en-US Sat, 05 Apr 2025 09:43:09 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 214333691 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 400 Suzanne Collins 1546171479 mads 0 taking-a-break 4.73 2025
author: Suzanne Collins
name: mads
average rating: 4.73
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: taking-a-break
review:

]]> 214151316
Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who can’t understand the impossible cost of her powers. This is the only way to keep herself—and those she loves—safe.

But Bree’s decision has come with a terrible price: an unbreakable bargain with the Shadow King himself, a shapeshifter who can move between humanity, the demon underworld, and the Legendborn secret society. In exchange for training to wield her unprecedented abilities, Bree has put her future in the Shadow King’s hands—and unwittingly bound herself to do his bidding as his new protégé.

Meanwhile, the other Scions must face war with their Round Table fractured, leaderless, and missing its Kingsmage, as Selwyn has also disappeared. When Nick is detained by the Order’s Merlins, he invokes an ancient law that requires the High Council of Regents to convene at the Northern Keep and grant him an audience. No one knows what he will demand of them...or what secrets he has kept hidden from the Table.

As a string of mysterious kidnappings escalates and Merlins are found dead, it becomes clear that no matter how hard Bree runs from who she is, the past will always find her.]]> 656 Tracy Deonn 1665951907 mads 4 �� 4.5

well... damn....]]> 4.44 2025
author: Tracy Deonn
name: mads
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: 2025-releases, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2025, ya, ya-fantasy, ya-fantasy-contemporary, ya-retellings
review:
�� 4.5

well... damn....
]]> 200982337 Amari and the Night Brothers meets Nevermoor in this enchanting middle grade fantasy, inspired by Indian mythology and British folklore, about a neurodivergent heroine, a mysterious school, and a world of magical creatures.

Eleven-year-old Vanya Vallen has always felt like she doesn’t fit in. She’s British-Indian in a mostly white town in England, her parents won’t talk about their pasts, and she has ADHD.

Oh, and she talks to books. More importantly, the books talk back.

When her family is attacked by a monster she believed only existed in fairytales, Vanya discovers that her parents have secrets, and that there are a lot more monsters out there. Overnight, she’s whisked off to the enchanted library and school of Auramere, where she joins the ranks of archwitches and archivists.

Life at Auramere is unexpected, exciting and wonderful. But even here, there’s no escaping monsters. The mysterious, powerful Wild Hunt is on the prowl, and Vanya will need all her creativity and courage to unmask its leader and stop them before they destroy the only place she’s ever truly belonged.

From the critically-acclaimed author of the Kiki Kallira series and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches comes an action-packed and magical middle grade fantasy, perfect for fans of J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan.]]> 288 Sangu Mandanna 1250899834 mads 3
Loved the world-building and the rep. It really was done well.

I'd recommend this to my younger siblings and people that really love MG, but maybe not to a kid that's struggling to get into reading.]]> 4.24 2025
author: Sangu Mandanna
name: mads
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: 2025-releases, middle-grade, middle-grade-fantasy, reviewed-2025, series-i-might-finish, rated-3-stars
review:
This was cute, if a bit boring at times. I felt it hard to connect emotionally to the story, like I was listening to someone tell me about the events happening rather than feeling the characters experience them but I'll admit that could just be a me thing.

Loved the world-building and the rep. It really was done well.

I'd recommend this to my younger siblings and people that really love MG, but maybe not to a kid that's struggling to get into reading.
]]> 216148070 ��The Capital of Dreams is not so much a novel to read but one to live (and dream) in. A dark, wistfully comic fable that's as imaginative as it is poignant. An entire world that only Heather O'Neill could create.”—Iain Reid, bestselling author of We Spread and Foe

From the hugely acclaimed author beloved by literary lights, including Emily St. John Mandel, Kelly Link, and Mona Awad, a dark dystopian fairytale about an idyllic country ravaged by war—and a girl torn between safety and loyalty.��

Sofia Bottom lives in Elysia, a small country forgotten by Europe. But inside its borders, the old myths of trees that come alive and faeries who live among their roots have given way to an explosion of the arts and the consolations of philosophy. From the clarinetists to the cabaret singers, no artist is as revered as Sofia’s brilliant mother, the writer Clara Bottom. How can fourteen-year-old Sofia, with her tin ear and enduring love of ancient myths, ever hope to win her mother’s love?

When the country’s greatest enemy invades, and the Capital is under threat, Clara turns to her daughter to smuggle her new manuscript to safety on the last train evacuating children from the city. But when the train draws to a suspicious halt in the middle of a forest, Sofia is forced to run for her life and loses her mother’s most prized possession. Frightened and alone in a country at war, Sofia must find a way to reclaim what she has lost. On an epic journey through woods and razed towns, colliding with soldiers, survivors, and other lost children, Sofia must make the choice between kindness and her own survival.

In this stunning novel set in an imaginative world yet reflective of our own times, Heather O’Neill delivers a vivid, breathtaking dark fairytale of life, death, and betrayal.]]> 368 Heather O'Neill 0063437333 mads 3 3.62 2024
author: Heather O'Neill
name: mads
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves:
review:
RTC? Maybe? I don't know how much I have to say about this.
]]> 108517052 Mona can name anyone's soulmate—but she'll do anything to avoid being matched with her own. Especially when she learns he's the king.

This debut romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros delivers sizzling romance, cutthroat competition, a lush fantasy world, and an unforgettable heroine.

Blessed by the gods, Mona Arnett has the unique ability to divine soulmates, but she refuses to seek out her own—until she learns the king is dying without an heir, threatening the royal line and the world’s access to magic. Tasked with naming his future queen, Mona discovers the king’s soulmate is . . . her.

A royal match is the last thing Mona wants—especially when she starts falling for the king’s closest advisor—so she lies, cheats, and contends with scheming gods to hide the truth. But when this high-stakes game of thrones leads to murder, survival and the fate of the kingdom will depend on her finding the courage to face her destiny.

Delightful wit, spellbinding prose, and a flawed, funny protagonist you'll love from page one make this debut fantasy a must-read.]]> 352 Amanda M. Helander 1368096174 mads 1 3.63 2024
author: Amanda M. Helander
name: mads
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: 2024-releases, new-adult, new-adult-fantasy, rated-1-star, reviewed-2025, series-i-probably-wont-finish
review:
Forgot I never reviewed this, so to put it very briefly: not so good.
]]> 173404001 ��
But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on peering down from skyscrapers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk��—��sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas—who live in the polluted waters below.
��
For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to reform. At last, she has the ear of the city council and a chance to lift the repressive laws that restrict fathomfolk at every turn.��But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn't hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when��a water dragon is exiled to the city.
��
New arrival Nami is an aristocratic water dragon with an opinion on everything.��Frustrated by the lack of progress from Mira's softly-softly approach in gaining equality, Nami throws her lot in with an anti-human extremist��group,��leaving��Mira to find the headstrong youth before she��makes everything��worse.
��
And pulling strings behind everything is Cordelia, a second-generation sea-witch determined to do what she must to survive and see her family flourish, even if it means climbing over the bodies of her competitors. Her political game-playing and underground connections could disrupt everything Nami and Mira are fighting for.
��
When the extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Even Nami realises her new friends are not what they seem.��Both she and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth it, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.]]> 448 Eliza Chan 0316564923 mads 2 Execution: Shark Tale but with less depth.

I get what this book wanted to be. There were moments when I felt like I could see the structure of what it could have been. But, unfortunately, none of those intentions ever felt realized for me.

Part of the issue may have been because the author simply wanted to do too many things. There were too many characters and creatures, the world-building needed to be scaled back a bit so that the reader could find their footing in the story. And instead, it just felt like a constant stream of random information that was expected to make you emotional.

On top of that, as the first line of this review indicates, the vibes were just not there for me. This is going to be super niche and an example of my Christian homeschooled upbringing, but if you've ever seen the Christian show Kingdom Under the Sea from 2003 - that's the energy I was getting. If that show had a baby with Shark Tale and Barbie in A Mermaid Tale, while somehow being incredibly boring and empty.

Overall, this wasn't a terrible book. I see the good in it. I just... think it could have been so much better.]]> 3.14 2024
author: Eliza Chan
name: mads
average rating: 3.14
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: 2024-releases, adult, adult-fabulism, adult-fantasy, adult-urban-fantasy, disappointing, dragons, rated-2-stars, reviewed-2025, series-i-probably-wont-finish
review:
Intention: modern, mythical Atlantis meets Chicago? (The city, not the musical.)
Execution: Shark Tale but with less depth.

I get what this book wanted to be. There were moments when I felt like I could see the structure of what it could have been. But, unfortunately, none of those intentions ever felt realized for me.

Part of the issue may have been because the author simply wanted to do too many things. There were too many characters and creatures, the world-building needed to be scaled back a bit so that the reader could find their footing in the story. And instead, it just felt like a constant stream of random information that was expected to make you emotional.

On top of that, as the first line of this review indicates, the vibes were just not there for me. This is going to be super niche and an example of my Christian homeschooled upbringing, but if you've ever seen the Christian show Kingdom Under the Sea from 2003 - that's the energy I was getting. If that show had a baby with Shark Tale and Barbie in A Mermaid Tale, while somehow being incredibly boring and empty.

Overall, this wasn't a terrible book. I see the good in it. I just... think it could have been so much better.
]]> 212364043
“Be ready for a deadly contest for a bride, mistaken identities, hidden magic, and secrets that will keep you guessing until the end.�� –NISHA J. TULI, internationally bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen

A bladesmith blessed by the stars. A prince with a dangerous secret. A god bound in shadows. From USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard comes a scorching new romantasy that will leave you spellbound.

“His Imperial Majesty King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed guest.��

When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith—one of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm—but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.

But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who captures her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the Starkeeper—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.

When the rebels attack, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the Starkeeper. But Roshan is guarding secrets of his own. And with no control over the power stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of a dark god, an immortal whose interest might be the biggest threat of all.

“Consumes all your attention and leaves you longing for more!�� —Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Stunning .�� —Brigid Kemmerer, New York Times bestselling author

“Pure addictive delight." —Thea Guanzon, New York Times bestselling author

“Amalie Howard at her finest!�� —Danielle L. Jensen, New York Times bestselling author]]> 368 Amalie Howard 0063355841 mads 0 dnf 3.32 2025
author: Amalie Howard
name: mads
average rating: 3.32
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> 211350358
Maya was a rising star in the political world until her ex-husband’s high-profile sex scandal nearly derailed her career. Landing a gubernatorial candidate like Teresa Powell is the fresh start she desperately needs �� a chance to focus on meaningful work and leave the drama behind.

But then an email from her past sends her world spinning: Charlie, former lead singer of Mischief, the boy band that fueled her teenage obsession, is staging a solo comeback and wants Maya’s help to make it happen. Turns out, she likes the grown-up Charlie and his genuine engagement with the world.

Maya’s not about to ditch her political ambitions for a teenage crush, but if she can leverage Charlie to draw attention to the policies she cares about, shouldn’t she give it a try?]]> 176 Alexandra Romanoff mads 3 ��...the passions of young girls are worth nurturing no matter how frivolous they may seem.��

What a pleasant surprise!

I was hesitant to pick this up at first, because this type of story doesn't usually appeal to me but after a few positive recs from people I trust, I decided to give it a try.

It's exactly what it promises to be: a romance novella with the plot of an aged-up boy-band fanfic. But it also has a lot of heart, which is surprising considering the page count. It doesn't shy away from the silliness of the plot, but asks why that silliness is something to be ashamed of - which I found lovely.

Unrelated to the story itself, but I'm always surprised when Jimmy Fallon or someone like that gets written into a story with actual dialogue. How does this work? Does one need Jimmy Fallon's permission before writing a scene where we have him interview a fictional boy-band member turned philanthropist clothing designer? Or can anyone just... use Jimmy Fallon's name in a story? Like if someone - hypothetically - wanted to write a reimagined Thumbelina where Jimmy Fallon inexplicably narrates the entire thing, how would they go about that?

Overall, this was fun and I'm glad I read it.]]> 3.79
author: Alexandra Romanoff
name: mads
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: 2024-releases, adult, adult-contemporary, adult-romance, rated-3-stars, reviewed-2025, standalones
review:
��...the passions of young girls are worth nurturing no matter how frivolous they may seem.��

What a pleasant surprise!

I was hesitant to pick this up at first, because this type of story doesn't usually appeal to me but after a few positive recs from people I trust, I decided to give it a try.

It's exactly what it promises to be: a romance novella with the plot of an aged-up boy-band fanfic. But it also has a lot of heart, which is surprising considering the page count. It doesn't shy away from the silliness of the plot, but asks why that silliness is something to be ashamed of - which I found lovely.

Unrelated to the story itself, but I'm always surprised when Jimmy Fallon or someone like that gets written into a story with actual dialogue. How does this work? Does one need Jimmy Fallon's permission before writing a scene where we have him interview a fictional boy-band member turned philanthropist clothing designer? Or can anyone just... use Jimmy Fallon's name in a story? Like if someone - hypothetically - wanted to write a reimagined Thumbelina where Jimmy Fallon inexplicably narrates the entire thing, how would they go about that?

Overall, this was fun and I'm glad I read it.
]]> 214269328 Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not

Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Her best friend, Lou, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her death has left Lenny feeling completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with Lou, and the list of things she’s supposed to do to help her live again. The only thing she can do is temporary babysitting gigs, and luckily, she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. It’s not perfect: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of... a huge jerk. But if Lenny acts like she has it all together, maybe no one will notice she’s falling apart.

Miles sees right through her though. Turns out, he knows a lot about grief and, surprisingly, he offers her a proposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again�� list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the Lou has left behind, but she begins to spend more time with Miles, Lenny is surprised to discover that, sometimes, losing everything is only the first step to finding yourself, and love, again.]]> 416 Cara Bastone 0593595734 mads 3 “Is it silly that I didn't realize I was drowning until he told me he won't let it happen?��

�� 3.5

This has a little kick to it, ngl lol.

I truly thought I was going to make it through this book without crying despite the facts that 1.) I cried while reading Ready or Not and 2.) I follow at least three people that have posted pictures of themselves crying upon finishing this book. Still, I'm not a big crier and I wasn't meshing super well with the first 40% of this book.

But that last 20%? It got me. I just sat in bed sniffling until I finished the book.

And then I impulsively rated it 4 stars (because emotions) and went to sleep. However, after reflection upon waking, I think 3.5 stars is a more accurate rating to how I felt about the book overall. Don't get me wrong. I liked this book, I thought aspects of it were beautiful and the scene where [spoilers removed] was equal parts beautiful and devastating.

However! I still felt like this fell short of what it could have been. In fact, for nearly the entire first half, I wasn't liking the book at all. Part of this is due to the fact I don't like grumpy male x sunshine female. (Even though this gets explained and Miles isn't this way this whole book, I'm still not a big fan of the really kind, borderline manic pixie dream girl protagonist and the asshole glower man. Maybe this is because I'm the asshole glower person, who knows.)

Some of this is due to the dialogue occasionally feeling stilted or the plot meandering a bit, with certain parts dragging while others (that deserved to be fleshed out) were rushed past.

And then there's also the incredibly personal gripe section, like the part where he's chewing by her ear and she's into it. That's a completely subjective ick and I accept that.

With that being said, this was such an easy read. Not in terms of subject matter, but because Cara Bastone's writing style works really well for me. I find that I can visualize everything she writes really easily and her characters - whether I like them or not - do feel really real, which is impressive.

Overall, this was definitely a good read and I recommend it, just maybe not quite as much as I thought I would before I read it. ]]> 4.28 2025
author: Cara Bastone
name: mads
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/12
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: 2025-releases, adult-contemporary, adult, adult-romance, standalones, rated-3-stars, reviewed-2025
review:
“Is it silly that I didn't realize I was drowning until he told me he won't let it happen?��

�� 3.5

This has a little kick to it, ngl lol.

