton has heard word that their childhood friends, the Ushers, are struggling. Madeline is gravely ill, Roderick is not faring much better, and something is amiss.

Alex arrives, and they quickly realize that Roderick's understated things. There is something very, very wrong with this scene.

Madeline looks like she's already dead, Roderick doesn't look much better. The Usher estate is damp, moldy, and near-death itself. There's a visiting American doctor who has no idea what is going on, and a wandering older British woman on the grounds with a passion for mushroom study and a daughter named Beatrix Potter.

As Alex stays in the home, a creeping sense of foreboding and inevitability starts to sink in. The longer they stay at Usher, the worse it seems to get...

And that's IT. I won't say any more.

What Moves the Dead looks like—and sounds like—a repeat of concepts to those of us who have already read and loved Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic. In fact, T Kingfisher themselves writes in the Author's Note that they'd been chewing on this idea already, and then Mexican Gothic came out and What Moves the Dead disappeared into a drawer, almost for forever, as Kingfisher went "gah, I can't do it better than THAT!"

Well I, personally, am thrilled that someone got T Kingfisher to revisit and finish this tale. This is something akin to a cousin, a neighbor, someone with the same facial features as Mexican Gothic but with an entirely different set of personality traits. These two novels are NOT the same, and—as a Moreno-Garcia superfan I can't believe I'm saying this��What Moves the Dead did it... better.

This was grotesque, truly horrifying, and went somewhere that even I didn't full expect. I thought I knew the steps, and I was having a good time, but then... yeah. This seasoned reader was still surprised in an interesting way. A very, very good horror novella that I recommend to anyone with the stomach to handle it.

Thank you to TOR/Nightfire for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

| ]]> 3.86 2022
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Amy
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/07
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: favorites, gothic, horror, read-in-2022, queer-as-ffff
review:
5 stars

Oh YES. I had such a horrifically good time. This is the mirror-twin counter melody to Mexican Gothic, the Fall of the House of Usher done grotesque.

Concept: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Well, it's happened again: I have fallen in love with yet another bizarre and lingering horror story with a special focus on mushrooms. ("Again," yes, because this niche apparently has multiple books in it.)

Join me and the spores...

Alex Easton has heard word that their childhood friends, the Ushers, are struggling. Madeline is gravely ill, Roderick is not faring much better, and something is amiss.

Alex arrives, and they quickly realize that Roderick's understated things. There is something very, very wrong with this scene.

Madeline looks like she's already dead, Roderick doesn't look much better. The Usher estate is damp, moldy, and near-death itself. There's a visiting American doctor who has no idea what is going on, and a wandering older British woman on the grounds with a passion for mushroom study and a daughter named Beatrix Potter.

As Alex stays in the home, a creeping sense of foreboding and inevitability starts to sink in. The longer they stay at Usher, the worse it seems to get...

And that's IT. I won't say any more.

What Moves the Dead looks like—and sounds like—a repeat of concepts to those of us who have already read and loved Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic. In fact, T Kingfisher themselves writes in the Author's Note that they'd been chewing on this idea already, and then Mexican Gothic came out and What Moves the Dead disappeared into a drawer, almost for forever, as Kingfisher went "gah, I can't do it better than THAT!"

Well I, personally, am thrilled that someone got T Kingfisher to revisit and finish this tale. This is something akin to a cousin, a neighbor, someone with the same facial features as Mexican Gothic but with an entirely different set of personality traits. These two novels are NOT the same, and—as a Moreno-Garcia superfan I can't believe I'm saying this��What Moves the Dead did it... better.

This was grotesque, truly horrifying, and went somewhere that even I didn't full expect. I thought I knew the steps, and I was having a good time, but then... yeah. This seasoned reader was still surprised in an interesting way. A very, very good horror novella that I recommend to anyone with the stomach to handle it.

Thank you to TOR/Nightfire for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

|

Merged review:

5 stars

Oh YES. I had such a horrifically good time. This is the mirror-twin counter melody to Mexican Gothic, the Fall of the House of Usher done grotesque.

Concept: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Well, it's happened again: I have fallen in love with yet another bizarre and lingering horror story with a special focus on mushrooms. ("Again," yes, because this niche apparently has multiple books in it.)

Join me and the spores...

Alex Easton has heard word that their childhood friends, the Ushers, are struggling. Madeline is gravely ill, Roderick is not faring much better, and something is amiss.

Alex arrives, and they quickly realize that Roderick's understated things. There is something very, very wrong with this scene.

Madeline looks like she's already dead, Roderick doesn't look much better. The Usher estate is damp, moldy, and near-death itself. There's a visiting American doctor who has no idea what is going on, and a wandering older British woman on the grounds with a passion for mushroom study and a daughter named Beatrix Potter.

As Alex stays in the home, a creeping sense of foreboding and inevitability starts to sink in. The longer they stay at Usher, the worse it seems to get...

And that's IT. I won't say any more.

What Moves the Dead looks like—and sounds like—a repeat of concepts to those of us who have already read and loved Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic. In fact, T Kingfisher themselves writes in the Author's Note that they'd been chewing on this idea already, and then Mexican Gothic came out and What Moves the Dead disappeared into a drawer, almost for forever, as Kingfisher went "gah, I can't do it better than THAT!"

Well I, personally, am thrilled that someone got T Kingfisher to revisit and finish this tale. This is something akin to a cousin, a neighbor, someone with the same facial features as Mexican Gothic but with an entirely different set of personality traits. These two novels are NOT the same, and—as a Moreno-Garcia superfan I can't believe I'm saying this��What Moves the Dead did it... better.

This was grotesque, truly horrifying, and went somewhere that even I didn't full expect. I thought I knew the steps, and I was having a good time, but then... yeah. This seasoned reader was still surprised in an interesting way. A very, very good horror novella that I recommend to anyone with the stomach to handle it.

Thank you to TOR/Nightfire for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

|
]]> 54823479 To save a fae kingdom, a trans witch must face his traumatic past and the royal fiancé he left behind. This debut YA fantasy will leave you spellbound.

Wyatt would give anything to forget where he came from—but a kingdom demands its king.

In Asalin, fae rule and witches like Wyatt Croft…don’t. Wyatt’s betrothal to his best friend, fae prince Emyr North, was supposed to change that. But when Wyatt lost control of his magic one devastating night, he fled to the human world.

Now a coldly distant Emyr has hunted him down. Despite transgender Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr has no intention of dissolving their engagement. In fact, he claims they must marry now or risk losing the throne. Jaded, Wyatt strikes a deal with the enemy, hoping to escape Asalin forever. But as he gets to know Emyr, Wyatt realizes the boy he once loved may still exist. And as the witches face worsening conditions, he must decide once and for all what’s more important—his people or his freedom.]]> 421 H.E. Edgmon 1335212795 Amy 4 I absolutely loved the characters and the world itself. Call it what it is: a very good debut that stands well with the others in a sea of similar concepts.

Uniqueness within YA fantasy tropes: ★★★★��
Characters: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★��

The Witch King is such a fantastic example of the future of fantasy, and urban/young adult fantasy in particular. When intersectionality, identities, and honest discussions on family and healing find their place in fiction, our world grows and teens who don't see themselves in other books find a home. Especially when those books aren't just trauma realistic fiction—fantasy and other genres deserve these ideas too. It helps when that novel is also a good story in its own right, like this one.

In this cross-section of fantasy with urban and speculative, The Witch King thrives.

We're following Wyatt, a transgender teenager who found a new home for himself within an Indigenous family in the United States. He ran away from his home, like some teens sadly have to do—but his running away was extra complicated and involved some interspecies travel from his faery home to our real world.

He's escaping a betrothal, a terrifying night, and the consequences of his status as a witch in a world that persecutes witches and glorifies the Fae.

All of this implodes when his betrothed—the literal prince of the Fae—shows up on his foster family's doorstep.

Emyr's got wings, horns, and a golden aura. He's beautiful, and he used to be Wyatt's. And Emyr's here to hold Wyatt up to his end of the bargain: their impending marriage. Wyatt's identity isn't a concern for Emyr, to Wyatt's surprise. It's the running away part that's pissed the prince off.

Emyr drags Wyatt—plus Wyatt's best friend/foster family's daughter, Briar—back to their magical home in upstate New York to deal with the mess Wyatt left behind and move forward. But life's not that simple, and the faery realm has no plans to welcome the prodigal witch back into the fold.

It's going to get intense up in here.

My thoughts:
From the singular and utterly relatable character of Wyatt, with his complexities, his internal doubts and demons, and his acidic defense mechanisms to the truly wonderful dynamics of those around him, I just really enjoyed this novel.

The Witch King did not rely upon, or even stand on, the idea that Wyatt's identity as a trans man was the problem. In fact, that part of the story is merely part of Wyatt's own personal journey as he's still embracing elements of himself. The bad guys, the good guys, the neutral guys—they weren't here to make Wyatt's gender identity the lynchpin of the story. It was his witch status, coupled with adaptations of racism and other conversations, that really propelled this story's conflicts forward. I really appreciated that. Trans stories are not and should not always hang on the idea that their identity is the only action point/source of climactic conflict in their lives.

I will say that a positive element of this story for me will most likely be a negative for others in the genre: this novel's pacing and plot. For those who read a lot of teen stories and frankly, Fae stories, this novel doesn't follow the typically used structure. Some of that can be chalked up to its debut status, some to personal preference. I, personally, liked the unpredictability of the plot and its pacing, and even when it was clumsier than necessary. I was along for the ride and enjoying myself. However, others don't appear to feel the same way, so keep that in consideration when picking up this book.

Very, very excited for the sequel. I ordered it the SECOND I finished this one, so you know I loved it!

| ]]> 3.88 2021
author: H.E. Edgmon
name: Amy
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/06/26
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: read-in-2022, ya-fantasy, ya-speculative, queer-as-ffff
review:
The structure had some issues, but I absolutely loved the characters and the world itself. Call it what it is: a very good debut that stands well with the others in a sea of similar concepts.

Uniqueness within YA fantasy tropes: ★★★★��
Characters: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★��

The Witch King is such a fantastic example of the future of fantasy, and urban/young adult fantasy in particular. When intersectionality, identities, and honest discussions on family and healing find their place in fiction, our world grows and teens who don't see themselves in other books find a home. Especially when those books aren't just trauma realistic fiction—fantasy and other genres deserve these ideas too. It helps when that novel is also a good story in its own right, like this one.

In this cross-section of fantasy with urban and speculative, The Witch King thrives.

We're following Wyatt, a transgender teenager who found a new home for himself within an Indigenous family in the United States. He ran away from his home, like some teens sadly have to do—but his running away was extra complicated and involved some interspecies travel from his faery home to our real world.

He's escaping a betrothal, a terrifying night, and the consequences of his status as a witch in a world that persecutes witches and glorifies the Fae.

All of this implodes when his betrothed—the literal prince of the Fae—shows up on his foster family's doorstep.

Emyr's got wings, horns, and a golden aura. He's beautiful, and he used to be Wyatt's. And Emyr's here to hold Wyatt up to his end of the bargain: their impending marriage. Wyatt's identity isn't a concern for Emyr, to Wyatt's surprise. It's the running away part that's pissed the prince off.

Emyr drags Wyatt—plus Wyatt's best friend/foster family's daughter, Briar—back to their magical home in upstate New York to deal with the mess Wyatt left behind and move forward. But life's not that simple, and the faery realm has no plans to welcome the prodigal witch back into the fold.

It's going to get intense up in here.

My thoughts:
From the singular and utterly relatable character of Wyatt, with his complexities, his internal doubts and demons, and his acidic defense mechanisms to the truly wonderful dynamics of those around him, I just really enjoyed this novel.

The Witch King did not rely upon, or even stand on, the idea that Wyatt's identity as a trans man was the problem. In fact, that part of the story is merely part of Wyatt's own personal journey as he's still embracing elements of himself. The bad guys, the good guys, the neutral guys—they weren't here to make Wyatt's gender identity the lynchpin of the story. It was his witch status, coupled with adaptations of racism and other conversations, that really propelled this story's conflicts forward. I really appreciated that. Trans stories are not and should not always hang on the idea that their identity is the only action point/source of climactic conflict in their lives.

I will say that a positive element of this story for me will most likely be a negative for others in the genre: this novel's pacing and plot. For those who read a lot of teen stories and frankly, Fae stories, this novel doesn't follow the typically used structure. Some of that can be chalked up to its debut status, some to personal preference. I, personally, liked the unpredictability of the plot and its pacing, and even when it was clumsier than necessary. I was along for the ride and enjoying myself. However, others don't appear to feel the same way, so keep that in consideration when picking up this book.

Very, very excited for the sequel. I ordered it the SECOND I finished this one, so you know I loved it!

|
]]> 34715150 A lord in danger. A magician in turmoil. A snowball in hell.

Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He’s also inherited his family’s enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn't expect it to turn up angry.

Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane’s family. Unfortunately, it’s his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he’s ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude... and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That’s definitely unusual.

Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane’s dangerous appeal isn't the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can’t find a way through it—they’re both going to die.

Book 1 of the Charm of Magpies series. Previously published by Samhain.]]> 271 K.J. Charles 0995799024 Amy 4
Okay, hear me out��surprisingly gory yet quaint gay Regency magical romance with a haunted house vibe. Or, alternatively, a gothic, non-own voices precursor to T.J. Klune.

(Yes, this has all of that in 200 pages. No, I have no idea why it works as well as it does.)

Concept: ★★��
Magic vibes: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★

This novel is on the border of being a novella, so I'm going to stay in my usual novella reviewing lane and not talk too much about the plot. Check out the book's description for those details!

Trigger Warning: suicide and discussions of suicide as it pertains to curses and magical plot items. (I wish this was labeled for this book, as it's how the book STARTS. Warning others as I was very unpleasantly surprised. This plot point is only relevant to the very beginning of the book and is not a spoiler.)

The Magpie Lord surprised me, I'll be honest.

It's sat on my kindle for YEARS. I liked the cover art, it sounded cool...but it never actually caught my attention to the point where I prioritized reading it. Fast forward to 2022 and I'm going through my kindle library to clean it up and decided to give this story its time in the sun.

And... it was actually pretty darn good.

Like I mention at the beginning of this reaction review, The Magpie Lord reminds me of T.J. Klune's works. Done by a female writer and much darker, but still. The quaintness, the magical vibes, and the somehow lighthearted happiness in the midst of a very serious and/or dark topic all struck me as Klune-like. (For clarity, The Magpie Lord pre-dates Klune's quaint recent fantasy novels, so my comparison is very much a product of what order I read these stories.)

Besides the unpleasant trigger warning, I thought this novel was a ton of fun. I enjoyed the romance, and I loved the bare bones/semi-unexplained magic system existing in a historical England vibe. I don't need a lot of filler as a reader, so this was the perfect amount of detail to get the story off of the ground without bogging it down and losing its strengths.

Looking forward to finishing the trilogy!

| ]]> 3.97 2013
author: K.J. Charles
name: Amy
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2022/07/25
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: fantasy, gothic, read-in-2022, romance, queer-as-ffff
review:
3.5 magpie stars

Okay, hear me out��surprisingly gory yet quaint gay Regency magical romance with a haunted house vibe. Or, alternatively, a gothic, non-own voices precursor to T.J. Klune.

(Yes, this has all of that in 200 pages. No, I have no idea why it works as well as it does.)

Concept: ★★��
Magic vibes: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★

This novel is on the border of being a novella, so I'm going to stay in my usual novella reviewing lane and not talk too much about the plot. Check out the book's description for those details!

Trigger Warning: suicide and discussions of suicide as it pertains to curses and magical plot items. (I wish this was labeled for this book, as it's how the book STARTS. Warning others as I was very unpleasantly surprised. This plot point is only relevant to the very beginning of the book and is not a spoiler.)

The Magpie Lord surprised me, I'll be honest.

It's sat on my kindle for YEARS. I liked the cover art, it sounded cool...but it never actually caught my attention to the point where I prioritized reading it. Fast forward to 2022 and I'm going through my kindle library to clean it up and decided to give this story its time in the sun.

And... it was actually pretty darn good.

Like I mention at the beginning of this reaction review, The Magpie Lord reminds me of T.J. Klune's works. Done by a female writer and much darker, but still. The quaintness, the magical vibes, and the somehow lighthearted happiness in the midst of a very serious and/or dark topic all struck me as Klune-like. (For clarity, The Magpie Lord pre-dates Klune's quaint recent fantasy novels, so my comparison is very much a product of what order I read these stories.)

Besides the unpleasant trigger warning, I thought this novel was a ton of fun. I enjoyed the romance, and I loved the bare bones/semi-unexplained magic system existing in a historical England vibe. I don't need a lot of filler as a reader, so this was the perfect amount of detail to get the story off of the ground without bogging it down and losing its strengths.

Looking forward to finishing the trilogy!

|
]]> 49928905
Even the Wild Man of Greenhollow can’t ignore a summons from his mother, when that mother is the indomitable Adela Silver, practical folklorist. Henry Silver does not relish what he’ll find in the grimy seaside town of Rothport, where once the ancient wood extended before it was drowned beneath the sea—a missing girl, a monster on the loose, or, worst of all, Tobias Finch, who loves him.]]> 176 Emily Tesh 125075660X Amy 3
Atmospheric and unique, The Drowned Country is a novella with a lot of things going for it. But maybe... awkwardly too much? Awkwardly too little? There was a lot going on here.

Concept: ★★★★
Visuals: ★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★

It's been a while since I've read the first novella in this duology, Silver in the Wood. I'll admit, that made this read more confusing than it needed to be. If you have a chance, I'd recommend rereading the first novella or reading both of these stories close together. Because The Drowned Country references the activities of Silver in the Wood a LOT. Fair warning!

Henry Silver is the wood. Tied to the wood's ever-aged sprawl in all of its times, magics, and forms, Silver has been slowly eeking into a timeless wild man madness following the events of Silver in the Wood and his broken relationship with Tobias, the former woodsman.

But then his mother comes to call.

Even the wild wood answers to his mother...

Now on a case in a rocky coastal town with secrets, a missing woman, and in unfortunately close quarters with Tobias, Silver's ex, he's not looking forward to what comes next.

However, even the jaded Silver wasn't quite ready for Faerieland.

Strap in! It's time for a truly original magical ride.

The Drowned Country is one of those reads that I could tell I loved it, even though I thought it really fell short of its potential.

It was too long to be an ethereal 60-80 page question mark of a novella. (And it's status as a direct sequel with a LOT of references really kept it from being mysterious too, regardless of its vague magic vibes.)

It was also too short to really sink its teeth into the complex portal fantasy vs. woods fantasy vs. extremely complex ex-boyfriend/fallen relationship vibes it was trying to instill. With so much going on for Silver and Tobias on a personal level—wow, angst, plus a lot of communication and past revealing—and so much going on at the plot level, it was hard for me to feel like we got enough of either angle. I either needed less, or I needed more. It's very Goldilocks of me, I know, but sometimes a book hits you that way on a personal level and it just... doesn't... gel. Oh well.

I am still eagerly awaiting the next thing by Emily Tesh. Her grasp of the magical mixed with descriptions is perfection.

| ]]> 3.94 2020
author: Emily Tesh
name: Amy
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/10
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2022, short-stories, queer-as-ffff
review:
3.5 stars

Atmospheric and unique, The Drowned Country is a novella with a lot of things going for it. But maybe... awkwardly too much? Awkwardly too little? There was a lot going on here.

Concept: ★★★★
Visuals: ★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★

It's been a while since I've read the first novella in this duology, Silver in the Wood. I'll admit, that made this read more confusing than it needed to be. If you have a chance, I'd recommend rereading the first novella or reading both of these stories close together. Because The Drowned Country references the activities of Silver in the Wood a LOT. Fair warning!

Henry Silver is the wood. Tied to the wood's ever-aged sprawl in all of its times, magics, and forms, Silver has been slowly eeking into a timeless wild man madness following the events of Silver in the Wood and his broken relationship with Tobias, the former woodsman.

But then his mother comes to call.

Even the wild wood answers to his mother...

Now on a case in a rocky coastal town with secrets, a missing woman, and in unfortunately close quarters with Tobias, Silver's ex, he's not looking forward to what comes next.

However, even the jaded Silver wasn't quite ready for Faerieland.

Strap in! It's time for a truly original magical ride.

The Drowned Country is one of those reads that I could tell I loved it, even though I thought it really fell short of its potential.

It was too long to be an ethereal 60-80 page question mark of a novella. (And it's status as a direct sequel with a LOT of references really kept it from being mysterious too, regardless of its vague magic vibes.)

It was also too short to really sink its teeth into the complex portal fantasy vs. woods fantasy vs. extremely complex ex-boyfriend/fallen relationship vibes it was trying to instill. With so much going on for Silver and Tobias on a personal level—wow, angst, plus a lot of communication and past revealing—and so much going on at the plot level, it was hard for me to feel like we got enough of either angle. I either needed less, or I needed more. It's very Goldilocks of me, I know, but sometimes a book hits you that way on a personal level and it just... doesn't... gel. Oh well.

I am still eagerly awaiting the next thing by Emily Tesh. Her grasp of the magical mixed with descriptions is perfection.

|
]]> 56563910
For hundreds of years the Interprovincial Medical Institute has grown by taking root in young minds and shaping them into doctors, replacing every human practitioner of medicine. The Institute is here to help humanity, to cure and to cut, to cradle and protect the species from the apocalyptic horrors their ancestors unleashed.

In the frozen north, the Institute’s body will discover a competitor for its rung at the top of the evolutionary ladder. A parasite is spreading through the baron’s castle, already a dark pit of secrets, lies, violence, and fear. The two will make war on the battlefield of the body. Whichever wins, humanity will lose again.']]> 317 Hiron Ennes Amy 4
I have never read a novel like this before. I have��.feelings about it. Can you be repulsed and engrossed at the same time??

Concept: ★★★★��
Body horror: ★★★★��
My enjoyment: ��

I love body horror books. Or at least, I used to say that. I think Leech broke my brain and has redefined the threshold on which we determine "body horror" in the realm of medical trauma, consent, and what it means to be a person in, essentially, meat suits.

If the phrase "meat suits" makes you uncomfortable, please take that as your cue to stop reading this review here—and to avoid this book.

Leech is very hard to describe. I commend whoever was tasked with writing the blurb for the inside jacket... it couldn't have been easy. How does one describe a novel like this?

Every monster is the hero of its own story... that could be said about this book.

When our society collapses in on itself and future versions of humanity exist in a very bleak, grim, and macabre future... that could be said about this book.

Let's combine the idea of parasites with a gothic, moldering castle and make it mentally insane... that could be said too.

Leech has a LOT going on in its pages. It's dense by every meaning of the word�� paragraph-wise, character-wise, worldbuilding-wise, and horror-wise. It is a LOT. And it makes no apologies for being that way. (It doesn't have to apologize, but it could have done with a stronger warning label! Lol.)

To say "I enjoyed this reading experience" would be a lie. I did not have a good time.

I loved the first bit of the book a lot—it's confusing, but intriguing and interesting at the same time. I thought the middle was a very dense attempt at trying to figure out the setting, worldbuilding, and sense of pacing. It took me ages to get through the middle sections because it was terribly easy to put the book down and simultaneously very hard to reengage with it when I tried to pick it back up. The ending... was both absolutely horrifying to my personal reading tastes and also a wild trip into the ether in terms of character arc upheaval.

If you've made it this far into my review, you might be wondering why I'm giving this novel a generous 4 stars despite being viscerally upset by its contents. I, too, am a bit confused by myself. But at the end of the day, I think the author deserves some very high praise for instilling such a unique concept into such a horrifying package that dealt with literally every single variant of medical body trauma that could possibly exist in our human minds. All of it. It's all here in this book.

If, for some reason, you're not yet turned off from this book by my review, then I do recommend it. Hiron Ennes is an author to watch—they are doing very unique things in the horror space.

Thank you to TOR for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

| ]]> 3.76 2022
author: Hiron Ennes
name: Amy
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/25
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: arcs-reviewed, gothic, horror, read-in-2022, fantasy, queer-as-ffff
review:
3.5 what-is-this stars

I have never read a novel like this before. I have��.feelings about it. Can you be repulsed and engrossed at the same time??

Concept: ★★★★��
Body horror: ★★★★��
My enjoyment: ��

I love body horror books. Or at least, I used to say that. I think Leech broke my brain and has redefined the threshold on which we determine "body horror" in the realm of medical trauma, consent, and what it means to be a person in, essentially, meat suits.

If the phrase "meat suits" makes you uncomfortable, please take that as your cue to stop reading this review here—and to avoid this book.

Leech is very hard to describe. I commend whoever was tasked with writing the blurb for the inside jacket... it couldn't have been easy. How does one describe a novel like this?

Every monster is the hero of its own story... that could be said about this book.

When our society collapses in on itself and future versions of humanity exist in a very bleak, grim, and macabre future... that could be said about this book.

Let's combine the idea of parasites with a gothic, moldering castle and make it mentally insane... that could be said too.

Leech has a LOT going on in its pages. It's dense by every meaning of the word�� paragraph-wise, character-wise, worldbuilding-wise, and horror-wise. It is a LOT. And it makes no apologies for being that way. (It doesn't have to apologize, but it could have done with a stronger warning label! Lol.)

To say "I enjoyed this reading experience" would be a lie. I did not have a good time.

I loved the first bit of the book a lot—it's confusing, but intriguing and interesting at the same time. I thought the middle was a very dense attempt at trying to figure out the setting, worldbuilding, and sense of pacing. It took me ages to get through the middle sections because it was terribly easy to put the book down and simultaneously very hard to reengage with it when I tried to pick it back up. The ending... was both absolutely horrifying to my personal reading tastes and also a wild trip into the ether in terms of character arc upheaval.

If you've made it this far into my review, you might be wondering why I'm giving this novel a generous 4 stars despite being viscerally upset by its contents. I, too, am a bit confused by myself. But at the end of the day, I think the author deserves some very high praise for instilling such a unique concept into such a horrifying package that dealt with literally every single variant of medical body trauma that could possibly exist in our human minds. All of it. It's all here in this book.

If, for some reason, you're not yet turned off from this book by my review, then I do recommend it. Hiron Ennes is an author to watch—they are doing very unique things in the horror space.

Thank you to TOR for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

|
]]> 39083635
In the murky waters of New York’s underworld, Elena’s sister is arranged to marry Nicolas Russo. A Made Man, a boss, a cheat—even measured against mafia standards. His reputation stretches far and wide and is darker than his black suits and ties. After his and Elena’s first encounter ends with an accidental glare on her part, she realizes he’s just as rude as he is handsome. She doesn’t like the man or anything he stands for, though that doesn’t stop her heart from pattering like rain against glass when he’s near, nor the shiver that ghosts down her spine at the sound of his voice. And he’s always near. Telling her what to do. Making her feel hotter than any future brother-in-law should. Elena may be the Sweet Abelli on the outside, but she’s beginning to learn she has a taste for the darkness, for rough hands, cigarettes, and whiskey-colored eyes. Having already escaped one scandal, however, she can hardly afford to be swept up in another. Besides, even if he were hers, everyone knows you don’t fall in love with a Made Man... Right?]]> 384 Danielle Lori 1721284443 Amy 0 3.98 2018
author: Danielle Lori
name: Amy
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at: 2023/11/25
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: read-in-2022, romance-steamy, romance
review:

]]> 60521937
This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession. . .

Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things.

Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband's dark secrets. With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death.]]> 292 S.T. Gibson 0316501077 Amy 4 A Dowry of Blood surprised me with its consuming reading experience.

Narrative style: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★

When this book simmered its way onto the radar of the online community during the pandemic, I initially ignored it.

Let's finish digging myself that hole: I completely and utterly ignored this book.

My reasoning for refusing to listen to people's pitches and reviews of this book came from sweeping assumptions that I made based off of the title and limited description. Dracula? Pfft, no thanks, that story's been done. A bloody, toxic, gothic love story? Again, no thanks, I've read that book and seen that vampire movie.

Right...? Wrong.

A Dowry of Blood was something different, something much more engaging. A series of letters written to "you," a male creature we all know by name and yet deserves no autonomy in this story—because he gave our narrator none.

"This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession..."

Constanta was the first, the most loved of his brides. But that doesn't mean she had it good. Love can be cloistering, cloying, and caustic as much as an all-consuming desire. Constanta knows this more than anyone.

How long would it take you to understand the difference between possessive and possessed? Amid consuming passion that spanned decades and countries and wealth beyond imagining, how long would it take you to reflect on the true monster lurking in the dark?

Immersive, lushly described, and dreadly romantic, this series of letters bound into a novel was a truly interesting reading experience. I recommend it broadly to those who hate the origin story, and to those who find vampire novels dull. This is not a vampire novel—okay, it is, but it also ISN'T—and it's definitely not a rosy interpretation on toxic love that we're meant to swoon over.

This was something fresh and lovely, as terrible as that is to say about something absolutely soaked in blood.

| | ]]> 3.91 2021
author: S.T. Gibson
name: Amy
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/30
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: fantasy, gothic, historical-fiction, horror, read-in-2022, queer-as-ffff
review:
A nightmare, a blood-soaked love story, a confession told in letters in the dark. A Dowry of Blood surprised me with its consuming reading experience.

Narrative style: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★

When this book simmered its way onto the radar of the online community during the pandemic, I initially ignored it.

Let's finish digging myself that hole: I completely and utterly ignored this book.

My reasoning for refusing to listen to people's pitches and reviews of this book came from sweeping assumptions that I made based off of the title and limited description. Dracula? Pfft, no thanks, that story's been done. A bloody, toxic, gothic love story? Again, no thanks, I've read that book and seen that vampire movie.

Right...? Wrong.

A Dowry of Blood was something different, something much more engaging. A series of letters written to "you," a male creature we all know by name and yet deserves no autonomy in this story—because he gave our narrator none.

"This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession..."

Constanta was the first, the most loved of his brides. But that doesn't mean she had it good. Love can be cloistering, cloying, and caustic as much as an all-consuming desire. Constanta knows this more than anyone.

How long would it take you to understand the difference between possessive and possessed? Amid consuming passion that spanned decades and countries and wealth beyond imagining, how long would it take you to reflect on the true monster lurking in the dark?

Immersive, lushly described, and dreadly romantic, this series of letters bound into a novel was a truly interesting reading experience. I recommend it broadly to those who hate the origin story, and to those who find vampire novels dull. This is not a vampire novel—okay, it is, but it also ISN'T—and it's definitely not a rosy interpretation on toxic love that we're meant to swoon over.