I truly thought I was going to make it through this book without crying despite the facts that 1.) I cried while reading Ready or Not and 2.) I follow at least three people that have posted pictures of themselves crying upon finishing this book. Still, I'm not a big crier and I wasn't meshing super well with the first 40% of this book.

But that last 20%? It got me. I just sat in bed sniffling until I finished the book.

And then I impulsively rated it 4 stars (because emotions) and went to sleep. However, after reflection upon waking, I think 3.5 stars is a more accurate rating to how I felt about the book overall. Don't get me wrong. I liked this book, I thought aspects of it were beautiful and the scene where [spoilers removed] was equal parts beautiful and devastating.

However! I still felt like this fell short of what it could have been. In fact, for nearly the entire first half, I wasn't liking the book at all. Part of this is due to the fact I don't like grumpy male x sunshine female. (Even though this gets explained and Miles isn't this way this whole book, I'm still not a big fan of the really kind, borderline manic pixie dream girl protagonist and the asshole glower man. Maybe this is because I'm the asshole glower person, who knows.)

Some of this is due to the dialogue occasionally feeling stilted or the plot meandering a bit, with certain parts dragging while others (that deserved to be fleshed out) were rushed past.

And then there's also the incredibly personal gripe section, like the part where he's chewing by her ear and she's into it. That's a completely subjective ick and I accept that.

With that being said, this was such an easy read. Not in terms of subject matter, but because Cara Bastone's writing style works really well for me. I find that I can visualize everything she writes really easily and her characters - whether I like them or not - do feel really real, which is impressive.

Overall, this was definitely a good read and I recommend it, just maybe not quite as much as I thought I would before I read it.
]]> 60657590 A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love, in this heartwarming and enchanting fantasy.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party—or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones—the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all—her own heart.]]> 352 Heather Fawcett 0593500148 mads 3 “One doesn’t need magic if one knows enough stories.��

�� 3.5

TW: abandonment, ableism [spoilers removed], alcohol, animal cruelty, animal death, blood, body horror, child abuse, child death, confinement, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, murder, physical abuse, self-harm, sexual harassment, slavery, violence.

After intending to pick up this book for over a year now, I finally read it and I'm... conflicted.

It was charming and cozy and all of the lovely things everyone said it was; but it was also jarringly dark at times, slightly disjointed in both tone and plot, and extremely ableist [spoilers removed]

I don't mind when books are dark, particularly when dealing with faeries. If anything, I appreciate that the faeries weren't sanitized for the sake of not touching on dark topics. It was simply the way they were handled that I wasn't fond of.

Again with the conflicted feelings, I loved the banter between Wendell and Emily - but I didn't care for the development of their romance(?). Some part of me wishes they could have just remained acerbic yet secretly caring friends. If they were meant to be romantic, we could have... built up to it differently than what actually happened.

If you're one of the few people left that hasn't read this yet, I would recommend it if you're a fan of A Natural History of Dragons and The Spiderwick Chronicles but not if you're easily bored by slow-paced, meandering plots. (Something I tend to love!)

Overall, I can completely see why this book is as beloved as it is; it truly is a delightful, almost cinematic read. Despite my criticisms, I also really enjoyed it and I'm hopeful that book 2 will be even better as well as improving upon the problematic aspects. ]]> 3.99 2023
author: Heather Fawcett
name: mads
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/03/13
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: 2023-releases, adult, adult-fabulism, adult-historical-fiction, adult-fantasy, reviewed-2024, cozy-fantasy, rated-3-stars, completed-series
review:
“One doesn’t need magic if one knows enough stories.��

�� 3.5

TW: abandonment, ableism [spoilers removed], alcohol, animal cruelty, animal death, blood, body horror, child abuse, child death, confinement, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, murder, physical abuse, self-harm, sexual harassment, slavery, violence.

After intending to pick up this book for over a year now, I finally read it and I'm... conflicted.

It was charming and cozy and all of the lovely things everyone said it was; but it was also jarringly dark at times, slightly disjointed in both tone and plot, and extremely ableist [spoilers removed]

I don't mind when books are dark, particularly when dealing with faeries. If anything, I appreciate that the faeries weren't sanitized for the sake of not touching on dark topics. It was simply the way they were handled that I wasn't fond of.

Again with the conflicted feelings, I loved the banter between Wendell and Emily - but I didn't care for the development of their romance(?). Some part of me wishes they could have just remained acerbic yet secretly caring friends. If they were meant to be romantic, we could have... built up to it differently than what actually happened.

If you're one of the few people left that hasn't read this yet, I would recommend it if you're a fan of A Natural History of Dragons and The Spiderwick Chronicles but not if you're easily bored by slow-paced, meandering plots. (Something I tend to love!)

Overall, I can completely see why this book is as beloved as it is; it truly is a delightful, almost cinematic read. Despite my criticisms, I also really enjoyed it and I'm hopeful that book 2 will be even better as well as improving upon the problematic aspects.
]]> 214268995 A passionate vice principal and a guarded science teacher compete for a grand prize, only to realize their budding relationship might be the real jackpot.

Brianna Rogers has been told a time (or six) she needs to stop jumping into things head first. But when the principal rescinds his approval for a library upgrade, deciding to spend the money on a football field instead, she sees red. Literally. Brianna throws her hat in the ring and joins a team of teachers who will spend their summer in a Mars simulation. As the sister of an astronaut, this should be easy, right? What she didn’t count on was the last-minute addition to the team—Roman: science teacher, son of the principal, and too handsome for his own good.


Roman and Brianna have been hot and cold all year, and living in close quarters intensifies their animosity and attraction. Brianna is sure he’s been sent by his father to sabotage them, foiling their chance at prize money that will cover all of the school’s actual needs. But each day, Roman proves himself to be a dedicated teammate—and Brianna finds herself falling harder and harder. While it’s clear the feeling is mutual, she can’t shake the sense that he’s hiding something. As the simulation nears its end, Brianna realizes she may have to make an impossible choice, between the school she’s dedicated herself to, and the man who has won his way into her heart.]]> 320 Etta Easton 0593640241 mads 1 “The only way you can let me down is if you started hiding who you are. You may think I bring out the best in you, but I'm only helping you see the man who is already there. The man I love.��

I really did intend on giving this a higher rating, but after what had to be the fiftieth time of me being incredibly grossed out... I realized any higher would be insincere.

I went into this with pretty high expectations because I really enjoyed The Kiss Countdown when I read it last month. It was fluffy and fun, with likeable characters and just enough weight to the story to keep me interested. In my review, I even mentioned the fact I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't get the ick from the story.

The Kiss Countdown didn't have the mmc [spoilers removed] though, which is an obvious difference. (This line shows up in a love letter/journal entry meant for the fmc to read, it's in reference to him discovering new foods he likes, and even if it was joking, I don't want to read it <3)

My personal disgust aside, I also really disliked the romance in this book. From the very beginning, it sounds as if Brianna is much more interested in Roman than he is in her. Some of this is because he keeps his cards close to his chest, but it's also because a lot of their previous relationship was made up of silent interactions Brianna read into. I would say it takes 60% of the story for Roman to show any real interest in her, though she thinks they're already in a forbidden tryst.

The plot itself was okay, though it often felt like it was trying to heighten the very low stakes - which just made the stakes seem even lower. The dialogue was incredibly cringe-inducing, with the fmc seriously saying, "I may be delulu, but I'm delulu and happy." and "sure hope this doesn't awaken anything in me." at different points.

I will say, more than any other genre, I really do think romance comes down more to personal preference than anything else. The things that made this book really difficult for me to read, might work really well for someone else. I'm only listing my issues so that if you have the same ones, you can decide whether or not you want to give this one a try.

Overall, I appreciate what this book was trying to be, but it just let me down. While I wouldn't recommend this, I would definitely recommend you try out The Kiss Countdown if you're looking for a sweet romance book that delivers. ]]> 3.56 2025
author: Etta Easton
name: mads
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: 2025-releases, adult, adult-contemporary, adult-romance, disappointing, rated-1-star, reviewed-2025
review:
“The only way you can let me down is if you started hiding who you are. You may think I bring out the best in you, but I'm only helping you see the man who is already there. The man I love.��

I really did intend on giving this a higher rating, but after what had to be the fiftieth time of me being incredibly grossed out... I realized any higher would be insincere.

I went into this with pretty high expectations because I really enjoyed The Kiss Countdown when I read it last month. It was fluffy and fun, with likeable characters and just enough weight to the story to keep me interested. In my review, I even mentioned the fact I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't get the ick from the story.

The Kiss Countdown didn't have the mmc [spoilers removed] though, which is an obvious difference. (This line shows up in a love letter/journal entry meant for the fmc to read, it's in reference to him discovering new foods he likes, and even if it was joking, I don't want to read it <3)

My personal disgust aside, I also really disliked the romance in this book. From the very beginning, it sounds as if Brianna is much more interested in Roman than he is in her. Some of this is because he keeps his cards close to his chest, but it's also because a lot of their previous relationship was made up of silent interactions Brianna read into. I would say it takes 60% of the story for Roman to show any real interest in her, though she thinks they're already in a forbidden tryst.

The plot itself was okay, though it often felt like it was trying to heighten the very low stakes - which just made the stakes seem even lower. The dialogue was incredibly cringe-inducing, with the fmc seriously saying, "I may be delulu, but I'm delulu and happy." and "sure hope this doesn't awaken anything in me." at different points.

I will say, more than any other genre, I really do think romance comes down more to personal preference than anything else. The things that made this book really difficult for me to read, might work really well for someone else. I'm only listing my issues so that if you have the same ones, you can decide whether or not you want to give this one a try.

Overall, I appreciate what this book was trying to be, but it just let me down. While I wouldn't recommend this, I would definitely recommend you try out The Kiss Countdown if you're looking for a sweet romance book that delivers.
]]> 211809571 The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

Book Three of the Emily Wilde Series]]> 368 Heather Fawcett 0593500237 mads 4 “I have learned there is one thing a person never tires of, no matter how long they live. And that is being in love. All else is ash and ember.��

I'm pretending this trilogy isn't completed until further notice ]]> 4.27 2025
author: Heather Fawcett
name: mads
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: 2025-releases, adult, adult-fabulism, adult-fantasy, adult-historical-fantasy, adult-historical-fiction, cozy-fantasy, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2025
review:
“I have learned there is one thing a person never tires of, no matter how long they live. And that is being in love. All else is ash and ember.��

I'm pretending this trilogy isn't completed until further notice
]]> 212808316 Brimming with magic and romance, a young fairy queen must form an unlikely alliance or risk an unspeakable danger destroying all she holds dear in this standalone YA novel from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft.

It’s been centuries since a warm-season fairy in Pixie Hollow has crossed into the Winter Woods, and while most fear the legends of monsters lurking in the frozen lands, Clarion, can’t help being intrigued by Winter’s stoic beauty. But under the watchful eyes of the current monarch and the court's seasonal ministers, Clarion has little time to dwell on daydreams while the days to her coronation dwindle away.

That is, until reports of a monster crossing from Winter into Spring make their way to the palace. Clarion sees defeating this threat as an opportunity to prove that she is worthy of her new role. But instead of finding a monster at the edge of Winter, she finds Milori, a young guardian of the Winter Woods. Together, they form an unlikely bond as they race to save their lands.

But as their alliance warms to something more, they will discover there is a reason a warm-season fairy and a winter fairy must not be together. And the cost could be just as deadly as the monsters that prowl the Winter Woods.

Discover the origin of the sweeping, star-crossed romance between the queen of Pixie Hollow and the lord of the Winter Woods.]]> 400 Allison Saft 1368098452 mads 4 “It was strangely comforting�� and strangely beautiful, to be known without having to speak a word.��

This was a delight!!

I'm admittedly pretty picky when it comes to Disney novelizations (and very critical about continuations/add-ons), so when this got announced, I was pretty concerned it was going to be a disaster. I've never been happier to be proven wrong.

This book made me feel like I was a child again.

Tinkerbell was always my younger sister's thing, so while I never considered it one of my interests, I can also say I've watched each of the movies more times than I can count. (The Lost Treasure is the best; fight me.) I can happily say I feel this did the movies justice, while aging the story up (just a bit) for a YA audience. While reading, I felt the author genuinely cared about the original story and it showed with how she wrote certain aspects - such as the minister of Autumn, I love him so much.

As for the plot itself, I loved getting a glimpse into Queen Clarion's backstory and seeing her before she was quite so stoic and ethereal. Her transformation throughout the book and her slowly coming to terms with her own feelings/beliefs was really lovely. She has flawed moments, but not in ways that are unbelievable for her future self to have made - if that makes any sense.

I also loved how light and innocent the romance was in here, while still being angsty. There are also sapphic fairies?? with 10+ years of pining?? they're so precious. I love them.

I think this review ended up a bit ramble-y, but hopefully I was able to convey how happy this made me. It felt like a warm hug and made me want to rewatch all of the Pixie Hollow movies, which is one of the best compliments you can give to a novelization/continuation of a Disney series. ]]> 4.27 2025
author: Allison Saft
name: mads
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: 2025-releases, owls, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2025, standalones, ya, ya-fantasy, ya-retellings
review:
“It was strangely comforting�� and strangely beautiful, to be known without having to speak a word.��

This was a delight!!

I'm admittedly pretty picky when it comes to Disney novelizations (and very critical about continuations/add-ons), so when this got announced, I was pretty concerned it was going to be a disaster. I've never been happier to be proven wrong.

This book made me feel like I was a child again.

Tinkerbell was always my younger sister's thing, so while I never considered it one of my interests, I can also say I've watched each of the movies more times than I can count. (The Lost Treasure is the best; fight me.) I can happily say I feel this did the movies justice, while aging the story up (just a bit) for a YA audience. While reading, I felt the author genuinely cared about the original story and it showed with how she wrote certain aspects - such as the minister of Autumn, I love him so much.

As for the plot itself, I loved getting a glimpse into Queen Clarion's backstory and seeing her before she was quite so stoic and ethereal. Her transformation throughout the book and her slowly coming to terms with her own feelings/beliefs was really lovely. She has flawed moments, but not in ways that are unbelievable for her future self to have made - if that makes any sense.

I also loved how light and innocent the romance was in here, while still being angsty. There are also sapphic fairies?? with 10+ years of pining?? they're so precious. I love them.

I think this review ended up a bit ramble-y, but hopefully I was able to convey how happy this made me. It felt like a warm hug and made me want to rewatch all of the Pixie Hollow movies, which is one of the best compliments you can give to a novelization/continuation of a Disney series.
]]> 223889699
But Prague is an old and dangerous city, steeped in folklore and mystery. For over two thousand years, the tides of history have washed back and forth over it, leaving behind echoes of everything that has gone before. Little can Langdon know that he is being stalked by a spectre from that dark past. He must use all of his arcane knowledge to decipher the world around him before he too is consumed by the rings of treachery and deception that have swallowed Katherine.

Against a backdrop of vast castles, towering churches, graveyards buried twelve deep and labyrinthine underground passages, Langdon must navigate a shadow city hiding in plain sight, a city which has successfully kept its secrets for centuries and will not readily deliver them. This is a battlefield unlike any he has previously experienced, one on which he must fight not for his only life, but for the future of humanity itself.

The Secret Of Secrets is Dan Brown’s first novel for over eight years and sees the stunning return of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, this time pitting his wits against a conspiracy which will test even his considerable brainpower and take him to the edge of losing all that he holds dear…]]> 688 Dan Brown 0385546890 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.77 2025
author: Dan Brown
name: mads
average rating: 4.77
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 60784878 Moses Ose Utomi's debut novella, The Lies of the Ajungo, follows one boy’s epic quest to bring water back to his city and save his mother’s life. Prepare to enter the Forever Desert.

A Library Journal Best Book of the Month!

They say there is no water in the City of Lies. They say there are no heroes in the City of Lies. They say there are no friends beyond the City of Lies. But would you believe what they say in the City of Lies?

In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will be thirteen in three days, but his parched mother won’t last that long. So Tutu goes to his oba and makes a she provides water for his mother, and in exchange he will travel out into the desert and bring back water for the city. Thus begins Tutu’s quest for the salvation of his mother, his city, and himself.