This was something fresh and lovely, as terrible as that is to say about something absolutely soaked in blood.

| |
]]> 53217284
For fans of Georgette Heyer or Julia Quinn's Bridgerton, who'd like to welcome magic into their lives...

Young baronet Robin Blyth thought he was taking up a minor governmental post. However, he's actually been appointed parliamentary liaison to a secret magical society. If it weren’t for this administrative error, he’d never have discovered the incredible magic underlying his world.

Cursed by mysterious attackers and plagued by visions, Robin becomes determined to drag answers from his missing predecessor �� but he’ll need the help of Edwin Courcey, his hostile magical-society counterpart. Unwillingly thrown together, Robin and Edwin will discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles.]]> 377 Freya Marske 1250788897 Amy 5 Queer, quiet, and carrying elements of fanfiction featuring some of my favorite tropes... This was just so good. I lovedddd it!

Concept: ★★★★��
Characters: ★★★★��
Romance: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★�� 1/2

A Marvellous Light is the definition of the quaint historical fantasy novel. If I didn't know the author's name, I might have thought it was written by T.J. Klune—it's that pure, that much a perfect blend of soft and substance.

We're following two main characters with two distinct points of view: Robin and Edwin.

Robin feels like our classic, easy-going good ol' boy with some depth and a dose of queer under the surface. He's sure of himself and filled with positivity and humor despite his circumstance. Our plucky yet adaptable protagonist, if you will.

Edwin feels like a sweet cinnamon roll hiding behind an unbreakable suit of armor—okay, the armor is more like distanced manners and respectability—and is the academic scholar with a fierce yet battered heart. He's cautious to a fault, he's slow to react and yet precise. He's struggling with some magical handicaps and social issues. He is my precious.

When Robin, the nonmagical boy wonder, stumbles into the underworld of Britain's magical elite, he finds himself wrapped up in a rune curse, a plot, and a mystery with far-reaching consequences for the entire magical community. Nothing our Robin can't roll with—like we said, he's adaptable.

And when tight-laced Edwin encounters Robin, Edwin also gets drawn into the plot and tangled up in Robin. In all means of that phrase, wink wink.

This story has queer slow burn, romantic angst, intriguing social situations, a truly unique magic system based off of cat's cradling, and lots of unbearably cute and hilarious moments. I thought it was perfect.

Was it actually, objectively perfect? Of course not. I think lots of readers will find the pacing slow, and the plot much quieter and quainter than the usual fantasy fare these days. But sometimes, we need the fantasy equivalent of a cozy mystery. A Marvellous Light was that story for me, and I hope it that for others.

Eagerly looking forward to more from this series and this author.

A P.S. and a Fanfic Discussion: [spoilers removed]

| ]]> 3.94 2021
author: Freya Marske
name: Amy
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/04/20
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: favorites, fantasy, romance, read-in-2022, speculative, queer-as-ffff
review:
Queer, quiet, and carrying elements of fanfiction featuring some of my favorite tropes... This was just so good. I lovedddd it!

Concept: ★★★★��
Characters: ★★★★��
Romance: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★�� 1/2

A Marvellous Light is the definition of the quaint historical fantasy novel. If I didn't know the author's name, I might have thought it was written by T.J. Klune—it's that pure, that much a perfect blend of soft and substance.

We're following two main characters with two distinct points of view: Robin and Edwin.

Robin feels like our classic, easy-going good ol' boy with some depth and a dose of queer under the surface. He's sure of himself and filled with positivity and humor despite his circumstance. Our plucky yet adaptable protagonist, if you will.

Edwin feels like a sweet cinnamon roll hiding behind an unbreakable suit of armor—okay, the armor is more like distanced manners and respectability—and is the academic scholar with a fierce yet battered heart. He's cautious to a fault, he's slow to react and yet precise. He's struggling with some magical handicaps and social issues. He is my precious.

When Robin, the nonmagical boy wonder, stumbles into the underworld of Britain's magical elite, he finds himself wrapped up in a rune curse, a plot, and a mystery with far-reaching consequences for the entire magical community. Nothing our Robin can't roll with—like we said, he's adaptable.

And when tight-laced Edwin encounters Robin, Edwin also gets drawn into the plot and tangled up in Robin. In all means of that phrase, wink wink.

This story has queer slow burn, romantic angst, intriguing social situations, a truly unique magic system based off of cat's cradling, and lots of unbearably cute and hilarious moments. I thought it was perfect.

Was it actually, objectively perfect? Of course not. I think lots of readers will find the pacing slow, and the plot much quieter and quainter than the usual fantasy fare these days. But sometimes, we need the fantasy equivalent of a cozy mystery. A Marvellous Light was that story for me, and I hope it that for others.

Eagerly looking forward to more from this series and this author.

A P.S. and a Fanfic Discussion: [spoilers removed]

|
]]> 39325105 Harrow the Ninth, the sequel to Gideon the Ninth, turns a galaxy inside out as one necromancer struggles to survive the wreckage of herself aboard the Emperor's haunted space station.

She answered the Emperor's call.

She arrived with her arts, her wits, and her only friend.

In victory, her world has turned to ash.

After rocking the cosmos with her deathly debut, Tamsyn Muir continues the story of the penumbral Ninth House in Harrow the Ninth, a mind-twisting puzzle box of mystery, murder, magic, and mayhem. Nothing is as it seems in the halls of the Emperor, and the fate of the galaxy rests on one woman's shoulders.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side-by-side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath �� but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her.

Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor's Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe be better off?]]> 512 Tamsyn Muir 1250313228 Amy 5
The absolute GRIP this series has on my soul, I swear. I am in the chokehold of the Ninth House and I'm happy to be here—as absolutely wild as it is to be on a mound of constantly shifting, resurrecting bones.

Concept: ★★★★��
Construction of story: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Stop right the heck here if you haven't read Gideon the Ninth yet.

This book is the terribly confusing sequel to its extremely dense and pivotal first book, and unlike many other series you absolute cannot, under any reasonable circumstance, start with this particular book. Do not pass go.

Stop what you're doing and read my frankly unnecessarily vague rhapsodic review of Gideon the Ninth here instead.

...Gone? Good.

What the absolute hell, folks...

Harrow the Ninth took my incredibly lofty expectations—how does one follow Gideon the Ninth?—and said "wait, you thought that's all I would do?" and decided to wham-bam, thank you ma'am me down with a notepad and said "watch me."

(As you can tell, this is a reaction review. Any summary would be either too vague or too nonsensical, and both are useless in this case. My reaction is already nonsensical enough for the both of us.)

The ending of Gideon the Ninth left me shattered. I wondered what could possibly happen in Harrow's journey. I wondered how I'd possibly like it. I wondered where we could go from here without falling into at least 3 previously done science fiction plot lines.

Again, Tamsyn didn't need my wonderings. She had other things to say.

Harrow the Ninth is a puzzle box, a haunted house, and a meditation on the intensely human capacity for emotion and inner mentality. It's a study of insanity, an unreliable framework, and a genre-defying installment in a series that gives new meaning to the word "epic."

I love the irreverence and utter lack of fear in this writing. The author saw the borderline of what had been done before—our comfort levels in genre fiction, our societal expectations, you name it—and decided to ignore any and all prior caution tape. An equal-opportunity mindf*ck, if you will. Nothing is sacred and yet this series—and this book in particular—feels like a religious experience.

I just... couldn't stop. It's been a long, long time since I've found a novel that ticked every. single. box.

It uses your entire brain—there are enough micro-puzzles and macro-arcs to keep even the unrelenting mystery reader satisfied. (There is also just enough of the familiar—and the more easily guessed—to keep you from disengaging in frustration, as well, which is almost more impressive for the mystery fans.)

It uses your acceptance of fictional truths and writing styles and subverts them in delightful ways. It explores a love on the interstellar and devastatingly intimate scale. It's so, so well devised and SO well written.

And, more than all else and with all of that included... it's still an absolute joy to read.

An all-time favorite, and hopefully the first of many in an exciting subniche of brilliant genre fiction to come.

| ]]> 4.30 2020
author: Tamsyn Muir
name: Amy
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/08
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: favorites, great-worldbuilding, read-in-2022, science-fiction, queer-as-ffff
review:
5 soupy stars

The absolute GRIP this series has on my soul, I swear. I am in the chokehold of the Ninth House and I'm happy to be here—as absolutely wild as it is to be on a mound of constantly shifting, resurrecting bones.

Concept: ★★★★��
Construction of story: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Stop right the heck here if you haven't read Gideon the Ninth yet.

This book is the terribly confusing sequel to its extremely dense and pivotal first book, and unlike many other series you absolute cannot, under any reasonable circumstance, start with this particular book. Do not pass go.

Stop what you're doing and read my frankly unnecessarily vague rhapsodic review of Gideon the Ninth here instead.

...Gone? Good.

What the absolute hell, folks...

Harrow the Ninth took my incredibly lofty expectations—how does one follow Gideon the Ninth?—and said "wait, you thought that's all I would do?" and decided to wham-bam, thank you ma'am me down with a notepad and said "watch me."

(As you can tell, this is a reaction review. Any summary would be either too vague or too nonsensical, and both are useless in this case. My reaction is already nonsensical enough for the both of us.)

The ending of Gideon the Ninth left me shattered. I wondered what could possibly happen in Harrow's journey. I wondered how I'd possibly like it. I wondered where we could go from here without falling into at least 3 previously done science fiction plot lines.

Again, Tamsyn didn't need my wonderings. She had other things to say.

Harrow the Ninth is a puzzle box, a haunted house, and a meditation on the intensely human capacity for emotion and inner mentality. It's a study of insanity, an unreliable framework, and a genre-defying installment in a series that gives new meaning to the word "epic."

I love the irreverence and utter lack of fear in this writing. The author saw the borderline of what had been done before—our comfort levels in genre fiction, our societal expectations, you name it—and decided to ignore any and all prior caution tape. An equal-opportunity mindf*ck, if you will. Nothing is sacred and yet this series—and this book in particular—feels like a religious experience.

I just... couldn't stop. It's been a long, long time since I've found a novel that ticked every. single. box.

It uses your entire brain—there are enough micro-puzzles and macro-arcs to keep even the unrelenting mystery reader satisfied. (There is also just enough of the familiar—and the more easily guessed—to keep you from disengaging in frustration, as well, which is almost more impressive for the mystery fans.)

It uses your acceptance of fictional truths and writing styles and subverts them in delightful ways. It explores a love on the interstellar and devastatingly intimate scale. It's so, so well devised and SO well written.

And, more than all else and with all of that included... it's still an absolute joy to read.

An all-time favorite, and hopefully the first of many in an exciting subniche of brilliant genre fiction to come.

|
]]> 42036538
The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Of course, some things are better left dead.]]> 448 Tamsyn Muir 1250313198 Amy 5
A Clue-style mystery setting mashed with scintillating razor-sharp humor mashed with intricate puzzle-box plotting mashed with post-apocalyptic necromancy mashed with intergalactic space vibes mashed with death/not-death mashed with lesbian drama mashed with��

I could go on, but we’d be here all day. This is an excellent chaotic casserole of brilliant nonsense.

Originality: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��
Characters: ★★★★
Writing: ★★★★��

UPDATE 7/15/23: Reread it, loved it the same, had even more good times as the eggs are all buried in this waiting for us to see them for what they are.

I now completely understand why Gideon the Ninth is marketed the way it is. Let me explain.

This book came out in 2019. It was pitched as "lesbian necromancers in space." I, not particularly liking space and not receiving much else from that limited pitch, took a pass on reading it. "Lesbian necromancers" was interesting... but vague. I didn't have enough to go on to outweigh my dislike of Star Wars-esque space-y stuff involving politics and planets.

Then the reviews started coming out and all of them said a confusing blend of nonsensical ?!?!?!, fandom love for the queer epic-ness, mentions of how messed up and dark and brutal it was, and a general sense of awe and an utter unwillingness to describe what was going on.

I was more intrigued, but not quite enough to pick it up. I had a lot to read, and this was still in my no-no zone of adult hard science fiction (I believed it to be, anyway.)

I waited until 2022 to read it.

Hot diggity dang, what a book. One of those Amy-you-dumbass, shoulda coulda woulda read it earlier type of moments.

Gideon the Ninth is an epic done on the intimate and bonkers foundations of the post-modern cultural moment of the now as opposed to the traditional scale of genre and expectations. Its readership both fits the pitch "lesbian necromancers in space" and yet needs to include other groups of people—myself included—who should ignore that pitch and try this glorious black hole of a book anyway.

I, too, will remain weirdly vague and wax rhapsodic on its attributes over its actual plot because going into this book blind, like a horror-thriller, is really the way to go.

It's a murder mystery. It's a haunted house novel. It's a video game-esque questing story with challenges to defeat. It's puzzles to solve. It's hidden clues on the tale ends of sentences and descriptions leading the reader unknowingly to the inevitable. It's a plot-twist thriller. It's an intimate enemies-to-[something?] with a passionate rivalry/hatred to rouse the interests of the most hardened of the slow burn smut readers—an unbelievable feat considering there is no pay-off in this particular installment. It's a gut punch, a brutal overthrow of your expectations. It's also pop-culture level funny with quips that seriously date it and yet add to the humor and surprise.

I'm honestly shocked at how not-science fiction this novel feels while remaining such a strong science fiction novel.

This is a gothic ballad to the queer emo mixed with the sardonic humor of the Black Death aficionados. I have spent this review making sentences with lofty nonsense pairings for the vibes and to depict the emotional aura of this novel because, frankly, I think Tamsyn would approve. (If my review annoys you, pass on this book.)

| | ]]> 4.19 2019
author: Tamsyn Muir
name: Amy
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/06
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: favorites, great-worldbuilding, read-in-2022, science-fiction, queer-as-ffff
review:
5 necro stars

A Clue-style mystery setting mashed with scintillating razor-sharp humor mashed with intricate puzzle-box plotting mashed with post-apocalyptic necromancy mashed with intergalactic space vibes mashed with death/not-death mashed with lesbian drama mashed with��

I could go on, but we’d be here all day. This is an excellent chaotic casserole of brilliant nonsense.

Originality: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��
Characters: ★★★★
Writing: ★★★★��

UPDATE 7/15/23: Reread it, loved it the same, had even more good times as the eggs are all buried in this waiting for us to see them for what they are.

I now completely understand why Gideon the Ninth is marketed the way it is. Let me explain.

This book came out in 2019. It was pitched as "lesbian necromancers in space." I, not particularly liking space and not receiving much else from that limited pitch, took a pass on reading it. "Lesbian necromancers" was interesting... but vague. I didn't have enough to go on to outweigh my dislike of Star Wars-esque space-y stuff involving politics and planets.

Then the reviews started coming out and all of them said a confusing blend of nonsensical ?!?!?!, fandom love for the queer epic-ness, mentions of how messed up and dark and brutal it was, and a general sense of awe and an utter unwillingness to describe what was going on.

I was more intrigued, but not quite enough to pick it up. I had a lot to read, and this was still in my no-no zone of adult hard science fiction (I believed it to be, anyway.)

I waited until 2022 to read it.

Hot diggity dang, what a book. One of those Amy-you-dumbass, shoulda coulda woulda read it earlier type of moments.

Gideon the Ninth is an epic done on the intimate and bonkers foundations of the post-modern cultural moment of the now as opposed to the traditional scale of genre and expectations. Its readership both fits the pitch "lesbian necromancers in space" and yet needs to include other groups of people—myself included—who should ignore that pitch and try this glorious black hole of a book anyway.

I, too, will remain weirdly vague and wax rhapsodic on its attributes over its actual plot because going into this book blind, like a horror-thriller, is really the way to go.

It's a murder mystery. It's a haunted house novel. It's a video game-esque questing story with challenges to defeat. It's puzzles to solve. It's hidden clues on the tale ends of sentences and descriptions leading the reader unknowingly to the inevitable. It's a plot-twist thriller. It's an intimate enemies-to-[something?] with a passionate rivalry/hatred to rouse the interests of the most hardened of the slow burn smut readers—an unbelievable feat considering there is no pay-off in this particular installment. It's a gut punch, a brutal overthrow of your expectations. It's also pop-culture level funny with quips that seriously date it and yet add to the humor and surprise.

I'm honestly shocked at how not-science fiction this novel feels while remaining such a strong science fiction novel.

This is a gothic ballad to the queer emo mixed with the sardonic humor of the Black Death aficionados. I have spent this review making sentences with lofty nonsense pairings for the vibes and to depict the emotional aura of this novel because, frankly, I think Tamsyn would approve. (If my review annoys you, pass on this book.)

| |
]]> 53746015 Following Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade returns with another utterly charming romantic comedy about a devil-may-care actor—who actually cares more than anyone knows—and the no-nonsense woman hired to keep him in line.

Alexander Woodroe has it all. Charm. Sex appeal. Wealth. Fame. A starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, God of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he’s dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes into a bar fight, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling.

Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. Compared to her previous work, watching over handsome but impulsive Alex shouldn’t be especially difficult. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind his recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit.

When another scandal lands Alex in major hot water and costs Lauren her job, she’ll have to choose between protecting him and offering him what he really wants—her. But he’s determined to keep his improbably short, impossibly stubborn, and extremely endearing minder in his life any way he can. And on a road trip up the California coast together, he intends to show her exactly what a falling star will do to catch the woman he loves: anything at all.]]> 385 Olivia Dade 006300559X Amy 5 read-in-2022, romance
Humor: ★★★★��
Characters: ★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Alex Woodroe is the gorgeous actor on the hit TV show Gods of the Gates, a book series-turned-TV franchise that feels like a Greek mythology version of Game of Thrones. Alex plays Cupid on the show, he's beautiful, he has ADHD, and his one true flaw is this—he is all or nothing. If Alex sets his sights on a plan of action, he's all in.

Which led him to a disastrous bar fight and arrest while in Spain filming the last season of his TV show.

Which then led to Ron, the TV producer, assigning his conveniently present cousin, Lauren, to officially "mind" Alex for the entirety of the season's filming and press tour circuit.

Lauren Clegg didn't realize that she was going to assigned a job on the spot when she took a vacation to Spain to begrudgingly say hello to her least-favorite cousin. When Ron hires her to watch over the gorgeous and witty Alex, Lauren sighs and decides to handle it. Because that's what Lauren, former ER therapist, does. She handles things.

Alex is fascinated by this short, round woman who reminds him of his favorite bird. She's implacable, and she seems to have great depths. Alex wants to poke them out of her through sheer force of will.

Lauren looks at Alex and sees a beautiful, intelligent man who doesn't seem to fit the "hard core partier" bill that the tabloids say he does. But he's doing a great job of pretending to be that guy. Except for when he slips up in private with her. Lauren's curious about why.

Alex and Lauren quickly realize that neither of their first impressions are very accurate—and they're really not prepared to for the attraction to hit them out of left field.

Will sparks fly in this begrudging/accidental friends to lovers, or will their roadblocks stop them from happy ever after?

I thought this novel was a ton of fun. I laughed a lot. I loved Alex and Lauren to pieces, and found their romance to be extremely enjoyable to witness. It had enough drama for the book to fulfill its three act structure WITHOUT the angst that would have led to tropes and/or anxiety on behalf of the reader.

Did it have good pacing? ...No. I thought the novel dragged a fair bit in the middle, and several scenes felt like micro-scenes that really didn't do much besides provide light banter.

But I laughed for the entire read. And got allllll of the warm fuzzies by the ending. So for me, that's a 10/10 romance genre win.

| ]]> 3.84 2021
author: Olivia Dade
name: Amy
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/06
date added: 2024/08/16
shelves: read-in-2022, romance
review:
Screw it. This book made me laugh too much to be less than a full five stars.

Humor: ★★★★��
Characters: ★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Alex Woodroe is the gorgeous actor on the hit TV show Gods of the Gates, a book series-turned-TV franchise that feels like a Greek mythology version of Game of Thrones. Alex plays Cupid on the show, he's beautiful, he has ADHD, and his one true flaw is this—he is all or nothing. If Alex sets his sights on a plan of action, he's all in.

Which led him to a disastrous bar fight and arrest while in Spain filming the last season of his TV show.

Which then led to Ron, the TV producer, assigning his conveniently present cousin, Lauren, to officially "mind" Alex for the entirety of the season's filming and press tour circuit.

Lauren Clegg didn't realize that she was going to assigned a job on the spot when she took a vacation to Spain to begrudgingly say hello to her least-favorite cousin. When Ron hires her to watch over the gorgeous and witty Alex, Lauren sighs and decides to handle it. Because that's what Lauren, former ER therapist, does. She handles things.

Alex is fascinated by this short, round woman who reminds him of his favorite bird. She's implacable, and she seems to have great depths. Alex wants to poke them out of her through sheer force of will.

Lauren looks at Alex and sees a beautiful, intelligent man who doesn't seem to fit the "hard core partier" bill that the tabloids say he does. But he's doing a great job of pretending to be that guy. Except for when he slips up in private with her. Lauren's curious about why.

Alex and Lauren quickly realize that neither of their first impressions are very accurate—and they're really not prepared to for the attraction to hit them out of left field.

Will sparks fly in this begrudging/accidental friends to lovers, or will their roadblocks stop them from happy ever after?

I thought this novel was a ton of fun. I laughed a lot. I loved Alex and Lauren to pieces, and found their romance to be extremely enjoyable to witness. It had enough drama for the book to fulfill its three act structure WITHOUT the angst that would have led to tropes and/or anxiety on behalf of the reader.

Did it have good pacing? ...No. I thought the novel dragged a fair bit in the middle, and several scenes felt like micro-scenes that really didn't do much besides provide light banter.

But I laughed for the entire read. And got allllll of the warm fuzzies by the ending. So for me, that's a 10/10 romance genre win.

|
]]> 58733693 Remarkably Bright Creatures, an exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.]]> 368 Shelby Van Pelt 0063204150 Amy 4 adult-fiction, read-in-2022 UPDATE APRIL 2024: I continue to think about this book and have found myself drawn back to this over and over again. Based on longevity and feelings, bumping up the rating from the original 3 to 4 stars.

3.5 stars

Cute and heartwarming, but a bit of a slog in the first half. A sentient octopus, an octogenarian who needs some closure... An odd yet endearing setup.

Concept: ★★★★��
Plot: ★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★��

So I definitely, 100% picked up this novel because someone shared that it involved the antics of a sentient octopus who wrote diary entries. That's the kind of magical realism I will always show up to read.

Remarkably Bright Creatures follows the story of Tova, an elderly woman living out her days as a the nightly cleaning lady at the local aquarium. Her husband recently passed away, and her son died tragically at 18, so Tova's got to keep busy somehow as a single woman alone, and cleaning aquarium glass is something to do.

Tova's Swedish roots mandate that she do something as that's the thing "to do."

Enter Marcellous, the sentient Giant Pacific Octopus who's nearing the end of his lifespan in his aquarium tank. He knows everything there is to know in the aquarium, including where to get the best food and how to escape his enclosure. He also, to his surprise, finds out that he knows Tova too.

Tova and Marcellous form an unlikely and seemingly one-sided nightly conversation ritual. Tova talks, Marcellous listens, and when Tova's not there Marcellous plots out his next moves when it comes to Tova's unfinished business.

What will happen to Tova and Marcellous?

I'm going to stop the setup there, because literally anything else would be a spoiler, and as it is, I found this novel so extremely predictable.

That, honestly, was this novel's problem for me. It was heartwarming and charming, yes. But the dry and dull first half, combined with the utter predictability of where we were going, led to me wishing the novel would wrap itself up so I could be done with it. (Not a good way for a novel to make a reader feel.)

I wish the author had leaned into the magical realism a bit more, and leaned less on the predictable nature of the plot itself. From the very entrance of some characters, it was clear to see what their purpose was for Tova and the plot and therefore I found it very hard to care about the journey. If we had been left in the dark for longer (less POVs?) maybe I'd be writing a different review. But sadly, I just found myself wishing for more in this quaint family drama tale.

Definitely pick this up though if it's of interest—there are some gems here regardless of the plot's pacing.

| ]]> 4.35 2022
author: Shelby Van Pelt
name: Amy
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/06/26
date added: 2024/04/14
shelves: adult-fiction, read-in-2022
review:
UPDATE APRIL 2024: I continue to think about this book and have found myself drawn back to this over and over again. Based on longevity and feelings, bumping up the rating from the original 3 to 4 stars.

3.5 stars

Cute and heartwarming, but a bit of a slog in the first half. A sentient octopus, an octogenarian who needs some closure... An odd yet endearing setup.

Concept: ★★★★��
Plot: ★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★��

So I definitely, 100% picked up this novel because someone shared that it involved the antics of a sentient octopus who wrote diary entries. That's the kind of magical realism I will always show up to read.

Remarkably Bright Creatures follows the story of Tova, an elderly woman living out her days as a the nightly cleaning lady at the local aquarium. Her husband recently passed away, and her son died tragically at 18, so Tova's got to keep busy somehow as a single woman alone, and cleaning aquarium glass is something to do.

Tova's Swedish roots mandate that she do something as that's the thing "to do."

Enter Marcellous, the sentient Giant Pacific Octopus who's nearing the end of his lifespan in his aquarium tank. He knows everything there is to know in the aquarium, including where to get the best food and how to escape his enclosure. He also, to his surprise, finds out that he knows Tova too.

Tova and Marcellous form an unlikely and seemingly one-sided nightly conversation ritual. Tova talks, Marcellous listens, and when Tova's not there Marcellous plots out his next moves when it comes to Tova's unfinished business.

What will happen to Tova and Marcellous?

I'm going to stop the setup there, because literally anything else would be a spoiler, and as it is, I found this novel so extremely predictable.

That, honestly, was this novel's problem for me. It was heartwarming and charming, yes. But the dry and dull first half, combined with the utter predictability of where we were going, led to me wishing the novel would wrap itself up so I could be done with it. (Not a good way for a novel to make a reader feel.)

I wish the author had leaned into the magical realism a bit more, and leaned less on the predictable nature of the plot itself. From the very entrance of some characters, it was clear to see what their purpose was for Tova and the plot and therefore I found it very hard to care about the journey. If we had been left in the dark for longer (less POVs?) maybe I'd be writing a different review. But sadly, I just found myself wishing for more in this quaint family drama tale.

Definitely pick this up though if it's of interest—there are some gems here regardless of the plot's pacing.

|
]]> 40132775
The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels�� plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.

In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.]]> 805 Sarah J. Maas 1408884429 Amy 4 What could she do, now that she had all of the time, all of the freedom, and all of the popularity to take this story further?

Concepts: ★★★★��
Shock and Awe Factor ★★★★��
Romance: ★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��

I kept putting off writing this review because my mind was in shock, processing and processing this book. I thought I'd write this review with a clear head and some valuable sound bites to say about this latest Maas entry. That was the reasonable thing to do, right?

This is NOT a summary of the contents, this is a reaction review!

WOWWWWWWWWWWWW.

Hold on while I try to think of more words than "wow," "no way," "I can't believe she did that."

...


*Takes a huge, gulping big breath*

This was stunning. This was a novel that I didn't think she'd do but now that she has done it I can't un-see it. This is the kind of novel that we wish authors would write and they never do—and so we normally rely on our beautiful fanfiction writers to do it for us.

House of Sky and Breath is a novel that was years in the making. I literally refuse to say more on that point because I won't spoil it, but trust me, for anyone thinking Maas is just for the young adult lovers and fantasy romance fiends... y'all gotta check yourselves. YES this was a highly romantic urban fantasy. But it was also vast in scope and fun-fueled in execution.

Similarly to House of Earth and Blood, this book comes right at us with too much, too bold, too long vibes. It's a whooping 800 page tome that—in a pinch—you could use as burglar basher. There are so many characters, so much political intrigue, so many sheer numbers of magical species nuances and mish-mashes of culture, fantasy tropes, science fiction tropes, romance, modern cultural nods...

...But unlike the first novel, where I spent a lot of time just wondering why she decided to create the SFF melting pot from hell, House of Sky and Breath pulled back the curtain. Finally.

There's a reason, folks. There's a reason this world feels like every world smashed into one. It's not just gratuitous fantasy fulfillment. It's the long game.

Sarah J. Maas' endgame was worth the WAIT.

And now I'm going sit down at the mental gate and scream into the void until the next book comes out. Thanks for that, all-knowing Queen Maas.

THIS IS THE ONLY SEMI-SMALL, BARELY-THERE SPOILER IN THIS REVIEW, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED:

I am still not a Hunt fan. He doesn't make sense to me as a love interest for Bryce—she's so fleshed out, sparkly, and awesome compared to Hunt's muted nothingness��and frankly, for an author who seems to be wanting Hunt to be the Big Hot Hunk of this series, Sarah spends an awful lot of time making Hunt super boring to look at, read about, and live through in his POV. I thought we'd pull a switcharoo like her other books and shunt Hunt to the side for the new model in a standard Maas book two moment, but nope, Hunt stood annoyingly firm for all. 800. pages. He's still there. And I just don't understand why. Don't get me wrong, Hunt and Bryce make an amazing partnership. They are so good for each other on a best friends 4ever level and on a metaphysical/power level. But I don't understand the romantic angle of it. *throws hands up in the air in sheer frustration*

| | ]]> 4.41 2022
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Amy
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/02/15
date added: 2024/01/31
shelves: great-worldbuilding, fantasy, favorites, read-in-2022
review:
I HAD A FEELING. What could she do, now that she had all of the time, all of the freedom, and all of the popularity to take this story further?

Concepts: ★★★★��
Shock and Awe Factor ★★★★��
Romance: ★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��

I kept putting off writing this review because my mind was in shock, processing and processing this book. I thought I'd write this review with a clear head and some valuable sound bites to say about this latest Maas entry. That was the reasonable thing to do, right?

This is NOT a summary of the contents, this is a reaction review!

WOWWWWWWWWWWWW.

Hold on while I try to think of more words than "wow," "no way," "I can't believe she did that."

...


*Takes a huge, gulping big breath*

This was stunning. This was a novel that I didn't think she'd do but now that she has done it I can't un-see it. This is the kind of novel that we wish authors would write and they never do—and so we normally rely on our beautiful fanfiction writers to do it for us.

House of Sky and Breath is a novel that was years in the making. I literally refuse to say more on that point because I won't spoil it, but trust me, for anyone thinking Maas is just for the young adult lovers and fantasy romance fiends... y'all gotta check yourselves. YES this was a highly romantic urban fantasy. But it was also vast in scope and fun-fueled in execution.

Similarly to House of Earth and Blood, this book comes right at us with too much, too bold, too long vibes. It's a whooping 800 page tome that—in a pinch—you could use as burglar basher. There are so many characters, so much political intrigue, so many sheer numbers of magical species nuances and mish-mashes of culture, fantasy tropes, science fiction tropes, romance, modern cultural nods...