The Lies of the Ajungo opens the curtains on a tremendous world, and begins the epic fable of the Forever Desert. With every word, Moses Ose Utomi weaves magic.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 90 Moses Ose Utomi 1250848423 mads 4
I've said it before and I'll say it again: the ability that certain authors have to create such complex fantasy stories in the space of a novella will never cease to amaze me. This was no exception. Gripping from the first page and intriguing until the last. (Even though you might be able to guess where the plot is going, that doesn't stop the gut-punch once you actually reach it.)

This also had such a good message. I love when allegory is utilized the way it was in here and I've heard the series only goes deeper, so I can't wait to carry on. ]]> 4.29 2023
author: Moses Ose Utomi
name: mads
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: 2023-releases, adult, adult-fantasy, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2025, series-i-might-finish
review:
Brief review because I just realized I forgot to this weekend.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: the ability that certain authors have to create such complex fantasy stories in the space of a novella will never cease to amaze me. This was no exception. Gripping from the first page and intriguing until the last. (Even though you might be able to guess where the plot is going, that doesn't stop the gut-punch once you actually reach it.)

This also had such a good message. I love when allegory is utilized the way it was in here and I've heard the series only goes deeper, so I can't wait to carry on.
]]> 222361669
When high school librarian Yael’s secret podcast starts to take off, she decides to hire Kevin, a remote freelance editor/producer so she can manage juggling her mental health, day job, and the queer teen book club she’s been hosting at school after hours. To maintain her anonymity, they communicate strictly via email and Kevin only knows her by her podcast persona, Elle.

Little does Yael know that Kevin, who in real life goes by his middle name, Ravi, is the same man she tore apart for climbing out of her bedroom window after a one night stand with her roommate, Charlie. And she certainly never expects him to show up to volunteer at her book club.

In person, Yael and Ravi clash until their sparks turn into something more. Over email, Elle and Kevin are starting to fall hard when they decide to keep things strictly professional. But when Ravi discovers the truth, will keeping it a secret mean the end of everything he’s built with Yael/Elle? And what happens when she finds out? Will they fall twice as hard, or cut ties in more ways than one?]]> Rachel Runya Katz 1250369983 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 5.00
author: Rachel Runya Katz
name: mads
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 62601344 Rosaria Munda mads 0 2026-anticipated-releases 4.50
author: Rosaria Munda
name: mads
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: 2026-anticipated-releases
review:
This book was just announced and it’s already my favorite book of 2024
]]> 228393488 Howl's Moving Castle meets Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries in this enchanting and nostalgic YA fairytale from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi in which a young prince destined to die by the hand of his bride, and a veritas swan who has escaped her treacherous father, seek protection in one another and discover that the only thing more formidable than a curse...is love.]]> 352 Roshani Chokshi 125087310X mads 0 2026-anticipated-releases 0.0
author: Roshani Chokshi
name: mads
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: 2026-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 217060000 Drawing on inspiration from the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India, debut author Maithree Wijesekara plunges readers into the first amazing book of the Obsidian Throne trilogy, a new fantasy series of hunted witches, romantic angst, and political intrigue. Perfect for fans of The Hurricane Wars and The Jasmine Throne.

A prince born into violence, seeking peace.

Prince Ashoka is the youngest son of the tyrannical Emperor Adil Maurya. Considered an outcast by his father for his rejection of the emperor’s brutal onslaught against the witches of the empire, Ashoka longs for change. When the sudden and unexpected death of his father leaves the monarchy in disarray, Ashoka is sent to govern a tumultuous region annexed by Emperor Adil that is terrorized by nature spirits—a task many see as doomed to fail. Suspected by a disdainful governor and evaded by distrustful witches, Ashoka must question his rigid ideals and fight against becoming the one person he despises the most—his father.

A witch shackled by pacifism, seeking revenge.

Shakti is a a witch bound by a pacifist code. After witnessing the murder of her aunt and village at the hands of the emperor, Shakti hurtles down a path of revenge, casting a curse with unexpected consequences. Posing as a maidservant in the famed palace of the Mauryas and armed with newfound powers beyond her imagination, Shakti attempts to dismantle the monarchy from within by having the royal progeny ruin themselves and turn their father’s legacy into nothing but ash.

In a world where nature spirits roam the land, and witches are hunted to extinction, Ashoka and Shakti will be forced to grapple with the consequences of to take it for themselves or risk losing it completely.]]> 384 Maithree Wijesekara 0063420554 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 3.49 2025
author: Maithree Wijesekara
name: mads
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 218695913 A page-turning, irresistible novel of class, ambition, and bisexuality, this is the breathtaking story of a woman risking everything for a second chance at her first love.

Emily has, by all appearances, a beautiful a townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, two healthy children, and a husband who showers her with attention. But the truth is more Emily’s marriage is in trouble, her relationship with her parents is fraught, and she is still nursing a heartbreak from long ago. When Emily runs into her high school best friend, Gen, at a cocktail party, that heartbreak comes roaring back. But Gen Hall is no longer the lanky, hungry kid with holes in her shoes who Emily loved in her youth. Instead, Gen is now a prominent Olympic athlete with sponsorship deals and a string of high-profile ex-girlfriends. Emily and Gen circle one another cautiously, both drawn together by a magnetic attraction and scarred by their shared history. Once upon a time, Gen knew everything about Emily. And yet, she still abandoned her. Can Emily trust Gen again? Can they forgive each other for mistakes they made in their youth? Can Emily risk her children, her privacy, and the fragile peace she has found with her family just to be with a woman she loved long ago?

A sweeping queer romance, Ordinary Love is the beautiful, wrenching, completely seductive story of two people trying to forge a path through fear, bound by a love they discovered when they were too young to understand its power.]]> 368 Marie Rutkoski 0593803264 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.22 2025
author: Marie Rutkoski
name: mads
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 217388273 #1 NYT-bestselling YA author Renee Ahdieh's adult debut novel, about a young lawyer who gets pulled in to manage a crisis with her firm's biggest client, a family whose Korean beauty brand is worth a billion dollars, pitched as CRAZY RICH ASIANS meets SUCCESSION

Jia Song was always destined for greatness. As the daughter of Korean bodega owners, she promised herself that she would have every Fifth Avenue luxury when she grew up, and it is all within reach. She has just made junior partner at her prestigious Manhattan law firm, she has two best friends who are always there for her, and she is even about to score the ultra-luxe Birkin bag of her dreams. Sure, maybe her love life is in shambles and she’s spending too much time at the office. But she is set up to become the firm’s next star. So when her boss asks her for a Friday morning favor, sitting in on the hush-hush family implosion of a high-level client, she accepts without hesitation—only to find out that the client in question is one of the most famous Korean families in the world.

The Park family’s net worth is estimated at a billion dollars, and their mega-successful Korean beauty brand has shaped the culture for the past two decades. But the patriarch is filing for divorce while his wife is dying, and their three children can’t stop snapping at each other. With both the family fortune and legacy under threat from the worst kind of scandal, it’s up to Jia to set things right—and she only has a month to do it. Suddenly, Jia is thrust into the three Park siblings�� back-stabbing family politics and embroiled in a drama that feels straight out of a Korean soap opera. As Jia sorts through the lies and subterfuge, chasing the truth across the globe on private jets, she finds herself falling for this broken, badly-behaving family in ways she can’t quite explain. But it is also becoming all too clear that the Parks are hiding dark secrets, from themselves and from Jia. Can she separate the truth from the lies in time to protect the Parks�� fortune and secure her success at the firm? And can she hold on to what’s most important, even if it means admitting that what she always wanted isn’t what she actually needs?]]> 320 Renée Ahdieh 1250897955 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.07 2025
author: Renée Ahdieh
name: mads
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 215366113 A delightful queer romantic fantasy full of friends-to-lovers chemistry, found family, rival family drama, and cozy garden magic from two acclaimed YA authors making their adult debut

Yael Clauneck is more interested in drinking and flirting than joining their powerful family’s business. They’re on the precipice of a predetermined life when they flee their own graduation party, galloping away in search of . . . well, they’re not sure, but maybe the chance to feel like life can still be a grand adventure.

Margot Greenwillow—talented plant witch, tea lover, and greenhouse owner—has never felt further from adventure in her life. She’s been desperately trying to keep what remains of her family’s magic remedies business afloat. So when Yael, her childhood friend and former crush, rides back into her life, she’s shocked. But perhaps this could be a good thing. After all, Margot could use an assistant in the greenhouses.

Yael has no experience or, honestly, practical skills, but they’re delighted to accept the job. They can lay low for a while, flirting with Margot and figuring out what to do next. Meanwhile, Margot has plans of her own—but plans are notoriously unreliable, and unlikely to survive a swiftly blooming mutual attraction, not to mention the machinations of parents determined to get their heir back . . . no matter the cost.]]> 351 Jamie Pacton 0593873661 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 3.37 2025
author: Jamie Pacton
name: mads
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 213344066 Fans of Allison Saft and Margaret Rogerson will be swept away into this lush and beguiling sapphic romantasy from the bestselling author of Flowerheart, Catherine Bakewell.

Ofelia has lived her life dreaming of entering Le Château Enchanté—the mysterious court of the gods-blessed King Léo, where the shadow monsters that roam Ofelia’s home never trespass.

Lope has lived her life as a knight, defending Ofelia and her home from Shadows even as she dreams of escaping with Ofelia by her side.

When the Shadows venture too close, Lope and Ofelia are thrust into a journey that will lead them to the heart of the darkness haunting their home: the dazzling and deceptive Château Enchanté itself.

A mesmerizing daydream with a subtle edge of darkness that will leave you utterly unable to put it down, Where Shadows Bloom pits terrifying monsters, chilling secrets, capricious gods, immortal kings, and death itself against the unstoppable love between two girls.]]> 432 Catherine Bakewell 0063359081 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 3.64 2025
author: Catherine Bakewell
name: mads
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 222417204 Godkiller meets Powerless in this epic gods-and-monsters romantic fantasy from British Fantasy Award-winning author Jen Williams.

Welcome to a world where gods and monsters roam the earth . . .

Elver is the guardian of the wild and dangerous monster forest. Saved from the brink of death by a god, her skin will poison anyone she touches.

Artair is on a mission—one that takes him face-to-face with Elver at her most ruthless. But her defenses are useless when she discovers he's the only human impervious to her deadly gift. For Artair isn't human: he's one of the Sleepless, cursed to share his body with an evil spirit.

Lucian inhabits their body while Artair sleeps, and he is hell-bent on manipulating Elver for his dark purposes. But Elver is harbouring secrets too, and she has her own reasons for feigning an alliance with these two souls.

Caught in the crossfire of gods, monsters, and a dangerous magic they can barely understand, it is only a matter of time before the paths the three of them choose to take will set alight the very foundations of their world.

With a love triangle like you’ve never seen it, incredible world-building, brilliant writing, and a dangerous quest, The Sleepless will have you spellbound.]]> 336 Jen Williams 125040925X mads 0 arc-tbr 3.88 2025
author: Jen Williams
name: mads
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: arc-tbr
review:

]]> 165938183 Two former high school sweethearts get a second chance in this marriage of convenience romance by Kristina Forest, author of The Neighbor Favor.

To Violet Greene, fashion is everything. As a successful celebrity stylist, she travels all over the world, living out her dreams. Professionally, she’s thriving, but her personal life is in shambles. After surviving a very public breakup with her ex-fiancé six months ago, Violet is now determined to focus on her career. But life hands her something—or rather, someone—that might derail everything��

Xavier Wright did not expect to run into his high school girlfriend Violet—the girl he once thought he’d marry—on a birthday trip to Vegas. As a high school teacher and basketball coach, he rarely leaves his New Jersey hometown, so what were the chances? But when the initial shock wears off, they decide to celebrate together. They feel young and reckless as they party the night away—and reckless they clearly were when the following morning, they wake up beside each other with rings on their fingers.

Their impulsive nuptials might be a blessing in disguise, though, when they realize that both of their careers could benefit from the marriage. So they play the part of a blissfully wedded couple. Yet when their passion comes hurling back, they realize their feelings are just as real as they were back when they were teens. But are their lives too different to stick it through or will they finally get a happy ending?]]> 416 Kristina Forest 0593546466 mads 3
I liked this one more than the first in the companion trilogy! I still had some of the same issues, such as a lot of plot points not being as developed as I would've liked.

But! There was definitely more depth to this one and even though it can feel like insta-love, the characters' pre-existing feelings buffer that a bit.

Overall, not my favorite but still a good time. I'd recommend if you're looking for a Hallmark (with a bit of spice) type read.]]> 4.04 2024
author: Kristina Forest
name: mads
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: 2024-releases, adult, adult-contemporary, adult-romance, reviewed-2025
review:
A nice palette cleanser after two heavy-ish reads.

I liked this one more than the first in the companion trilogy! I still had some of the same issues, such as a lot of plot points not being as developed as I would've liked.

But! There was definitely more depth to this one and even though it can feel like insta-love, the characters' pre-existing feelings buffer that a bit.

Overall, not my favorite but still a good time. I'd recommend if you're looking for a Hallmark (with a bit of spice) type read.
]]> 210719174 The beloved author of Don’t Cry for Me and Perfect Peace returns with a poignant, emotionally exuberant novel about a young queer Black man finding his voice in 1980s Chicago—a novel of family, forgiveness and perseverance, for fans of The Great Believers and On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous.

Isaac is at a crossroads in his young life. Growing up in Missouri, the son of a caustic, hard-driving father, he was conditioned to suppress his artistic pursuits and physical desires, notions that didn’t align with a traditional view of masculinity. But now, in late ��80s Chicago, Isaac has finally carved out a life of his own. He is sensitive and tenderhearted and has built up the courage to seek out a community. Yet just as he begins to embrace who he is, two social catalysts—the AIDS crisis and Rodney King’s attack—collectively extinguish his hard-earned joy. At a therapist’s encouragement, Isaac begins to write down his story. In the process, he taps into a creative energy that will send him on a journey back to his family, his ancestral home in Arkansas and the inherited trauma of the nation’s dark past. But a surprise discovery will either unlock the truths he’s seeking or threaten to derail the life he’s fought so hard to claim.

Poignant, sweeping and luminously told, Isaac's Song is a return to the beloved characters of Don’t Cry for Me and a high-water mark in the career of an award-winning author.]]> 320 Daniel Black 133509041X mads 5 Don't Cry for Me at first.The moment I realized felt like getting hit by a truck.

This was devastating and beautiful and hopeful and profound. I'll read anything Daniel Black writes.]]> 4.31 2025
author: Daniel Black
name: mads
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: 2025-releases, adult, adult-contemporary, adult-literary-fiction, rated-5-stars, reviewed-2025
review:
Didn't realize this was a companion to Don't Cry for Me at first.The moment I realized felt like getting hit by a truck.

This was devastating and beautiful and hopeful and profound. I'll read anything Daniel Black writes.
]]> 50892360 The first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.

A god will return
When the earth and sky converge
Under the black sun

In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.

Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.]]> 454 Rebecca Roanhorse 1534437673 mads 4 “I am the only storm that matters now, and there is no shelter from what I bring.��

Oh, you guys weren't kidding. This was good.

I went into this book with very little information about the plot itself and I highly recommend doing that. The first chapter is one of the most gripping opening scenes of a book that I've ever read and though the rest of the book isn't quite as dramatic, it's never less interesting. (Except for a certain character's POV but that's beside the point.)

This was atmospheric, with rich world-building and a writing style that somehow managed to be both simplistic and chilling at once. I love fantasy books that discuss religion and prophecies and old gods, so this was right up my alley.

I also loved Serapio and Xiala. They were easily some of my favorite characters I've read about recently.

I can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes. Highly recommend.

]]> 4.17 2020
author: Rebecca Roanhorse
name: mads
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: 2020-releases, adult, adult-fantasy, mermaids, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2025, series-i-might-finish
review:
“I am the only storm that matters now, and there is no shelter from what I bring.��

Oh, you guys weren't kidding. This was good.

I went into this book with very little information about the plot itself and I highly recommend doing that. The first chapter is one of the most gripping opening scenes of a book that I've ever read and though the rest of the book isn't quite as dramatic, it's never less interesting. (Except for a certain character's POV but that's beside the point.)

This was atmospheric, with rich world-building and a writing style that somehow managed to be both simplistic and chilling at once. I love fantasy books that discuss religion and prophecies and old gods, so this was right up my alley.

I also loved Serapio and Xiala. They were easily some of my favorite characters I've read about recently.

I can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes. Highly recommend.


]]> 195391707
In this dark and seductive YA fantasy debut, a siren must choose between protecting her family and following her heart in a prejudiced kingdom where her existence is illegal.

Saoirse Sorkova survives on lies. As a soldier-in-training at the most prestigious barracks in the kingdom, she lies about being a siren to avoid execution. At night, working as an assassin for a dangerous group of mercenaries, Saoirse lies about her true identity. And to her family, Saoirse tells the biggest lie of that she can control her siren powers and doesn't struggle constantly against an impulse to kill.

As the top trainee in her class, Saoirse would be headed for a bright future if it weren't for the need to keep her secrets out of the spotlight. But when a mysterious blackmailer threatens her sister, Saoirse takes a dangerous job that will help her she becomes personal bodyguard to the crown prince.

Saoirse should hate Prince Hayes. After all, his father is the one who enforces the kingdom's brutal creature segregation laws. But when Hayes turns out to be kind, thoughtful, and charming, Saoirse finds herself increasingly drawn to him-especially when they're forced to work together to stop a deadly killer who's plaguing the city. There's only one Saoirse is that deadly killer.

Featuring an all Black and Brown cast, a forbidden romance, and a compulsively dark plot full of twists, this thrilling YA fantasy is perfect for fans of A Song Below Water and To Kill a Kingdom.]]> 448 Gabi Burton 1547614439 mads 0 dnf 3.96 2023
author: Gabi Burton
name: mads
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> 55384184 Bestselling author Danielle Paige puts a dark spin on fairy godmothers in a new YA series for fans of Brigid Kemmerer and Maleficent.

For centuries, the enchanted members of the Entente have worked in tandem with the Three Fates—the Present, the Past, and the Future—to maintain destiny across the Thirteen Queendoms. But when Queen Magrit learns of her untimely demise from Hecate, Fate of the Future, Magrit burns Hecate at the stake and decrees death to all Entente in order to live forever.

But some survive, including sixteen-year-old Farrow, who hatches a dangerous plan to seek revenge. Along the way, she finds herself falling for the one person who could ruin everything. With life and love hanging in the balance, she must decide who to trust and what’s most important: living in the past or forging a new future.

Bestselling author Danielle Paige launches a brand-new fairy godmother origin story full of intrigue, magic, and romance.]]> 480 Danielle Paige 1681196867 mads 3
If you've been missing the YA retelling days, this is such a good one to pick up. It's got that super nostalgic, retelling feel while also bringing something new to the table by focusing on the "fairy godmothers".

On the critical side, I do feel like the book lost the plot a bit as the story continued, with certain points seemingly added just to keep up the retelling part of the story. The characters and their relationships all felt very one-dimensional, with the evil characters feeling (pardon the pun) cartoonishly wicked. [spoilers removed]

Even with my critiques, I found this to be an entertaining read and while I might not recommend it to everyone, I do think it's an enjoyable addition to the YA fantasy retelling genre.]]> 3.59 2023
author: Danielle Paige
name: mads
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: 2023-releases, rated-3-stars, reviewed-2025, series-i-might-finish, ya, ya-fantasy, ya-retellings
review:
This was fun!

If you've been missing the YA retelling days, this is such a good one to pick up. It's got that super nostalgic, retelling feel while also bringing something new to the table by focusing on the "fairy godmothers".

On the critical side, I do feel like the book lost the plot a bit as the story continued, with certain points seemingly added just to keep up the retelling part of the story. The characters and their relationships all felt very one-dimensional, with the evil characters feeling (pardon the pun) cartoonishly wicked. [spoilers removed]

Even with my critiques, I found this to be an entertaining read and while I might not recommend it to everyone, I do think it's an enjoyable addition to the YA fantasy retelling genre.
]]> 213605545 The very first thriller from Rick Riordan Presents! Drawing from the darkest corners of Caribbean mythology, acclaimed author Sarah Dass crafts a chilling tale of magic, murder, and how far we’ll go to protect what’s ours—perfect for fans of Angeline Boulley and Tiffany D. Jackson.

Unlike the other residents of the small Caribbean Island of St. Virgil, Selina DaSilva does not believe in magic. With a logical mind and a knack for botany, Selina used to dream of leaving the island to study Pharmacology—until a vicious, unsolved attack left her father dead and her mother in a coma.

Now her guilt over her mother’s condition keeps her tethered to the island, relegated to conning gullible tourists with useless talismans and phony protection rituals. But when one of those tourists ends up at the center of a string of strange murders, the truth that Selina has been denying can no longer be there is evil lurking in the forests that surround St. Virgil. Another thing that can’t be avoided? Selina’s ex-boyfriend Gabriel, newly employed at the local newspaper and eager to put his investigative skills to use.

Desperate to put an end to the killings and claim justice for Selina’s family, these two former lovers race to find answers. But evil bides its time. And as long-buried feelings and long-hidden secrets about Selina’s family’s past begin to reveal themselves, only one answer remains—and it waits in the forest.

Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.


Don't miss these other Rick Riordan Presents titles for all
Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting by Roseanne Brown
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia]]> 384 Sarah Dass 136809872X mads 3 “If they were afraid, then I didn’t have to be.��

Fun fact: the 'it' in the title actually refers to me. I'm the "It" that Waits in the Forest, waiting for this book to actually be about a forest.

That aside, I don't have much to say about this book - good or bad.

It was an eerie thriller, almost reminiscent of Spells of Forgetting by Adrienne Young with a complex main character and an atmospheric setting. I appreciated the discussions of superstition as a weapon, as well as Selina's own personal difficulty to believe in herself.

However! Along with not being very suspenseful (imo), this book also felt pretty redundant, with more of the story focusing on the love triangle than I typically care for. I understand this book is aimed a bit younger, so I'm not belittling it for the romance - but it did lessen my enjoyment, due to how it unfolded.

And there was very little forest. I wanted more forest.

Overall, this was fine. I don't regret reading it, but it won't be one I revisit.]]> 3.92 2024
author: Sarah Dass
name: mads
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: 2024-releases, reviewed-2025, standalones, ya, ya-fabulism, ya-fantasy-contemporary, ya-mystery-thriller, ya-paranormal
review:
“If they were afraid, then I didn’t have to be.��

Fun fact: the 'it' in the title actually refers to me. I'm the "It" that Waits in the Forest, waiting for this book to actually be about a forest.

That aside, I don't have much to say about this book - good or bad.

It was an eerie thriller, almost reminiscent of Spells of Forgetting by Adrienne Young with a complex main character and an atmospheric setting. I appreciated the discussions of superstition as a weapon, as well as Selina's own personal difficulty to believe in herself.

However! Along with not being very suspenseful (imo), this book also felt pretty redundant, with more of the story focusing on the love triangle than I typically care for. I understand this book is aimed a bit younger, so I'm not belittling it for the romance - but it did lessen my enjoyment, due to how it unfolded.

And there was very little forest. I wanted more forest.

Overall, this was fine. I don't regret reading it, but it won't be one I revisit.
]]> 205363963
The three Maxwell siblings keep their distance from the lily-white gated enclave outside Dallas where they grew up. When their family moved there, they were the only Black family in the neighborhood. The neighbors acted nice enough, but right away bad things, scary things—the strange and the unexplainable—began to happen in their house. Maybe it was some cosmic trial, a demonic rite of passage into the upper-middle class. Whatever it was, the Maxwells, steered by their formidable mother, stayed put, unwilling to abandon their home, terrors and trauma be damned.

As adults, the siblings could finally get away from the horrors of home, leaving their parents all alone in the house. But when news of their parents' death arrives, Ezri is forced to return to Texas with their sisters, Eve and Emanuelle, to reckon with their family’s past and present, and to find out what happened while they were away. It was not a “natural�� death for their parents . . . but was it supernatural?

Rivers Solomon turns the haunted-house story on its head, unearthing the dark legacies of segregation and racism in the suburban American South. Unbridled, raw, and daring, Model Home is the story of secret histories uncovered, and of a queer family battling for their right to live, grieve, and heal amid the terrors of contemporary American life.]]> 304 Rivers Solomon 0374607133 mads 5 “We both find solace in the inevitability of broken girls.��

Absolutely incredible. I will never read this again. (I'm only mostly kidding.)

Being serious, this book was fantastic and affecting in the most devastating way. Every word Rivers Solomon writes feels like a beautifully crafted sledgehammer to the chest - which may not sound like a compliment, but I promise it is.

I expected to appreciate this after The Deep was one of my favorite reads last year, but I wasn't expecting the fully body affect this book had on me from the first page.

This is a haunting, immersive book that deals with so many topics. Each one is handled in a way that makes the reader feel bone-deep empathy, even if they haven't experienced those things themselves.

On a related note, going into this book, the reader knows it's not going to be a light read. However, this book deals with heavier topics than some (even within the genre) and I recommend looking up the TWs on Storygraph before reading. I felt they were handled with care, but they were also not danced around which can make them more triggering for some people.
That doesn't mean I think it should be avoided. For example: Model Home deals with a topic I usually avoid and despite the fact it was still incredibly difficult to read about, I'm glad I didn't skip this one because this book was healing in ways I wasn't expecting.

If you are at a place to read this, I really do recommend it. It's not the kind of read that will be for everyone, due to the poetic, stream-of-consciousness writing style and the focus on dysfunctional family dynamics. However, I truly think this is the kind of book that was perfect at what it needed to be.

I know this book (and the many paragraphs I highlighted) will stay with me for a long time. ]]> 3.73 2024
author: Rivers Solomon
name: mads
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: 2024-releases, adult, adult-horror, adult-mystery-thriller-etc, rated-5-stars, reviewed-2025, standalones
review:
“We both find solace in the inevitability of broken girls.��

Absolutely incredible. I will never read this again. (I'm only mostly kidding.)

Being serious, this book was fantastic and affecting in the most devastating way. Every word Rivers Solomon writes feels like a beautifully crafted sledgehammer to the chest - which may not sound like a compliment, but I promise it is.

I expected to appreciate this after The Deep was one of my favorite reads last year, but I wasn't expecting the fully body affect this book had on me from the first page.

This is a haunting, immersive book that deals with so many topics. Each one is handled in a way that makes the reader feel bone-deep empathy, even if they haven't experienced those things themselves.

On a related note, going into this book, the reader knows it's not going to be a light read. However, this book deals with heavier topics than some (even within the genre) and I recommend looking up the TWs on Storygraph before reading. I felt they were handled with care, but they were also not danced around which can make them more triggering for some people.
That doesn't mean I think it should be avoided. For example: Model Home deals with a topic I usually avoid and despite the fact it was still incredibly difficult to read about, I'm glad I didn't skip this one because this book was healing in ways I wasn't expecting.

If you are at a place to read this, I really do recommend it. It's not the kind of read that will be for everyone, due to the poetic, stream-of-consciousness writing style and the focus on dysfunctional family dynamics. However, I truly think this is the kind of book that was perfect at what it needed to be.

I know this book (and the many paragraphs I highlighted) will stay with me for a long time.
]]> 63313283
In the midst of a tyrannical regime and political invasion, Dèmi just wants to avoid the suspicion of the nonmagical Ajes who occupy her ancestral homeland of Ife; to escape the King’s brutal genocide of her people—the darker-skinned, magic-wielding Oluso; and to live peacefully with her secretive mother while learning to control the terrifying blood magic that is her birthright.

But when Dèmi’s misplaced trust costs her mother’s life, survival gives way to vengeance. She bides her time until the devious Lord Ekwensi grants her the perfect opportunity—kidnap the Aje prince, Jonas, and bargain with his life to save the remaining Oluso. With the help of her reckless childhood friend Colin, Dèmi succeeds, but discovers that she and Jonas share more than deadly secrets; every moment tangles them further into a forbidden, unmistakable attraction, much to Colin’s—and Dèmi’s—distress.

The kidnapping is now a joint to return to the King, help get Lord Ekwensi on the council, and bolster the voice of the Oluso in a system designed to silence them. But the way is dangerous, Dèmi’s magic is growing yet uncertain, and it’s not clear if she can trust the two men at her side.

A tale of rebellion and redemption, race and class, love and trust and betrayal,�� Forged by Blood is epic fantasy at its finest, from an enthusiastic, emerging voice.]]> 400 Ehigbor Okosun 0063112620 mads 0 dnf 3.47 2023
author: Ehigbor Okosun
name: mads
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> 186872423 A struggling event planner and a sinfully hot astronaut must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after, in this starry debut.

Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to lose her apartment. With no choice but to gamble on her shaky start-up, the last thing she needed was to run into her smug ex and his new, less complicated girlfriend at Amerie's favorite coffee shop. Panicked, she pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she met by spilling Americano all over his abs. He plays along—for a price.

Half the single men in Houston claim to be astronauts, but Vincent Rogers turns out to be the real deal. What started as a one-off lie morphs into a plan: for the three months leading up to his mission, Amerie will play Vincent's doting partner in front of his loving but overly invested family. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house and can put every penny toward her struggling business.

What Amerie doesn't plan for is Vincent's gravitational pull. While her mind tells her a future with this astronaut is too unpredictable, her heart says he's exactly what she needs. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she'll settle for the safe life—or shoot for the stars.]]> 336 Etta Easton 0593640225 mads 4 “But she still rises. Still stands strong. She’s truly beautiful, in all her phases.��

This was so cute.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to romances (I get the ick so easily, for some reason) so it's always a really pleasant surprise when I find one that works for me. This absolutely delivered.

It touches on some heavy topics (mentioned in the TW below), but it's still such a light-hearted, comforting read. The kind of romance that feels like a hug, with characters you can't help but root for - even when they aren't making the best decisions lol.

Like most romcoms, I will say that this felt a bit rushed but it's also pretty easy to overlook in this book. You get why the characters feel the way they do, even if it might not be the most realistic. That's part of the magic of it.

Overall, this was a perfect February read and I can't wait for "The Love Simulation."


TW: ableism (brief), death, death of a loved one, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, pregnancy, sexual content, terminal illness.]]> 3.77 2024
author: Etta Easton
name: mads
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: 2024-releases, adult, adult-contemporary, adult-romance, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2025, standalones
review:
“But she still rises. Still stands strong. She’s truly beautiful, in all her phases.��

This was so cute.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to romances (I get the ick so easily, for some reason) so it's always a really pleasant surprise when I find one that works for me. This absolutely delivered.

It touches on some heavy topics (mentioned in the TW below), but it's still such a light-hearted, comforting read. The kind of romance that feels like a hug, with characters you can't help but root for - even when they aren't making the best decisions lol.

Like most romcoms, I will say that this felt a bit rushed but it's also pretty easy to overlook in this book. You get why the characters feel the way they do, even if it might not be the most realistic. That's part of the magic of it.

Overall, this was a perfect February read and I can't wait for "The Love Simulation."


TW: ableism (brief), death, death of a loved one, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, pregnancy, sexual content, terminal illness.
]]> 195790546
" The novella of the year has arrived!" ―Mark Oshiro, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Ashâke is an acolyte in the temple of Ifa, yearning for the day she is made a priest and sent out into the world to serve the orisha. But of all the acolytes, she is the only one the orisha refuse to speak to. For years she has watched from the sidelines as peer after peer passes her by and ascends to full priesthood.