...But unlike the first novel, where I spent a lot of time just wondering why she decided to create the SFF melting pot from hell, House of Sky and Breath pulled back the curtain. Finally.

There's a reason, folks. There's a reason this world feels like every world smashed into one. It's not just gratuitous fantasy fulfillment. It's the long game.

Sarah J. Maas' endgame was worth the WAIT.

And now I'm going sit down at the mental gate and scream into the void until the next book comes out. Thanks for that, all-knowing Queen Maas.

THIS IS THE ONLY SEMI-SMALL, BARELY-THERE SPOILER IN THIS REVIEW, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED:

I am still not a Hunt fan. He doesn't make sense to me as a love interest for Bryce—she's so fleshed out, sparkly, and awesome compared to Hunt's muted nothingness��and frankly, for an author who seems to be wanting Hunt to be the Big Hot Hunk of this series, Sarah spends an awful lot of time making Hunt super boring to look at, read about, and live through in his POV. I thought we'd pull a switcharoo like her other books and shunt Hunt to the side for the new model in a standard Maas book two moment, but nope, Hunt stood annoyingly firm for all. 800. pages. He's still there. And I just don't understand why. Don't get me wrong, Hunt and Bryce make an amazing partnership. They are so good for each other on a best friends 4ever level and on a metaphysical/power level. But I don't understand the romantic angle of it. *throws hands up in the air in sheer frustration*

| |
]]> 63130733
Gemma Hara is drowning under the weight of her father’s debts. Working herself to the bone, she knows that if she doesn’t pay them off in time, the sadistic creditors will take everything: their home, their respected name, and, worst of all, her two beautiful sisters.

To save her family, Gemma agrees to do something reckless: marry a wealthy and mysterious stranger, who offers her a wicked bargain she can’t afford to refuse.

However, his bargain comes with one terrifying catch. Because her husband-to-be is a Kylorr.

One of the most fearsome alien races in the Four Quadrants, the Kylorr are beastly monsters, all muscle and menace, with powerful wings, depraved cravings, and berserker-like rages. The worst part?

They survive on blood.

Cold and cruel, Azur of House Kaalium, the High Lord of Laras, demands Gemma as his blood bride. To feed from her. To use her body in whatever way he wishes. For paying off her family’s debts, he expects her complete submission.

What neither of them predicts is how his bite doesn’t bring pain—it fills Gemma with more exquisite pleasure than she’s ever known. And as she finds her footing on a strange new planet, the one thing Gemma thought she’d never surrender might be at risk after all.

Her heart.

Too bad her new husband can’t seem to decide if he wants to break it…or keep it forever.]]> 428 Zoey Draven Amy 4
Super solid fantasy romance, this feels like a interesting vampiric/winged-alien remix of A Court of Thorns and Roses. Highly recommend to ACOTAR fans and romance readers. ]]> 4.16 2022
author: Zoey Draven
name: Amy
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/09
date added: 2024/01/05
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
3.5 stars

Super solid fantasy romance, this feels like a interesting vampiric/winged-alien remix of A Court of Thorns and Roses. Highly recommend to ACOTAR fans and romance readers.
]]> 57681109 He’s spent years as a hunter, but now he’s the one ensnared in a creature’s trap.

Ketahn did not want a mate. Fate has a different plan for him. When the queen he despises declares her intention to claim him, he retreats into the jungle.

What he finds there changes his world.

Small, delicate, and pale skinned, Ivy Foster is nothing like the females Ketahn has known. She’s not of his kind at all. Yet the moment he sees her, he knows the truth in his soul—she is his heartsthread.

And now that he has her, he won’t let anything take her away. Not the jungle, not the gods, not the queen.

Whether Ivy agrees or not, their webs are entangled. No one will ever sever those threads.
----
Book 1 of 3 in The Spider's Mate Trilogy.]]> 354 Tiffany Roberts Amy 5
If this had been in the adult SFF section of the bookstore—with a less erotic-looking romance cover—I would have picked it up. It has a romance plot, yeah, but it’s also absurdly detailed with a fully fleshed out world and political structure and the plot is gripping as heck. I was invested in the royal politics, ok.

I wasn’t going to put this on my ŷ������ because��.spider romance��. But y’all will just have to deal because it was actually extremely well done, it deserves its 4 stars, it’s well written, and frankly I debated labeling it a favorite. (Am I going insane??)

I had way too good of a time.

| | ]]> 3.99 2021
author: Tiffany Roberts
name: Amy
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2023/10/16
date added: 2023/10/16
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
LISTEN

If this had been in the adult SFF section of the bookstore—with a less erotic-looking romance cover—I would have picked it up. It has a romance plot, yeah, but it’s also absurdly detailed with a fully fleshed out world and political structure and the plot is gripping as heck. I was invested in the royal politics, ok.

I wasn’t going to put this on my ŷ������ because��.spider romance��. But y’all will just have to deal because it was actually extremely well done, it deserves its 4 stars, it’s well written, and frankly I debated labeling it a favorite. (Am I going insane??)

I had way too good of a time.

| |
]]> 20821294
Too bad he’s completely obsessed with her.

Besides running her own business, London’s got her junkie cousin’s daughter to look after—a more reckless than average eighteen-year-old. Sure she’s attracted to the Reapers�� president, but she’s not stupid. Reese Hayes is a criminal and a thug. But when her young cousin gets caught up with a ruthless drug cartel, Reese might be the only man who can help her. Now London has to make the hardest decision of her life—how far will she go to save her family?]]> 352 Joanna Wylde 0425272362 Amy 4 4.26 2014
author: Joanna Wylde
name: Amy
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/23
date added: 2023/08/23
shelves: mc-romance, read-in-2022, read-in-2020, romance
review:

]]> 27188165 It’s time for more men and motorcycles in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Reaper’s Fall...

The club comes first.

I’ve lived by those words my whole life—assumed I’d die by them, too, and I never had a problem with that. My Reaper brothers took my back and I took theirs and it was enough. Then I met her. Tinker Garrett. She’s beautiful, she’s loyal, and she works so damned hard it scares me sometimes . . . She deserves a good man—one better than me. I can’t take her yet because the club still needs me. There’s another woman, another job, another fight just ahead.

Now she’ll learn I’ve been lying to her all along. None of it’s real. Not my name, not my job, not even the clothes I wear. She thinks I’m nice. She pretends we’re just friends, that I’ve still got a soul . . . Mine’s been dead for years. Now I’m on fire for this woman, and a man can only burn for so long before he destroys everything around him.

I’m coming for you, Tinker.

Soon.]]> 384 Joanna Wylde 1101988967 Amy 0 3.89 2016
author: Joanna Wylde
name: Amy
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/22
shelves: mc-romance, read-in-2020, read-in-2022, romance
review:

]]> 24582414 He never meant to hurt her.

Levi “Painter�� Brooks was nothing before he joined the Reapers motorcycle club. The day he patched in, they became his brothers and his life. All they asked in return was a strong arm and unconditional loyalty—a loyalty that’s tested when he’s caught and sentenced to prison for a crime committed on their behalf.

Melanie Tucker may have had a rough start, but along the way she’s learned to fight for her future. She’s escaped from hell and started a new life, yet every night she dreams of a biker whose touch she can’t forget. It all started out so innocently—just a series of letters to a lonely man in prison. Friendly. Harmless. Safe.

Now Painter Brooks is coming home�� and Melanie’s about to learn that there’s no room for innocence in the Reapers MC.]]> 384 Joanna Wylde 0698191803 Amy 0 4.14 2015
author: Joanna Wylde
name: Amy
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/22
shelves: mc-romance, read-in-2020, read-in-2022, romance
review:

]]> 18693621
Em has lived her entire life in the shadow of the Reapers. Her overprotective father, Picnic, is the club's president. The last time she had a boyfriend, Picnic shot him. Now the men in her life are far more interested in keeping her daddy happy than showing her a good time. Then she meets a handsome stranger-a man who isn't afraid to treat her like a real woman. One who isn't afraid of her father. His name is Liam, and he's The One.

Or so she thinks.]]> 352 Joanna Wylde 0425272354 Amy 3
The characters are younger, their reactions are younger, and the lines between what's acceptable to a young 20-something get further and further into the gray zone the older you get.

So Devil's Game remains my least favorite of this series for a lot of spoiler-filled reasons. (Let's just say I don't like screwing over your love interest, lack of knowledge, etc.)

But this one is definitely an important story for the series arc and the side characters, so don't skip this one!

| | ]]> 4.25 2014
author: Joanna Wylde
name: Amy
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2022/01/01
date added: 2023/08/21
shelves: mc-romance, read-in-2020, read-in-2022
review:
The author acknowledges that this one is the most "new adult" of all the books in the series, and I totally agree with that.

The characters are younger, their reactions are younger, and the lines between what's acceptable to a young 20-something get further and further into the gray zone the older you get.

So Devil's Game remains my least favorite of this series for a lot of spoiler-filled reasons. (Let's just say I don't like screwing over your love interest, lack of knowledge, etc.)

But this one is definitely an important story for the series arc and the side characters, so don't skip this one!

| |
]]> 17375956
But Marie just left her abusive jerk of an ex-husband and she’s not looking for a new man. Especially one like Horse—she doesn’t know his real name or where he lives, she’s ninety percent certain he’s a criminal and that the “business�� he talks with her brother isn’t website design. She needs him out of her life, which would be a snap if he’d just stop giving her mind-blowing orgasms.

Horse is part of the Reapers Motorcycle Club, and when he wants something, he takes it. What he wants is Marie, but she’s not interested in becoming “property of��.

Then her brother steals from the club. Marie can save him by giving Horse what he wants—at home, in public, on his bike�� If she’s a very, very good girl, she’ll get lots more of those orgasms only he can offer, and he’ll let her brother live.
Maybe.]]> 308 Joanna Wylde Amy 4 The motorcycle romance subgenre is where my brain comes to rest, relax, and enjoy the Alphahole and his dramas.

(I said what I said.)

That being said, if you're going to read motorcycle club romances then you've got to read Joanna Wylde. No one does it quite like she does, with the level of detail and realistic writing that she brings to the table.

Supposedly—pulling from the books' prefaces/afterwords here—Wylde interviewed many real life motorcycle club people to make this series and had it fact checked by those people for lifestyle feel and overall accuracy in the representation. I don't know much about that and have no real experiences to compare it to, but I will say this series has a realistic grit to it that the other ones lack.

I've read this entire series several times over. It's that good.

This one, Reaper's Property, is the hardest to get into and the harshest of the romance pairings—cough, I know the others have their issues, but the female main characters in later books are more aware of what they're getting into than baby Marie, ok—and so I put off writing this review for a few years.

I'm no longer semi-embarrassed that I like this series. My multiple rereads + owning all of the copies on ebook and physical edition deserve official Goodsreads recognition! (And we like what we like, okay???)

| | ]]> 4.05 2013
author: Joanna Wylde
name: Amy
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/01
date added: 2023/08/21
shelves: mc-romance, read-in-2020, read-in-2022, romance-steamy
review:
The Amy that writes these reviews is not the Literary Critic Amy that writes my other content. The motorcycle romance subgenre is where my brain comes to rest, relax, and enjoy the Alphahole and his dramas.

(I said what I said.)

That being said, if you're going to read motorcycle club romances then you've got to read Joanna Wylde. No one does it quite like she does, with the level of detail and realistic writing that she brings to the table.

Supposedly—pulling from the books' prefaces/afterwords here—Wylde interviewed many real life motorcycle club people to make this series and had it fact checked by those people for lifestyle feel and overall accuracy in the representation. I don't know much about that and have no real experiences to compare it to, but I will say this series has a realistic grit to it that the other ones lack.

I've read this entire series several times over. It's that good.

This one, Reaper's Property, is the hardest to get into and the harshest of the romance pairings—cough, I know the others have their issues, but the female main characters in later books are more aware of what they're getting into than baby Marie, ok—and so I put off writing this review for a few years.

I'm no longer semi-embarrassed that I like this series. My multiple rereads + owning all of the copies on ebook and physical edition deserve official Goodsreads recognition! (And we like what we like, okay???)

| |
]]> 18076876
She may have lost her dignity that fateful night, but Sophie also gained something precious—her son Noah. Unfortunately, Zach’s a deadbeat dad, leaving Ruger to be Noah’s only male role model. When he discovers Sophie and his nephew living in near poverty, Ruger takes matters into his own hands—with the help of the Reapers Motorcycle Club—to give them a better life.

Living with outlaw bikers wasn’t Sophie’s plan for her son, but Ruger isn’t giving her a choice. He’ll be there for Noah, whether she wants him or not. But Sophie does want him, has always wanted him. Now she’ll learn that taking a biker to bed can get a girl dirty in every way…]]> 370 Joanna Wylde 0698144082 Amy 4
(I said what I said, and this disclaimer is valid for all of the Joanna Wylde MC books.)

I've read this one many times and will likely read it again for many more. Sophie and Ruger's very raw, gritty romance has a lot of heart in it and I just love them.

| |

]]> 4.22 2014
author: Joanna Wylde
name: Amy
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/01
date added: 2023/08/21
shelves: mc-romance, read-in-2020, read-in-2022, romance-steamy
review:
The Amy that writes these reviews is not the Literary Critic Amy that writes my other content. The motorcycle romance subgenre is where my brain comes to rest, relax, and enjoy the Alphahole and his dramas.

(I said what I said, and this disclaimer is valid for all of the Joanna Wylde MC books.)

I've read this one many times and will likely read it again for many more. Sophie and Ruger's very raw, gritty romance has a lot of heart in it and I just love them.

| |


]]> 58744635
With law school and her whole life ahead of her, Joey plans to summer with her boyfriend Astor in his seemingly perfect hometown of Crestfall Bluffs.

It's a chance to finally meet Astor's family and childhood friends, all while enjoying a vacation with every need attended to by servants.

But beneath the affluent perfection lies a dark, deadly rot... will Joey discover the truth before it's too late, and if she does, can she survive to tell the tale?]]> 26 Sarah Gailey 1646685326 Amy 4 Talk about a HOOK 3.67
author: Sarah Gailey
name: Amy
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/29
date added: 2023/06/16
shelves: graphic-novel, horror, read-in-2022
review:
Talk about a HOOK
]]> 58064046 Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?]]> 338 Victoria E. Schwab 0062835777 Amy 5 read-in-2022, speculative
This is the next line in the conversation that began with Coraline by Neil Gaiman. That is the highest compliment, not a criticism.

Concepts: ★★★★��
Ambiguity of age range: ★★★★��
Atmosphere: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★��

There are several elements that I find myself drawn to in stories. If a story has one of them, then you can bet some coins that I'll be somewhere in line waiting to read it.

Most of those elements can be traced back to pivotal foundational stories from my earliest days as a reader. And one of those forging tales was Coraline.

Coraline was the story of a girl within a house. As above, so below—this house had a reflected house within it/below it/refracted from it/birthed from it. And that reflected mirror-house was a dark twist on reality with a truly horrifying edge.

It was a tale supposedly marketed for children and yet bone-drenchingly terrifying and lingering for adults. I read it arguably too young and have since spent years chasing that feeling of dark houses, evil figures with poisoned-honey lies, and a sense that the structure surrounding you—enclosing you within it—holds secrets on secrets.

By now, if you've made it this far in the review, I don’t know if you've double-checked to see if you somehow blacked out and found yourself on a review for Coraline, not Gallant by V.E. Schwab. Nope, you're right, I am somehow winding up to talk about Gallant.

I'll get to the point.

Gallant is the true, soul companion follow-up to Coraline. And I don't think I've said that before about any other tale. I've never actually felt that way about another story. (Coraline is a singular titan in my mind, the earliest tales do that to you, I find.)

It carries with it that feeling of being for children, teens, and adults all at once. It's about a girl and a house. It's as above, so below. It's about secrets and what it means to be dark and light. It's an inkblot waiting to be impressed upon by the viewer. I would not be at all surprised to find that while I viewed this inkblot of a story as my childhood imprint revisited, others look at it and see their own stories instead. Instead of feeling like a copy for doing so, this story felt like a perfectly constructed mirror bringing something familiar in its reflection and yet new in its warp.

Such talent in this story. I am always hit or miss with V.E. Schwab—I couldn't even finish Addie LaRue, while I've loved other tales��but I can't call Gallant anything other than what it is. A resounding win.

| ]]> 3.70 2022
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: Amy
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/05/16
date added: 2023/05/03
shelves: read-in-2022, speculative
review:
4.5 stars

This is the next line in the conversation that began with Coraline by Neil Gaiman. That is the highest compliment, not a criticism.

Concepts: ★★★★��
Ambiguity of age range: ★★★★��
Atmosphere: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★��

There are several elements that I find myself drawn to in stories. If a story has one of them, then you can bet some coins that I'll be somewhere in line waiting to read it.

Most of those elements can be traced back to pivotal foundational stories from my earliest days as a reader. And one of those forging tales was Coraline.

Coraline was the story of a girl within a house. As above, so below—this house had a reflected house within it/below it/refracted from it/birthed from it. And that reflected mirror-house was a dark twist on reality with a truly horrifying edge.

It was a tale supposedly marketed for children and yet bone-drenchingly terrifying and lingering for adults. I read it arguably too young and have since spent years chasing that feeling of dark houses, evil figures with poisoned-honey lies, and a sense that the structure surrounding you—enclosing you within it—holds secrets on secrets.

By now, if you've made it this far in the review, I don’t know if you've double-checked to see if you somehow blacked out and found yourself on a review for Coraline, not Gallant by V.E. Schwab. Nope, you're right, I am somehow winding up to talk about Gallant.

I'll get to the point.

Gallant is the true, soul companion follow-up to Coraline. And I don't think I've said that before about any other tale. I've never actually felt that way about another story. (Coraline is a singular titan in my mind, the earliest tales do that to you, I find.)

It carries with it that feeling of being for children, teens, and adults all at once. It's about a girl and a house. It's as above, so below. It's about secrets and what it means to be dark and light. It's an inkblot waiting to be impressed upon by the viewer. I would not be at all surprised to find that while I viewed this inkblot of a story as my childhood imprint revisited, others look at it and see their own stories instead. Instead of feeling like a copy for doing so, this story felt like a perfectly constructed mirror bringing something familiar in its reflection and yet new in its warp.

Such talent in this story. I am always hit or miss with V.E. Schwab—I couldn't even finish Addie LaRue, while I've loved other tales��but I can't call Gallant anything other than what it is. A resounding win.

|
]]> 55810629 445 Janice Hallett 1788165306 Amy 5 I loved the mixed media, I loved the endless side plots buried under nonsense, I loved the multifractal endings unveiled one by one.

Concept: ★★★★��
Reading experience: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★★★

Once every blue moon, I hit book that's so clever I fall instantly in love. The Appeal was one of those reads for me.

Told entirely through emails, documents, texts, and transcripts, The Appeal follows the saga of one close-knit community and their subsequent dramas and unraveling as multiple tragedies strike their core. (One of those tragedies is a murder, sure, but that's not the lynchpin by any means for this tale.)

The Fairway Players, a community theater group in a small English town, are like every other small-town microcosm.

You have the ruling family who runs the show: the rich older couple that is the center of the theater and the core members of the social circle. Then you have their kids, and their grandkids.

You also have the people who are neighbors, friends, acquaintances, and social climbers who are also attached to this main family. They're actors, they're friends, they're something more closely connected than that.

And then, like always in stories and real life, you have the newcomers. (Outsiders, more like.)

We get to know these characters through the distanced wall of their communications. And we get to know that right from the start—one of them is dead. The who, why, how, and when are unveiled as we continue to read through the reams of personal emails and documents alongside our barely-there narrators: the legal staff currently working through an appeals process.

I found this an utterly riveting reading experience. And, it's worth repeating, endlessly clever. With layers on layers, there is always something new to unpack, twist, and see with different eyes in these pages.

And I loved the fact that The Appeal does not hold our hands. Will we catch all of the details? Who knows. Only the core ones are explained after the fact, and only sometimes.

What's happening, who's doing it, how is it perceived, are the facts adding up—all of these nuances are only given to you if you're reading closely and ready to roll with your thinking cap. I loved it! As someone who was able to read the entire novel in one day, I recommend that experience if you can. It helps keep all of the facts straight.

I have seem other reviews reference that the ending wasn't worth the wait, and the pacing was agonizing toward the second half/end of the book. It made me hesitant to read this one at first. But to address those items in particular: 1) I found that the ending's "whodunit" didn't matter to me in the very end because I had had SUCH a fun time getting there in the first place. I guessed some stuff, I didn't guess others, and there was a nice little side surprise in there too, and 2) Yeah, I can see why some people say the pacing toward the end is brutal. Once you reach a certain point, it is a constant turnover of items as we refresh and refresh the ending, and that got to me a bit too as a reader. But I found that was only for the very, very ending sequence (maybe last 15% of the novel).

Eagerly looking forward to reading more from Janice Hallett.

| | ]]> 3.96 2021
author: Janice Hallett
name: Amy
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/04
date added: 2023/05/03
shelves: adult-fiction, favorites, mystery-thriller, read-in-2022
review:
This puzzle box of a book is definitely not for every mystery reader, but for some of us...Perfection. I loved the mixed media, I loved the endless side plots buried under nonsense, I loved the multifractal endings unveiled one by one.

Concept: ★★★★��
Reading experience: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★★★

Once every blue moon, I hit book that's so clever I fall instantly in love. The Appeal was one of those reads for me.

Told entirely through emails, documents, texts, and transcripts, The Appeal follows the saga of one close-knit community and their subsequent dramas and unraveling as multiple tragedies strike their core. (One of those tragedies is a murder, sure, but that's not the lynchpin by any means for this tale.)

The Fairway Players, a community theater group in a small English town, are like every other small-town microcosm.

You have the ruling family who runs the show: the rich older couple that is the center of the theater and the core members of the social circle. Then you have their kids, and their grandkids.

You also have the people who are neighbors, friends, acquaintances, and social climbers who are also attached to this main family. They're actors, they're friends, they're something more closely connected than that.

And then, like always in stories and real life, you have the newcomers. (Outsiders, more like.)

We get to know these characters through the distanced wall of their communications. And we get to know that right from the start—one of them is dead. The who, why, how, and when are unveiled as we continue to read through the reams of personal emails and documents alongside our barely-there narrators: the legal staff currently working through an appeals process.

I found this an utterly riveting reading experience. And, it's worth repeating, endlessly clever. With layers on layers, there is always something new to unpack, twist, and see with different eyes in these pages.

And I loved the fact that The Appeal does not hold our hands. Will we catch all of the details? Who knows. Only the core ones are explained after the fact, and only sometimes.

What's happening, who's doing it, how is it perceived, are the facts adding up—all of these nuances are only given to you if you're reading closely and ready to roll with your thinking cap. I loved it! As someone who was able to read the entire novel in one day, I recommend that experience if you can. It helps keep all of the facts straight.

I have seem other reviews reference that the ending wasn't worth the wait, and the pacing was agonizing toward the second half/end of the book. It made me hesitant to read this one at first. But to address those items in particular: 1) I found that the ending's "whodunit" didn't matter to me in the very end because I had had SUCH a fun time getting there in the first place. I guessed some stuff, I didn't guess others, and there was a nice little side surprise in there too, and 2) Yeah, I can see why some people say the pacing toward the end is brutal. Once you reach a certain point, it is a constant turnover of items as we refresh and refresh the ending, and that got to me a bit too as a reader. But I found that was only for the very, very ending sequence (maybe last 15% of the novel).

Eagerly looking forward to reading more from Janice Hallett.

| |
]]> 58662507
The zombies are coming back.

And all Nona wants is a birthday party.

In many ways, Nona is like other people. She lives with her family, has a job at her local school, and loves walks on the beach and meeting new dogs. But Nona's not like other people. Six months ago she woke up in a stranger's body, and she's afraid she might have to give it back.

The whole city is falling to pieces. A monstrous blue sphere hangs on the horizon, ready to tear the planet apart. Blood of Eden forces have surrounded the last Cohort facility and wait for the Emperor Undying to come calling. Their leaders want Nona to be the weapon that will save them from the Nine Houses. Nona would prefer to live an ordinary life with the people she loves, with Pyrrha and Camilla and Palamedes, but she also knows that nothing lasts forever.

And each night, Nona dreams of a woman with a skull-painted face...]]> 480 Tamsyn Muir 1250854113 Amy 5
I'm starting to think that readers of this series should have some sort of button that states 'I survived the Locked Tomb reading experience' or something because, wow, my brain continues to tumble head over heels in overload for Nona the Ninth. It's done that for each of the books, to be fair, but this one was extra special given how spectacularly different it felt from the first two books in the series.

Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��
Concept: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ugh bury me with these books

If you're seeing this review somehow with zero prior knowledge of Gideon the Ninth or Harrow the Ninth, please immediately stop reading this review and check out those two books or reviews of those books first. This review will sound like absolute insanity on a good day and just utter nonsense if you're new to the fandom. My reviews for Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth, respectively.

Are they gone???

....

PEOPLE. People. What did we just read, why is it so well done despite of/due to its status as meme trash, and are you also ready to die for Nona. Because I am feeling all of those things.

I will not be explaining the plot or what happens in this book because I'll either sound like an idiot or I'll try and regurgitate the entire series so far in order to do so.

Suffice to say, I continue to be impressed by Tamsyn's ability to turn this series' arc around over and over while maintaining its integrity and intelligence in the writing and plot. I have such sky-high expectations for Alecto the Ninth now that frankly, it's scary. I hope Muir sticks the landing with a mic-drop atom bomb.

Nona the Ninth's brilliance for me came from the choice to make our one point-of-view that of the person with the least knowledge of what's going on. How fun. How frustrating. How titillating.

Seeing our favorite characters with (no) context... nice. Guessing who is who, who is where, who is why, and the underlying meaning of it all??? So fun.

BRING ME THE NEXT ONE

| ]]> 4.36 2022
author: Tamsyn Muir
name: Amy
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/23
date added: 2023/04/13
shelves: favorites, great-worldbuilding, read-in-2022, science-fiction
review:
I..... well, alright.

I'm starting to think that readers of this series should have some sort of button that states 'I survived the Locked Tomb reading experience' or something because, wow, my brain continues to tumble head over heels in overload for Nona the Ninth. It's done that for each of the books, to be fair, but this one was extra special given how spectacularly different it felt from the first two books in the series.

Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��
Concept: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ugh bury me with these books

If you're seeing this review somehow with zero prior knowledge of Gideon the Ninth or Harrow the Ninth, please immediately stop reading this review and check out those two books or reviews of those books first. This review will sound like absolute insanity on a good day and just utter nonsense if you're new to the fandom. My reviews for Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth, respectively.

Are they gone???

....

PEOPLE. People. What did we just read, why is it so well done despite of/due to its status as meme trash, and are you also ready to die for Nona. Because I am feeling all of those things.

I will not be explaining the plot or what happens in this book because I'll either sound like an idiot or I'll try and regurgitate the entire series so far in order to do so.

Suffice to say, I continue to be impressed by Tamsyn's ability to turn this series' arc around over and over while maintaining its integrity and intelligence in the writing and plot. I have such sky-high expectations for Alecto the Ninth now that frankly, it's scary. I hope Muir sticks the landing with a mic-drop atom bomb.

Nona the Ninth's brilliance for me came from the choice to make our one point-of-view that of the person with the least knowledge of what's going on. How fun. How frustrating. How titillating.

Seeing our favorite characters with (no) context... nice. Guessing who is who, who is where, who is why, and the underlying meaning of it all??? So fun.

BRING ME THE NEXT ONE

|
]]> 36208301
Dealing with the fallout of a divorce he never wanted and setting up a new home for his kids, Hix becomes that guy, that one he never wanted to be, and puts a stop to things before they can even start. Protecting his kids, and himself, is his only priority.

Greta, on the other hand, has found the place for her and the brother she adores that’s perfect for them—a sleepy little town in Nebraska. She’s learned from life that there are no hopes and dreams. The only thing to look forward to is peace. And that’s what she works hard to build for herself and her brother. Right up until Hix walks into her life.

Hix can’t fight the pull and stay away from Greta for long. And Greta’s finding it hard not to hope for something more with all the promise that is Hix.

But when the first murder that’s happened in over five decades rocks his small, sleepy county, Hix has got to learn to trust again, convince Greta to take a shot with him, and at the same time catch a killer.

In other words, things are definitely…Complicated.]]> 576 Kristen Ashley Amy 4 read-in-2022, romance
However.

I must say this one surprised me.

My issues with Kristen Ashley include: Her writing habit of having one-line sentences as paragraphs, her over the top plots, and the fact that every Kristen Ashley novel in the history of ever has like 500 endings and they just... keep... going... (ok so I do love the lengths, let’s not lie)

What keeps me coming to her books over and over again: the love in the pages, the feelings I physically feel while reading these stories of heartbreak and drama and love, and the innate sense of goodness triumphing over evil.

Complicated was not a book I expected to ever read or enjoy. Why? Because it was a standalone, it was very cowboy/western looking, and frankly it took place in small town Nebraska and seemed to be very family oriented. I'm not knocking those concepts in real life, but in fiction that's just not my vibe. I like drama, I like angsty angst, and I prefer no kids.

So take this review with extreme lifted-eyebrow action because y'all, this was GOOD. As in, one of Ashley's best in terms of writing flow, female characters, and actual meaty plot to back up its page count. The KA isms were still there in spades, but honestly there were moments I forgot who wrote this and just kind of got into the story itself. That never happens to me with KA - I'm always extremely, hyper aware of her writing voice.

Definitely a good one, recommended obviously for existing fans and for new readers.

| ]]> 4.30 2017
author: Kristen Ashley
name: Amy
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/19
date added: 2023/04/05
shelves: read-in-2022, romance
review:
I don't do full reviews for Kristen Ashley books. They're my weakness, I know it, and even when I love them to pieces I fully realize that they're the cheat night equivalent to literally all of my other reads.

However.

I must say this one surprised me.

My issues with Kristen Ashley include: Her writing habit of having one-line sentences as paragraphs, her over the top plots, and the fact that every Kristen Ashley novel in the history of ever has like 500 endings and they just... keep... going... (ok so I do love the lengths, let’s not lie)

What keeps me coming to her books over and over again: the love in the pages, the feelings I physically feel while reading these stories of heartbreak and drama and love, and the innate sense of goodness triumphing over evil.

Complicated was not a book I expected to ever read or enjoy. Why? Because it was a standalone, it was very cowboy/western looking, and frankly it took place in small town Nebraska and seemed to be very family oriented. I'm not knocking those concepts in real life, but in fiction that's just not my vibe. I like drama, I like angsty angst, and I prefer no kids.

So take this review with extreme lifted-eyebrow action because y'all, this was GOOD. As in, one of Ashley's best in terms of writing flow, female characters, and actual meaty plot to back up its page count. The KA isms were still there in spades, but honestly there were moments I forgot who wrote this and just kind of got into the story itself. That never happens to me with KA - I'm always extremely, hyper aware of her writing voice.

Definitely a good one, recommended obviously for existing fans and for new readers.

|
]]> 46000520
But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it's too late?

Alternate cover edition can be found here .]]> 382 Richard Osman Amy 5 there's just the perfect book.

Characters: ★★★★��
Clever, witty writing: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��

Have you at any point in your life enjoyed a British murder mystery TV show?? If you answer any version of a yes—be it a cozy, a classic, or a modern noir—then you need to pick up this book.

This book is the clever, witty, and poignant literary version of all of our favorite British cozy television shows, mixed with the serious edges of the darker dramas for a little flavor. The Thursday Murder Club is hyped for a reason. And I'm now fully on board!

In the retirement village of Coopers Chase, four unlikely acquaintances meet once a week. They're not friends, they're quick to tell you that, but they are bound by their club and their unique set of skills and interests. They're the Thursday Murder Club—named because they meet on Thursdays when the Jigsaw Room is available (and they meet under the guise of their false name, Japanese Opera: A Discussion, to discourage random visitors). They discuss cold cases and solve them to their satisfaction, even if it doesn't lead to actual solves via the police. They just want to know the answers (and they usually find them out.)

In their group, they have: A former unmentionable woman who knows everyone and everything and has never shared her former occupation. A psychologist with a knack for details and procedures and an unwavering methodical approach to the human mind. A nurse who fits in everywhere, knows seemingly everything, and flies under everyone's radar. And a former bruiser, a rabble-rouser who stirred up every political and social corner he could and knows exactly how to get people to react how he wants.

When someone actually dies in Coopers Chase, and its someone the Club knows, they are excited. Can this be a bona fide murder, fresh off the press, that they can force their way into? Yes, yes it is.

Nobody pays attention to the devious intelligence of focused elderly people. And they know it.

It's time to solve some real murders...

Did I LOVE this, or did I LOVE this? Both options are the same because I LOVED this story. I have no negatives, no complaints, no wishes for adjustments to future books in the series. I loved all of the characters, I loved the witty writing. I loved how nuanced the plot lines were and how the series of reveals actually did trip me on its way to the end. (I bet you'll think you've solved it at least three times before the end of the novel... and I bet you'll be surprised and have to reevaluate your guess(es) at least once.)

The only, ONLY caveat I have about this book is the cover. I didn't pick up this book for wayyy too long because I hated the look of this cover and refused to learn about the plot. The cover reminded me very directly of The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (which I passionately hate) and I remain confused as to why this cover so clearly mimics that one. It's an odd choice, and so I eagerly await any potential re-dos of the design in years to come. This book is leagues better than that one and does not deserve to be overshadowed in design.

Read it!!

| | ]]> 3.86 2020
author: Richard Osman
name: Amy
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2022/03/13
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves: favorites, mystery-thriller, read-in-2022
review:
Every once in a while... there's just the perfect book.

Characters: ★★★★��
Clever, witty writing: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��

Have you at any point in your life enjoyed a British murder mystery TV show?? If you answer any version of a yes—be it a cozy, a classic, or a modern noir—then you need to pick up this book.

This book is the clever, witty, and poignant literary version of all of our favorite British cozy television shows, mixed with the serious edges of the darker dramas for a little flavor. The Thursday Murder Club is hyped for a reason. And I'm now fully on board!

In the retirement village of Coopers Chase, four unlikely acquaintances meet once a week. They're not friends, they're quick to tell you that, but they are bound by their club and their unique set of skills and interests. They're the Thursday Murder Club—named because they meet on Thursdays when the Jigsaw Room is available (and they meet under the guise of their false name, Japanese Opera: A Discussion, to discourage random visitors). They discuss cold cases and solve them to their satisfaction, even if it doesn't lead to actual solves via the police. They just want to know the answers (and they usually find them out.)

In their group, they have: A former unmentionable woman who knows everyone and everything and has never shared her former occupation. A psychologist with a knack for details and procedures and an unwavering methodical approach to the human mind. A nurse who fits in everywhere, knows seemingly everything, and flies under everyone's radar. And a former bruiser, a rabble-rouser who stirred up every political and social corner he could and knows exactly how to get people to react how he wants.

When someone actually dies in Coopers Chase, and its someone the Club knows, they are excited. Can this be a bona fide murder, fresh off the press, that they can force their way into? Yes, yes it is.

Nobody pays attention to the devious intelligence of focused elderly people. And they know it.

It's time to solve some real murders...

Did I LOVE this, or did I LOVE this? Both options are the same because I LOVED this story. I have no negatives, no complaints, no wishes for adjustments to future books in the series. I loved all of the characters, I loved the witty writing. I loved how nuanced the plot lines were and how the series of reveals actually did trip me on its way to the end. (I bet you'll think you've solved it at least three times before the end of the novel... and I bet you'll be surprised and have to reevaluate your guess(es) at least once.)

The only, ONLY caveat I have about this book is the cover. I didn't pick up this book for wayyy too long because I hated the look of this cover and refused to learn about the plot. The cover reminded me very directly of The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (which I passionately hate) and I remain confused as to why this cover so clearly mimics that one. It's an odd choice, and so I eagerly await any potential re-dos of the design in years to come. This book is leagues better than that one and does not deserve to be overshadowed in design.

Read it!!

| |
]]> 59571699 From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis—with explosive results.

Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project - a literal dream come true - Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school - archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

But when her equipment starts to go missing and the staff ignore her, Bee could swear she sees Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas... devouring her with those eyes. The possibilities have all her neurons firing.

But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there's only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?]]> 368 Ali Hazelwood 1408725789 Amy 5
Characters: ★★★★��
Humor: ★★★★��
Romance/Steam: ★★★★��

There is no better way to start this review than by using what the book's description starts with:

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do?

And with that, that's almost all you need to know about Love on the Brain, with the added information that this is an exquisite enemies-to-lovers romance with a dose of lighthearted angst—and absolutely jam-packed with bonkers humor.

Bee and Levi are ENEMIES. This is known. In grad school, Levi made it extremely clear that he couldn't stand the sight of Bee and made it his mission to avoid her at all possible costs. Bee never really understood how she came to acquire an arch nemesis, but she rolled with it and life moved on. They both graduated and Bee thought she'd never see Levi again.

But of course, life has a funny way of dealing with your expectations.

When the opportunity of the lifetime lands in Bee's lap—working for NASA as their lead neuroscientist for a cool project—Bee is over the moon! This is it! Her dream, coming true! What could go wrong!

Well, Levi is listed as the engineering co-lead to the project. That is definitely a wrinkle.

Can these two scientists become more than nemesis?

Y'ALL. I thought The Love Hypothesis was in danger of being a one-hit wonder. It was too funny, too lovable, and too tailored to that perfect blend of steamy romance and plot. It was perfect—and how often do we get multiple perfects in a row with an author? It was the perfect storm of all of my favorite things and I thought to myself "there's now way that Ali Hazelwood can match herself with the next book."

Well, I'm eating my hat today. Hazelwood matched her energy with this one and then some��Love on the Brain was everything I wanted it to be and yet also, somehow, still fresh. How she managed to take a similar STEM-based setup and bring new feelings, scenarios, and characters to the table baffles my mind, but I digress. This was 10/10, my sweet cinnamon roll, the peanut butter to The Love Hypothesis' jelly, the answer to our Science! hetero romance dreams.

Read it, love it, and then come back here and rant to me about it because I would love that.

Bring on the next one, Ali!!

Thank you to Berkley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

| | ]]> 3.88 2022
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Amy
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/05/24
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves: favorites, read-in-2022, romance
review:
Yes, I loved it as much as the first one. Happiness is an Ali Hazelwood book.

Characters: ★★★★��
Humor: ★★★★��
Romance/Steam: ★★★★��

There is no better way to start this review than by using what the book's description starts with:

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do?

And with that, that's almost all you need to know about Love on the Brain, with the added information that this is an exquisite enemies-to-lovers romance with a dose of lighthearted angst—and absolutely jam-packed with bonkers humor.

Bee and Levi are ENEMIES. This is known. In grad school, Levi made it extremely clear that he couldn't stand the sight of Bee and made it his mission to avoid her at all possible costs. Bee never really understood how she came to acquire an arch nemesis, but she rolled with it and life moved on. They both graduated and Bee thought she'd never see Levi again.

But of course, life has a funny way of dealing with your expectations.

When the opportunity of the lifetime lands in Bee's lap—working for NASA as their lead neuroscientist for a cool project—Bee is over the moon! This is it! Her dream, coming true! What could go wrong!

Well, Levi is listed as the engineering co-lead to the project. That is definitely a wrinkle.

Can these two scientists become more than nemesis?

Y'ALL. I thought The Love Hypothesis was in danger of being a one-hit wonder. It was too funny, too lovable, and too tailored to that perfect blend of steamy romance and plot. It was perfect—and how often do we get multiple perfects in a row with an author? It was the perfect storm of all of my favorite things and I thought to myself "there's now way that Ali Hazelwood can match herself with the next book."

Well, I'm eating my hat today. Hazelwood matched her energy with this one and then some��Love on the Brain was everything I wanted it to be and yet also, somehow, still fresh. How she managed to take a similar STEM-based setup and bring new feelings, scenarios, and characters to the table baffles my mind, but I digress. This was 10/10, my sweet cinnamon roll, the peanut butter to The Love Hypothesis' jelly, the answer to our Science! hetero romance dreams.

Read it, love it, and then come back here and rant to me about it because I would love that.

Bring on the next one, Ali!!

Thank you to Berkley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

| |
]]> 58511056
It's all about blood.

The blood spilled between the Republic of Mareen and the armies of the Blood Emperor long ago. The blood gifts of Mareen's deadliest enemies. The blood that runs through the elite War Houses of Mareen, the rulers of the Tribunal dedicated to keeping the republic alive.

The blood of the former Legatus, Verne Amari, murdered.

For his granddaughter, Ikenna, the only thing steady in her life was the man who had saved Mareen. The man who had trained her in secret, not just in martial skills, but in harnessing the blood gift that coursed through her.

Who trained her to keep that a secret.

But now there are too many secrets, and with her grandfather assassinated, Ikenna knows two things: that only someone on the Tribunal could have ordered his death, and that only a Praetorian Guard could have carried out that order.

Bent on revenge as much as discovering the truth, Ikenna pledges herself to the Praetorian Trials--a brutal initiation that only a quarter of the aspirants survive. She subjects herself to the racism directed against her half-Khanaian heritage and the misogyny of a society that cherishes progeny over prodigy, all while hiding a power that--if found out--would subject her to execution...or worse. Ikenna is willing to risk it all because she needs to find out who murdered her grandfather...and then she needs to kill them.

Mareen has been at peace for a long time...

Ikenna joining the Praetorians is about to change all that.

Magic and technology converge in the first part of this stunning debut duology, where loyalty to oneself--and one's blood--is more important than anything.]]> 448 N.E. Davenport 0063058480 Amy 5
This is.�� an amazing debut. I will be shouting from the rooftops about The Blood Trials for quite some time. Ikenna has my HEART and her science fiction world mixed with old magic has set my expectations for the genre that much higher.

Worldbuilding: ★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��
Character development: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

We meet Ikenna Amari in a bar. She's getting rip-roaring drunk with her two friends the night before their graduation from the academy—and it's not working. She's trying to forget, she's trying to stop time... and she's spoiling for a fight.

Ikenna's life is over, you see. Her grandfather is dead.

The Amari family consisted of just two people: Ikenna and her grandfather, Verne Amari. Verne was one of the highest ranking Commanders from the Gamma Unit in the Republic of Mareen, the savior of Mareen's people from the evil Blood Emperor, and the shining star of Ikenna's entire existence. It was the Amaris vs. the world in more ways than one—as two of the only dark-skinned people in Mareen, and the only two in sea of pale-skinned war houses leading the military-based government, Verne was a symbol of equality as much as he was Ikenna's personal inspiration. He was the first in the Amari line, and Ikenna was all set to become a Praetorian soldier to continue their budding Amari war house dynasty.

But now the dream is dead, and Ikenna's debating not pledging into the dangerous Praetorian trials to rise up into the academy. What's the point, without her family?

However, everything changes when Ikenna—bruised from the bar fight that she got after all—returns home the night before graduation to find her grandfather's best friend and advisor, Brock, there with some shocking revelations. Her grandfather was potentially murdered—by one of his own men in the Praetorian.

The stakes have changed. Filled with rage and retribution, Ikenna decides to join the Praetorian trials after all. Two thirds of every class doesn't make it out alive, and the Praetorian is filled with snakes.

Watch out, little soldiers. Ikenna's ready for war on a deadly scale.

And the cards she has in her hand are older and steeped in the blood of the gods. It's not a fair fight, Ikenna won't even pretend—her arsenal is loaded for bigger beasts.

Let the games begin...

Ohhhhhhhh let's talk about this absolute banger of a debut. If the above pitch didn't sell you—I don't know how you're NOT yet intrigued, but alright—let me say that this is the grown up, kickass older sibling to what Divergent tried to be. (I love Divergent, but this needs to be said to show you what kind of scale The Blood Trials is operating at.)

This is a takedown. A high-stakes competition. A series of challenges leading to a spot in a deadly faction. A physical and mental showdown across multiple spectacles. A personal Everest of reconciling grief with action. An intimate and global discussion of racism and corrupt systems. A series of shocking betrayals and twists with some truly jaw-dropping reactions. A setup for more, and a promise for epicness.

The Blood Trials has it all��action, a deadly competition with REAL stakes, an accurately paced romantic arc, a relatable and incredibly flawed main character, discussions of racism and systemic oppression, and the perfect blend of worldbuilding vs. plot for my reading tastes.

Do yourself a favor and pick it up. Especially if you're interested in genre blending in the science fiction/fantasy space and are a reader of both young adult and adult work. This is a gem.

| | ]]> 4.07 2022
author: N.E. Davenport
name: Amy
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/03
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves: favorites, fantasy, read-in-2022, science-fiction
review:
4.5 ooh, stunning stars

This is.�� an amazing debut. I will be shouting from the rooftops about The Blood Trials for quite some time. Ikenna has my HEART and her science fiction world mixed with old magic has set my expectations for the genre that much higher.

Worldbuilding: ★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��
Character development: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

We meet Ikenna Amari in a bar. She's getting rip-roaring drunk with her two friends the night before their graduation from the academy—and it's not working. She's trying to forget, she's trying to stop time... and she's spoiling for a fight.

Ikenna's life is over, you see. Her grandfather is dead.

The Amari family consisted of just two people: Ikenna and her grandfather, Verne Amari. Verne was one of the highest ranking Commanders from the Gamma Unit in the Republic of Mareen, the savior of Mareen's people from the evil Blood Emperor, and the shining star of Ikenna's entire existence. It was the Amaris vs. the world in more ways than one—as two of the only dark-skinned people in Mareen, and the only two in sea of pale-skinned war houses leading the military-based government, Verne was a symbol of equality as much as he was Ikenna's personal inspiration. He was the first in the Amari line, and Ikenna was all set to become a Praetorian soldier to continue their budding Amari war house dynasty.

But now the dream is dead, and Ikenna's debating not pledging into the dangerous Praetorian trials to rise up into the academy. What's the point, without her family?

However, everything changes when Ikenna—bruised from the bar fight that she got after all—returns home the night before graduation to find her grandfather's best friend and advisor, Brock, there with some shocking revelations. Her grandfather was potentially murdered—by one of his own men in the Praetorian.

The stakes have changed. Filled with rage and retribution, Ikenna decides to join the Praetorian trials after all. Two thirds of every class doesn't make it out alive, and the Praetorian is filled with snakes.

Watch out, little soldiers. Ikenna's ready for war on a deadly scale.

And the cards she has in her hand are older and steeped in the blood of the gods. It's not a fair fight, Ikenna won't even pretend—her arsenal is loaded for bigger beasts.

Let the games begin...

Ohhhhhhhh let's talk about this absolute banger of a debut. If the above pitch didn't sell you—I don't know how you're NOT yet intrigued, but alright—let me say that this is the grown up, kickass older sibling to what Divergent tried to be. (I love Divergent, but this needs to be said to show you what kind of scale The Blood Trials is operating at.)

This is a takedown. A high-stakes competition. A series of challenges leading to a spot in a deadly faction. A physical and mental showdown across multiple spectacles. A personal Everest of reconciling grief with action. An intimate and global discussion of racism and corrupt systems. A series of shocking betrayals and twists with some truly jaw-dropping reactions. A setup for more, and a promise for epicness.

The Blood Trials has it all��action, a deadly competition with REAL stakes, an accurately paced romantic arc, a relatable and incredibly flawed main character, discussions of racism and systemic oppression, and the perfect blend of worldbuilding vs. plot for my reading tastes.

Do yourself a favor and pick it up. Especially if you're interested in genre blending in the science fiction/fantasy space and are a reader of both young adult and adult work. This is a gem.

| |
]]> 61062194 From the magical moments on set as Draco Malfoy to the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, get a backstage pass into Tom Felton’s life on and off the big screen in this #1 New York Times bestseller.

Tom Felton’s adolescence was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame in beloved films like The Borrowers catapulted him into the limelight, but nothing could prepare him for what was to come after he landed the iconic role of the Draco Malfoy, the bleached blonde villain of the Harry Potter movies. For the next ten years, he was at the center of a huge pop culture phenomenon and yet, in between filming, he would go back to being a normal teenager trying to fit into a normal school.

Speaking with great candor and his signature humor, Tom shares his experience growing up as part of the wizarding world while also trying to navigate the muggle world. He tells stories from his early days in the business like his first acting gig where he was mistaken for fellow blonde child actor Macaulay Culkin and his Harry Potter audition where, in a very Draco-like move, he fudged how well he knew the books the series was based on (not at all). He reflects on his experiences working with cinematic greats such as Alan Rickman, Sir Michael Gambon, Dame Maggie Smith, and Ralph Fiennes (including that awkward Voldemort hug). And, perhaps most poignantly, he discusses the lasting relationships he made over that decade of filming, including with Emma Watson, who started out as a pesky nine-year-old whom he mocked for not knowing what a boom mic was but who soon grew into one of his dearest friends. Then, of course, there are the highs and lows of fame and navigating life after such a momentous and life-changing experience.

Tom Felton’s Beyond the Wand is an entertaining, funny, and poignant must-read for any Harry Potter fan. Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.]]> 288 Tom Felton 1538741369 Amy 5 read-in-2022, nonfiction uniquely nostalgic about listening to your first movie crush talk about his time as a child on the set of your favorite childhood fictional world. (If you’re planning on reading this, get the audiobook!!)

If you're of a certain age... Then you read, watched, and/or consumed media about a certain series. You know the one I mean. You're reading this review, and it's for a memoir about one of the actors. This series' prevalence in our popular culture has permeated the veil of basic cultural knowledge—for good or for ill—and it is a massive part of my generation's upbringing and cultural sense of identity.

More recent news about its creator aside*, I find myself inescapably drawn to news about characters, actors, and stories centered on this world that I adored as a teenager.

And, most importantly for this particular review: I was a girl that was absolutely obsessed with Draco Malfoy.

Now, let's not dwell on my ~interesting~ taste in love interests. I loved the bad boy, I loved the snark. I thought his tragic backstory had heart to it and I joined the legions of fans who looked into the mirror and saw Draco's hidden good sides.

Sooooooo I naturally latched on to Draco's actor, Tom Felton. He was synonymous with Draco, after all. And for this audiobook experience in Beyond the Wand, I found that Tom's voice immediately took me back to that place and that time, when those characters were a yearly appearance and they ruled the world's stage.

Beyond the Wand is nothing less than the perfect nostalgic trip through time condensed through the keyhole of Tom Felton's particular experience in an extraordinary childhood and surrounded by the culture of the 1990s, 2000s, and now.

Now, don't get me wrong: Tom's life was large outside of his time as Draco Malfoy. And it's had some bumps in the road. This book got much heavier than I expected, and much more honest. Tom's here to share his whole life's story, after all, and not just a part of it. I appreciated that. I feel like Tom and Draco are more separate in my head because of it—and that's probably a good thing.

Read this if you were one of those kids like me. It was a wonderful experience, and Tom's narration on the audiobook was perfection. I recommend giving it a listen!

| |

*This review is for Tom's memoir, to be taken as separate from the larger fandom and official series that is referenced in Beyond the Wand. I do not support the original series creator and do not condone recent harmful opinions expressed by them. Please take this review as an endorsement of Tom Felton's work and his alone, not a larger endorsement for the series. Thank you.]]> 4.28 2022
author: Tom Felton
name: Amy
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/21
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves: read-in-2022, nonfiction
review:
There is something uniquely nostalgic about listening to your first movie crush talk about his time as a child on the set of your favorite childhood fictional world. (If you’re planning on reading this, get the audiobook!!)

If you're of a certain age... Then you read, watched, and/or consumed media about a certain series. You know the one I mean. You're reading this review, and it's for a memoir about one of the actors. This series' prevalence in our popular culture has permeated the veil of basic cultural knowledge—for good or for ill—and it is a massive part of my generation's upbringing and cultural sense of identity.

More recent news about its creator aside*, I find myself inescapably drawn to news about characters, actors, and stories centered on this world that I adored as a teenager.

And, most importantly for this particular review: I was a girl that was absolutely obsessed with Draco Malfoy.

Now, let's not dwell on my ~interesting~ taste in love interests. I loved the bad boy, I loved the snark. I thought his tragic backstory had heart to it and I joined the legions of fans who looked into the mirror and saw Draco's hidden good sides.

Sooooooo I naturally latched on to Draco's actor, Tom Felton. He was synonymous with Draco, after all. And for this audiobook experience in Beyond the Wand, I found that Tom's voice immediately took me back to that place and that time, when those characters were a yearly appearance and they ruled the world's stage.

Beyond the Wand is nothing less than the perfect nostalgic trip through time condensed through the keyhole of Tom Felton's particular experience in an extraordinary childhood and surrounded by the culture of the 1990s, 2000s, and now.

Now, don't get me wrong: Tom's life was large outside of his time as Draco Malfoy. And it's had some bumps in the road. This book got much heavier than I expected, and much more honest. Tom's here to share his whole life's story, after all, and not just a part of it. I appreciated that. I feel like Tom and Draco are more separate in my head because of it—and that's probably a good thing.

Read this if you were one of those kids like me. It was a wonderful experience, and Tom's narration on the audiobook was perfection. I recommend giving it a listen!

| |

*This review is for Tom's memoir, to be taken as separate from the larger fandom and official series that is referenced in Beyond the Wand. I do not support the original series creator and do not condone recent harmful opinions expressed by them. Please take this review as an endorsement of Tom Felton's work and his alone, not a larger endorsement for the series. Thank you.
]]> 59227936
Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each one more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation, and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.
��
However, Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful—and more irresistible—than she ever dared imagine.]]> 409 Adalyn Grace 0316158232 Amy 3 read-in-2022, ya-fantasy
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.

Characters: ★★��
Pacing: ★★�� 1/2
Setting: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★��

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.

| ]]> 3.96 2022
author: Adalyn Grace
name: Amy
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/03
date added: 2023/02/25
shelves: read-in-2022, ya-fantasy
review:
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.

Characters: ★★��
Pacing: ★★�� 1/2
Setting: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★��

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.

|
]]> 58779904 No man is above the law.

Sir Konrad Vonvalt is a Justice - a judge, jury and executioner all in one. He is sworn to travel the Empire and uphold the law by way of his sharp intellect, arcane powers and skill as a swordsman.

Yet these are dangerous times, even for a Justice. When Vonvalt investigates the murder of a provincial aristocrat, he unearths a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of Imperial society.

As the stakes rise and become ever more personal, Vonvalt must make a choice: will he abandon the laws he's sworn to uphold in order to protect the empire?

Introducing an unforgettable protagonist destined to become a fantasy icon, The Justice of Kings is an unmissable debut where action, intrigue and magic collide.]]> 413 Richard Swan 0356516423 Amy 5 A courtroom drama, a murder mystery, a female main character/point of view, and some truly interesting political systems and drama ahead...

Readability: ★★★★ 1/2
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��
Narrator's Voice: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

I shouldn’t feel like I’m pulling teeth by saying this but apparently I am�� As someone who tends to steer clear of this type of story and world building due to general fatigue of male Medieval/feudal empire kingdom vibes…I just loved the hell out of this.

The Justice of Kings follows the story of Helena, a young female apprentice learning the footsteps of one of the king's powerful Justices, Sir Konrad Vonvalt. Vonvalt is a traveling lawman, the king's voice when the king is not there, and the wielder of supernatural powers all in the name of the law: justice.

This story has a very legal, judicial, and ethical vibe to it—people like myself, who love courtroom thrillers, should have this on their radar.

Helena is following in Vonvalt's path across the Empire, doling justice to each and every small town and making sure the law is being followed fairly from area to area. Vonvalt feels very much like the good, honest man trying to do his best in an ever-changing system. Along with Helena, Vonvalt's entourage includes his man-at-arms, Bessinger. This trio is an interesting bunch—one 19-year-old former-thief female telling the story, one vaguely 30-something bodyguard type with a checkered past, and one upper class lawman in his later middle-aged years with a burning passion for ethics.

It shouldn't work, but it does.

Helena, Vonvalt, and Bessinger unknowingly find themselves in the heart of a sweeping political saga just being themselves in a complex and ever-tilting world, and as Helena herself tells us: we had no idea what our actions would set in motion.

At the core of this fantasy is a murder mystery: one of Vonvalt's stops in the countryside involves a rich outpost city reeling from the senseless murder of a noblewoman. Noblewoman are not often murdered, much less with no suspects, so Vonvalt's bloodhound senses prickle, and he sets up shop in the city to investigate with Helena and Bessinger.

Things unfold from there, both on an intimate and a far-reaching kingdom level.

Overall, I thought this fantasy debut was utterly fantastic. Gripping, told from a surprising perspective, and engagingly thrilling due to foreshadowing from "future" Helena looking back on this book's events, The Justice of Kings was a book I couldn't stop thinking about. I read it in small doses over several days to savor it, and whenever I wasn't reading it I was chewing on it, thinking about the layers and enjoying the scope of the world building.

I think this story brings fresh air into a tired niche, and am eagerly awaiting the next two books in the trilogy and more from this author.

| ]]> 4.09 2022
author: Richard Swan
name: Amy
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/06/03
date added: 2023/02/03
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2022, favorites, great-worldbuilding
review:
A courtroom drama, a murder mystery, a female main character/point of view, and some truly interesting political systems and drama ahead...

Readability: ★★★★ 1/2
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��
Narrator's Voice: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

I shouldn’t feel like I’m pulling teeth by saying this but apparently I am�� As someone who tends to steer clear of this type of story and world building due to general fatigue of male Medieval/feudal empire kingdom vibes…I just loved the hell out of this.

The Justice of Kings follows the story of Helena, a young female apprentice learning the footsteps of one of the king's powerful Justices, Sir Konrad Vonvalt. Vonvalt is a traveling lawman, the king's voice when the king is not there, and the wielder of supernatural powers all in the name of the law: justice.

This story has a very legal, judicial, and ethical vibe to it—people like myself, who love courtroom thrillers, should have this on their radar.

Helena is following in Vonvalt's path across the Empire, doling justice to each and every small town and making sure the law is being followed fairly from area to area. Vonvalt feels very much like the good, honest man trying to do his best in an ever-changing system. Along with Helena, Vonvalt's entourage includes his man-at-arms, Bessinger. This trio is an interesting bunch—one 19-year-old former-thief female telling the story, one vaguely 30-something bodyguard type with a checkered past, and one upper class lawman in his later middle-aged years with a burning passion for ethics.

It shouldn't work, but it does.

Helena, Vonvalt, and Bessinger unknowingly find themselves in the heart of a sweeping political saga just being themselves in a complex and ever-tilting world, and as Helena herself tells us: we had no idea what our actions would set in motion.

At the core of this fantasy is a murder mystery: one of Vonvalt's stops in the countryside involves a rich outpost city reeling from the senseless murder of a noblewoman. Noblewoman are not often murdered, much less with no suspects, so Vonvalt's bloodhound senses prickle, and he sets up shop in the city to investigate with Helena and Bessinger.

Things unfold from there, both on an intimate and a far-reaching kingdom level.

Overall, I thought this fantasy debut was utterly fantastic. Gripping, told from a surprising perspective, and engagingly thrilling due to foreshadowing from "future" Helena looking back on this book's events, The Justice of Kings was a book I couldn't stop thinking about. I read it in small doses over several days to savor it, and whenever I wasn't reading it I was chewing on it, thinking about the layers and enjoying the scope of the world building.

I think this story brings fresh air into a tired niche, and am eagerly awaiting the next two books in the trilogy and more from this author.

|
]]> 53181089 There are dark forces at work in our world (and in Manchester in particular), so thank God The Stranger Times is on hand to report them...

A weekly newspaper dedicated to the weird and the wonderful (but mostly the weird), it is the go-to publication for the unexplained and inexplicable. At least that's their pitch. The reality is less auspicious. Their editor is a drunken, foul-tempered, and foul-mouthed husk of a man who thinks little of the publication he edits. His staff are a ragtag group of misfits. And as for the assistant editor... well, that job is a revolving door--and it has just revolved to reveal Hannah Willis, who's got problems of her own.

When tragedy strikes in Hannah's first week on the job, The Stranger Times is forced to do some serious investigating. What they discover leads to a shocking realisation: some of the stories they'd previously dismissed as nonsense are in fact terrifyingly real. Soon they come face-to-face with darker forces than they could ever have imagined.]]> 432 C.K. McDonnell 1787633357 Amy 4
Witty, entertaining, and lighthearted—my cup of tea! And if you like smart writing, low(ish) stakes, and some newspaper-y nonsense, this might be your cup of tea too.

Concepts: ★★★★
Dialogue/wittyisms: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★��

Welcome to The Stranger Times, Manchester's one-and-only newspaper reporting on the weird, supernatural, and bonkers beliefs of the worldly public. Do they believe it? Who knows. But the public does, and that's what a good journalist does: reports on the opinions of the public.

The staff at The Stranger Times are strange themselves, obviously. Like calls to like and all that—and, frankly, when you hit rock bottom it's always the weird and wacky that open up their arms and say they have an extra spot at the dinner table for you. (A life lesson is hidden in there somewhere about humanity and judgements.)