Desperate, Ashâke attempts to summon and trap an orisha―any orisha. Instead, she experiences a vision so terrible it draws the attention of a powerful enemy sect and thrusts Ashâke into the center of a centuries-old war that will shatter the very foundations of her world.]]> 149 Tobi Ogundiran 1250907969 mads 4 ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: animal death, blood, child death, confinement, death, death of a loved one, fire/fire injury, injury/injury detail, medical content, violence, war.

Captivatingly vivid and beautiful written, this novella was so good.

I was concerned that the length would detract from my enjoyment of the story, but those fears were completely unfounded. Tobi Ogundiran used every single page to its fullest, somehow managing to weave a story that is both intricate and incredibly fast-paced in less than 200 pages. The characters, no matter how brief their appearance, were fleshed out and felt entirely real. Creating three-dimensional characters is something authors (reasonably) struggle with on a much larger canvas and yet this novella handled it with such ease, I felt like I was simply hearing about people that had once existed.

Pairing that with the use of African mythology and a cosmic war between the gods, this was one you're not going to want to miss. ]]> 3.86 2024
author: Tobi Ogundiran
name: mads
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/01
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: 2024-releases, adult, adult-fantasy, adult-mythology, arcs, reviewed-2024, rated-4-stars, completed-series
review:
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: animal death, blood, child death, confinement, death, death of a loved one, fire/fire injury, injury/injury detail, medical content, violence, war.

Captivatingly vivid and beautiful written, this novella was so good.

I was concerned that the length would detract from my enjoyment of the story, but those fears were completely unfounded. Tobi Ogundiran used every single page to its fullest, somehow managing to weave a story that is both intricate and incredibly fast-paced in less than 200 pages. The characters, no matter how brief their appearance, were fleshed out and felt entirely real. Creating three-dimensional characters is something authors (reasonably) struggle with on a much larger canvas and yet this novella handled it with such ease, I felt like I was simply hearing about people that had once existed.

Pairing that with the use of African mythology and a cosmic war between the gods, this was one you're not going to want to miss.
]]> 211004051 Perfect for fans of N. K. Jemisin, Suyi Davies Okungbowa,��Daughters��of Nri, and��Godkiller.
For four hundred years, the world's remaining Orisha have fought to survive the rapaciousness of the soul-stealing Godkillers and the charismatic words of the singular, mysterious figure who leads them, known as the Teacher. Now they seek to kill the one person whose existence defies their very mandate.
Now that Ashâke carries within herself the spirits of the surviving Orisha, she is on the hunt for allies who can help her defeat the encroaching army of Godkillers. But their influence is everywhere, and no one is immune―not even Ashâke. If she is to succeed, Ashâke will need to answer the question the Godkillers pose―are the Orisha even worth saving?]]> 224 Tobi Ogundiran 1250908035 mads 4 �� 4.5

This was fantastic.

I said this with the first installment, but it bears repeating: the diminutive size of this novella should be a mark against it, while instead Tobi Ogundiran uses the short amount of pages to build a story that is both fast-paced and masterfully crafted.

Not a single page is wasted, which makes this story all the more interesting. Even the smallest of conversations are used to expand the world, the mythology, characterization, and the religious system. All of this paired with rich, dynamic characters and an incredibly satisfying conclusion, this duology deserves so much praise.

Highly recommend. ]]> 4.01 2025
author: Tobi Ogundiran
name: mads
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: 2025-releases, adult, adult-fantasy, adult-mythology, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2025
review:
�� 4.5

This was fantastic.

I said this with the first installment, but it bears repeating: the diminutive size of this novella should be a mark against it, while instead Tobi Ogundiran uses the short amount of pages to build a story that is both fast-paced and masterfully crafted.

Not a single page is wasted, which makes this story all the more interesting. Even the smallest of conversations are used to expand the world, the mythology, characterization, and the religious system. All of this paired with rich, dynamic characters and an incredibly satisfying conclusion, this duology deserves so much praise.

Highly recommend.
]]> 220161319 The “masterful, inspiring, and full of heart�� (Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author) Jackie Lau returns with a thoroughly unique love story about a woman reliving the same Friday over and over again—and the intriguing man who can’t quite remember her.

Noelle Tom really shouldn’t have eaten those dumplings at the night market. But the old lady at the stall said they’d give her what she needed most, and what Noelle desperately needed after another long workweek was food.

Except now she’s reliving the same Friday over and over. Every morning her alarm goes off at 6:45 no matter what, the Wordle answer is always “happy,�� and she watches a silly squirrel video go viral day after day. And no matter how much she works on the same proposal, it’s always erased when she wakes up. It seems Monday will never come in this workaholic’s worst nightmare.

Noelle has no idea how being trapped in a time loop is the “thing she needed most,�� especially now that everything seems meaningless. Sure, three fancy meals in a row is a fun treat, but it’s getting repetitive. Noelle’s not sure what lesson the old lady was trying to impart. Even a trip to the dumpling stall doesn’t help…because there’s no sign of it.

But then she meets a young woman who also ate the dumplings, and good-looking Cam, who appears in multiple places on her Friday. While he seems to have no memory of their encounters, there are signs he might be the key to getting un-stuck. But Noelle will have to put work aside and live a little in order to make him notice her. As their flirtation progresses, Noelle begins to worry that if she ever gets to turn the calendar page, Cam won’t know who she is and her life may never return to what it was before that fateful Friday…]]> 352 Jackie Lau 1668030799 mads 0 to-read 4.00 2025
author: Jackie Lau
name: mads
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 210563226 In her stunning literary debut, Mia Araujo presents a gorgeous reimagining of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, spinning a new story that is accompanied by arresting, ethereal illustrations about twin sisters and how one must venture outside the safety of their home, into the wilderness, in order to find herself and true happiness.

Afia has always felt like half of a whole. Her twin sister, Aya, is perfectly happy with fulfilling their family's expectations of them. But Afia dreams of exploring the world beyond her secluded cliffside home of Dafra. She dreams of adventure.

When she meets a charming shape-shifter named Bakame, who dazzles her with promises of a magical land called Ijabu, Afia decides to take her destiny into her own hands. Although it will mean leaving everything she has ever known behind, including her beloved sister, Afia follows Bakame into the forbidden forests surrounding Dafra, from which no one has ever returned.

Filled with magical sights, a charismatic Queen and her intriguing court, Ijabu is everything that Afia has ever dreamed of. But she soon discovers that nothing is as it seems, and this fantasy world demands a terrible price. With the help of a mysterious trickster, Afia must evade the Queen's hunters and the lost dreamers of Ijabu, who wish to pull her deeper into their web.

Now, Afia must find the courage to survive while standing on her own--or risking losing herself completely to the wonders of Ijabu.

Debut author-illustrator Mia Araujo weaves an extraordinarily luminous and beautiful story, inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, about what it takes to find your true self, even if it means facing your deepest fears.

"Nothing short of an amazing adventure into a fantastic world, Mia Araujo has crafted a beautiful narrative, made all the more incredible by stunning visuals that overflow with heart and soul." -- David F. Walker, Eisner-award winning author of Bitter Root and The Second Chance of Darius Logan]]> 304 Mia Araujo 1338856723 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.28 2025
author: Mia Araujo
name: mads
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 214466894 A story about magic and the captivating power of dreams.

A curse plagues the realm of Azenor—during each new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians, who serve as territory wardens, stand between people and their worst dreams.

Clementine Madigan is ready to take over as the warden of her small town, but when two magicians challenge her, she is unwittingly drawn into a century-old conflict. She seeks revenge, but as she secretly gets closer to Phelan, one of the handsome young magicians, secrets begin to rise. Clementine must unite with her rival to fight the realm’s curse, which seems to be haunting her every turn.]]> 496 Rebecca Ross 0063428431 mads 0 to-read 4.46 2021
author: Rebecca Ross
name: mads
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214466920 From the author of The Queen’s Rising comes a thrilling YA stand-alone fantasy about the unbreakable bond between sisters. Perfect for fans of Ember in the Ashes, Sky in the Deep, and Court of Fives.

After eight long years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been proudly serving in the queen’s army. But when Halcyon appears earlier than expected, Eva knows something has gone terribly wrong. Halcyon is on the run, hunted by her commander and charged with murder.

Though Halcyon’s life is spared during her trial, the punishment is heavy. And when Eva volunteers to serve part of Halcyon’s sentence, she’s determined to find out exactly what happened. But as Eva begins her sentence, she quickly learns that there are fates much worse than death.]]> 480 Rebecca Ross 0063428423 mads 0 to-read 4.25 2020
author: Rebecca Ross
name: mads
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 213730971 Cursed by love.
Bound by hope.

Yeeran and Lettle are no longer prisoners to the fae court, but now they’re bound by the shackles of their hearts ��

Yeeran was born for war but is unprepared for love. She has left her new lover, the Queen of the fae, to return to her homeland, only to find that her former lover now threatens war against the fae.

Left behind, her sister Lettle is determined to break the curse that binds the fae to their realm. When a stranger appears in the city, Lettle is convinced he’s the key. But the Fates that once spoke to her have fallen silent.

Can Lettle and Yeeran discover the secret behind the curse �� and unite these two worlds before they destroy each other?]]> 400 Saara El-Arifi mads 3 ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A bit of a rocky sequel that seems to promise a satisfying finale to the trilogy.

It's a testament to Saara El-Arifi's talent that my least favorite book by her is a three star read; her worst (in my opinion) still remains better than a lot of the books in the same genre. She's such a gifted writer - one of my favorites - and my conflicted feelings on this installment don't change that.

With that being said, unlike Faebound, I found this book incredibly difficult to get through. It wasn't bad, by any means, but it felt so... empty? for lack of better terms. Like the characters and plots were all there only because they had to be, not like the story was actually a real, breathing thing that could stand on its own. The dialogue felt clunky, the romances grating, and the political decisions felt like they were being made by a really dumb teenager.

I understand this makes it sound like I hated this book and I promise that I didn't. I didn't enjoy it, but I think a lot of that is due to it hitting a bit of a middle book slump. The world is still incredibly intriguing and I love the conversations about the twisted historical records.

I just felt like this book could have been better and I'm sad it wasn't.

The end... however... that was a good twist and I can't wait to see what she does with it in the finale.

Overall, while this disappointed me, it was still very much okay and I would definitely recommending giving it a try - especially if you loved book 1 and don't mind too many romances, with very little development.]]> 3.98 2025
author: Saara El-Arifi
name: mads
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: 2025-releases, adult, adult-fantasy, arcs, disappointing, rated-3-stars, reviewed-2025
review:
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A bit of a rocky sequel that seems to promise a satisfying finale to the trilogy.

It's a testament to Saara El-Arifi's talent that my least favorite book by her is a three star read; her worst (in my opinion) still remains better than a lot of the books in the same genre. She's such a gifted writer - one of my favorites - and my conflicted feelings on this installment don't change that.

With that being said, unlike Faebound, I found this book incredibly difficult to get through. It wasn't bad, by any means, but it felt so... empty? for lack of better terms. Like the characters and plots were all there only because they had to be, not like the story was actually a real, breathing thing that could stand on its own. The dialogue felt clunky, the romances grating, and the political decisions felt like they were being made by a really dumb teenager.

I understand this makes it sound like I hated this book and I promise that I didn't. I didn't enjoy it, but I think a lot of that is due to it hitting a bit of a middle book slump. The world is still incredibly intriguing and I love the conversations about the twisted historical records.

I just felt like this book could have been better and I'm sad it wasn't.

The end... however... that was a good twist and I can't wait to see what she does with it in the finale.

Overall, while this disappointed me, it was still very much okay and I would definitely recommending giving it a try - especially if you loved book 1 and don't mind too many romances, with very little development.
]]> 61219635 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250886088.

A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes.

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success—not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.]]> 304 Travis Baldree mads 4 ”Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as.��

TW: blood, gore, fire/fire injury, harassment, violence.

I don’t know how it did it, but this book literally felt like a coffee shop.

Warm, cozy, and heartfelt with so many cute moments and delicious foods that I felt my spirits lifting as I read. This felt like a Disney movie for adults, and I don’t mean “adult�� as if it had a ton of explicit content (nothing worse than some violence/brief gore and swearing), but I mean it felt the way a Disney film does but with a message of hope meant specifically for adults.

Such a quick, happy read. I already kinda want to start it over, just to keep the cozy vibe going lol. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a mood booster. ]]> 4.17 2022
author: Travis Baldree
name: mads
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/17
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: 2022-releases, adult, adult-fantasy, reviewed-2023, standalones, cozy-fantasy, rated-4-stars
review:
”Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as.��

TW: blood, gore, fire/fire injury, harassment, violence.

I don’t know how it did it, but this book literally felt like a coffee shop.

Warm, cozy, and heartfelt with so many cute moments and delicious foods that I felt my spirits lifting as I read. This felt like a Disney movie for adults, and I don’t mean “adult�� as if it had a ton of explicit content (nothing worse than some violence/brief gore and swearing), but I mean it felt the way a Disney film does but with a message of hope meant specifically for adults.

Such a quick, happy read. I already kinda want to start it over, just to keep the cozy vibe going lol. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a mood booster.
]]> 61411161 In this heart-fluttering romance by Kristina Forest, a shy bookworm enlists her charming neighbor to help her score a date, not knowing he's the obscure author she's been corresponding with.

Shy, bookish, and admittedly awkward, Lily Greene has always felt inadequate compared to the rest of her accomplished family, who strive for Black excellence. She dreams of becoming an editor of children's books but has been frustratingly stuck in the nonfiction division for years without a promotion in sight. Lily finds escapism in her correspondences with her favorite fantasy author, and what begins as two lonely people connecting over e-mail turns into a tentative friendship and possibly something else Lily won't let herself entertain--until he ghosts her.

Months later, still crushed but determined to take charge of her life, Lily seeks a date to her sister's wedding. And the perfect person to help her is Nick Brown, her charming, attractive new neighbor, whom she feels drawn to for unexplainable reasons. Little does she know that Nick is an author--her favorite fantasy author.

Nick, who has his reasons for using a pen name and for pushing people away, soon realizes that the beautiful, quiet woman from down the hall is the same Lily he fell in love with over e-mail months ago. Unwilling to complicate things even more between them, he agrees to set her up with someone else, though this simple favor between two neighbors is anything but--not when he can't get her off his mind.]]> 414 Kristina Forest 059354644X mads 3 “If moving across an ocean has taught me anything, it’s that sometimes things in life are messy, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth it.��

Pretty conflicted feelings on this one.

The first chapter (the email exchanges) had me hooked. I was especially excited because You've Got Mail is one of my favorite romcoms and I though their banter was cute. If I cringed a few times, that was to be expected because I'm extremely picky when it comes to romance books.

However, after that first chapter... it all kind of fell apart?

Parts of it were super cute/heartwarming, but there were so many moments the plot just made absolutely no sense and their relationship itself made me uncomfortable. Partially because of how the secret identity plot was handled and partly because these characters needed to fix some things in their personal life, instead of looking for romance. (Which was at the core of their conflicts, but I felt like they never acknowledged they needed the help I thought they did - such as Lily needing friends. Or a single friend, honestly.)

Again! This wasn't bad and there were parts of it that I thought were really sweet, but I also think it just wasn't for me.

I'd still definitely recommend giving it a chance if it sounds interesting to you!]]> 4.06 2023
author: Kristina Forest
name: mads
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: 2023-releases, reviewed-2025, rated-3-stars, adult, adult-contemporary, adult-romance, series-i-probably-wont-finish
review:
“If moving across an ocean has taught me anything, it’s that sometimes things in life are messy, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth it.��

Pretty conflicted feelings on this one.

The first chapter (the email exchanges) had me hooked. I was especially excited because You've Got Mail is one of my favorite romcoms and I though their banter was cute. If I cringed a few times, that was to be expected because I'm extremely picky when it comes to romance books.

However, after that first chapter... it all kind of fell apart?

Parts of it were super cute/heartwarming, but there were so many moments the plot just made absolutely no sense and their relationship itself made me uncomfortable. Partially because of how the secret identity plot was handled and partly because these characters needed to fix some things in their personal life, instead of looking for romance. (Which was at the core of their conflicts, but I felt like they never acknowledged they needed the help I thought they did - such as Lily needing friends. Or a single friend, honestly.)