Hannah's hit rock bottom. She's landed a job as reporter wrangler for this odd publication, which is housed in a former historic church and managed by a truly terrible editor with a drinking problem and nothing but barbs. She thinks it's odd, but money is money and frankly, she's been stamped with "strange" herself by the public.

But then, to the utter shock of the reporters of the weird, ACTUAL weird stuff starts to happen. The Stranger Times might actually be... on to something?

Oh dear.

Alright, y'all, strap in—I LOVED this! Was it oddly paced and clearly too long? Yes. Did the author rely on too many hilarious yet unimportant scenes to carry our interest in a relatively bare-bones plot? Yes. But did I enjoy the hell out of reading it? Also yes.

This is the kind of novel for those who enjoy Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman on a humorous day, T.J. Klune's sense of good prevailing over evil, and a smattering of Seanan McGuire's blend of the absolutely horrifying with the absolutely pragmatic belief in the magic structure.

I am very much planning to reread this again, and I look forward to the later two books in the series. Welcome to The Stranger Times....

| ]]> 4.16 2021
author: C.K. McDonnell
name: Amy
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/06/23
date added: 2023/01/10
shelves: read-in-2022, fantasy, speculative
review:
4.5 strange stars

Witty, entertaining, and lighthearted—my cup of tea! And if you like smart writing, low(ish) stakes, and some newspaper-y nonsense, this might be your cup of tea too.

Concepts: ★★★★
Dialogue/wittyisms: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★��

Welcome to The Stranger Times, Manchester's one-and-only newspaper reporting on the weird, supernatural, and bonkers beliefs of the worldly public. Do they believe it? Who knows. But the public does, and that's what a good journalist does: reports on the opinions of the public.

The staff at The Stranger Times are strange themselves, obviously. Like calls to like and all that—and, frankly, when you hit rock bottom it's always the weird and wacky that open up their arms and say they have an extra spot at the dinner table for you. (A life lesson is hidden in there somewhere about humanity and judgements.)

Hannah's hit rock bottom. She's landed a job as reporter wrangler for this odd publication, which is housed in a former historic church and managed by a truly terrible editor with a drinking problem and nothing but barbs. She thinks it's odd, but money is money and frankly, she's been stamped with "strange" herself by the public.

But then, to the utter shock of the reporters of the weird, ACTUAL weird stuff starts to happen. The Stranger Times might actually be... on to something?

Oh dear.

Alright, y'all, strap in—I LOVED this! Was it oddly paced and clearly too long? Yes. Did the author rely on too many hilarious yet unimportant scenes to carry our interest in a relatively bare-bones plot? Yes. But did I enjoy the hell out of reading it? Also yes.

This is the kind of novel for those who enjoy Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman on a humorous day, T.J. Klune's sense of good prevailing over evil, and a smattering of Seanan McGuire's blend of the absolutely horrifying with the absolutely pragmatic belief in the magic structure.

I am very much planning to reread this again, and I look forward to the later two books in the series. Welcome to The Stranger Times....

|
]]> 49247242 In America, demons wear white hoods.

In 1915, The Birth of a Nation cast a spell across America, swelling the Klan's ranks and drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of white folk. All across the nation they ride, spreading fear and violence among the vulnerable. They plan to bring Hell to Earth. But even Ku Kluxes can die.

Standing in their way is Maryse Boudreaux and her fellow resistance fighters, a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter. Armed with blade, bullet, and bomb, they hunt their hunters and send the Klan's demons straight to Hell. But something awful's brewing in Macon, and the war on Hell is about to heat up.

Can Maryse stop the Klan before it ends the world?]]> 185 P. Djèlí Clark 1250767024 Amy 5 “oh, I wasn’t looking for you, but here you are—perfect all at once�� story.

Originality: ★★★★��
Speculative/Horror elements:★★★★��
Writing Voice: ★★★★��

My first P. Djeli Clark read...there will be many more Clark reviews to come, I don't think I can stop now.

This is a short novella. I won't describe it too much. Let's start with a bang anyway: I've never read anything like this. And I bet you haven't either.

In a weird reviewing angle, I'd actually like to start talking about this book by talking about how Clark ends his novella with an author's note/acknowledgment section. His influences in writing this slim volume were many and spanned many media types, trains of thought, histories, myths, and people. It was a true synthesis of the all-encompassing creativity of the human experience—and how certain ideas germinate from all types of soil.

Ring Shout is the brainchild of so many sources, you can literally feel the edges of them all in its nuanced writing. The diaspora experience. Gullah culture. The roots of hate in our history. The blending of struggle with triumph. The hearts of people.

This novella is a body horror, a speculative reimagining of the Ku Klux Klan, a gloriously rendered emotional thumbprint. A fable and a horror story concocted within the boundaries of alternative historical fiction.

The writing voice is singular—Clark takes no prisoners with the dialects and internal monologue of his female protagonist, Maryse. It takes some getting use to, how the sentences flow and ebb within the dialect. But once you're in it—you're IN IT.

A forever favorite for me. Read it!

| ]]> 3.96 2020
author: P. Djèlí Clark
name: Amy
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2022/05/03
date added: 2023/01/08
shelves: favorites, horror, read-in-2022, speculative
review:
Another “oh, I wasn’t looking for you, but here you are—perfect all at once�� story.

Originality: ★★★★��
Speculative/Horror elements:★★★★��
Writing Voice: ★★★★��

My first P. Djeli Clark read...there will be many more Clark reviews to come, I don't think I can stop now.

This is a short novella. I won't describe it too much. Let's start with a bang anyway: I've never read anything like this. And I bet you haven't either.

In a weird reviewing angle, I'd actually like to start talking about this book by talking about how Clark ends his novella with an author's note/acknowledgment section. His influences in writing this slim volume were many and spanned many media types, trains of thought, histories, myths, and people. It was a true synthesis of the all-encompassing creativity of the human experience—and how certain ideas germinate from all types of soil.

Ring Shout is the brainchild of so many sources, you can literally feel the edges of them all in its nuanced writing. The diaspora experience. Gullah culture. The roots of hate in our history. The blending of struggle with triumph. The hearts of people.

This novella is a body horror, a speculative reimagining of the Ku Klux Klan, a gloriously rendered emotional thumbprint. A fable and a horror story concocted within the boundaries of alternative historical fiction.

The writing voice is singular—Clark takes no prisoners with the dialects and internal monologue of his female protagonist, Maryse. It takes some getting use to, how the sentences flow and ebb within the dialect. But once you're in it—you're IN IT.

A forever favorite for me. Read it!

|
]]> 50875611 Yet, with the ravagers another came forth. The gatekeeper, Charu strode across the land in hunt of his quarry, those spirits which had broken through the barrier. With his lamp of souls, he moves over the world capturing the spirits and bringing death to those driven to madness, infected by exposure to their miasmatic taint. He will stop at nothing to accomplish his task.
The ravagers brought civilization to its knees, hiding out as an infestation within the city. Meredith was one of handfuls of people left in Ashton, barely clinging to survival as resources ran low. When a shift in power dynamics brings the people under the yoke of the ravagers, Meredith knows that her time may soon be up. She doesn’t anticipate being saved by a dangerous spirit bent on destruction.
Can love bloom and flourish between a grim spirit and a human woman with spirits running in havoc around them, and will their magic together be enough to save humanity from a crippling fate?

*This book contains elements of horror.]]> 353 S.J. Sanders Amy 4 A romance, sure, but also a killer post-apocalyptic death god and spirit vengeance quest... Y’all should try this!

Concept: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★ 1/2
Characters: ★★��

I think one of the most repeated things I've said this year in relation to my book reading is this: "Yeah, it's a romance, BUT..."

And that holds true for Havoc of Souls too. What is in the water that these romance authors are drinking? Their creativity is fascinating.

Havoc of Souls is a post-apocalyptic Earth filled with ravagers, which are deadly spirits from an alternative underworld. Instead of zombies coming for us in the end, it was the ravagers. And they were just as nasty.

Meredith is a human woman eeking out a terrified and depressing life in the town of Ashton, where the ravagers have decimated society and humanity is slowly decaying in the aftermath. She's running out of food and liquids, and she knows her days are numbered.

Things get even scarier for her when the last remaining humans in Ashton decide to link up with the ravagers in a desperate attempt for dystopian control. Instead of being eaten, the humans have decided to let the ravagers own them. (Because that's SO much better, right?)

Meredith's got to leave town.

But before she can escape, things go wrong. And then he appears.

Charu is the gatekeeper. He guards the realm of the Underworld and passes spirits between the realms. When the ravagers slip the gate and pour into Earth, Charu is sent to Earth with one all-burning purpose: forcibly send the ravagers back to their proper side of the gate.

He's blue, his eyes are glowing red, and his huge horns are somehow not his most dominant feature: it's the projected soul serpents twining in and out of his body that draw the most attention.

For an inexplicable reason, Charu decides to save Meredith and begrudgingly allows her to tag along on his endless road trip rampage to rid the Earth of ravagers.

An "odd traveling duo" is putting it lightly. But as their road trip continues, things start to shift between the two of them and they realize that their partnership just might have more to it than they first expected...

Alright, so as I said at the beginning... Yes, this is a romance book. It's one of my Kindle Unlimited reads in my binge of fun romance content. But it is also so much more interesting than the romantic pairing.

Havoc of Souls was perfectly paced, very intricately imagined, and involved a realistic slow burn partnership between two extremely different species. Charu and Meredith do not look at each other and go "wow, let me HIT that!" They look at each other and see weaknesses and otherness. Charu has no humanity, Meredith has no magic. But somehow, they fit together as traveling companions and that pacing flows into the next stage of their romance in such a realistic way. Especially considering the bonkers set up.

I also think this novel is well worth the read for the post-apocalyptic atmosphere and unique magic setup alone. I have never read a world building structure like this one—and I'm including all of my adult SFF and horror reads in that statement. If you removed the romance label, tacked on a different cover, and reduced the romance in the book by just 10%, this could easily be an adult SFF read. For the romance genre, this book was barely on the steamy/sexy scale anyway, it's that close to SFF.

Highly recommend for dystopian and/or apocalyptic readers, reads of adult SFF with dark overtones, monster romance fans, and anyone looking for a truly unique slow-burn story.

| ]]> 3.96 2019
author: S.J. Sanders
name: Amy
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/25
date added: 2023/01/06
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
Original and really different. A romance, sure, but also a killer post-apocalyptic death god and spirit vengeance quest... Y’all should try this!

Concept: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★ 1/2
Characters: ★★��

I think one of the most repeated things I've said this year in relation to my book reading is this: "Yeah, it's a romance, BUT..."

And that holds true for Havoc of Souls too. What is in the water that these romance authors are drinking? Their creativity is fascinating.

Havoc of Souls is a post-apocalyptic Earth filled with ravagers, which are deadly spirits from an alternative underworld. Instead of zombies coming for us in the end, it was the ravagers. And they were just as nasty.

Meredith is a human woman eeking out a terrified and depressing life in the town of Ashton, where the ravagers have decimated society and humanity is slowly decaying in the aftermath. She's running out of food and liquids, and she knows her days are numbered.

Things get even scarier for her when the last remaining humans in Ashton decide to link up with the ravagers in a desperate attempt for dystopian control. Instead of being eaten, the humans have decided to let the ravagers own them. (Because that's SO much better, right?)

Meredith's got to leave town.

But before she can escape, things go wrong. And then he appears.

Charu is the gatekeeper. He guards the realm of the Underworld and passes spirits between the realms. When the ravagers slip the gate and pour into Earth, Charu is sent to Earth with one all-burning purpose: forcibly send the ravagers back to their proper side of the gate.

He's blue, his eyes are glowing red, and his huge horns are somehow not his most dominant feature: it's the projected soul serpents twining in and out of his body that draw the most attention.

For an inexplicable reason, Charu decides to save Meredith and begrudgingly allows her to tag along on his endless road trip rampage to rid the Earth of ravagers.

An "odd traveling duo" is putting it lightly. But as their road trip continues, things start to shift between the two of them and they realize that their partnership just might have more to it than they first expected...

Alright, so as I said at the beginning... Yes, this is a romance book. It's one of my Kindle Unlimited reads in my binge of fun romance content. But it is also so much more interesting than the romantic pairing.

Havoc of Souls was perfectly paced, very intricately imagined, and involved a realistic slow burn partnership between two extremely different species. Charu and Meredith do not look at each other and go "wow, let me HIT that!" They look at each other and see weaknesses and otherness. Charu has no humanity, Meredith has no magic. But somehow, they fit together as traveling companions and that pacing flows into the next stage of their romance in such a realistic way. Especially considering the bonkers set up.

I also think this novel is well worth the read for the post-apocalyptic atmosphere and unique magic setup alone. I have never read a world building structure like this one—and I'm including all of my adult SFF and horror reads in that statement. If you removed the romance label, tacked on a different cover, and reduced the romance in the book by just 10%, this could easily be an adult SFF read. For the romance genre, this book was barely on the steamy/sexy scale anyway, it's that close to SFF.

Highly recommend for dystopian and/or apocalyptic readers, reads of adult SFF with dark overtones, monster romance fans, and anyone looking for a truly unique slow-burn story.

|
]]> 59417710 He's got the smile of a gator and just might eat her up.

Deep in the swamps of Louisiana, with a romance novel in one hand and a cold beer in the other, there are three things that Heather loves most: her fabulously redneck gay neighbors, her beehives, and the solitude of Honey Island. When a ruthless property developer threatens to force her off her land, what’s a pansexual beekeeper to do? Sick her bees on him? Yes�� well, that and get help from the Honey Island Swamp Monster, who turns out to be more than just a tall tale. Much more.

With the odds stacked against them, Heather and the deliciously sexy swamp monster team up to save their beloved home. That is if she can keep her hands to herself.

Author's Note: For content warnings, please check the author’s website.]]> 78 Victoria Weyland Amy 3 3.91 2021
author: Victoria Weyland
name: Amy
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/26
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
Ok, honestly, this was super sweet and a very good plot—especially when you consider how short it is.
]]> 68007998 50 Vera Valentine Amy 3 3.74
author: Vera Valentine
name: Amy
average rating: 3.74
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/30
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, short-stories, alien-and-monster-romance
review:

]]> 60313107
She doesn’t anticipate being auctioned away to a kraken.

Thane is cold and distant…but he’s not unkind. Isolated as they are, Catalina finds herself seeking his company again and again. And when she finally agrees to uphold her portion of the bargain?

That’s when things get really interesting.

But she only gave the demon seven years, and when the time is up, she’ll have no choice but to leave behind the kraken who’s stolen her heart and return to the world that doesn’t want her.

Author’s Note: For all tropes, tags, and CWs, please check the author’s website.]]> 182 Katee Robert Amy 3 3.40 2022
author: Katee Robert
name: Amy
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/28
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:

]]> 57762807
Queen Zurvashi will not rest until everything Ketahn cares about is gone and he belongs to her.

His sweet, compassionate Ivy, his sister, his friends, his new tribe of humans—all are in danger. He fears nowhere is far enough away to escape the queen’s wrath.

But Ketahn will see the whole jungle burn before he lets any harm befall his mate. Even if he must stand against Zurvashi and her army, even if he must face every beast in the Tangle, even if he must defy the gods themselves, he will not surrender his female.

Ketahn and Ivy are bound, and no force in the universe will sever the threads that connect them.]]> 341 Tiffany Roberts Amy 0 4.39 2021
author: Tiffany Roberts
name: Amy
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/10/17
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:

]]> 58182131 He conquered her, but he is the one enthralled.

Ketahn hadn’t wanted a mate. Fate gave him Ivy Foster. Now, he wants nothing more than to enjoy his little human.

But fate is not content to make things so simple.

With an enraged queen searching for him, Ketahn knows the Tangle is not safe for his mate. They need to leave. Yet Ivy will not forsake her people, and he cannot condemn her compassion. When they wake the other humans from their death sleeps, Ketahn now has more mouths to feed, and the strands of his web are in danger of snapping.

To keep Ivy and her people safe, he must placate the queen that hunts him. He must venture into Zurvashi’s domain and face her wrath—and her desire.

The strength of his heartsthread, his bond with Ivy, will be tested.

Ketahn refuses to let that thread break. Even if he must sever all the rest.
-----
Book 2 of 3 in The Spider's Mate Trilogy.
-----
Pre-order date will change to release sooner. We're just giving ourselves some breathing room.]]> 289 Tiffany Roberts Amy 0 4.27 2021
author: Tiffany Roberts
name: Amy
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2023/10/16
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
That ending has wrecked me for all things, my heart
]]> 54217084
It’s just Alice’s luck that when she finally begins to get her life on track, she’s kidnapped by reptilian creatures and forced into a cell with a fierce incoherent alien for some kind of breeding experiment.

Even though they aren’t able to communicate, Alice and Luka find solace in each other’s company. As the days drag on, it becomes harder to keep her heart locked away, until she can’t help but wonder what a life with Luka might look like outside their dark prison. When an opportunity to free herself, Luka, and the other human prisoners presents itself, Alice takes it.

Once free, can Alice and Luka’s tenuous relationship survive on this planet? Will the evil men that held them prisoner ever see justice? And can they play a part in the rescue of the other women being held captive around this strange new world? Alice knows only one thing for certain—her life will never be the same again.]]> 368 Victoria Aveline Amy 3
This was not as good as the first one, but this did have a lot more world building so I’m rounding up instead of down due to the context. The romance itself did nothing for me, sorry folks. I am still loving this series concept though. ]]> 3.77 2020
author: Victoria Aveline
name: Amy
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/08
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
2.5 stars

This was not as good as the first one, but this did have a lot more world building so I’m rounding up instead of down due to the context. The romance itself did nothing for me, sorry folks. I am still loving this series concept though.
]]> 56386563
Verakko was supposed to liberate the kidnapped humans, then return home to fulfill his obligations. Getting dropped into the forest at the feet of the most confounding female he’s ever met was not on the agenda. So, he’ll help her, then they’ll go their separate ways. That’s the plan…until he starts to suspect that Lily is his mate.

She doesn’t trust easily. He has secrets and responsibilities he can’t avoid forever. Only one thing is clear. If Lily and Verakko want their happily ever after, they’ll have to fight more than the dangers of the forest to get it.]]> 410 Victoria Aveline Amy 3 3.95 2021
author: Victoria Aveline
name: Amy
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/12
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:

]]> 59119071
Nothing is what it seems.]]> 136 Ever Nightly Amy 2
The book can be summed up like this: the main character gets moved from one trapped situation to another and everyone in each scenario isn’t trustworthy…but she trusts them anyway…and then she is somehow surprised when this faulty logic backfires. Huh. Who could have guessed??

Also, the lack of significant meaty scenes led to an overwhelming sense of wasted time in this installment so that is not helping the book’s case here for my reaction review.

I will not be continuing with the series this time, despite the unanswered questions about the world building. ]]> 3.89
author: Ever Nightly
name: Amy
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2022/12/30
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
This one was less good than the first book in terms of character believability and realistic sense of cause and effect—which was super disappointing. I wS hoping for a step up in this one to keep the momentum going.

The book can be summed up like this: the main character gets moved from one trapped situation to another and everyone in each scenario isn’t trustworthy…but she trusts them anyway…and then she is somehow surprised when this faulty logic backfires. Huh. Who could have guessed??

Also, the lack of significant meaty scenes led to an overwhelming sense of wasted time in this installment so that is not helping the book’s case here for my reaction review.

I will not be continuing with the series this time, despite the unanswered questions about the world building.
]]> 58955358
Just out of college, I'm recruited for a top-secret linguistics job. Easy, right? Translate for a few foreign prisoners and I'm home free. But when I arrive at Area 51, I'm swept into a world of secrets and lies. And the prisoner? Yeah, he's not even human. His name is Specimen-One and he's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. But he's an alien, so not exactly boyfriend material. I'm not sure he agrees, though. He wants something, and I have a sinking feeling that something is me...]]> 226 Ever Nightly Amy 2 3.76
author: Ever Nightly
name: Amy
average rating: 3.76
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2022/12/28
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
It started strong and I was interested enough to finish it. That’s pretty much what this novel’s got going for it, sadly. The main character was unbelievable—as in, I did not see the believability in her thought processes—and the blatant foreshadowing mixed with a barely there logic to the romance pairing just got on my nerves. Agh. But I finished it…and immediately downloaded the second one on KU so what does that say about me I suppose.
]]> 56689971
Without brides, without females to warm us during the long nights. Without sweet mates.
But we see them, from afar, brides that could be ours. Kept away from us by walls and weapons. Females we long for greatly.

Obsessively.

Human females.

And the one with red hair? I want her. I saw her first. I will fight to the death for her.

She is MINE.

So, we’ll come together and make an exchange with their men that will benefit us all.
After that?
To the winner goes the spoils��
Let the hunt begin.

But the red-headed female is MINE.

---
Viper is the first book in a series of Bride Hunting Aliens. With the charm of a snake, and the wiles of a devil, these males will do anything, and I mean anything, for their females.]]> 302 Naomi Lucas Amy 0
Also, while I’m here, WHY are these so well built out with world building and complex interstellar science fiction?? I love it.]]> 3.62 2021
author: Naomi Lucas
name: Amy
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2022/11/12
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
Listen y’all, I’m in a monster romance phase. And I’m having a weirdly good time. I’m flying through these.

Also, while I’m here, WHY are these so well built out with world building and complex interstellar science fiction?? I love it.
]]> 58022098
From the moment her name is spoken, it is all I can hear. Her frightened tears bring me anger. I vow to wipe them off her face and banish her fear. To make her my queen.

But I have to catch her first.

I have to convince her to trust me.

I have to show her she is safe.

But only with ME.

Because if any other naga male tries to take Daisy away from me, I will kill them.

And if she runs?

She’ll find out there’s no escape.

I’ve paid the price to mate her, and she needs to know a gilded nest is better than freedom in my world.



---

King Cobra is the second book in a series of Bride Hunting Aliens. With the charm of a snake, and the wiles of a devil, these males will do anything, and I mean anything, for their females.]]> 300 Naomi Lucas Amy 0
Also, while I’m here, WHY are these so well built out with world building and complex science fiction stuff? I love it.]]> 3.91 2021
author: Naomi Lucas
name: Amy
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2022/11/14
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
Listen y’all, I’m in a monster romance phase. And I’m having a weirdly good time. I’m flying through these.

Also, while I’m here, WHY are these so well built out with world building and complex science fiction stuff? I love it.
]]> 58456442
The one they call Shelby.

But the humans have not given her to us. She remains behind the walls of the facility they have reclaimed. She remains with a male that does not DESERVE her.

This beautiful, enchanting creature with long black braids and bright eyes needs a real male, a master, a true protector. She needs me.

I will do whatever it takes to claim her.

I’ll kill.
I’ll cheat.
I’ll steal.

No human, naga, or otherwise will keep us apart. Tonight, Shelby will be in my arms.

To hell with the rest.

--
Blue Coral is the third book in a series of Bride Hunting Aliens. With the charm of a snake, and the wiles of a devil, these males will do anything, and I mean anything, for their females.]]> 318 Naomi Lucas Amy 0 4.03 2021
author: Naomi Lucas
name: Amy
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at: 2022/11/15
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
This world building and subsequent plot has me gripped, y’all. I’m not even gonna lie—I’m hooked.
]]> 59107385
The broken one. The dark one.

I will always be alone.

When a ship lands in my territory and a black-suited human female appears, I am in awe. I am in NEED.

Only, she is surrounded by men.

So, I will sneak up on her.

I will stalk her, learn everything about her, and wait for the right moment.

And when the time comes, I’ll set my trap.

She will be caught.

Then she will be claimed.

By no one else but ME.

--
Death Adder is the fourth book in a series of Bride Hunting Aliens. With the charm of a snake, and the wiles of a devil, these males will do anything, and I mean anything, for their females.

This is Zhallaix’s story.]]> 372 Naomi Lucas Amy 0 4.19 2022
author: Naomi Lucas
name: Amy
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2022/11/16
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:

]]> 51479476
Theo, a scarred mercenary who prefers a life of solitude, is stunned when Jade selects him as her husband. After years of being passed over, he never imagined he would be chosen and neither did anyone else. Only one explanation makes sense…the curvy enticing female must be a spy, and Theo’s determined to break her cover using any means necessary.

As Jade and Theo are forced to spend time together, their chemistry becomes undeniable. But neither can afford to bring love into the equation, especially since Jade seems determined to go home. After all, she can't possibly stay here, right?]]> 369 Victoria Aveline Amy 4
Here me out—this was fun. The inventiveness and attention to emotional and situational detail was fantastic, and I continue to be surprised at the alien romance genre these days. Don't discount these books by their covers or setups, folks.

Concept: ★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★
Worldbuilding: ★★★★

I rarely review romance, and it's even more rare for me to review anything I read on Kindle Unlimited when it comes to my fluff/filler romance reads. I like to read KU content as easy-to-read fluff between my massive fantasy, thriller, and horror reads. It's fun, you know?

Recently, I've started to dive into the bizarre yet frankly fun world of alien and monster romance. (No shade, people, no shade. Don't knock it 'till you try it!)

Choosing Theo is one of those reads that deserves its own review—it was a ton of fun.

It takes a familiar trope in alien romances—young and pretty human woman is abducted by aliens and deposited by accident/by intention onto another planet��and runs with it in a familiar yet exceedingly well done way.

Jade wakes up. She's been abducted. So far, so normal. But then Jade is deposited onto a planet in the dead of night and quickly realizes that she's in for a bad time. Knocking her would-be abductor unconscious, she legs it into the alien woods and escapes. She's then discovered by different aliens in a huge metropolis city.

Turns out, Jade wasn't supposed to be abducted. And it turns that this strange new world she's found herself in is absolutely backwards from Earth (and yet also weirdly similar, for reasons that become clear as the story progresses).

Men outnumber women 20 to 1 in this world. Jade is, of course, a human woman with apparently compatible parts. Time to let the marriage games begin! (Lol.)

Theo is a Clecanian alien man with a dark past, like all of our romance male leads, and a chip on his shoulder. Yeah, he's pretty standard male lead fare in this, I won't sugarcoat it. But he's one of these aliens. And he's not hellbent on being with Jade, which Jade sees as an authentic plus in this new situation where everything coded male is after her.

Jade and Theo end up cohabitating for a "trial run" of marriage per the alien laws of this new world. The results are... fun, to say the least.

Now. Was this groundbreaking? No, it followed the threads of many other alien romances I've read before. It's like Ice Planet Barbarians in that it has "mates" and men who would do anything for a chance to be with the human women they come across—the logic is weird, and that's okay. But Choosing Theo also had a lot of interesting world building to it that kept me very invested, and it was extremely well written compared to others in the genre. I fell in love with the world, I liked the characters, and I'm definitely on board with reading the entire series as it is clear to me that there is a lot of growth to be seen in this world and with these setups.

Check this out if you're into this kind of romance! And, if you're new, I think this is a great place to start.

| ]]> 4.12 2020
author: Victoria Aveline
name: Amy
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/06
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
4 surprising stars

Here me out—this was fun. The inventiveness and attention to emotional and situational detail was fantastic, and I continue to be surprised at the alien romance genre these days. Don't discount these books by their covers or setups, folks.

Concept: ★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★
Worldbuilding: ★★★★

I rarely review romance, and it's even more rare for me to review anything I read on Kindle Unlimited when it comes to my fluff/filler romance reads. I like to read KU content as easy-to-read fluff between my massive fantasy, thriller, and horror reads. It's fun, you know?

Recently, I've started to dive into the bizarre yet frankly fun world of alien and monster romance. (No shade, people, no shade. Don't knock it 'till you try it!)

Choosing Theo is one of those reads that deserves its own review—it was a ton of fun.

It takes a familiar trope in alien romances—young and pretty human woman is abducted by aliens and deposited by accident/by intention onto another planet��and runs with it in a familiar yet exceedingly well done way.

Jade wakes up. She's been abducted. So far, so normal. But then Jade is deposited onto a planet in the dead of night and quickly realizes that she's in for a bad time. Knocking her would-be abductor unconscious, she legs it into the alien woods and escapes. She's then discovered by different aliens in a huge metropolis city.

Turns out, Jade wasn't supposed to be abducted. And it turns that this strange new world she's found herself in is absolutely backwards from Earth (and yet also weirdly similar, for reasons that become clear as the story progresses).

Men outnumber women 20 to 1 in this world. Jade is, of course, a human woman with apparently compatible parts. Time to let the marriage games begin! (Lol.)

Theo is a Clecanian alien man with a dark past, like all of our romance male leads, and a chip on his shoulder. Yeah, he's pretty standard male lead fare in this, I won't sugarcoat it. But he's one of these aliens. And he's not hellbent on being with Jade, which Jade sees as an authentic plus in this new situation where everything coded male is after her.

Jade and Theo end up cohabitating for a "trial run" of marriage per the alien laws of this new world. The results are... fun, to say the least.

Now. Was this groundbreaking? No, it followed the threads of many other alien romances I've read before. It's like Ice Planet Barbarians in that it has "mates" and men who would do anything for a chance to be with the human women they come across—the logic is weird, and that's okay. But Choosing Theo also had a lot of interesting world building to it that kept me very invested, and it was extremely well written compared to others in the genre. I fell in love with the world, I liked the characters, and I'm definitely on board with reading the entire series as it is clear to me that there is a lot of growth to be seen in this world and with these setups.

Check this out if you're into this kind of romance! And, if you're new, I think this is a great place to start.

|
]]> 58184242
Auzed has his orders. He is to find the missing human and deliver her to Tremanta. Getting caught trespassing in Sauven territory was not part of the plan. Neither was pretending to be the sexy beauty’s fiancé to protect her from forced marriage to a Sauven stranger…but here they are.

Their relationship was supposed to be fake. But it’s not long before they start to wonder if true love and a happily ever after is possible for two star-crossed opposites. And if it is…just how far are they willing to go to claim it?]]> 373 Victoria Aveline Amy 4 4.10 2021
author: Victoria Aveline
name: Amy
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/12
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:

]]> 59580572
Vanessa doesn’t have the luxury of building a happily ever after on a new planet like her fellow alien abduction survivors. She must get back to Earth. Her family needs her, and she can’t afford to let them down again. So, she’ll find a way to break Clecanian law and get home—even if she has to marry (and betray) a sexy space pirate to do it.

Fejo can’t believe his luck when Vanessa, a gorgeous human with a sharp tongue, chooses him as her husband. He doesn’t know what he did to win her favor, but he’s determined to do everything in his power to make her happy. If only he could figure out why his alien bride is so reluctant to accept the kindness—and pleasure—he’s so eager to offer.

Vanessa’s plan was simple. Until she started falling for her ridiculously charming husband. Now, she has to figure out how to get home without breaking Fejo’s heart—or her own. Easy, right?]]> 313 Victoria Aveline Amy 4 4.25
author: Victoria Aveline
name: Amy
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/13
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:
This has become one of my favorite romance series. I love the complexities and the individual romance pairings. Definitely recommend this to other romance fans, and for science fiction fans who don't mind a heavy dose of romance and *spice*.
]]> 63139070
Meg isn’t like the other alien abduction survivors. She doesn’t missmuch of anything from her former life—least of all her deadbeat husband. Her Clecanian rescuers gave her a fresh start, and she plans to enjoy it. Being recognized as a mate is not on her agenda. Too bad a grumpy, possessive, and all-kinds-of-sexy alien has other plans for her��

Maxu never expected to find his fated mate. But he recognized Meg at first sight. Sadly, she’s not as pleased with the match as he is. She’s guarded in a way he doesn’t entirely understand and pushes him away at every turn.

Meg can run, but she soon realizes there’s nowhere to hide—not from a hunter like Maxu. But that doesn’t mean she’ll give in easily. If he wants a happily ever after with her, he’ll have to fight for it.

Good thing he’s not above playing dirty.]]> 332 Victoria Aveline Amy 4 4.02 2022
author: Victoria Aveline
name: Amy
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/14
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: read-in-2022, alien-and-monster-romance
review:

]]> 63068398
From the worlds of Wayward Children comes a story of love, of devotion, of bones wrapped in flesh.]]> 32 Seanan McGuire 1250875137 Amy 4 3.94 2022
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Amy
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/30
date added: 2022/12/30
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2022, short-stories
review:
This is too short for a full review, so I’ll just say this: Seanan, you are such a tease.
]]> 54391767
But no prince has managed to conquer the first flight yet, let alone get to the fortieth.

In fact, the supply of fresh princes seems to have quite dried up.

And winter is closing in on Floralinda…]]> 146 Tamsyn Muir 1596069929 Amy 3
This was a fun and flipped take on the "princess locked in the tower" fable with some interesting twists.

Concept: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★
Enjoyment: ★★��

"When the witch built the forty-flight tower, she made very sure to do the whole thing properly."

And thus begins the tale of Princess Floralinda and her imprisonment in the "properly done" forty-flight tower of traps, magical dragons, and more that the everyday princes must conquer in order to save Floralinda from her prison.

Floralinda finds out that the witch maybe...overdid it on the "done properly" front. In fact, Floralinda's pretty sure the proper word is "overkill," not overdid. Because none of the princes seem to make it past the very first level with the dragon. Let alone the other 39 floors of terror.

And Floralinda's getting pretty bored, hungry, and cold. The tower wasn't made for an all-seasons imprisonment, after all, and winter is coming.

So Floralinda decides its maybe time for her to try and get down the tower herself.

Some mixed results occur...

Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower is a Tamsyn Muir creation, so I loved it by itself for that fact alone. It was quaint, it had wry turns of phrase, and it had an interesting character dynamic that bordered romantic and bordered snark and brought a lot of fun times.

The journey was quaint. The monsters were interesting takes on tropes and established ideas. The princess-to-badass pipeline was an unique journey in this tale.

But.... This one wasn't my favorite. There, I said it. (Tamsyn, I'm so sorry.) I had a hard time with the repetition and an even harder time with the pacing that lagged/raced/lagged in all of the weirdest moments. I wanted more, or less, or something adapted differently with the same toolbox. It was odd.

Definitely a must-read for Tamsyn fans and a likely favorite for those who like alternate retellings and fables of traditional Western fairy tales. (And Disney fans. This is likely a good hit for grown-up Disney fans who want something "different" that is not, in fact, that different.)

| ]]> 4.17 2020
author: Tamsyn Muir
name: Amy
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/04
date added: 2022/12/23
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2022, short-stories
review:
3.5 stars

This was a fun and flipped take on the "princess locked in the tower" fable with some interesting twists.

Concept: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★
Enjoyment: ★★��

"When the witch built the forty-flight tower, she made very sure to do the whole thing properly."

And thus begins the tale of Princess Floralinda and her imprisonment in the "properly done" forty-flight tower of traps, magical dragons, and more that the everyday princes must conquer in order to save Floralinda from her prison.

Floralinda finds out that the witch maybe...overdid it on the "done properly" front. In fact, Floralinda's pretty sure the proper word is "overkill," not overdid. Because none of the princes seem to make it past the very first level with the dragon. Let alone the other 39 floors of terror.

And Floralinda's getting pretty bored, hungry, and cold. The tower wasn't made for an all-seasons imprisonment, after all, and winter is coming.

So Floralinda decides its maybe time for her to try and get down the tower herself.

Some mixed results occur...

Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower is a Tamsyn Muir creation, so I loved it by itself for that fact alone. It was quaint, it had wry turns of phrase, and it had an interesting character dynamic that bordered romantic and bordered snark and brought a lot of fun times.

The journey was quaint. The monsters were interesting takes on tropes and established ideas. The princess-to-badass pipeline was an unique journey in this tale.

But.... This one wasn't my favorite. There, I said it. (Tamsyn, I'm so sorry.) I had a hard time with the repetition and an even harder time with the pacing that lagged/raced/lagged in all of the weirdest moments. I wanted more, or less, or something adapted differently with the same toolbox. It was odd.

Definitely a must-read for Tamsyn fans and a likely favorite for those who like alternate retellings and fables of traditional Western fairy tales. (And Disney fans. This is likely a good hit for grown-up Disney fans who want something "different" that is not, in fact, that different.)

|
]]> 58343058 A powerful new thriller from Louisa Luna. Alice Vega and Max Caplan return, uncovering a network of white supremacists in their search for a long-lost counter-culture hero.

Alice Vega has made a career of finding the missing and vulnerable against a ticking clock, but she's never had a case like Zeb Williams, missing for over thirty years. It was 1984, and the big Cal-Stanford football game was tied with seconds left on the clock. Zeb Williams grabbed the ball and ran the wrong way, through the marching band, off the field and out of the stadium. He disappeared into legend, replete with Elvis-like sightings and a cult following.

Zeb's cold trail leads Vega to southern Oregon, where she discovers an anxious community living under siege by a local hate group called the Liberty Boys. As Vega starts digging into the past, the mystery around Zeb's disappearance grows deeper, and the reach of the Liberty Boys grows more disturbing. Everyone has something to hide, and no one can cut to the truth like Alice Vega. But this time, her partner Max Caplan has his own problems at home, and the trouble Vega finds might be too much for her to handle.]]> 368 Louisa Luna 0385545533 Amy 4
This is one of the best detective thriller series currently being published. More people should be reading Alice Vega! This latest dive into rural Oregon white supremacy culture was as sharp and cutting as the first two books—and equally pulse-pounding.

Concept: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★��
Character arcs: ★★★★

Alice Vega has a talent. She can find anyone. Dead or alive, long cold or recently missing—if you have a missing person, Vega is the person you want in your corner. A paid private dynamo outside of the law, Vega is clinical, rational, and ultimately a bloodhound on the scent when it comes to people and their motives.

Having watched Vega find two missing girls in Two Girls Down, and then several missing women in a vicious female trafficking situation, The Janes, it was quite the change of pace to see Alice Vega take on a new type of case: Zeb Williams, the missing college football star.

It's a thirty-year-old cold case with a sensational premise. One day, it's the final moments of an important college football game and it's Zeb Williams' time to shine. But instead of playing the final round of the game, Zeb takes off. As in, he runs off the field with the ball. And into the streets. And into oblivion.

He is never heard from again.

Now it's Vega's time to find Zeb, and the trail takes her to Ilona, Oregon. One of the last places you'd expect to find a young Black football player's trail, but that doesn't stop Vega. There's a simmering hint of violence in this town, and the not-so-hidden signs of white supremacy groups on the fringes. The vibes are bad. And no one wants to talk to Vega.

Armed with her unflappable sense of strength, Vega investigates this brutal small town. Will she find out what happened to Zeb? And, worryingly, will Vega herself make it out of Ilona?

I thought Hideout was a very solid third act in the Vega universe. Breaking away from the previous two books in scope and concept, this one follows a missing man for the first time and engages with racial politics in America to the uncomfortable edge. Just how Vega herself rubs people the wrong way with her sharpness, her endless focus, Hideout refused to turn away from the unrelenting truths of its narrative.

The pacing was tight (it always is).

The character arcs took on new depths for Vega and her sometimes-partner, Max Caplan—which was even more impressive in this installment because Caplan himself is barely present. Following the events of The Janes, Caplan uneasily sits this current adventure out on the sidelines for most of this tale. It's another uncomfortable edge in this story that is worried over and worried like feeling the edge of a piece of ragged fabric. Caplan and Vega can't see to stop their orbit around each other, and yet aren't connecting on the same frequency. That push/pull was so gripping and so well done. I prefer it when they are together, of course, but for this particular novel it worked so well. (And, without going into spoilers, this seemed to be a one-time problem.)

My only regret for this particular story was its mystery. The mystery of Zeb Williams was there, and it was important, but it also...wasn't. The larger narrative in Oregon and the personal dynamics between Vega, Caplan, and other characters took center stage and then some. I wish we'd had more time devoted to Zeb... and maybe a more interesting/surprising ending, if I'm honest.

I look forward to these books every year. Keep them coming, Louisa Luna!!

| ]]> 3.87 2022
author: Louisa Luna
name: Amy
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/05
date added: 2022/12/23
shelves: mystery-thriller, read-in-2022
review:
4 stars!

This is one of the best detective thriller series currently being published. More people should be reading Alice Vega! This latest dive into rural Oregon white supremacy culture was as sharp and cutting as the first two books—and equally pulse-pounding.

Concept: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★��
Character arcs: ★★★★

Alice Vega has a talent. She can find anyone. Dead or alive, long cold or recently missing—if you have a missing person, Vega is the person you want in your corner. A paid private dynamo outside of the law, Vega is clinical, rational, and ultimately a bloodhound on the scent when it comes to people and their motives.

Having watched Vega find two missing girls in Two Girls Down, and then several missing women in a vicious female trafficking situation, The Janes, it was quite the change of pace to see Alice Vega take on a new type of case: Zeb Williams, the missing college football star.

It's a thirty-year-old cold case with a sensational premise. One day, it's the final moments of an important college football game and it's Zeb Williams' time to shine. But instead of playing the final round of the game, Zeb takes off. As in, he runs off the field with the ball. And into the streets. And into oblivion.

He is never heard from again.

Now it's Vega's time to find Zeb, and the trail takes her to Ilona, Oregon. One of the last places you'd expect to find a young Black football player's trail, but that doesn't stop Vega. There's a simmering hint of violence in this town, and the not-so-hidden signs of white supremacy groups on the fringes. The vibes are bad. And no one wants to talk to Vega.

Armed with her unflappable sense of strength, Vega investigates this brutal small town. Will she find out what happened to Zeb? And, worryingly, will Vega herself make it out of Ilona?

I thought Hideout was a very solid third act in the Vega universe. Breaking away from the previous two books in scope and concept, this one follows a missing man for the first time and engages with racial politics in America to the uncomfortable edge. Just how Vega herself rubs people the wrong way with her sharpness, her endless focus, Hideout refused to turn away from the unrelenting truths of its narrative.

The pacing was tight (it always is).

The character arcs took on new depths for Vega and her sometimes-partner, Max Caplan—which was even more impressive in this installment because Caplan himself is barely present. Following the events of The Janes, Caplan uneasily sits this current adventure out on the sidelines for most of this tale. It's another uncomfortable edge in this story that is worried over and worried like feeling the edge of a piece of ragged fabric. Caplan and Vega can't see to stop their orbit around each other, and yet aren't connecting on the same frequency. That push/pull was so gripping and so well done. I prefer it when they are together, of course, but for this particular novel it worked so well. (And, without going into spoilers, this seemed to be a one-time problem.)

My only regret for this particular story was its mystery. The mystery of Zeb Williams was there, and it was important, but it also...wasn't. The larger narrative in Oregon and the personal dynamics between Vega, Caplan, and other characters took center stage and then some. I wish we'd had more time devoted to Zeb... and maybe a more interesting/surprising ending, if I'm honest.

I look forward to these books every year. Keep them coming, Louisa Luna!!

|
]]> 54829360 A lavish historical drama reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.

Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman.

Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.

The hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.

All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.

For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.]]> 306 Silvia Moreno-Garcia 0593355334 Amy 3
Sultry, slow, and dripping with tension-filled nods to a classic novel��The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was a unique reading experience. (Aren't they all, when it comes to this author?) Silvia Moreno-Garcia strikes again! It's a shame that this particular one didn't hit the favorite zone for my reading tastes.

Concepts: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★
Character connection: ★★��
Sense of atmosphere: ★★��

This is going to be an interesting review. I didn't love it, but let me gush about it anyway and try to get you to pick it up...

Carlota is growing up on her father's remote estate in the wilderness of the Yucatan peninsula. It's the late 1800s. Her father is a disgraced French scientist—with the name of Moreau. Carlota's childhood is strange. It's filled with medications, an odd cast of friends and servants with physical peculiarities, and the constant reminder from her overbearing white father to keep calm and hide behind the verses of the Bible.

Laughton Montgomery is a middle-aged Englishman accidentally entrenched in the Mexican scene. He's an alcoholic with a sad backstory, and he's in serious debt to Eduardo Lizaldes, a wealthy light-skinned Spanish-Mexican man holding all of the cards in this story: including both Montgomery's debts and the estate funding holding up Moreau's life in the wilderness.

Moreau needs a man on site to help with his work. Montgomery needs to do what Lizaldes tells him to. Carlota finds herself involved and intrigued by the things simmering around her.

As the years pass by, Montgomery and Carlota find themselves at the heart of a slowing unfolding drama involving experimentations, Mexican/Maya politics, and the meaning of humanity.

Will they find (or lose) themselves along the way?

Mm, mm, mmm. Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to rock pretty much anything she sets her mind to. So far, I've personally seen her kill it in body horror, 1970s crime noir, futuristic urban vampire dramas, 20th century Mayan death god adventures, and high fantasy quests. There is seemingly nothing she can't conquer—and in this case, her sights are set on a culturally rich interpretation of an H.G. Wells classic, The Island of Doctor Moreau.

I think this novel is going to be like all of her other ones: it's going to REALLY work for some people, and it's going to REALLY not work for others. The added complexity to this particular story is the restraints placed upon it. By tying it to the H.G. Wells concepts, this adaptation was already roughly structured to follow certain ideas, tropes, and trains of thought. Whether subverted or followed, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was going to have certain elements addressed.

And that's, I think, where I struggled a bit and others will love this.

I love Moreno-Garcia for her ingenuity, her turns of concepts, her bizarre way of writing sentences that make me slow down. Linger. Absorb.. These are stories with interesting characters that do things you don't expect or approve of, and they're often not very likeable or relatable. I've always liked that—the distanced yet intimate journeys with people I don't understand and therefore can't predict.

However, this particular story deviated from those expectations. I found Carlota and Montgomery—our two points of view—to be both predictable and weirdly bland, and yet the most likeable of all of her characters. I personally neither liked nor disliked them. Frankly, I think the characters were a lower priority in this story compared to the setting and interweaving of the Moreau/H.G. Wells template and the late 1800s Mexican conflicts that Moreno-Garcia wanted to address. Which, again, is both a negative for readers like myself and yet a huge positive for fans of historical fiction and atmosphere.

Was it lush? Yes. Was it filled with dripping gothic tension? Yes. Was it a jungle dream of animal hybrids meeting Mexican interpretations? Yes. But was it a personal, Amy favorite? Nah.

I was looking for surprise, for character-driven ingenuity. For an atmosphere I didn't want to leave and felt was sucking me into its pages. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau didn't do that for me. But I think that's more due to the fact that I have an unsustainably high standard for each Moreno-Garcia work that comes in my path and an expectation for characters rather than flaws within this particular story.

This book would be a shining star in other circles, and I think it is shining for those who have loved it and are potentially new to this author's work and/or interested in historical fiction. For us returning folks (and those of us who don't care about the H.G. Wells original), I'm not sure.

Go into it with a historical and atmospheric expectation, and see what happens. I'm curious about what you'll find...

| ]]> 3.56 2022
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: Amy
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/03
date added: 2022/12/11
shelves: adult-fiction, historical-fiction, horror, read-in-2022
review:
3.5 stars

Sultry, slow, and dripping with tension-filled nods to a classic novel��The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was a unique reading experience. (Aren't they all, when it comes to this author?) Silvia Moreno-Garcia strikes again! It's a shame that this particular one didn't hit the favorite zone for my reading tastes.

Concepts: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★
Character connection: ★★��
Sense of atmosphere: ★★��

This is going to be an interesting review. I didn't love it, but let me gush about it anyway and try to get you to pick it up...

Carlota is growing up on her father's remote estate in the wilderness of the Yucatan peninsula. It's the late 1800s. Her father is a disgraced French scientist—with the name of Moreau. Carlota's childhood is strange. It's filled with medications, an odd cast of friends and servants with physical peculiarities, and the constant reminder from her overbearing white father to keep calm and hide behind the verses of the Bible.

Laughton Montgomery is a middle-aged Englishman accidentally entrenched in the Mexican scene. He's an alcoholic with a sad backstory, and he's in serious debt to Eduardo Lizaldes, a wealthy light-skinned Spanish-Mexican man holding all of the cards in this story: including both Montgomery's debts and the estate funding holding up Moreau's life in the wilderness.

Moreau needs a man on site to help with his work. Montgomery needs to do what Lizaldes tells him to. Carlota finds herself involved and intrigued by the things simmering around her.

As the years pass by, Montgomery and Carlota find themselves at the heart of a slowing unfolding drama involving experimentations, Mexican/Maya politics, and the meaning of humanity.

Will they find (or lose) themselves along the way?

Mm, mm, mmm. Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to rock pretty much anything she sets her mind to. So far, I've personally seen her kill it in body horror, 1970s crime noir, futuristic urban vampire dramas, 20th century Mayan death god adventures, and high fantasy quests. There is seemingly nothing she can't conquer—and in this case, her sights are set on a culturally rich interpretation of an H.G. Wells classic, The Island of Doctor Moreau.

I think this novel is going to be like all of her other ones: it's going to REALLY work for some people, and it's going to REALLY not work for others. The added complexity to this particular story is the restraints placed upon it. By tying it to the H.G. Wells concepts, this adaptation was already roughly structured to follow certain ideas, tropes, and trains of thought. Whether subverted or followed, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was going to have certain elements addressed.

And that's, I think, where I struggled a bit and others will love this.

I love Moreno-Garcia for her ingenuity, her turns of concepts, her bizarre way of writing sentences that make me slow down. Linger. Absorb.. These are stories with interesting characters that do things you don't expect or approve of, and they're often not very likeable or relatable. I've always liked that—the distanced yet intimate journeys with people I don't understand and therefore can't predict.

However, this particular story deviated from those expectations. I found Carlota and Montgomery—our two points of view—to be both predictable and weirdly bland, and yet the most likeable of all of her characters. I personally neither liked nor disliked them. Frankly, I think the characters were a lower priority in this story compared to the setting and interweaving of the Moreau/H.G. Wells template and the late 1800s Mexican conflicts that Moreno-Garcia wanted to address. Which, again, is both a negative for readers like myself and yet a huge positive for fans of historical fiction and atmosphere.

Was it lush? Yes. Was it filled with dripping gothic tension? Yes. Was it a jungle dream of animal hybrids meeting Mexican interpretations? Yes. But was it a personal, Amy favorite? Nah.

I was looking for surprise, for character-driven ingenuity. For an atmosphere I didn't want to leave and felt was sucking me into its pages. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau didn't do that for me. But I think that's more due to the fact that I have an unsustainably high standard for each Moreno-Garcia work that comes in my path and an expectation for characters rather than flaws within this particular story.

This book would be a shining star in other circles, and I think it is shining for those who have loved it and are potentially new to this author's work and/or interested in historical fiction. For us returning folks (and those of us who don't care about the H.G. Wells original), I'm not sure.

Go into it with a historical and atmospheric expectation, and see what happens. I'm curious about what you'll find...

|
]]> 57789637
“Epic, romantic, and enthralling from start to finish.”—Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series

“An all-consuming work of literary fantasy that is breathtaking both for its beauty and its suspense."—BookPage, starred review

A captivating and romantic debut epic fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic, of loss and sacrifice—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.]]> 503 Sue Lynn Tan 0063031302 Amy 5
This was too good to rate less than 5 stars, even though I have to admit the pacing was rough. Very lush, heady, and romantic—a debut that every fantasy reader should have on their radar.

Writing: ★★★★��
Atmosphere/Descriptions: ★★★★��
Plot: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★��

Xingyin is the daughter of Chang'e, the Moon Goddess. Hidden from the rest of the Celestial Kingdom and their fellow immortals, Xingyin is her mother's secret. An immortal born from a newly immortal moon goddess and the mortal, Houyi—the best archer who ever lived—Xingyin's life was fated for destiny.

To save her from discovery, Chang'e sends her daughter away from the moon to seek safety in the Southern Sea. Xingyin does not make the journey. Instead, she finds herself unmoored and on her own in the Celestial Kingdom. It's time to make her own destiny and, while she's at it, save her mother from her imprisonment on the moon. All while hiding the fact that she's the daughter of the moon goddess—the one mortal-turned-immortal who disobeyed the rules of the all-powerful Celestial Emperor.

What will happen to Xingyin? Curl up with her as her story unfolds and she tells you all about it...

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is one of those reads that reminds you just how good descriptive lyrical fantasies can be. That's a bold statement, I know, but I stand by it.

Whether you prefer your fantasy epic, urban, romantic, grimdark, gothic, young adult, or other—fantasy is, at its core, an exploration of realms and concepts that exist outside of our mundane reality.

Some of our earliest fantasies sprung from early storytelling and oral histories. Cultural touchstones of mythology, faith, origins of peoples, fairytales. Stories that persist and adapt with our cultures.

I'm waxing poetic about storytelling because Daughter of the Moon Goddess feels like a continuation of that conversation. It's rooted in Chinese mythology and yet linking new threads and telling its own story. It's lush. It's descriptive. It's extremely heady in its romanticism. It highlights life lessons and morals. It's its own modern (ancient?) fable. It's one of those tales that unfolds in its own time and in its own way. It is the definition of "unhurried."

That, I think, was this story's only weakness—its pacing. As someone who is used to our modern fantasies, I found Daughter of the Moon Goddess frustrating for the first several chapters in its use of extremely slow pacing mixed with time jump intervals. This might be common in Chinese stories, I'll admit ignorance in this field, but it was present to me as a Western reader so I'll caution my other Western readers to persevere. If you can get into the groove with this story and its unique sense of plodding pace, it is truly spectacular.

| ]]> 4.08 2022
author: Sue Lynn Tan
name: Amy
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/11/20
date added: 2022/11/26
shelves: fantasy, great-worldbuilding, read-in-2022, romance
review:
4.5 celestial stars

This was too good to rate less than 5 stars, even though I have to admit the pacing was rough. Very lush, heady, and romantic—a debut that every fantasy reader should have on their radar.

Writing: ★★★★��
Atmosphere/Descriptions: ★★★★��
Plot: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★��

Xingyin is the daughter of Chang'e, the Moon Goddess. Hidden from the rest of the Celestial Kingdom and their fellow immortals, Xingyin is her mother's secret. An immortal born from a newly immortal moon goddess and the mortal, Houyi—the best archer who ever lived—Xingyin's life was fated for destiny.

To save her from discovery, Chang'e sends her daughter away from the moon to seek safety in the Southern Sea. Xingyin does not make the journey. Instead, she finds herself unmoored and on her own in the Celestial Kingdom. It's time to make her own destiny and, while she's at it, save her mother from her imprisonment on the moon. All while hiding the fact that she's the daughter of the moon goddess—the one mortal-turned-immortal who disobeyed the rules of the all-powerful Celestial Emperor.

What will happen to Xingyin? Curl up with her as her story unfolds and she tells you all about it...

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is one of those reads that reminds you just how good descriptive lyrical fantasies can be. That's a bold statement, I know, but I stand by it.

Whether you prefer your fantasy epic, urban, romantic, grimdark, gothic, young adult, or other—fantasy is, at its core, an exploration of realms and concepts that exist outside of our mundane reality.

Some of our earliest fantasies sprung from early storytelling and oral histories. Cultural touchstones of mythology, faith, origins of peoples, fairytales. Stories that persist and adapt with our cultures.

I'm waxing poetic about storytelling because Daughter of the Moon Goddess feels like a continuation of that conversation. It's rooted in Chinese mythology and yet linking new threads and telling its own story. It's lush. It's descriptive. It's extremely heady in its romanticism. It highlights life lessons and morals. It's its own modern (ancient?) fable. It's one of those tales that unfolds in its own time and in its own way. It is the definition of "unhurried."

That, I think, was this story's only weakness—its pacing. As someone who is used to our modern fantasies, I found Daughter of the Moon Goddess frustrating for the first several chapters in its use of extremely slow pacing mixed with time jump intervals. This might be common in Chinese stories, I'll admit ignorance in this field, but it was present to me as a Western reader so I'll caution my other Western readers to persevere. If you can get into the groove with this story and its unique sense of plodding pace, it is truly spectacular.

|
]]> 55959425 The past never forgets...

Before an ambush by enemy soldiers, Lord Cassia was an engineer's apprentice on a mission entrusted by the king. But when plague sweeps over the land, leaving countless dead and devastating the kingdom, even Cas�� title cannot save him from a rotting prison cell and a merciless sickness.

Three years later, Cas wants only to return to his home in the mountains and forget past horrors. But home is not what he remembers. His castle has become a refuge for the royal court. And they have brought their enemies with them.

When an assassin targets those closest to the queen, Cas is drawn into a search for a killer�� one that leads him to form an unexpected bond with a brilliant young historian named Lena. Cas and Lena soon realize that who is behind the attacks is far less important than why. They must look to the past, following the trail of a terrible secret—one that could threaten the kingdom’s newfound peace and plunge it back into war.]]> 324 Makiia Lucier 0358272092 Amy 5
Concept: ★★�� 1/2
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
Humor: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

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.

| ]]> 4.04 2021
author: Makiia Lucier
name: Amy
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/05
date added: 2022/11/22
shelves: favorites, read-in-2022, ya-fantasy
review:
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 interested in the Black Death plague.

Concept: ★★�� 1/2
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
Humor: ★★★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

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.

|
]]> 60525908 404 Olivia Dade 006321587X Amy 4
Such a satisfying end to this series! A slow-burn friendship with tension, lots of room for quiet dramas and growth, and a sweet romance at its core.

Characters: ★★�� 1/2
Plot/Pacing: ★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★

Please Note: This book is the third installment in the Spoiler Alert series by Olivia Dade. While this is technically a standalone romantic story between two characters, I highly recommend reading this series in order to get the full context. There are a TON of references to the first two books in this one, and Maria and Peter's story exists in a dense bubble of context references from the other books.

Maria and Peter are both costars on the same TV show, Guardians of the Gates. It's a Game of Thrones-esque show with an international following and a lot of drama and character arcs.

Their characters play two isolated gods who have been stranded on a remote island with just the two of them.

It's just them. And a small production crew. On a very small island. Staying in a limited-space boutique inn.

Why does this matter, you ask?

Because Maria and Peter had an explosive, no-holds-barred sexy one night stand the night before they both landed roles on Guardians of the Gates. After one night of perfect passion, the last thing either of them thought would happen would be to see each other again. And now they're not just seeing each other—they're acting face to face, in a remote location, for several years of filming.

It's not... shall we say... ideal. Especially when their passion still exists, and yet personal hang-ups and a desire to maintain professional boundaries keeps them from ripping each other's clothes off and resuming their hot-HOT chemistry.

Can these two costars make it through the slowest burn of their lives? What will happen once they have the space to make their own decisions?

Ooooooh, oh. Ship Wrecked was fun, y'all. I enjoyed it very much. The tension, the soft drama, the dual points-of-view of two characters and their unique torture of falling in love while being unable to admit it?? Delicious.

This was a very sweet end to a wonderful romance trilogy. I think fans of Spoiler Alert and All the Feels will be quite satisfied. I definitely was! While this one had the most worldbuilding context and the least amount of fanfiction references—the first two books were heavily influenced by fanfiction internet culture—I do think Maria and Peter's story fit the series. And, just as important, Ship Wrecked provided a happily-ever-after ending for all of the people we've grown to love over the series.

Thank you to Avon for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

| ]]> 3.43 2022
author: Olivia Dade
name: Amy
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/17
date added: 2022/11/21
shelves: arcs-reviewed, read-in-2022, romance
review:
4 stars

Such a satisfying end to this series! A slow-burn friendship with tension, lots of room for quiet dramas and growth, and a sweet romance at its core.

Characters: ★★�� 1/2
Plot/Pacing: ★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★

Please Note: This book is the third installment in the Spoiler Alert series by Olivia Dade. While this is technically a standalone romantic story between two characters, I highly recommend reading this series in order to get the full context. There are a TON of references to the first two books in this one, and Maria and Peter's story exists in a dense bubble of context references from the other books.

Maria and Peter are both costars on the same TV show, Guardians of the Gates. It's a Game of Thrones-esque show with an international following and a lot of drama and character arcs.

Their characters play two isolated gods who have been stranded on a remote island with just the two of them.

It's just them. And a small production crew. On a very small island. Staying in a limited-space boutique inn.

Why does this matter, you ask?

Because Maria and Peter had an explosive, no-holds-barred sexy one night stand the night before they both landed roles on Guardians of the Gates. After one night of perfect passion, the last thing either of them thought would happen would be to see each other again. And now they're not just seeing each other—they're acting face to face, in a remote location, for several years of filming.

It's not... shall we say... ideal. Especially when their passion still exists, and yet personal hang-ups and a desire to maintain professional boundaries keeps them from ripping each other's clothes off and resuming their hot-HOT chemistry.

Can these two costars make it through the slowest burn of their lives? What will happen once they have the space to make their own decisions?

Ooooooh, oh. Ship Wrecked was fun, y'all. I enjoyed it very much. The tension, the soft drama, the dual points-of-view of two characters and their unique torture of falling in love while being unable to admit it?? Delicious.

This was a very sweet end to a wonderful romance trilogy. I think fans of Spoiler Alert and All the Feels will be quite satisfied. I definitely was! While this one had the most worldbuilding context and the least amount of fanfiction references—the first two books were heavily influenced by fanfiction internet culture—I do think Maria and Peter's story fit the series. And, just as important, Ship Wrecked provided a happily-ever-after ending for all of the people we've grown to love over the series.