Again! This wasn't bad and there were parts of it that I thought were really sweet, but I also think it just wasn't for me.

I'd still definitely recommend giving it a chance if it sounds interesting to you!
]]> 134713381
As a child, Kissen saw her family murdered by a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing them and enjoys it. But all this changes when Kissen is tasked with helping a young noble girl with a god problem. The child’s soul is bonded to a tiny god of white lies, and Kissen can’t kill it without ending the girl’s life too.

Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, the unlikely group must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favor. Pursued by assassins and demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning. Something is rotting at the heart of their world, and they are the only ones who can stop it.]]> 304 Hannah Kaner 0063348276 mads 4 “People make gods, and, for better or worse, gods make people.��

TW: abandonment, ableism, alcohol, animal cruelty, animal death, blood, body horror, child abuse, chronic illness, confinement, cursing, death, death of a loved one, emotional abuse, excrement, fire/fire injury, genocide, gore, grief, hate crime, infertility, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, misogyny, murder, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, police brutality, pregnancy, religious bigotry, ritualistic sacrifice, self harm, sexual content, slavery, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, torture, trafficking, violence, war.

A solid four star read!!

This wasn't perfect by any means, but I had a great time with it and loved the nostalgic (but inclusive) fantasy vibes. I think this would be a great read for fantasy beginners or for people that want a very familiar fantasy that still manages to bring something new to the genre.

Also, I will always be a sucker for anything having to do with the struggle between humans and gods/the thin line between faith and fanaticism. This was a bit of a basic view of those topics, but I still had a great time with it.

And the found family had such a warm vibe to it. This is a cozy quest book that has a very... not cozy plot lol.

I didn't really care for the romance (it felt rushed, but they were still sweet) and some of the dialogue was a bit on the... cringey side, but it was usually pretty easy to avoid. And I've seen other people suggesting this based off of some of the lines of dialogue I didn't like, so that's incredibly subjective.

Overall, this was exactly what I wanted it to be and I definitely recommend it. I'm cautious about book 2 after hearing some conflicted things, but I still plan to pick it up soon (especially after that ending.)]]> 3.84 2023
author: Hannah Kaner
name: mads
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/15
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: 2023-releases, adult, adult-fantasy, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2024, completed-series
review:
“People make gods, and, for better or worse, gods make people.��

TW: abandonment, ableism, alcohol, animal cruelty, animal death, blood, body horror, child abuse, chronic illness, confinement, cursing, death, death of a loved one, emotional abuse, excrement, fire/fire injury, genocide, gore, grief, hate crime, infertility, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, misogyny, murder, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, police brutality, pregnancy, religious bigotry, ritualistic sacrifice, self harm, sexual content, slavery, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt, torture, trafficking, violence, war.

A solid four star read!!

This wasn't perfect by any means, but I had a great time with it and loved the nostalgic (but inclusive) fantasy vibes. I think this would be a great read for fantasy beginners or for people that want a very familiar fantasy that still manages to bring something new to the genre.

Also, I will always be a sucker for anything having to do with the struggle between humans and gods/the thin line between faith and fanaticism. This was a bit of a basic view of those topics, but I still had a great time with it.

And the found family had such a warm vibe to it. This is a cozy quest book that has a very... not cozy plot lol.

I didn't really care for the romance (it felt rushed, but they were still sweet) and some of the dialogue was a bit on the... cringey side, but it was usually pretty easy to avoid. And I've seen other people suggesting this based off of some of the lines of dialogue I didn't like, so that's incredibly subjective.

Overall, this was exactly what I wanted it to be and I definitely recommend it. I'm cautious about book 2 after hearing some conflicted things, but I still plan to pick it up soon (especially after that ending.)
]]> 215819833 In the epic finale to the #1 internationally bestselling Fallen Gods trilogy that started with��Godkiller, the fate of Middren hangs in the balance as mighty gods and mortal heroes clash in a final battle for supremacy.

War has come. The fire god Hseth is leading an unstoppable army south, consuming everything in her path. Middren's only hope of survival is to unify allies and old foes against a common enemy.

Elo navigates an uneasy alliance with Arren—his friend, his enemy, and his king. Now they each must decide how much they're willing to sacrifice to turn the tides of war.

Meanwhile, Inara joins her mother on their ship, the Silverswift, to seek aid. Still grappling with her powers, Inara must reconcile who she is and where she belongs, while Skediceth has to question if their bond will be enough to keep them safe.

Kissen has no allegiance to the old ways of Middren. But, as she tries to find her family, she is forced to question what, and whose, future she is fighting for.

In��Faithbreaker, Hannah Kaner delivers a powerful conclusion to the Fallen Gods trilogy, masterfully weaving together love and sacrifice, loyalty and betrayal, and the true meaning of faith.]]> 416 Hannah Kaner 0063350149 mads 4 “What is faith if not an offering in return for love? What have you offered lately for others, that is not for yourself? Who do you trust, other than yourself?��

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

�� 4.5

Hannah Kaner has written a finale that is magical, hopeful, devastating, and really satisfying.

There's something inherently magical about reaching the conclusion to a series and being brutally hit in the face with the emotional equivalent of a frying pan, as you're forced to confront that you cared a bit more for these characters than you'd initially realized.

Not that that's what happened here, or anything. (cue distant sobbing)

To be clear: I have enjoyed every book in this trilogy. I knew I cared about the characters to some degree, but even in my review for Sunbringer I stated that they were my biggest issue and that I struggled to connect with them. So imagine my surprise when I reached the last 25% of this book and felt myself begin to TEAR UP?

I always struggle to review conclusions without spoilers (especially when they're arcs) so I offer my emotions as the best review I can give. As someone that reads quite a bit, it feels worth noting every single time a book reaches my emotions and I suddenly want everyone to read it.

This is one of those books. I finished this book last night and started to cry again when I thought about a specific line today. (Who is this emotionally intelligent, vulnerable queen?)

On a technical note, I will say that I felt the pacing was off (especially for the first half of the book) and that the romantic tension was just not there for me? However, the first one rectified in the second half and the latter was such a small portion of the book that it didn't really have much bearing on my overall appreciation of the story.

Overall, please read this trilogy (and this book when it comes out.) It's got a beautifully nostalgic found-family fantasy feel, whilst being effortlessly inclusive and delving into themes of faith/faithlessness, healing, vulnerability, and the lure of power.

I love this book so much and I look forward to whatever Hannah Kaner writes from here. ]]> 4.19 2025
author: Hannah Kaner
name: mads
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: 2025-releases, adult, adult-fantasy, arcs, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2025, royalty-and-guard-trope
review:
“What is faith if not an offering in return for love? What have you offered lately for others, that is not for yourself? Who do you trust, other than yourself?��

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

�� 4.5

Hannah Kaner has written a finale that is magical, hopeful, devastating, and really satisfying.

There's something inherently magical about reaching the conclusion to a series and being brutally hit in the face with the emotional equivalent of a frying pan, as you're forced to confront that you cared a bit more for these characters than you'd initially realized.

Not that that's what happened here, or anything. (cue distant sobbing)

To be clear: I have enjoyed every book in this trilogy. I knew I cared about the characters to some degree, but even in my review for Sunbringer I stated that they were my biggest issue and that I struggled to connect with them. So imagine my surprise when I reached the last 25% of this book and felt myself begin to TEAR UP?

I always struggle to review conclusions without spoilers (especially when they're arcs) so I offer my emotions as the best review I can give. As someone that reads quite a bit, it feels worth noting every single time a book reaches my emotions and I suddenly want everyone to read it.

This is one of those books. I finished this book last night and started to cry again when I thought about a specific line today. (Who is this emotionally intelligent, vulnerable queen?)

On a technical note, I will say that I felt the pacing was off (especially for the first half of the book) and that the romantic tension was just not there for me? However, the first one rectified in the second half and the latter was such a small portion of the book that it didn't really have much bearing on my overall appreciation of the story.

Overall, please read this trilogy (and this book when it comes out.) It's got a beautifully nostalgic found-family fantasy feel, whilst being effortlessly inclusive and delving into themes of faith/faithlessness, healing, vulnerability, and the lure of power.

I love this book so much and I look forward to whatever Hannah Kaner writes from here.
]]> 217223396 A stunning reimagining of Tristan and Isolde set in a dystopian world woven with magic. An addictive debut YA enemies-to-lovers romantasy—perfect for fans of Rebecca Ross and Sarah Underwood as well as books like Curious Tides, The Hurricane Wars, and Belladonna.

It’s been thirty-seven years since the Republic was destroyed. Now two settlements—the five clans and the Kingsland—fight for control of the untainted land. Though the five clans are outnumbered, they’ve finally struck, killing Kingsland’s brutal leader.

In the war that follows, Isadora, an eighteen-year-old healer, risks her life to help injured soldiers. But when she stops an attack from Tristan, a Kingsland assassin, his soldiers shoot her with a poisoned arrow. As Isadora lies dying, Tristan does the unimaginable: He offers to save her life using a rare magic.

In choosing to live, Isadora is unknowingly bound to the mysterious Tristan. Worse, even acknowledging the attraction between them allows him to glean fragments of her memories and the very knowledge he needs to destroy the five clans. But their magical connection works both ways. So to save her people, Isadora will have to open her heart to her most cunning enemy. Because in a race for ultimate survival, she’ll need to destroy Tristan and his people first.]]> 368 Melissa Poett 0063432617 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.25 2025
author: Melissa Poett
name: mads
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 215149175
Bea dreams of becoming a spy like her mom. Growing up in the Pangean Hotel, a secret sanctuary for spies, she spends her time studying self-defense, languages, codebreaking, and field medicine, preparing for the day when she can follow in her mother’s footsteps. But her mom has a different plan for Bea: She wants Bea to attend boarding school like one of the normal folk. Bea can’t think of a worse fate, the Life is all she’s ever known. But you do not say no to the Pangean League’s top spy.

While Bea is juggling test prep and applications with desperate plans to avoid going to normal school at all costs, a new girl moves into the hotel with her family. Chantal’s family is clearly on the run, and Bea and her best friend Tommy are certain they can use their skills and knowledge to help her��. If boarding school doesn’t get in the way first.]]> 224 Rosaria Munda 1250363802 mads 0 arc-tbr 4.75
author: Rosaria Munda
name: mads
average rating: 4.75
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: arc-tbr
review:

]]> 218460368 From the New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi comes an epic and daring novel that imagines an alternate version of India that was never liberated from the British, and a young woman who will change the tides of history.

Kalki Divekar grows up a daughter of Kingston—a city the British built on the ashes of Bombay. The older generation, including her father, have been lost to the brutal hunt for rebels. Young men are drafted to fight wars they will never return from. And the people of her city are more interested in fighting each other than facing their true oppressors.

When tragedy strikes close to home, Kalki and her group of friends begin to play a dangerous game, obtaining jobs working for the British while secretly planning to destroy the empire from the inside out. They found Kingston's new independence movement, knowing one wrong move means certain death. Facing threats from all quarters, Kalki must decide whether it’s more important to be a hero or to survive.

Told as ten moments from Kalki’s life that mirror the Dashavatara, the ten avatars of Vishnu, Ten Incarnations of Rebellion is a sweeping, deeply felt speculative novel of empowerment, friendship, self-determination, and the true meaning of freedom.]]> 320 Vaishnavi Patel 0593874765 mads 0 arc-tbr 4.24 2025
author: Vaishnavi Patel
name: mads
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: arc-tbr
review:

]]> 36578543
Now they are both rising stars in the new regime, despite backgrounds that couldn't be more different. Annie's lowborn family was executed by dragonfire, while Lee's aristocratic family was murdered by revolutionaries. Growing up in the same orphanage forged their friendship, and seven years of training have made them rivals for the top position in the dragonriding fleet.

But everything changes when survivors from the old regime surface, bent on reclaiming the city.

With war on the horizon and his relationship with Annie changing fast, Lee must choose to kill the only family he has left or to betray everything he's come to believe in. And Annie must decide whether to protect the boy she loves . . . or step up to be the champion her city needs.]]> 432 Rosaria Munda 0525518215 mads 5 Update: 12/10/24

Fifth time reading this and every single word hurt lmao.

I struggle with rereads because I'm always worried I won't love it as much as I did the times before, but with every reread of this series it just means more to me. I still find little bits of foreshadowing and important imagery I'd never noticed before.

If you only ever take one recommendation from me, please let it be this one.
------------------------------------------------

Update: 11/17/23

Fourth time reading this book and I just continue to be amazed by it. I sincerely don't think there will ever be a book that I love more than this one.
------------------------------------------------

Update: 8/5/22

My third time reading this book and I somehow fell even more in love with it.

This is my favorite book of all time and, as such, that means I can never bring myself to give it a proper review.

Every time I read it, I find more to love. More to be amazed by. The characters only become more endeared to me and their struggles only become more real. The politics and conversations on class, as well as the academic scenes continue to blow me away.

I can’t believe this trilogy is about to end. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters, or witness whatever pain they still have to endure.

All my emotional rambling aside, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Now time to reread Flamefall (also affectionately known as 512 pages of nothing but pain and Lee being an idiot)
------------------------------------------------

Update: 3/25/21

Even better than the first time around.
------------------------------------------------

Original Read: 3/6/20

“Bring what fury you have and I will answer it with ours.

THIS WAS INCREDIBLE.

The politics. The morally gray characters. The angst. The longing. The complex character dynamics. The DRAGONS.

This is, quite literally, everything I want out of a book.]]> 3.89 2019
author: Rosaria Munda
name: mads
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: dragons, reviewed-2020, ya-fantasy, 2019-releases, reviewed-2022, completed-series, reviewed-2023, ya, rated-5-stars, reviewed-2024, reviewed-2021, favorites-expanded, favorites
review:
Update: 12/10/24

Fifth time reading this and every single word hurt lmao.

I struggle with rereads because I'm always worried I won't love it as much as I did the times before, but with every reread of this series it just means more to me. I still find little bits of foreshadowing and important imagery I'd never noticed before.

If you only ever take one recommendation from me, please let it be this one.
------------------------------------------------

Update: 11/17/23

Fourth time reading this book and I just continue to be amazed by it. I sincerely don't think there will ever be a book that I love more than this one.
------------------------------------------------

Update: 8/5/22

My third time reading this book and I somehow fell even more in love with it.

This is my favorite book of all time and, as such, that means I can never bring myself to give it a proper review.

Every time I read it, I find more to love. More to be amazed by. The characters only become more endeared to me and their struggles only become more real. The politics and conversations on class, as well as the academic scenes continue to blow me away.

I can’t believe this trilogy is about to end. I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters, or witness whatever pain they still have to endure.

All my emotional rambling aside, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Now time to reread Flamefall (also affectionately known as 512 pages of nothing but pain and Lee being an idiot)
------------------------------------------------

Update: 3/25/21

Even better than the first time around.
------------------------------------------------

Original Read: 3/6/20

“Bring what fury you have and I will answer it with ours.

THIS WAS INCREDIBLE.

The politics. The morally gray characters. The angst. The longing. The complex character dynamics. The DRAGONS.

This is, quite literally, everything I want out of a book.
]]> 207595002 The past and present unravel into staggering truths in this can’t-miss installment of the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities series told entirely from Keefe’s point of view.

Please be careful. Please be happy. And PLEASE forget all about me. It’ll be better for everyone that way.

Those were the last words Keefe Sencen wrote to Sophie Foster before he ran away to the Forbidden Cities. He didn’t want to leave, but it was the only way to keep his friends safe while he figured out how to control his scary new powers and searched for answers about his past.

What he found was so much more than adventures in Humanland.

Where did he go? What did he do? And who did he meet while the rest of his friends worked to solve the mystery of Stellarlune? The answers go far beyond anything anyone could have ever imagined and give Keefe the power to change his destiny.]]> 429 Shannon Messenger 1665967439 mads 2 4.51 2024
author: Shannon Messenger
name: mads
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: 2024-releases, middle-grade, middle-grade-fantasy, ya, ya-fantasy-contemporary
review:
There's a reason this cover is so ugly.
]]> 219334746 This second, swoony romance in the Love in Translation series follows art enthusiast and recently single Archi Dhawan to India, where she discovers that the first boy to give her butterflies again is secretly a prince.

Archana Dhawan’s fall semester of senior year is a boy-free zone. Hot off a break-up, she’s determined to find herself in her parents�� homeland of Rajasthan, India. More importantly, she must complete her capstone project by interning at one of the most prestigious art galleries in the country. There’s no room for distractions if she wants to make her mark on the art world as a museum curator.

Alas, the universe is clearly trying to tempt her. On day one, she meets the most attractive boy she’s seen ever on the train to her new school. Then she runs into him again at work. As it turns out, not only is the museum connected to a palace, but the cute boy, Shiv, is a royal gardener!

He offers to show her the real city of Jaipur, from fresh food that he cooks to local spots tourists never visit. Their chemistry is undeniable, and just as she begins to open up to the idea of romance, she gets shocking news: Shiv is actually a prince. Thrust into the spotlight, is Archi prepared to be the one on display?
Read less]]> 320 Aashna Avachat 0593571584 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.86 2025
author: Aashna Avachat
name: mads
average rating: 4.86
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 222361609
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.]]> Rebecca Ross 1250373360 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.74 2025
author: Rebecca Ross
name: mads
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 222376572 Return to the cozy fantasy world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller, Fern.

Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!

If only things were so simple��

It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.

A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior surviving on inertia, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.

As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when there isn’t a job to get in the way.]]> 336 Travis Baldree 1250334888 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.06 2025
author: Travis Baldree
name: mads
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 150247395
Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears--quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.]]> 410 Robert Jackson Bennett 1984820702 mads 0 to-read 4.28 2024
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: mads
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61088010 ��
"Gripping and fierce. This is much-needed fantasy with its fangs honed sharp by the power of resistance. Melissa Blair has built a tremendous world."—Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
��
My body is made of scars,
some were done to me,
but most I did to myself.
��
Keera is a killer. As the King's Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the king’s favored assassin. When a mysterious figure moves against the Crown, Keera is called upon to hunt down the so-called Shadow. She tracks her target into the magical lands of the Fae, but Faeland is not what it seems . . . and neither is the Shadow. Keera is shocked by what she learns, and can't help but wonder who her enemy truly the King that destroyed her people or the Shadow that threatens the peace?
��
As she searches for answers, Keera is haunted by a promise she made long ago, one that will test her in every way. To keep her word, Keera must not only save herself, but an entire kingdom.
��
Fans of fast-paced high fantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses series, The Inadequate Heir , and From Blood and Ash author Jennifer L. Armentrout, will enjoy the fierce female characters, sapphic representation, and fantasy romance of A Broken Blade.]]> 450 Melissa Blair 1454947888 mads 3 “A broken blade can be mended.��

��3.5

TW: abuse, addiction, alcohol, alcoholism, blood, body horror, child abuse, child death, classism, colonization, cursing, death, death of a loved one, drug use, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, genocide, gore, grief, hate crime, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, misogyny, murder, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, racism, rape, self harm (consistent), sexual assault, sexual content, sexual harassment, sexual violence, suicidal ideation, suicide, suicide attempt, torture, trafficking, violence, vomit, war, xenophobia.

Quick review tonight because I want to go to bed lol.

Somehow, this was a book that was both extremely derivative and unique at once. Much of the plot feels like something you've read before complete with a smattering of tropes and overused character archetypes, but these are set against a backdrop that's primarily focused with the examination of themes of colonization and occupation - as well as discussions of addiction and mental health.

This was - despite the hard topics - a really easy read, even for someone that's been struggling to read lately. Some of the familiarity of the tropes and plot lent themselves to the reading experience, making it easier to focus on the other aspects of the story.

I think my largest complaint was actually the characters, particularly the MMC. I hate that man and all of his lackluster apologies did nothing to resolve the fact he's an asshole. :)

That aside, I see why people love this and I would recommend it - but definitely not to everyone. If you like familiar fae leaning stories and enjoyed An Heir Comes to Rise but wanted something a bit darker, I think you'd love this.
However, if you're someone that gets irritated with tropey, super predictable stories - maybe stay away from this.

Overall, I did like this and I will be carrying on with the series. ]]> 4.07 2021
author: Melissa Blair
name: mads
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/02
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: 2021-releases, new-adult, new-adult-fantasy, reviewed-2024, rated-3-stars, completed-series
review:
“A broken blade can be mended.��

��3.5

TW: abuse, addiction, alcohol, alcoholism, blood, body horror, child abuse, child death, classism, colonization, cursing, death, death of a loved one, drug use, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, genocide, gore, grief, hate crime, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, misogyny, murder, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, racism, rape, self harm (consistent), sexual assault, sexual content, sexual harassment, sexual violence, suicidal ideation, suicide, suicide attempt, torture, trafficking, violence, vomit, war, xenophobia.

Quick review tonight because I want to go to bed lol.

Somehow, this was a book that was both extremely derivative and unique at once. Much of the plot feels like something you've read before complete with a smattering of tropes and overused character archetypes, but these are set against a backdrop that's primarily focused with the examination of themes of colonization and occupation - as well as discussions of addiction and mental health.

This was - despite the hard topics - a really easy read, even for someone that's been struggling to read lately. Some of the familiarity of the tropes and plot lent themselves to the reading experience, making it easier to focus on the other aspects of the story.

I think my largest complaint was actually the characters, particularly the MMC. I hate that man and all of his lackluster apologies did nothing to resolve the fact he's an asshole. :)

That aside, I see why people love this and I would recommend it - but definitely not to everyone. If you like familiar fae leaning stories and enjoyed An Heir Comes to Rise but wanted something a bit darker, I think you'd love this.
However, if you're someone that gets irritated with tropey, super predictable stories - maybe stay away from this.

Overall, I did like this and I will be carrying on with the series.
]]> 210721284 “Your land is not the one you take, it is the one you die for.�� �� Still reeling over her discovery of a staggering secret about her closest ally, Keera has no time to rest. She and her fellow rebels plan a desperate rescue mission after King Damien takes one of their own hostage. Opening the kingdom’s magical seals has transformed Keera in ways even the wisest Fae elders could not have anticipated. With the kingdom’s Halfling population suddenly posing a risk to the crown, the land is plunged into violence as the king begins a new blood purge. �� �� Keera and her allies gather an army to meet Damien’s forces in a final confrontation of epic, and tragic, proportions. ��The epic final installment in the Halfling Saga will thrill fans of Melissa Blair’s lush, action-packed, romantasy series.]]> 480 Melissa Blair 1454954949 mads 3 “Your land is not the one you take, it is the one you die for.��

In my opinion, your feelings on this finale are dependent on how you felt about book 3.

Did you love book 3? Then you'll probably think this is a very fulfilling, well-constructed final book.

If book 3 didn't work for you, you'll probably feel differently (as I did.)

While I do think this was an improvement from the last book, I still consider it to be a downgrade from the first two books. The repetition and overall stupidity of this novel was just... horrendous at times. There were so many decisions made that felt like the author came up with the dumbest thing they could do and chose that option.

And as Riven's self-proclaimed #1 hater, this book absolutely destroyed his character. I detest the man and even I can recognize that he deserved better than whatever this was.

At the same time, this was still compulsively readable and I did like how some things were handled, even if I think that story's actual conclusion left a lot to be desired. The series itself grapples with a lot of important topics through the lens of a really interesting character, bringing something new to the table while being reminiscent of other popular fae books.

Overall, I still recommend the series, I still think the first two books are good; I just wish this had been better.


TW: ableism, addiction, alcohol, blood, colonization, confinement, cursing, death, death of a loved one, drug abuse, drug addiction, genocide, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, murder, mutilation, panic attacks/disorders, self harm, sexual content, suicidal thoughts, suicide, torture, trafficking, violence, vomit, war.]]> 3.97 2025
author: Melissa Blair
name: mads
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: 2025-releases, new-adult, new-adult-fantasy, rated-3-stars, reviewed-2025
review:
“Your land is not the one you take, it is the one you die for.��

In my opinion, your feelings on this finale are dependent on how you felt about book 3.

Did you love book 3? Then you'll probably think this is a very fulfilling, well-constructed final book.

If book 3 didn't work for you, you'll probably feel differently (as I did.)

While I do think this was an improvement from the last book, I still consider it to be a downgrade from the first two books. The repetition and overall stupidity of this novel was just... horrendous at times. There were so many decisions made that felt like the author came up with the dumbest thing they could do and chose that option.

And as Riven's self-proclaimed #1 hater, this book absolutely destroyed his character. I detest the man and even I can recognize that he deserved better than whatever this was.

At the same time, this was still compulsively readable and I did like how some things were handled, even if I think that story's actual conclusion left a lot to be desired. The series itself grapples with a lot of important topics through the lens of a really interesting character, bringing something new to the table while being reminiscent of other popular fae books.

Overall, I still recommend the series, I still think the first two books are good; I just wish this had been better.


TW: ableism, addiction, alcohol, blood, colonization, confinement, cursing, death, death of a loved one, drug abuse, drug addiction, genocide, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, murder, mutilation, panic attacks/disorders, self harm, sexual content, suicidal thoughts, suicide, torture, trafficking, violence, vomit, war.
]]> 58040512
A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. And as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to��search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront��how far they are willing to go to save the other.

Normal People��is the story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find that they can’t.]]> 279 Sally Rooney mads 1 “Marianne had the sense that her real life was happening somewhere very far away, happening without her, and she didn't know if she would ever find out where it was or become part of it.��

I get it. I do. I understand what this book was meant to be and I understand what it has been for many people.

That being said, I still thought this was bad for what it was. (I'm clarifying this because I know some people critique this book for being exactly what it advertises itself to be and I want to be clear that I didn't go into this expecting it to be anything other than what it says it is.)

I think the characterization was poor. The writing style felt like a twelve-year old imitating C.S. Lewis' writing style, amazed by their own wit and intelligence (as they write a sentence that is... both redundant and contradictory, which I suppose is - to some degree - impressive.) That's not even talking about the lack of quotation marks (I know it was a creative decision to be immersive, I'm still allowed to think it was stupid.)

Being entirely honest, I never thought I would pick up this book but I recently started the show and I've been really intrigued in how things are handled. I'm only 6 episodes in right now so my opinions may change, but the show actually improved on a lot of the issues I had with the book and I'm hoping that carries on in the second half.

Overall, I know what this means to people and I'm so grateful that this book has made people feel so seen. I just didn't feel like it delivered what it should have.

TW: abortion, abuse, alcohol use, antisemitism (brief, condemned), anxiety, biphobia, blood, body-shaming, bullying, classism, death, death of a loved one, depression, domestic violence, drug use, eating disorders, infidelity, mental illness, panic attacks/disorders, pedophilia, sexual assault, sexual content, sexual violence, suicide ideation, suicide, terminal illness, toxic relationships, violence, vomit.]]> 3.73 2018
author: Sally Rooney
name: mads
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2018
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: 2018-releases, adult, adult-contemporary, adult-literary-fiction, disappointing, rated-1-star, reviewed-2025, standalones
review:
“Marianne had the sense that her real life was happening somewhere very far away, happening without her, and she didn't know if she would ever find out where it was or become part of it.��

I get it. I do. I understand what this book was meant to be and I understand what it has been for many people.

That being said, I still thought this was bad for what it was. (I'm clarifying this because I know some people critique this book for being exactly what it advertises itself to be and I want to be clear that I didn't go into this expecting it to be anything other than what it says it is.)

I think the characterization was poor. The writing style felt like a twelve-year old imitating C.S. Lewis' writing style, amazed by their own wit and intelligence (as they write a sentence that is... both redundant and contradictory, which I suppose is - to some degree - impressive.) That's not even talking about the lack of quotation marks (I know it was a creative decision to be immersive, I'm still allowed to think it was stupid.)

Being entirely honest, I never thought I would pick up this book but I recently started the show and I've been really intrigued in how things are handled. I'm only 6 episodes in right now so my opinions may change, but the show actually improved on a lot of the issues I had with the book and I'm hoping that carries on in the second half.

Overall, I know what this means to people and I'm so grateful that this book has made people feel so seen. I just didn't feel like it delivered what it should have.

TW: abortion, abuse, alcohol use, antisemitism (brief, condemned), anxiety, biphobia, blood, body-shaming, bullying, classism, death, death of a loved one, depression, domestic violence, drug use, eating disorders, infidelity, mental illness, panic attacks/disorders, pedophilia, sexual assault, sexual content, sexual violence, suicide ideation, suicide, terminal illness, toxic relationships, violence, vomit.
]]> 210847437 Belladonna Blackthorn hasn’t lost her magical spark . . . but she hasn’t seen it in a while, either.

Balancing work at her beloved Lunar Books with protecting it from her toxic boss, who’s running it into the ground, and all the while concealing her witchcraft from the non-wicches around her �� Belle is burnt out. Perfecting the potential of her magic is the last thing on her mind.

But when her 30th birthday brings a summons from her coven, and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle risks losing her magic forever. With the month of October to fix things, and signs that dark forces may be working against her, Belle will need all the help she can get �� from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure, and even an (infuriatingly handsome) watchman who’s sworn to protect her . . .

With found family, slow burn romance and an uplifting message about self-love, this is the cosy, autumnal read that you've been waiting for.]]> 384 Lucy Jane Wood 059382007X mads 0 dnf 3.82 2024
author: Lucy Jane Wood
name: mads
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> 211479192 A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.]]> 384 Samantha Sotto Yambao 0593724992 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 3.82 2025
author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
name: mads
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 124987448
With political unrest and perilous forces aiming to undermine Zetian at every turn, can she enact positive changes as a fair and just ruler? Or will she be forced to rely on fear and violence and succumb to her darker instincts in her quest for vengeance?]]> 544 Xiran Jay Zhao 0861544234 mads 0 dnf, reviewed-2025 DNF @ 42%

Really bummed to be dnf-ing this one but I just can't do it anymore. There isn't a single aspect of this book I don't have a complaint about, aside from me just being incredibly bored. I read a few reviews and I think it's a good idea I stop now, instead of forcing myself to keep picking it up. ]]> 3.86 2024
author: Xiran Jay Zhao
name: mads
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: dnf, reviewed-2025
review:
DNF @ 42%

Really bummed to be dnf-ing this one but I just can't do it anymore. There isn't a single aspect of this book I don't have a complaint about, aside from me just being incredibly bored. I read a few reviews and I think it's a good idea I stop now, instead of forcing myself to keep picking it up.
]]> 126062562
When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn’s orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn’s clutches—and if they fail, they’ll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . .

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers readers a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling—and deadly—world.

Included in this volume:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire]]> 451 Sarah J. Maas 1619632217 mads 0 2014-releases, ya, ya-fantasy 4.16 2014
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: mads
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves: 2014-releases, ya, ya-fantasy
review:

]]> 61273082
What would you do if you forgot the love of your life ever even existed?

Stevie and Nora had a love. A secret, epic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. They also had a plan: to leave their small, ultra-conservative town and families behind after graduation and move to California, where they could finally stop hiding that love.

But then Stevie has a terrible fall. And when she comes to, she can remember nothing of the last two years—not California, not coming to terms with her sexuality, not even Nora. Suddenly, Stevie finds herself in a life she doesn’t quite understand, one where she’s estranged from her parents, drifting away from her friends, lying about the hours she works, dating a boy she can’t remember crushing on, and headed towards a future that isn’t at all what her fifteen-year-old self would have envisioned.

And Nora finds herself…forgotten. Can the two beat the odds a second time and find their way back together when “together�� itself is just a lost memory?]]> 320 Alyson Derrick 166590237X mads 4 “My heart feels happy listening to her, like I could do it forever.��

(I've decided to move trigger warnings to the bottom of my reviews from here on out, so they're still accessible but not pushing down the review itself.)