Thank you to Avon for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

|
]]> 62705987 36 Christopher Cantwell 1646689402 Amy 3 This is a very cool concept 3.67
author: Christopher Cantwell
name: Amy
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2022/11/18
date added: 2022/11/18
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:
This is a very cool concept
]]> 63340371 29 Chrissy Williams Amy 3 3.86
author: Chrissy Williams
name: Amy
average rating: 3.86
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2022/11/18
date added: 2022/11/18
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:

]]> 62331261 28 Chrissy Williams Amy 3 3.67
author: Chrissy Williams
name: Amy
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2022/11/18
date added: 2022/11/18
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:
Stronger than #1, I like that it switches narrators between the women from issue to issue. The concept is good but I wish they gave us more context��
]]> 61794025
Created by writer CHRISSY WILLIAMS (editor of DIE, THE WICKED + THE DIVINE), artist LAUREN KNIGHT (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and colorist SOFIE DODGSON (BITTER ROOT, Tank Girl), this is the FIRST ISSUE of a brand-new five-issue miniseries where Battle Royale meets The Golden Girls.

Early praise for GOLDEN RAGE:

"Battle Royale meets The Golden Girls with dashes of Agatha Christie and Logan's Run. I'm all the way in!" —KELLY SUE DeCONNICK

"GOLDEN RAGE's not-so-farfetched dystopian island of castaway old ladies will [make you] question your attitude toward the aging women of this world. A very important subject of self-reflection indeed." —ELSA CHARRETIER]]> 29 Chrissy Williams Amy 2 3.72 2022
author: Chrissy Williams
name: Amy
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2022/11/18
date added: 2022/11/18
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:
Weaker start for me, personally, but it did make me interested in #2.
]]> 63271553 32 Genevieve Valentine Amy 3 3.06
author: Genevieve Valentine
name: Amy
average rating: 3.06
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2022/11/17
date added: 2022/11/17
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:
I love any and all stories where death is a character, especially when it’s Death on a road trip and there’s a girl.
]]> 59807966 Magic! Murder! Shipboard romance!

Maud Blyth has always longed for adventure. She expected plenty of it when she volunteered to serve as an old lady’s companion on an ocean liner, in order to help her beloved older brother unravel a magical conspiracy that began generations ago.

What she didn’t expect was for the old lady in question to turn up dead on the first day of the voyage. Now she has to deal with a dead body, a disrespectful parrot, and the lovely, dangerously outrageous Violet Debenham, who’s also returning home to England. Violet is everything that Maud has been trained to distrust yet can’t help but desire: a magician, an actress, and a magnet for scandal.

Surrounded by the open sea and a ship full of suspects, Maud and Violet must first drop the masks that they’ve both learned to wear before they can unmask a murderer and somehow get their hands on a magical object worth killing for—without ending up dead in the water themselves.]]> 388 Freya Marske 1250788919 Amy 4
A ship traveling from America to England. A deadly game of find-that-magical-item. A fantastic sapphic romance. Oh and also? More of a truly engaging magical world. I love this series!

Characters: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★
Plot: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Maud Blyth is on a mission. She's helping her brother, Robin, with his quest to save the magical community of Great Britain from some truly deadly stakes that we discovered in A Marvellous Light, the first book in the series. She's on her way back to Britain via steamship.

It's not Maud's fault that her charge, an elderly woman holding a secret magical artifact, dies on the first day of their voyage. And it's not Maud's fault that said elderly lady never actually told her what item in her possession was the all-important magical artifact.

Oof. Things aren't going to be so easy, after all.

Good thing Maud Blyth is the best person to have in your corner when you're trapped and in need of assistance.

Enter Violet Debenham from stage right, the beautiful and enigmatic heiress-to-be with a reputation she keeps in purposeful tatters and way too much personality and charm for any one room. She's a gravitational pull, and Maud finds herself helpless to resist—and discovering that even she could, she may not want to escape Violet's embrace.

And from stage left, the broody and constantly irritated Lord Hawthorne enters the scene as well with his anger, lack of magical ability, and tortured past. He's a reluctant player in Maud's play of Christie-like whodunit, but he's present and more helpful than nothing so Maud takes him into her stride too.

With magicians, murder, and mayhem... We're in for a bumpy voyage. All aboard!!

I am so pleased to report that A Restless Truth proved to be just as delightful as its first book, A Marvellous Light.

I was initially bummed to find out that this book abandoned the characters from the first book (Robin and Edwin), but quickly found myself getting over it in the absolutely perfect character in Maud. Maud was everything. I loved her. (Don't get me wrong, I found Violet to be a ton of fun too in different ways, but MAUD!)

There's just something about this quaint historical fantasy series that pushes all of my buttons. It's intriguing, yet not pulse-pounding. It's quaint and quiet, yet grips me. It has a dense and interesting magic structure and yet at no point do I feel lost or overburdened by complexity. It's "just right," and continues to be.

My only quibble with this installment was its limited setting... I am not a fan of boat-centered content. Or any other limited-setting story that traps our characters into a very small geographic range. Outside of certain mystery books with extreme action, this type of limited setting leads to me as the reader feeling trapped and pent-up in the mental reading space. It's hard for the plot to feel like it's moving along when our characters can only go from A to B... and back... and repeat. I wish this story had taken place somewhere else and given Maud, Violet, and the crew more room to breathe and explore. But, that in mind, I still greatly enjoyed this read.

Eagerly awaiting book three!!

Many thanks to Tordotcom for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

| ]]> 3.86 2022
author: Freya Marske
name: Amy
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/01
date added: 2022/11/16
shelves: arcs-reviewed, read-in-2022, fantasy, romance
review:
4.5 stars!

A ship traveling from America to England. A deadly game of find-that-magical-item. A fantastic sapphic romance. Oh and also? More of a truly engaging magical world. I love this series!

Characters: ★★★★��
Pacing: ★★
Plot: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Maud Blyth is on a mission. She's helping her brother, Robin, with his quest to save the magical community of Great Britain from some truly deadly stakes that we discovered in A Marvellous Light, the first book in the series. She's on her way back to Britain via steamship.

It's not Maud's fault that her charge, an elderly woman holding a secret magical artifact, dies on the first day of their voyage. And it's not Maud's fault that said elderly lady never actually told her what item in her possession was the all-important magical artifact.

Oof. Things aren't going to be so easy, after all.

Good thing Maud Blyth is the best person to have in your corner when you're trapped and in need of assistance.

Enter Violet Debenham from stage right, the beautiful and enigmatic heiress-to-be with a reputation she keeps in purposeful tatters and way too much personality and charm for any one room. She's a gravitational pull, and Maud finds herself helpless to resist—and discovering that even she could, she may not want to escape Violet's embrace.

And from stage left, the broody and constantly irritated Lord Hawthorne enters the scene as well with his anger, lack of magical ability, and tortured past. He's a reluctant player in Maud's play of Christie-like whodunit, but he's present and more helpful than nothing so Maud takes him into her stride too.

With magicians, murder, and mayhem... We're in for a bumpy voyage. All aboard!!

I am so pleased to report that A Restless Truth proved to be just as delightful as its first book, A Marvellous Light.

I was initially bummed to find out that this book abandoned the characters from the first book (Robin and Edwin), but quickly found myself getting over it in the absolutely perfect character in Maud. Maud was everything. I loved her. (Don't get me wrong, I found Violet to be a ton of fun too in different ways, but MAUD!)

There's just something about this quaint historical fantasy series that pushes all of my buttons. It's intriguing, yet not pulse-pounding. It's quaint and quiet, yet grips me. It has a dense and interesting magic structure and yet at no point do I feel lost or overburdened by complexity. It's "just right," and continues to be.

My only quibble with this installment was its limited setting... I am not a fan of boat-centered content. Or any other limited-setting story that traps our characters into a very small geographic range. Outside of certain mystery books with extreme action, this type of limited setting leads to me as the reader feeling trapped and pent-up in the mental reading space. It's hard for the plot to feel like it's moving along when our characters can only go from A to B... and back... and repeat. I wish this story had taken place somewhere else and given Maud, Violet, and the crew more room to breathe and explore. But, that in mind, I still greatly enjoyed this read.

Eagerly awaiting book three!!

Many thanks to Tordotcom for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

|
]]> 58371432
Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases--a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea's surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth's mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she's not looking, and she could swear she's seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn't right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.]]> 344 Simone St. James 0440000211 Amy 5
Whenever I start a Simone St. James book, I find myself riveted—stuck to my seat, forgetting to breath, unable to think about real life—and I find myself completely absorbed in her tales. This one is no exception.

Pacing: ★★★★��
Immersion: ★★★★��
Mystery(s)/Reveal(s): ★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Claire Lake, Oregon. 1977 and 2017.

In 1977, a "Lady Killer" seemingly stalked the streets at random, killing two men with no connections to each other and leaving odd clues at the scene. A witness saw a woman fleeing the scene with a trench coat and red hair—a dead ringer for the town's wealthy and recently orphaned heiress.

In 2017, cold-case blogger with a past of her own finds herself obsessed with the case and persecution of the "Lady Killer," presumed to be the heiress. Delving into the town's secrets—and finding herself with the one-in-a-lifetime ability to interview the heiress herself—the blogger finds herself drawn into the 70s and the secrets it held.

And that's all you need to get started, seriously. These books are best read with little preparation!

As I said at the beginning of this review, I adore Simone St. James' stories. This is my third one. Each one of her tales is sharp, perfectly paced, engrossing, and a muse on topics relevant to women both past and present. It's a cornucopia of my favorite things. And she does it damn well.

The Book of Cold Cases is no exception. This one tackles the trials of public opinion, the persistent villainization of women in the media, and what it means to deal with your demons.

There's a lovely, ghostly element to this story—and all of her stories, it seems—that added the extra "oomph" of chills up my spine. St James is not afraid of blurring reality with the Other in her mysteries and I adore that. Too many mystery authors give us some spooky elements and then ruthless reduce them to the mundane as quickly as they can. Slight spoiler: St James is not in that camp. The spook is left undefined, leaving that spark of a ?? at the end.

I will say that my rating is slightly colored by my enjoyment of the reading experience. The Book of Cold Cases is not an inventive, brand-new mystery. It is relatively easy to predict the broad strokes. BUT how many predictable stories stand up on their own entertainment value, even with their predictability? This one did it for me. I enjoyed it so much that in the end, the ending didn't matter—I was just thrilled to be on the ride.

Definitely give this a try if you like ghosts, small town secrets, dual-timelines, and stories about women and their unique struggles.

| ]]> 3.76 2022
author: Simone St. James
name: Amy
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/19
date added: 2022/11/16
shelves: mystery-thriller, read-in-2022
review:
4.5 stars

Whenever I start a Simone St. James book, I find myself riveted—stuck to my seat, forgetting to breath, unable to think about real life—and I find myself completely absorbed in her tales. This one is no exception.

Pacing: ★★★★��
Immersion: ★★★★��
Mystery(s)/Reveal(s): ★★��
Enjoyment: ★★★★��

Claire Lake, Oregon. 1977 and 2017.

In 1977, a "Lady Killer" seemingly stalked the streets at random, killing two men with no connections to each other and leaving odd clues at the scene. A witness saw a woman fleeing the scene with a trench coat and red hair—a dead ringer for the town's wealthy and recently orphaned heiress.

In 2017, cold-case blogger with a past of her own finds herself obsessed with the case and persecution of the "Lady Killer," presumed to be the heiress. Delving into the town's secrets—and finding herself with the one-in-a-lifetime ability to interview the heiress herself—the blogger finds herself drawn into the 70s and the secrets it held.

And that's all you need to get started, seriously. These books are best read with little preparation!

As I said at the beginning of this review, I adore Simone St. James' stories. This is my third one. Each one of her tales is sharp, perfectly paced, engrossing, and a muse on topics relevant to women both past and present. It's a cornucopia of my favorite things. And she does it damn well.

The Book of Cold Cases is no exception. This one tackles the trials of public opinion, the persistent villainization of women in the media, and what it means to deal with your demons.

There's a lovely, ghostly element to this story—and all of her stories, it seems—that added the extra "oomph" of chills up my spine. St James is not afraid of blurring reality with the Other in her mysteries and I adore that. Too many mystery authors give us some spooky elements and then ruthless reduce them to the mundane as quickly as they can. Slight spoiler: St James is not in that camp. The spook is left undefined, leaving that spark of a ?? at the end.

I will say that my rating is slightly colored by my enjoyment of the reading experience. The Book of Cold Cases is not an inventive, brand-new mystery. It is relatively easy to predict the broad strokes. BUT how many predictable stories stand up on their own entertainment value, even with their predictability? This one did it for me. I enjoyed it so much that in the end, the ending didn't matter—I was just thrilled to be on the ride.

Definitely give this a try if you like ghosts, small town secrets, dual-timelines, and stories about women and their unique struggles.

|
]]> 59892269 The Book of Delights��

In these gorgeously written and timely pieces, prizewinning poet and author Ross Gay considers the joy we incite when we care for each other, especially during life’s inevitable hardships. Throughout Inciting Joy, he explores how we can practice recognizing that connection, and also, crucially, how we expand it.

In “We Kin�� he thinks about the garden (especially around August, when the zucchini and tomatoes come on) as a laboratory of mutual aid; in “Share Your Bucket�� he explores skateboarding’s reclamation of public space; he considers the costs of masculinity in “Grief Suite��; and in “Through My Tears I Saw,�� he recognizes what was healed in caring for his father as he was dying.

In an era when divisive voices take up so much air space, Inciting Joy offers a vital alternative: What might be possible if we turn our attention to what brings us together, to what we love? Full of energy, curiosity, and compassion, Inciting Joy is essential reading from one of our most brilliant writers.]]> 256 Ross Gay 1643753045 Amy 4
The power of community and the healing abilities of positive growth and shared love. Inciting Joy is a collection of "feel good" that I think is the perfect balm for those struggling in these times.

Sense of joy: ★★★★��
Flow of stories: ★★★★
Writing style: ★★★★

There are some books that are both shockingly simple to describe and yet so vastly large they feel impossible to shrink down into the purposes of a review. Inciting Joy is one of those reads.

Ross Gay's essays in this collection all have a central theme—joy, of course—but each feels layered, framed through a different quirk of the lens, and reliant on different modes to convey their message. Joy, like all emotions, is a complex and ever-changing thing.

Growth and green things are a prominent note in this collection. Ideas of life and growing are no strangers to joy.

More surprising to some might be the inclusion of grief and exploration of loss as a means to receive the sharper, more poignant pieces of joy and uplifting emotional resonance.

Beautiful, sharp, soft, and layered, Inciting Joy is a unique thumbprint on a world that often focuses on the sharp and critical. Sit down with Ross Gay for a while and feel some love. It'll help... I promise.

Thank you to Algonquin Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

| ]]> 4.13 2022
author: Ross Gay
name: Amy
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/03
date added: 2022/11/07
shelves: arcs-reviewed, adult-fiction, read-in-2022
review:
4.5 stars

The power of community and the healing abilities of positive growth and shared love. Inciting Joy is a collection of "feel good" that I think is the perfect balm for those struggling in these times.

Sense of joy: ★★★★��
Flow of stories: ★★★★
Writing style: ★★★★

There are some books that are both shockingly simple to describe and yet so vastly large they feel impossible to shrink down into the purposes of a review. Inciting Joy is one of those reads.

Ross Gay's essays in this collection all have a central theme—joy, of course—but each feels layered, framed through a different quirk of the lens, and reliant on different modes to convey their message. Joy, like all emotions, is a complex and ever-changing thing.

Growth and green things are a prominent note in this collection. Ideas of life and growing are no strangers to joy.

More surprising to some might be the inclusion of grief and exploration of loss as a means to receive the sharper, more poignant pieces of joy and uplifting emotional resonance.

Beautiful, sharp, soft, and layered, Inciting Joy is a unique thumbprint on a world that often focuses on the sharp and critical. Sit down with Ross Gay for a while and feel some love. It'll help... I promise.

Thank you to Algonquin Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

|
]]> 57482391
The only thing he got right was the seductress part. From the instant Vice Pascal rose to her feet, I was irrevocably seduced by the frigid challenge in her eyes.

I can fix things though. That’s what I do. I’ll punish my dad, rebuild my brother’s trust and convince her family that I’m not a monster. Then I’ll seduce my seductress and win the heart of my little artist. Because the only rescue necessary here is the heart I’ll never recover if she denies me.

This book is the first in the new series, Vices and Vows.]]> 103 Layne Daniels Amy 3 read-in-2022, romance 3.5 stars 4.29
author: Layne Daniels
name: Amy
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2022/11/06
date added: 2022/11/06
shelves: read-in-2022, romance
review:
3.5 stars
]]> 58752611
Money. I’ve got it coming out of my ears.

Power. I’m CEO of a large investment bank in Texas. Do I need to say more?

Too bad there’s something missing.

My MC brothers keep me grounded, but I’m swimming in a sea of loneliness. One cold, rainy night, I pull over to help a stranded motorist and get the shock of my life. My soulmate has been living right under my nose for months, yet we’ve never crossed paths.

Unfortunately, meeting her sends my mind reeling and my charming personality is nowhere to be found. When I end up insulting my gorgeous, curvy girl, she puts me in my place and walks away.

She might be determined to write me off as another conceited jerk, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make her mine. Even if I have to fight a little dirty.

These wealthy Texans have it all—Money, looks, power, their MC and brothers. The only thing missing is someone to share it all with. There’s a shortage of eligible ladies in town but these determined men won’t let that slow them down. These MC brothers are going to turn the town of Silver Spoon Falls, Texas, on its ear looking for their curvy, soulmates.

Nichole Rose and Loni Ree are bringing you the Silver Spoon MC and this isn’t your typical MC romance series. Nichole and Loni like to keep things light. Come along with us on this wild instalove ride.]]> 154 Loni Ree Amy 2 mc-romance, read-in-2022 4.01
author: Loni Ree
name: Amy
average rating: 4.01
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2022/11/06
date added: 2022/11/06
shelves: mc-romance, read-in-2022
review:
Not for me! I need to stick to longer books with more room for paced plotting. Good read for those who like just the highlights.
]]> 57693472
Coming home is hard enough for Vera, and to make things worse, she and her mother aren’t alone. A parasitic artist has moved into the guest house out back, and is slowly stripping Vera’s childhood for spare parts. He insists that he isn’t the one leaving notes around the house in her father’s handwriting�� but who else could it possibly be?

There are secrets yet undiscovered in the foundations of the notorious Crowder House. Vera must face them, and find out for herself just how deep the rot goes.]]> 344 Sarah Gailey 1250174724 Amy 3 gothic, horror, read-in-2022
An immaculately described house of horrors, a tense mother-daughter bond, and such agonizingly slow pacing that the reading experience was a bit trance-like. I have complex feelings.

Concept: ★★★★��
Pacing: ��
Characters: ★★ 1/2

Just Like Home is one of those polarizing reads��you either LOVE it, or you don't understand the hype. I am sadly in the second camp... but I still encourage all folks who read horror, gothic literature, or literary fiction on complex family dynamics to give this story a try.

You won't know what camp you're in until you close that final page...

Vera Crowder is coming home for the first time in a long, long time. Her mother's beckoned, and Vera's answered. The fact that it was her mother to send her packing all those years ago doesn't seem to matter—once a Crowder, always a Crowder. And her mother is dying.

Vera arrives.

The Crowder home awaits her with open arms. Vera's father built their family home from the ground up—for reasons—and it's led to the Crowders living there ever since. Despite all of the horrors, the trauma, and Vera's excommunication from the family home, Vera is still glad to come back to her childhood safe place.

The fact that Vera's father turned out to be a convicted serial killer who killed men in their home's basement doesn't tarnish Vera's complex and ultimately reassuring feelings of being back in its hallowed walls.

Yeah... Did I mention that the "horror" element of this book comes out strong right at the beginning? This home is painted in blood just like its cover (just like home).

And, with that, I really can't say more. Just Like Home relies on its sense of foreboding and layers of surprise to reveal its steps in due course. You've got to enter this house of horrors blind.

I think it's important to say that this read seems to be a slight outlier for me—the wrong percentages of certain tropes and items over others, etc., and not a permanent issue that I have with the writing or the story concept. One of my favorite novellas is Gailey's Upright Women Wanted. I also usually love haunted house stories, and my tolerance for gothic pacing (cough cough, slowwww pacing) seems to be growing each year. But something about this particular one hit the wrong buttons for me.

I'm still trying to parse out the exact "why" behind my feelings, but suffice to say I had a really, really hard time engaging with the story. I found it easy to put down... and hard to pick up again. Especially for the first half. Once things got going in the final steps of the book, I found it riveting reading, but by that point I'd already struggled so much throughout the story that I just could not recapture the sense of excitement that I'd had when I'd first picked it up. I also did not get sufficiently wow'd by the final series of reveals to gloss over that first half's glacially slow pacing.

An interesting read. And, if nothing else, a memorable one—horror fans, this one's definitely a good one for some certain spoiler-y tropes!

| ]]> 3.32 2022
author: Sarah Gailey
name: Amy
average rating: 3.32
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/17
date added: 2022/11/02
shelves: gothic, horror, read-in-2022
review:
3.5 stars

An immaculately described house of horrors, a tense mother-daughter bond, and such agonizingly slow pacing that the reading experience was a bit trance-like. I have complex feelings.

Concept: ★★★★��
Pacing: ��
Characters: ★★ 1/2

Just Like Home is one of those polarizing reads��you either LOVE it, or you don't understand the hype. I am sadly in the second camp... but I still encourage all folks who read horror, gothic literature, or literary fiction on complex family dynamics to give this story a try.

You won't know what camp you're in until you close that final page...

Vera Crowder is coming home for the first time in a long, long time. Her mother's beckoned, and Vera's answered. The fact that it was her mother to send her packing all those years ago doesn't seem to matter—once a Crowder, always a Crowder. And her mother is dying.

Vera arrives.

The Crowder home awaits her with open arms. Vera's father built their family home from the ground up—for reasons—and it's led to the Crowders living there ever since. Despite all of the horrors, the trauma, and Vera's excommunication from the family home, Vera is still glad to come back to her childhood safe place.

The fact that Vera's father turned out to be a convicted serial killer who killed men in their home's basement doesn't tarnish Vera's complex and ultimately reassuring feelings of being back in its hallowed walls.

Yeah... Did I mention that the "horror" element of this book comes out strong right at the beginning? This home is painted in blood just like its cover (just like home).

And, with that, I really can't say more. Just Like Home relies on its sense of foreboding and layers of surprise to reveal its steps in due course. You've got to enter this house of horrors blind.

I think it's important to say that this read seems to be a slight outlier for me—the wrong percentages of certain tropes and items over others, etc., and not a permanent issue that I have with the writing or the story concept. One of my favorite novellas is Gailey's Upright Women Wanted. I also usually love haunted house stories, and my tolerance for gothic pacing (cough cough, slowwww pacing) seems to be growing each year. But something about this particular one hit the wrong buttons for me.

I'm still trying to parse out the exact "why" behind my feelings, but suffice to say I had a really, really hard time engaging with the story. I found it easy to put down... and hard to pick up again. Especially for the first half. Once things got going in the final steps of the book, I found it riveting reading, but by that point I'd already struggled so much throughout the story that I just could not recapture the sense of excitement that I'd had when I'd first picked it up. I also did not get sufficiently wow'd by the final series of reveals to gloss over that first half's glacially slow pacing.

An interesting read. And, if nothing else, a memorable one—horror fans, this one's definitely a good one for some certain spoiler-y tropes!

|
]]> 55295313
No one asks me what I want.

But the longer I spend with Malachi, the more I realize that he’s not the monster I first thought, which makes it harder to resist the heat that flares between us. And then his two friends show up and complicate things exponentially.

As long as we’re stuck in this house together, I’m a trap just waiting to be sprung. But if we break free, there’s nothing holding these vampires to me��

In gaining the one thing I want more than anything—my freedom—I might just lose everything.


CW: Dubious consent, blood play, breeding, abusive parent (father), cliffhanger]]> 154 Katee Robert 1951329236 Amy 2 read-in-2022, romance-steamy 3.53 2020
author: Katee Robert
name: Amy
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2022/10/28
date added: 2022/10/28
shelves: read-in-2022, romance-steamy
review:

]]> 33732
Overweight, middle-aged, a bit smelly and obviously depressed, Fred is light-years from perky. But he does manage to put Nina in the path of Alex Moore, her gorgeous, younger-by-a-decade neighbor.

Alex seems perfect--he's a sexy, seemingly sane, surprisingly single E.R. doctor--but the age gap convinces Nina that anyone but Alex would be better relationship material. But with every silver-haired stiff she dates, the more she suspects it's the young, dog-loving doc she wants to sit and stay!]]> 283 Jennifer Crusie 037377138X Amy 4 romance, read-in-2022 3.81 1996
author: Jennifer Crusie
name: Amy
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/18
date added: 2022/10/24
shelves: romance, read-in-2022
review:

]]> 59958354 A deliciously decadent, enchanting YA fantasy about the disturbing secrets lurking in the legendary Hotel Magnifique - perfect for fans of Caraval and The Night Circus.

The legendary Hotel Magnifique is like no other: a magical world of golden ceilings, enchanting soirées and fountains flowing with champagne. It changes location every night, stopping in each place only once a decade. When the Magnifique comes to her hometown, seventeen-year-old Jani hatches a plan to secure jobs there for herself and her younger sister, longing to escape their dreary life.

Luck is on their side, and with a stroke of luminous ink on paper the sisters are swept into a life of adventure and opulence. But Jani soon begins to notice sinister spots in the hotel's decadent façade. Who is the shadowy maître who runs the hotel? And can the girls discover the true price paid by those who reside there - before it's too late?]]> 400 Emily J. Taylor 1782693475 Amy 4 read-in-2022, ya-fantasy
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...

| ]]> 3.96 2022
author: Emily J. Taylor
name: Amy
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/18
date added: 2022/10/24
shelves: read-in-2022, ya-fantasy
review:
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...

|
]]> 44222604
Ages- 16+

Includes some explicit content.]]> 184 Aviaq Johnston 1772272140 Amy 3
A very cool collection with a few standouts that I loved. And, if nothing else, an interesting window into a very harsh landscape with different attitudes to horror than the usual Westernized/White lens.

Atmosphere: ★★★★
Diversity in horror tropes: ★★��
Enjoyment: ★★��

It's always weirdly hard to review a short story collection. Given the wide range story types, lengths, and writing styles included, there always seem to be some all-star favorites and...some duds. Taaqtumi was no exception.

I found this collection to be chilling. Metaphorically AND literally, given its icy landscape setting! (I couldn't resist that reference.)

There are tales that ring of science fiction, of small town horror, of indigenous roots. There are stories about characters of all genders doing a myriad of things and experiencing horrors both large-scale and intimate. The Arctic landscape is its own character in all of them.

I recommend this collection to all horror fans, but more specifically, for those who are also afraid of the unique horrors awaiting us in the dead of winter. The snow, the cold, the sense of permanent isolation... there are things to be afraid of here in the cold dark.

| ]]> 3.68 2019
author: Aviaq Johnston
name: Amy
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/15
date added: 2022/10/24
shelves: horror, read-in-2022, short-stories
review:
3.5 stars

A very cool collection with a few standouts that I loved. And, if nothing else, an interesting window into a very harsh landscape with different attitudes to horror than the usual Westernized/White lens.

Atmosphere: ★★★★
Diversity in horror tropes: ★★��
Enjoyment: ★★��

It's always weirdly hard to review a short story collection. Given the wide range story types, lengths, and writing styles included, there always seem to be some all-star favorites and...some duds. Taaqtumi was no exception.

I found this collection to be chilling. Metaphorically AND literally, given its icy landscape setting! (I couldn't resist that reference.)

There are tales that ring of science fiction, of small town horror, of indigenous roots. There are stories about characters of all genders doing a myriad of things and experiencing horrors both large-scale and intimate. The Arctic landscape is its own character in all of them.

I recommend this collection to all horror fans, but more specifically, for those who are also afraid of the unique horrors awaiting us in the dead of winter. The snow, the cold, the sense of permanent isolation... there are things to be afraid of here in the cold dark.

|
]]> 57878015 I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire. Smoke unfurling out of an upper window and a hectic orange light cascading across the terrace.

By day, Ivy Boscawen mourns the loss of her son Tim in the Great War. But by night she mourns another boy - one whose death decades ago haunts her still.

For Ivy is sure that there is more to what happened all those years ago: the fire at the Great House, and the terrible events that came after. A truth she must uncover, if she is ever to be free.

Brimming with secrets, this lyrical haunting historical thriller is perfect for fans of Elizabeth Macneal, Sarah Waters and Diane Setterfield.]]> 304 Beth Underdown 0241503302 Amy 4
A secret coming back to haunt her. An estate in ruins, once the holder of secrets. A ghost at the edge of sight... It's time to uncover the sins of the past in The Key in the Lock.

Atmosphere: ★★★★��
Characters: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★��

I am entering my Gothic Era and I am so here for it.

This novel was dripping in atmosphere, absolutely drowning in dramatic internal musings, and held a surprisingly dry and witty sense of character. You can ask for nothing less in an old-school gothic novel, honestly.

I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire. Smoke unfurling out of an upper window and a hectic orange light cascading across the terrace.

Ivy Boscawen is writing down her thoughts. The year is 1918-19, and her candle is waning. The time has come to write down all that happened at Polneath all those years ago, and to write about what happened after.

In 1918, Ivy is a mother in mourning. Her son died in the Great War, and her husband's reaction led to more suffering close at home. Life in the Boscawen house is pared down to the essentials and cloaked in a shroud of sadness and secrets.

With her son now dead, Ivy can't help but think its her fault. There was another young boy, several years ago... And his fate was also tragic. She's seeing ghosts in her present, ghosts in her past.

What happened at Polneath all those years ago?

Told in split timelines, one in 1888-89 and one in 1918-19, we slowly uncover the truths behind what happened in the past and what's happening as a result in the present. Ivy's ready to reveal her secrets, and other players have their own secrets to share with us.

This novel was lush and wonderful. I don't have too much to say about the plot itself, besides the fact that I think readers should take note that while this novel does have a "mystery" to it, the real core is the characters and the stiff historic dramas. The whodunit is NOT the reason to stay—its the layers, the tension, and the atmosphere. Step into the halls of Polneath and see for yourself...

The perfect read for fans of Sarah Waters, and for anyone who enjoys a good ol' Gothic.

| ]]> 3.63 2022
author: Beth Underdown
name: Amy
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/08/10
date added: 2022/10/22
shelves: adult-fiction, gothic, historical-fiction, read-in-2022
review:
4 lingering stars��

A secret coming back to haunt her. An estate in ruins, once the holder of secrets. A ghost at the edge of sight... It's time to uncover the sins of the past in The Key in the Lock.

Atmosphere: ★★★★��
Characters: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★��

I am entering my Gothic Era and I am so here for it.

This novel was dripping in atmosphere, absolutely drowning in dramatic internal musings, and held a surprisingly dry and witty sense of character. You can ask for nothing less in an old-school gothic novel, honestly.

I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire. Smoke unfurling out of an upper window and a hectic orange light cascading across the terrace.

Ivy Boscawen is writing down her thoughts. The year is 1918-19, and her candle is waning. The time has come to write down all that happened at Polneath all those years ago, and to write about what happened after.

In 1918, Ivy is a mother in mourning. Her son died in the Great War, and her husband's reaction led to more suffering close at home. Life in the Boscawen house is pared down to the essentials and cloaked in a shroud of sadness and secrets.

With her son now dead, Ivy can't help but think its her fault. There was another young boy, several years ago... And his fate was also tragic. She's seeing ghosts in her present, ghosts in her past.

What happened at Polneath all those years ago?

Told in split timelines, one in 1888-89 and one in 1918-19, we slowly uncover the truths behind what happened in the past and what's happening as a result in the present. Ivy's ready to reveal her secrets, and other players have their own secrets to share with us.

This novel was lush and wonderful. I don't have too much to say about the plot itself, besides the fact that I think readers should take note that while this novel does have a "mystery" to it, the real core is the characters and the stiff historic dramas. The whodunit is NOT the reason to stay—its the layers, the tension, and the atmosphere. Step into the halls of Polneath and see for yourself...

The perfect read for fans of Sarah Waters, and for anyone who enjoys a good ol' Gothic.

|
]]> 28054517 As usual you can pick up this oversized 52 page comic-book for whatever price you want to pay at .]]> 52 Brian K. Vaughan Amy 3 3.90 2015
author: Brian K. Vaughan
name: Amy
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/16
date added: 2022/10/16
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:

]]> 57717417 Witness what the gods do after dark in the second volume of a stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology, featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe.

Persephone was ready to start a new life when she left the mortal realm for Olympus. However, she quickly discovered the dark side of her glamorous new home �� from the relatively minor gossip threatening her reputation to a realm-shattering violation of her safety by the conceited Apollo �� and she's struggling to find her footing in the fast-moving realm of the gods. Hades is also off balance, fighting against his burgeoning feelings for the young goddess of spring while maintaining his lonely rule of the Underworld. As the pair are drawn ever closer, they must untangle the twisted webs of their past and present to build toward a new future.

This edition of Smythe’s original Eisner Award–winning webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 26��49 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.]]> 368 Rachel Smythe 059335608X Amy 3 graphic-novel, read-in-2022
The story is picking up! The art continues to be beautiful. I am still in the “I’m enjoying it, but I’m not loving it�� camp, however. I’m interested to know if all of reviewers here rating this super highly have either already read the webtoon—and therefore already know where the story is going and/or how it gets more complex—OR are here for the immaculate Hades and Persephone vibes that are so on trend right now in romance/etc.

Because, standing completely on its own without knowledge of the story arc�� I am slightly confused by the extreme hype of this series. The story is just barely getting there (for me, all of this is obviously my personal opinion!) in terms of enough complexity to get invested. I love the art! But it seems like…the art is the focus, and the story is a distant second that is slowly closing the gap by the end of this volume.

Interested to continue, as I like the complexity this volume gives us by the end. Please understand this is my opinion and not an attack on this clearly beloved story. Maybe I’m just missing the magic!]]> 4.42 2022
author: Rachel Smythe
name: Amy
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/09
date added: 2022/10/09
shelves: graphic-novel, read-in-2022
review:
3.5 stars

The story is picking up! The art continues to be beautiful. I am still in the “I’m enjoying it, but I’m not loving it�� camp, however. I’m interested to know if all of reviewers here rating this super highly have either already read the webtoon—and therefore already know where the story is going and/or how it gets more complex—OR are here for the immaculate Hades and Persephone vibes that are so on trend right now in romance/etc.

Because, standing completely on its own without knowledge of the story arc�� I am slightly confused by the extreme hype of this series. The story is just barely getting there (for me, all of this is obviously my personal opinion!) in terms of enough complexity to get invested. I love the art! But it seems like…the art is the focus, and the story is a distant second that is slowly closing the gap by the end of this volume.

Interested to continue, as I like the complexity this volume gives us by the end. Please understand this is my opinion and not an attack on this clearly beloved story. Maybe I’m just missing the magic!
]]> 37946419
A siege is approaching, and the city has little time to prepare. The people have no food and no weapons, and the enemy has sworn to slaughter them all.

To save the city will take a miracle, but what it has is Orhan. A colonel of engineers, Orhan has far more experience with bridge-building than battles, is a cheat and a liar, and has a serious problem with authority. He is, in other words, perfect for the job.

]]> 350 K.J. Parker 0316270792 Amy 5
This looped a rope around my ankle and zig-zagged me down the rabbit hole. Hours disappeared as I cackled my way through a bizarre medievalesque alternate fantasy world led but an unreliable and self-deprecating narrator. It was a whirlwind, a masterpiece, a satire, a heist. Can you tell I LOVED it??

Concept: ★★★★
Character: ★★★★��
Sense of Voice: ★★★★��
Witty Humor: ★★★★��

Oooookay. From the lead-in, I hope you gathered that I have completely converted into an absolute superfan for this novel. Don't expect any level of balanced critique—for me, this was perfect. (I know, I'm shook. too. Who'd have thought a book with a cover like that and a battle-focused concept would live on my shelf of greats.)

Orhan is an engineer. More specifically, a colonel of engineering bridge-builders. He and his team of 4,000 men travel across the Empire building bridges. This is what they do.

When the Empire starts to fall to a cleverly executed and unknown invader, however, Orhan's life as a bridge-builder starts to end. The Empire's navy has been lost to the sea. The military's robust defensive supplies and stores are gone. The 13,000-man army has been massacred. And the walled City is now at risk—with no one to defend it.

To the surprise of literally everyone—including Orhan's own men��Orhan decides he might as well give it a go. Protecting the city, he means. It's either be slaughtered trying to run away, or die quickly while defending a well-built siege city. As a former slave to this same Empire in trouble, it's an odd choice for Orhan to make, but Orhan often makes seemingly odd choices. (Even though he's telling the story, who's to say it's the right one.)

So the siege begins.

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City is, to put it simply, AWESOME. K.J. Parker is known for his irreverent humor, his wry twists of concept and story arc and unreliable-yet-begrudgingly-likeable narrators. I thought I was a potential fan with Prosper's Demon. I knew I was a fan with Inside Man. And now I'm sure of it—I'm going to read every novel Parker has ever written under this pseudonym. I must!

Don't go into this novel with more background than the above. (It's more fun that way.)

| ]]> 4.01 2019
author: K.J. Parker
name: Amy
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2022/06/26
date added: 2022/10/05
shelves: fantasy, favorites, great-worldbuilding, read-in-2022
review:
5 stars

This looped a rope around my ankle and zig-zagged me down the rabbit hole. Hours disappeared as I cackled my way through a bizarre medievalesque alternate fantasy world led but an unreliable and self-deprecating narrator. It was a whirlwind, a masterpiece, a satire, a heist. Can you tell I LOVED it??

Concept: ★★★★
Character: ★★★★��
Sense of Voice: ★★★★��
Witty Humor: ★★★★��

Oooookay. From the lead-in, I hope you gathered that I have completely converted into an absolute superfan for this novel. Don't expect any level of balanced critique—for me, this was perfect. (I know, I'm shook. too. Who'd have thought a book with a cover like that and a battle-focused concept would live on my shelf of greats.)

Orhan is an engineer. More specifically, a colonel of engineering bridge-builders. He and his team of 4,000 men travel across the Empire building bridges. This is what they do.

When the Empire starts to fall to a cleverly executed and unknown invader, however, Orhan's life as a bridge-builder starts to end. The Empire's navy has been lost to the sea. The military's robust defensive supplies and stores are gone. The 13,000-man army has been massacred. And the walled City is now at risk—with no one to defend it.

To the surprise of literally everyone—including Orhan's own men��Orhan decides he might as well give it a go. Protecting the city, he means. It's either be slaughtered trying to run away, or die quickly while defending a well-built siege city. As a former slave to this same Empire in trouble, it's an odd choice for Orhan to make, but Orhan often makes seemingly odd choices. (Even though he's telling the story, who's to say it's the right one.)

So the siege begins.

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City is, to put it simply, AWESOME. K.J. Parker is known for his irreverent humor, his wry twists of concept and story arc and unreliable-yet-begrudgingly-likeable narrators. I thought I was a potential fan with Prosper's Demon. I knew I was a fan with Inside Man. And now I'm sure of it—I'm going to read every novel Parker has ever written under this pseudonym. I must!

Don't go into this novel with more background than the above. (It's more fun that way.)

|
]]> 56179356
Her best friend Charm is intent on making Zinnia's last birthday special with a full sleeping beauty experience, complete with a tower and a spinning wheel. But when Zinnia pricks her finger, something strange and unexpected happens, and she finds herself falling through worlds, with another sleeping beauty, just as desperate to escape her fate.]]> 119 Alix E. Harrow 1250765358 Amy 4
Modern, witty, and way more enjoyable than you're potentially imagining. A Spindle Splintered was worth the hype. (And WOW, those illustrations!)

Concept: ★★
Illustrations: ★★★★��
Storyline: ★★★★

I'm guessing you've heard of Sleeping Beauty. Right? If not the Disney version, then you've heard of her, read an adaptation, or gotten a cultural reference.

Sleeping Beauty is one of those princess stories that pervades modern culture and somehow hides its ugliness behind all of the glitter and doll toys. (If you look up the old versions, they are filled with assault and darkness. Ye be warned.)

A Spindle Splintered both showcases that ugliness and shines brighter for it, somehow both a cutting commentary and an uplifting tale of womanhood. The duality shouldn't work, but it does.

And that's really my takeaway from this novella—a lot of things shouldn't have worked for me as a reader, but they did. This was such a pleasant surprise of a fable.

It's witty, it's kind, and it's a bright ray of hope in some truly dark subject areas. The artwork is eerie and perfect. It's just... a great novella.

Looking forward to more of this series. Read it!

| ]]> 3.58 2021
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: Amy
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/07/19
date added: 2022/10/05
shelves: fantasy, read-in-2022, short-stories
review:
4 stars

Modern, witty, and way more enjoyable than you're potentially imagining. A Spindle Splintered was worth the hype. (And WOW, those illustrations!)

Concept: ★★
Illustrations: ★★★★��
Storyline: ★★★★

I'm guessing you've heard of Sleeping Beauty. Right? If not the Disney version, then you've heard of her, read an adaptation, or gotten a cultural reference.

Sleeping Beauty is one of those princess stories that pervades modern culture and somehow hides its ugliness behind all of the glitter and doll toys. (If you look up the old versions, they are filled with assault and darkness. Ye be warned.)

A Spindle Splintered both showcases that ugliness and shines brighter for it, somehow both a cutting commentary and an uplifting tale of womanhood. The duality shouldn't work, but it does.

And that's really my takeaway from this novella—a lot of things shouldn't have worked for me as a reader, but they did. This was such a pleasant surprise of a fable.

It's witty, it's kind, and it's a bright ray of hope in some truly dark subject areas. The artwork is eerie and perfect. It's just... a great novella.

Looking forward to more of this series. Read it!

|
]]> 58662978
This story was originally published in the trade paperback edition of Harrow the Ninth but is now available as a published, single story, by Tordotcom.]]> 24 Tamsyn Muir Amy 4 read-in-2022, science-fiction 4.36 2021
author: Tamsyn Muir
name: Amy
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/23
date added: 2022/09/27
shelves: read-in-2022, science-fiction
review:

]]> 60164729 Joseph Schmalke Amy 4 graphic-novel, read-in-2022 4.00
author: Joseph Schmalke
name: Amy
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2022/01/29
date added: 2022/09/24
shelves: graphic-novel, read-in-2022
review:
Very cool. Dark take on early Viking-esque setting and time. Murder mystery too with a supernatural angle, and the artwork is stunning.
]]> 53205922 The new book by Nebula and Hugo Award-winner, Nnedi Okorafor.

"She’s the adopted daughter of the Angel of Death. Beware of her. Mind her. Death guards her like one of its own."

The day Fatima forgot her name, Death paid a visit. From hereon in she would be known as Sankofa­­--a name that meant nothing to anyone but her, the only tie to her family and her past.

Her touch is death, and with a glance a town can fall. And she walks--alone, except for her fox companion--searching for the object that came from the sky and gave itself to her when the meteors fell and when she was yet unchanged; searching for answers.

But is there a greater purpose for Sankofa, now that Death is her constant companion?]]> 160 Nnedi Okorafor 125077280X Amy 3 3.79 2021
author: Nnedi Okorafor
name: Amy
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2022/09/14
date added: 2022/09/14
shelves: read-in-2022, science-fiction, short-stories
review:
Nnedi Okorafor continues to write beautiful, singular, impossible to predict stories. Review to come!
]]> 55923578 A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.]]> 364 Gina Chen Amy 2 read-in-2022, ya-fantasy
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.

| ]]> 3.50 2022
author: Gina Chen
name: Amy
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2022/09/12
date added: 2022/09/13
shelves: read-in-2022, ya-fantasy
review:
2.5 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.

|
]]> 59787427 240 Sweeney Boo 0063056313 Amy 4 the art is gorgeous with a vibrant dark academia color palette, the story is autumnal in the BEST way, and it’s a witchy magical school that perfectly straddles multiple age groups. It’s also fantastic. I have NO idea why it has such a dull cover and a generic title.

Artwork: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★

With the quaintness of Mooncakes, the grit of a young adult mystery thriller, and the atmosphere of of a witchy magical boarding school, Over My Dead Body is definitely a graphic novel to pick up this spooky season. (And the artwork is GORGEOUS.)

In the days leading up to Samhain, the veil between the world of the dead and the living is at its thinnest.

Abby Younwity is a senior student at Younwity's Institute of Magic, a boarding school for witches. Foundlings with no parents are given the surname of the school, Younwity, and Abby is one such witch.

Younwity students tend to do well at the school, but there's a cautionary tale told by the older students: don't go into the Untamed Wood. Especially if you're a Younwity.

Younwity students who go into the woods...don't always make it out. A girl went into the woods a long time ago and was taken by a demon, so they say. Better safe than sorry.

When Noreen Younwity, Abby's young fledging student pair, is discovered missing, Abby knows something is wrong. Very wrong.

It's time to find Noreen and get to the bottom of the demon in the woods... before it's too late.

And that's all I'll say about the plot. I really want to leave some of the magic and mystery to the reading experience. No spoilers here!

All in all, I think Over My Dead Body was a stunning young adult graphic novel. It was atmospheric, beautiful drawn, and had an engaging plot. This is the perfect read to put you in the fall mindset—the color palette, the witchy vibes, the dark academia setting... Perfection.

I thought the characters were authentic, the representation was fantastic, AND to top it all off, nothing in this graphic novel felt forced or sped up for pacing flaws. This was just... really well done.

This review is a bit bare bones, I know, but don't let that stop you. This was a lot of fun. Pick it up if you're in the mood for a moody autumnal read!

| ]]> 3.85 2022
author: Sweeney Boo
name: Amy
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/11
date added: 2022/09/12
shelves: favorites, graphic-novel, read-in-2022, ya-speculative
review:
This cover does not do a good job representing this graphic novel��the art is gorgeous with a vibrant dark academia color palette, the story is autumnal in the BEST way, and it’s a witchy magical school that perfectly straddles multiple age groups. It’s also fantastic. I have NO idea why it has such a dull cover and a generic title.

Artwork: ★★★★��
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★

With the quaintness of Mooncakes, the grit of a young adult mystery thriller, and the atmosphere of of a witchy magical boarding school, Over My Dead Body is definitely a graphic novel to pick up this spooky season. (And the artwork is GORGEOUS.)

In the days leading up to Samhain, the veil between the world of the dead and the living is at its thinnest.

Abby Younwity is a senior student at Younwity's Institute of Magic, a boarding school for witches. Foundlings with no parents are given the surname of the school, Younwity, and Abby is one such witch.

Younwity students tend to do well at the school, but there's a cautionary tale told by the older students: don't go into the Untamed Wood. Especially if you're a Younwity.

Younwity students who go into the woods...don't always make it out. A girl went into the woods a long time ago and was taken by a demon, so they say. Better safe than sorry.

When Noreen Younwity, Abby's young fledging student pair, is discovered missing, Abby knows something is wrong. Very wrong.

It's time to find Noreen and get to the bottom of the demon in the woods... before it's too late.

And that's all I'll say about the plot. I really want to leave some of the magic and mystery to the reading experience. No spoilers here!

All in all, I think Over My Dead Body was a stunning young adult graphic novel. It was atmospheric, beautiful drawn, and had an engaging plot. This is the perfect read to put you in the fall mindset—the color palette, the witchy vibes, the dark academia setting... Perfection.

I thought the characters were authentic, the representation was fantastic, AND to top it all off, nothing in this graphic novel felt forced or sped up for pacing flaws. This was just... really well done.

This review is a bit bare bones, I know, but don't let that stop you. This was a lot of fun. Pick it up if you're in the mood for a moody autumnal read!

|
]]> 56793220
In Walker Abbott’s mind, there are only two worthwhile things in Greenbelt, South Carolina. The peach cobbler at his old favorite diner and his ailing grandmother. Dragging himself back after more than a decade away, he’s counting down the days until Gram heals and he can get back to his real life. Far away from the trauma inside of those city limits. Just when he thinks his plan is solid, enter Aja to shake everything up.

A hastily made bingo-based sex pact is supposed to keep this��thing between them from getting out of hand. Especially when submitting to their feelings means disrupting their carefully balanced lives. But emotions are just like bingo callers—they refuse to be ignored.

Jodie Slaughter's Bet on It is a heart-stoppingly fun, emotional romance that will have readers falling in love until long after the last page is turned.]]> 320 Jodie Slaughter 1250821827 Amy 3
Can two anxious people overcome their obstacles and find love over a bingo card? Strap in for an emotional and lingering journey.

Concept: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★
Representation vs. Romance: ★★
Enjoyment: ★★��

A small disclaimer for this review: my rating has nothing to do with this book's actual contents. It has more to do with my perception of what this story was going to be based on its description and pitch.

Aja spends each of her days walking hand in hand with her anxiety disorder. It's her constant companion, it affects how she goes about her day, and it occasionally severely impacts how she deals with people and experiences.

So when she has a panic attack in the grocery store one night, the last thing she wants is to meet a cute guy. Said cute guy supports her during her attack, and afterwards Aja flees into the night. She'll never see him again, right?

Well, then the cute guy shows up at Aja's weekly bingo night with the town's senior citizens. Turns out his name is Walker, he's super cute in person, and he's going to be bopping around Aja's life for the next several weeks.

Walker's dealing with some anxiety and other issues on his own, so he not only gets Aja—he's interested in her. Cue the sparks...

Aja and Walker end up in a bizarre bingo pact together that promises to deliver some steam... and they're both very much on board with placing bets on who will come out on top. (In more ways than one.)

I thought Bet On It was a very cute concept for a romance novel. Bingo isn't a sexy activity, really, but the idea of the two young people in a sea of senior citizens having a connection was kind of adorable, and the addition of Aja and Walker's anxieties gave it a very realistic edge.

However... this book kind of lost me when it came to the romance and pacing. I heard "sexy bingo bets" and thought this would be smutty, funny, and quickly paced. Not sure why I thought "quickly paced," exactly, but the other two points seemed like a given.

Instead of a lot of banter and smut, Bet On It delivered on some serious plot points, emotional deep dives, and personalized healing journeys. On a large scale. Not a bad way to go for a general fiction novel about healing from trauma and coping with mental illness, but again, given the hook of "sexy bingo bets" I was...confused. (And bored. I kept getting a bit bored.)

Overall, I thought this novel was extremely sweet and a story of personal triumph over struggle. I will be recommending it to those looking for anxiety representation in stories, and for those who enjoy emotional journey-dominant tropes in their general adult fiction.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

| ]]> 3.51 2022
author: Jodie Slaughter
name: Amy
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/07/25
date added: 2022/09/11
shelves: arcs-reviewed, adult-fiction, read-in-2022
review:
3 stars

Can two anxious people overcome their obstacles and find love over a bingo card? Strap in for an emotional and lingering journey.

Concept: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★
Representation vs. Romance: ★★
Enjoyment: ★★��

A small disclaimer for this review: my rating has nothing to do with this book's actual contents. It has more to do with my perception of what this story was going to be based on its description and pitch.

Aja spends each of her days walking hand in hand with her anxiety disorder. It's her constant companion, it affects how she goes about her day, and it occasionally severely impacts how she deals with people and experiences.

So when she has a panic attack in the grocery store one night, the last thing she wants is to meet a cute guy. Said cute guy supports her during her attack, and afterwards Aja flees into the night. She'll never see him again, right?

Well, then the cute guy shows up at Aja's weekly bingo night with the town's senior citizens. Turns out his name is Walker, he's super cute in person, and he's going to be bopping around Aja's life for the next several weeks.

Walker's dealing with some anxiety and other issues on his own, so he not only gets Aja—he's interested in her. Cue the sparks...

Aja and Walker end up in a bizarre bingo pact together that promises to deliver some steam... and they're both very much on board with placing bets on who will come out on top. (In more ways than one.)

I thought Bet On It was a very cute concept for a romance novel. Bingo isn't a sexy activity, really, but the idea of the two young people in a sea of senior citizens having a connection was kind of adorable, and the addition of Aja and Walker's anxieties gave it a very realistic edge.

However... this book kind of lost me when it came to the romance and pacing. I heard "sexy bingo bets" and thought this would be smutty, funny, and quickly paced. Not sure why I thought "quickly paced," exactly, but the other two points seemed like a given.

Instead of a lot of banter and smut, Bet On It delivered on some serious plot points, emotional deep dives, and personalized healing journeys. On a large scale. Not a bad way to go for a general fiction novel about healing from trauma and coping with mental illness, but again, given the hook of "sexy bingo bets" I was...confused. (And bored. I kept getting a bit bored.)

Overall, I thought this novel was extremely sweet and a story of personal triumph over struggle. I will be recommending it to those looking for anxiety representation in stories, and for those who enjoy emotional journey-dominant tropes in their general adult fiction.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

|
]]> 55077551 Prosper's Demon with a wry, sardonic novella that flips the eternal, rule-governed battle between men and demons on its head.

An anonymous representative of the Devil, once a high-ranking Duke of Hell and now a committed underachiever, has spent the last forever of an eternity leading a perfectly tedious existence distracting monks from their liturgical devotions. It’s interminable, but he prefers it that way, now that he’s been officially designated by Downstairs as “fragile.�� No, he won’t elaborate.

All that changes when he finds himself ensnared, along with a sadistic exorcist, in a labyrinthine plot to subvert the very nature of Good and Evil. In such a circumstance, sympathy for the Devil is practically inevitable.

]]> 127 K.J. Parker 1250786142 Amy 5 What if the good and bad entities of Heaven and Hell lived in an eternal pencil-pushing bureaucratic battle of stabilized opposition? What if you threw in one interesting, free-thinking oddball into the mix?

Welcome to Inside Man.

Humor: ★★★★��
Unique factor: ★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��

Unlike the majority, apparently, I thought this was LEAGUES better than the first novella in this world, Prosper’s Demon. K.J. Parker is becoming an all-time favorite and I'm coming to love anything he writes in this irreverent narrative style.

This is not a deep-dive into world building, or frankly even a medium-level plot. This is a short and snarky novella about humor, internal monologues, extreme situations both real and metaphorical, and the core truths about the origins of faith and organized bureaucracy.

Describing this novella in detail would literally ruin it for you as a reader—this thing is so short—so I won't.

I'll just say that I loved it, I could NOT stop cackling, and I ultimately fell in love with this weird, not actually corporeal demon pencil-pusher with a penchant for fragility (he'd rather not talk about it, thanks).

This is literally the perfect recommendation for anyone who enjoyed Good Omens, or similar tropes of good vs. bad characters snarking each other out of existence.

| ]]> 3.66 2021
author: K.J. Parker
name: Amy
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/05/05
date added: 2022/09/02
shelves: read-in-2022, speculative, short-stories, fantasy
review:
What if the good and bad entities of Heaven and Hell lived in an eternal pencil-pushing bureaucratic battle of stabilized opposition? What if you threw in one interesting, free-thinking oddball into the mix?

Welcome to Inside Man.

Humor: ★★★★��
Unique factor: ★★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★��

Unlike the majority, apparently, I thought this was LEAGUES better than the first novella in this world, Prosper’s Demon. K.J. Parker is becoming an all-time favorite and I'm coming to love anything he writes in this irreverent narrative style.

This is not a deep-dive into world building, or frankly even a medium-level plot. This is a short and snarky novella about humor, internal monologues, extreme situations both real and metaphorical, and the core truths about the origins of faith and organized bureaucracy.

Describing this novella in detail would literally ruin it for you as a reader—this thing is so short—so I won't.

I'll just say that I loved it, I could NOT stop cackling, and I ultimately fell in love with this weird, not actually corporeal demon pencil-pusher with a penchant for fragility (he'd rather not talk about it, thanks).

This is literally the perfect recommendation for anyone who enjoyed Good Omens, or similar tropes of good vs. bad characters snarking each other out of existence.

|
]]> 153007 It is whispered that Kushiel's lineage carries the ability to perceive the flaws in mortal souls, to administer an untender mercy. I sense its presence like a shadow on my soul...the memories of blood and branding and horror, and the legacy of cruelty that runs in my veins, shaping my own secret vow and wielding it like a brand against the darkness, whispering it to myself, over and over.
I will try to be good.

Imriel de la Courcel's blood parents are history's most reviled traitors, but his adoptive parents, the Comtesse Phedre and the warrior-priest Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions. Stolen, tortured, and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood, third in line for the throne in a land that revels in art, beauty, and desire. It is a court steeped in deeply laid conspiracies...and there are many who would see the young prince dead. Some despise him out of hatred for his birth mother Melisande, who nearly destroyed the realm in her quest for power. Others because they fear he has inherited his mother's irresistible allure - and her dangerous gifts. And as he comes of age, plagued by dark yearnings, Imriel shares their fears.

At the royal court, where gossip is the chosen poison and assailants wield slander instead of swords, the young prince fights character assassins while struggling with his own innermost conflicts. But when Imriel departs to study at the fames University of Tiberium, the perils he faces turn infinitely more deadly.

Searching for wisdom, he finds instead a web of manipulation, where innocent words hide sinister meanings, and your lover of last night may become your hired killer before dawn. Now a simple act of friendship will leave Imriel trapped in a besieged city where the infamous Melisande is worshiped as a goddess; where a dead man leads an army; and where the prince must face his greatest test: to find his true self.]]> 944 Jacqueline Carey 044661002X Amy 5 This series holds my heart. 4.21 2006
author: Jacqueline Carey
name: Amy
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/29
date added: 2022/09/01
shelves: fantasy, favorites, read-in-2022
review:
This series holds my heart.
]]> 60865250
Atticus Sloane—misanthrope, criminal, asshole, and vampire—lives in a world where blood isn’t the only thing vamps crave. And for the right price, he’ll make you a vampire too. After all, immortality isn’t cheap.]]> 32 Christian Ward Amy 3
I am very aware that my taste in comics is HEAVILY influenced by my opinions on the artwork. The new, the colorful, the artistically rendered in different ways—the more unique, the better. Blood Stained Teeth is clearly one of those with an immediately pop-off-the-page art style. I love it.

The story itself is also interesting. Vampires have been done�� but I am intrigued to see what new niche is potentially brought out in this series.

Bottom line though for this first volume—that artwork. Gorgeous.]]> 3.57 2022
author: Christian Ward
name: Amy
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/31
date added: 2022/08/31
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:
This! Art!

I am very aware that my taste in comics is HEAVILY influenced by my opinions on the artwork. The new, the colorful, the artistically rendered in different ways—the more unique, the better. Blood Stained Teeth is clearly one of those with an immediately pop-off-the-page art style. I love it.

The story itself is also interesting. Vampires have been done�� but I am intrigued to see what new niche is potentially brought out in this series.

Bottom line though for this first volume—that artwork. Gorgeous.
]]> 60859977 29 Charles Soule Amy 3
First impression: what’s going to happen with this? how can this concept thrive past the shock of it?

Final impression: I like it, I’m interested, but I’m not “need to read the next NOW�� and I can kind of see the next steps.

Interested enough to continue!]]> 4.39 2022
author: Charles Soule
name: Amy
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/31
date added: 2022/08/31
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:
This was quite a concept. The art was good, not my favorite, but very straightforward.

First impression: what’s going to happen with this? how can this concept thrive past the shock of it?

Final impression: I like it, I’m interested, but I’m not “need to read the next NOW�� and I can kind of see the next steps.

Interested enough to continue!
]]> 61108836 35 Peter Milligan Amy 2 3.67
author: Peter Milligan
name: Amy
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2022/08/31
date added: 2022/08/31
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:
Didn’t do much for me�� But it does seem interesting for those who like this type of period (1960s) mob/crime story.
]]> 61447623 31 Sean Lewis Amy 4 3.72
author: Sean Lewis
name: Amy
average rating: 3.72
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2022/08/31
date added: 2022/08/31
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:
Captured my attention from the first panels—and kept it. Love the art style. This first issue left a lot of questions, but it immediately grounded me in character which is a personal favorite. Looking forward to continuing!
]]> 60278075 Rich Douek Amy 4 3.57
author: Rich Douek
name: Amy
average rating: 3.57
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2022/08/29
date added: 2022/08/29
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:
Ominous, very engaging art style�� looking forward to seeing what happens at “happy�� hill��
]]> 61044559
Discover the world of the afterlife, where Jessica has been recruited as a Reaper, tasked with ferrying countless souls to their final destination. But unlike the rest of the Reapers, she has no memory of what killed her and put her into this predicament. In order to unravel the mystery of her own demise, she'll have to solve an even bigger one -- where is the actual GRIM REAPER?]]> 28 Stephanie Phillips 1646688317 Amy 4 4.15 2022
author: Stephanie Phillips
name: Amy
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/08/29
date added: 2022/08/29
shelves: comic-single-issues, read-in-2022
review:

]]>