Once again proving that I can appreciate YA contemporaries, so long as they have a sad element.

There was so much I loved about this book, how it handled Stevie's relationship with her parents and her own identity as well as the ways she tried to get back to herself. Her romance with Nora felt very believable and it was incredibly easy to root for them.

My only complaints are that it felt odd for Stevie to perceive herself as 15 and yet carry on as an 18 year old (when it came to romance and her future) and that it was a bit rushed at times (particular the end) but when a book is this short, that's to be expected.

I would recommend going into this with caution if you're a vegan (or anyone that feels queasy with discussions of animal death/meat). It alternated between discussing the benefits of staying away from meat and then having a cow you'd met be served for dinner.

Overall, I thought this was a really good YA contemporary and I'm glad I read it.


TW: abandonment, abortion, abuse, alcohol, animal death (graphic), bigotry, blood, bullying, child abuse, cursing, emotional abuse, homophobia, injury/injury detail, lesbophobia, medical content, medical trauma, misogyny, physical abuse, racial slurs, racism, religious bigotry, sexual content, violence, xenophobia. ]]> 4.24 2023
author: Alyson Derrick
name: mads
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: 2023-releases, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2025, standalones, ya, ya-contemporary
review:
“My heart feels happy listening to her, like I could do it forever.��

(I've decided to move trigger warnings to the bottom of my reviews from here on out, so they're still accessible but not pushing down the review itself.)

Once again proving that I can appreciate YA contemporaries, so long as they have a sad element.

There was so much I loved about this book, how it handled Stevie's relationship with her parents and her own identity as well as the ways she tried to get back to herself. Her romance with Nora felt very believable and it was incredibly easy to root for them.

My only complaints are that it felt odd for Stevie to perceive herself as 15 and yet carry on as an 18 year old (when it came to romance and her future) and that it was a bit rushed at times (particular the end) but when a book is this short, that's to be expected.

I would recommend going into this with caution if you're a vegan (or anyone that feels queasy with discussions of animal death/meat). It alternated between discussing the benefits of staying away from meat and then having a cow you'd met be served for dinner.

Overall, I thought this was a really good YA contemporary and I'm glad I read it.


TW: abandonment, abortion, abuse, alcohol, animal death (graphic), bigotry, blood, bullying, child abuse, cursing, emotional abuse, homophobia, injury/injury detail, lesbophobia, medical content, medical trauma, misogyny, physical abuse, racial slurs, racism, religious bigotry, sexual content, violence, xenophobia.
]]> 124940565
BookRiot Pick for 12 Amazing Asia-Inspired Fantasy Books

�� Last of the Talons is a stunning blend of dark romance and Korean mythology. Sophie Kim writes enemies to lovers with heart-pounding intensity, blurring the line between love and hate. Bloodthirsty, addictive, and searingly romantic.�� ―Axie Oh, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea

After the destruction of her entire Talon gang, eighteen-year-old Shin Lina―the Reaper of Sunpo―is forced to become a living, breathing weapon for the kingdom’s most-feared crime lord. All that keeps her from turning on her ruthless master is the life of her beloved little sister hanging in the balance. But the order to steal a priceless tapestry from a Dokkaebi temple incites not only the wrath of a legendary immortal, but the beginning of an unwinnable game��

Suddenly Lina finds herself in the dreamlike realm of the Dokkaebi, her fate in the hands of its cruel and captivating emperor. But she can win her life―if she kills him first.

Now a terrible game of life and death has begun, and even Lina's swift, precise blade is no match for the magnetic Haneul Rui. Lina will have to use every weapon in her arsenal if she wants to outplay this cunning king and save her sister...all before the final grain of sand leaks out of the hourglass.

Because one way or another, she'll take Rui's heart.

Even if it means giving up her own.

The Talons series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading
Book #1 Last of the Talons
Book #2 Wrath of the Talon]]> 416 Sophie Kim 1649375883 mads 4 "Death does not die, and neither will you."

ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: addiction, blood, death, death of a loved one, fatphobia*, gore, murder, sexual content, swearing, torture, violence.

*brief scene where an overweight character is seen as undesirable and described as waddling, rather than walking.

Actual Rating: 4.5��

Oh. My. Gosh.

This was so good, guys. Like... wow.

It was very different than I was expecting, but not in a bad way. At the very beginning of the book, I actually found myself struggling to get into it. I was just feeling kind of annoyed with the MC's rash behavior and finding it difficult to connect to the setting.

But then something clicked and as soon as it did, I didn't want to stop reading. I was intrigued by everything. The setting, the character dynamics, the banter; it was addictive. But beyond that... it was emotional, which I was not expecting in the least.


This is - more than anything - somehow a book about grief. About a character that has lost herself in all of her pain and regret, and learning to live again. As soon as I realized that, I would have given anything for Shin Lina. Suddenly, her rash behavior makes sense. Not only does it make sense, it becomes painful.

Even with that, there is an undercurrent of hope. Of learning to forgive and to grow, but it isn't done in a corny, obnoxious way. It's painful and slow and there are moments that are better than others. It's a realistic portrayal of grief and I loved it.


And the romance in this book. I haven't been this invested in a relationship in awhile. This couple had some of the dynamic I think people tried to convince themselves that Alina and the Darkling had.
Except Rui actually asks for consent. But let's not get into that ]]> 3.80 2022
author: Sophie Kim
name: mads
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/05/31
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves: 2022-releases, arcs, new-adult, reviewed-2022, new-adult-fantasy, rated-4-stars, completed-series
review:
"Death does not die, and neither will you."

ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: addiction, blood, death, death of a loved one, fatphobia*, gore, murder, sexual content, swearing, torture, violence.

*brief scene where an overweight character is seen as undesirable and described as waddling, rather than walking.

Actual Rating: 4.5��

Oh. My. Gosh.

This was so good, guys. Like... wow.

It was very different than I was expecting, but not in a bad way. At the very beginning of the book, I actually found myself struggling to get into it. I was just feeling kind of annoyed with the MC's rash behavior and finding it difficult to connect to the setting.

But then something clicked and as soon as it did, I didn't want to stop reading. I was intrigued by everything. The setting, the character dynamics, the banter; it was addictive. But beyond that... it was emotional, which I was not expecting in the least.


This is - more than anything - somehow a book about grief. About a character that has lost herself in all of her pain and regret, and learning to live again. As soon as I realized that, I would have given anything for Shin Lina. Suddenly, her rash behavior makes sense. Not only does it make sense, it becomes painful.

Even with that, there is an undercurrent of hope. Of learning to forgive and to grow, but it isn't done in a corny, obnoxious way. It's painful and slow and there are moments that are better than others. It's a realistic portrayal of grief and I loved it.


And the romance in this book. I haven't been this invested in a relationship in awhile. This couple had some of the dynamic I think people tried to convince themselves that Alina and the Darkling had.
Except Rui actually asks for consent. But let's not get into that
]]> 203578951
The Prophecy has arrived…and with her, war.

A prisoner caged within the walls of her own mind, the once-fierce assassin known as Shin Lina can do nothing but watch as a tide of blood and chaos sweeps across the Three Kingdoms. After all, Lina is the one who unleashed the malevolent Prophecy upon her world.

So many secrets. So many lies. And it’s all her fault.

Yet Haneul Rui—the immortal Dokkaebi Emperor who stole her heart—refuses to surrender. He alone leads the armies against the dangerous, serpentine Imugi. He alone wields his scorching fire atop blood-soaked battlefields, and he alone rallies his soldiers against a terrifying future of death and destruction.

Now the red thread of fate ties them all together in love and hatred—Rui, Lina, and the merciless Prophecy herself. And the more Lina fights against her destiny, the tighter the thread becomes.

For they are bound in both life and death; to wound one is to wound them all. To kill the Child of Venom is to kill them all.

And soon, not even the wrathful gods themselves can stop their inevitable ruin.]]> 480 Sophie Kim 1649374283 mads 5 "Rise to your feet, Shin Lina. One last time."

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: [spoilers removed]
(The trigger warnings are only classified as spoilers because this was an arc for the last book in a series. Trigger warnings aren't spoilers <3)

Easily one of the best series finales I have ever read.

This is how you write a finale. Hell, this is how you write a trilogy.

Sophie Kim has created the kind of series that will stay with me for a long time. The character arcs, the depth, the growth, the foreshadowing from book 1? There isn't a single piece of this that I could find fault with, even if I tried.

I swear I felt every emotion while reading this book, which is odd for me. I've said this before, I love reading but I don't always have the emotional experience that other people seem to. Part of this is because I'm usually unsurprised by most intended twists.

This whole trilogy was an exception.

This may sound a bit melodramatic, but I really mean it when I say this is the kind of book that tears you apart and puts you back together again. In many ways, there were lines that felt like they were meant specifically for me - which is a magic of fantasy, to feel so personal even as the characters are fighting mythical beasts and literal gods.

When I thought I knew where the story was going, the actual events always left me surprised. Even in small story beats, patterns I recognized from other books, Sophie Kim turned them on their head in the most satisfying way.

If I haven't made it clear already, this was incredible and secured this trilogy's position as one of my favorite series.

If you love *actual* enemies-to-lovers, stories of grief and addiction and forgiveness, books that don't treat traumatic events as minor inconveniences, a morally grey main character, magic, gods, and prophecies please read this. You won't regret it.

It's so bittersweet to be reviewing the last book, but I'm excited to return to Sophie Kim's words whenever she writes them. ]]> 4.35
author: Sophie Kim
name: mads
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/02
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves: 2025-releases, arcs, rated-5-stars, reviewed-2025, new-adult, new-adult-fantasy
review:
"Rise to your feet, Shin Lina. One last time."

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: [spoilers removed]
(The trigger warnings are only classified as spoilers because this was an arc for the last book in a series. Trigger warnings aren't spoilers <3)

Easily one of the best series finales I have ever read.

This is how you write a finale. Hell, this is how you write a trilogy.

Sophie Kim has created the kind of series that will stay with me for a long time. The character arcs, the depth, the growth, the foreshadowing from book 1? There isn't a single piece of this that I could find fault with, even if I tried.

I swear I felt every emotion while reading this book, which is odd for me. I've said this before, I love reading but I don't always have the emotional experience that other people seem to. Part of this is because I'm usually unsurprised by most intended twists.

This whole trilogy was an exception.

This may sound a bit melodramatic, but I really mean it when I say this is the kind of book that tears you apart and puts you back together again. In many ways, there were lines that felt like they were meant specifically for me - which is a magic of fantasy, to feel so personal even as the characters are fighting mythical beasts and literal gods.

When I thought I knew where the story was going, the actual events always left me surprised. Even in small story beats, patterns I recognized from other books, Sophie Kim turned them on their head in the most satisfying way.

If I haven't made it clear already, this was incredible and secured this trilogy's position as one of my favorite series.

If you love *actual* enemies-to-lovers, stories of grief and addiction and forgiveness, books that don't treat traumatic events as minor inconveniences, a morally grey main character, magic, gods, and prophecies please read this. You won't regret it.

It's so bittersweet to be reviewing the last book, but I'm excited to return to Sophie Kim's words whenever she writes them.
]]> 63054564 Serpent & Dove meets Fourth Wing in this pulse-pounding YA fantasy debut.

In the kingdom of Florent, anyone can succumb to the Ignition—a monthly solar event where the sun god’s magic turns an unlucky human into a vicious dragon. Haunted by his failure to find a cure for his little brother, Abel Estellio knows firsthand that slayer families are just as vulnerable to the curse. The only relic from his previous life is an incomplete research journal. With his name now synonymous with disaster, Abel is broke and desperate for work.

When gossip of the journal reaches Claire Belgard, she abandons her sisterhood of thieves to find him. A slayer who tried to save a dragon? Blasphemous—but his taboo is a hope she can’t ignore. She believes Abel’s research is her only chance to cure her curse and end her reliance on a life of crime. The problem is, he’s hunting again. So she feeds him a false lead on a dragon to test whether she can trust him with her secret, or whether she must turn to the crime she dreads most—murder—to steal the journal and hope the contents are enough to save herself.

When her con derails into a dangerous discovery at the heart of the curse, Claire and Abel must break every rule designed to protect them from their enemies to survive and find redemption. But the next Ignition is coming, and if Claire transforms into a dragon again, even love can't save them from the deadliest threat of all: each other.]]> Morgan J. Watchorn mads 0 2026-anticipated-releases 4.44 2025
author: Morgan J. Watchorn
name: mads
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: 2026-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 220513519
The peace of Heartwood is shattered when a group of soldiers descends, under orders from the Ruler of the Northlands. Their to hack a path through the forest and find the fabled treasure said to lie deep within. Under the grueling decree, Stasya’s village falls into chaos. The task is clearly impossible. The forest is alive with bears and wolves, and the old tales speak of evil spirits, monsters and uncanny beings. Nobody has ever gone deep into Heartwood Forest and returned safe and well.

When Stasya raises her voice in protest she is removed from her beloved home and transported to court �� a different world. Word of her special skills has reached the Ruler’s ears, and Lady Elisabeta has a job for her. But Stasya will not break her vow to protect the forest, even under the most appalling threat. Help comes from an unlikely quarter.
Secrets abound; dangers lie everywhere; and it is hard to tell friend from foe. As Stasya and her band of unlikely allies embark on a perilous mission, it becomes apparent that uncanny forces may indeed be involved. Maybe the old tales of the Hermit are true.]]> 433 Juliet Marillier 1763662535 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.03 2025
author: Juliet Marillier
name: mads
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 61219118
Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to liberate her island from its enemies, the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But now, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight. She’s a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbors.

When she’s forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects that she will perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn’t expect her older sister, Elara, forming an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon—or the gods claiming the only way to break that bond is to kill her sister.

As Faron’s desperation to find another solution takes her down a dark path, and Elara discovers the shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, both must make difficult choices that will shape each other’s lives, as well as the fate of their world.

"By turns hopeful and devastating, So Let Them Burn is a masterful debut with a blazing heart. I was captivated from beginning to end by Cole’s sharp, clever prose and by her protagonists—two remarkable sisters with an unforgettable bond." �� Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief]]> 400 Kamilah Cole mads 3 "You don't stop being the chosen one just because the war is over."

�� 3.5

TW: blood, colonization, confinement, death, death of a loved one, fire/fire injury, forced institutionalization, genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, mental illness, panic attacks/disorders, racial slurs, racism, slavery, violence, war, xenophobia.

Absolutely overjoyed that dragons are having a bit of a comeback right now. Dragons are my fae, in the way that I will read almost anything that even mentions dragons.

Admittedly... the fact it had dragons was the only thing I knew about this book going in but if I had known that it had the burnt-out chosen one trope and siblings on opposite sides of a war, I would have picked this up the second it was released. Either way, I'm glad I picked it up now.

This was such a good debut and a really good dragon book! It had its flaws, namely falling into some unfortunate YA ruts (such as incoherent military planning and over-dramatized chapter endings throughout the book) but those were minor compared to all of the things this story did right.

We follow Faron and Elara, sisters that were dragged into a war as children and even though we begin the story in a time of peace, we can see that neither of the sisters have truly left the war. Not really. And that creates such an interesting dynamic, as we see Faron constantly pushing back against the worship given to the chosen one and Elara constantly trying to keep up with her younger sister's renown. Both sisters were distinct and interesting to follow, though I did struggle more with Faron due to her absolute stupidity.

Which leads me to both a plus and a negative: this book read very young. It's a YA, so that isn't a bad thing. However, it also had a tendency to pull me out of the story when characters that had almost singlehandedly won a war at age 12 (?) were so... incapable of thinking things through or even a modicum of self control. That paired with the overdramatized moments I mentioned earlier could make this a more difficult read for people growing out of YA, so while I don't think this is necessarily a negative, I do think it's worth noting.


Other than the few things I didn't care for, I really did enjoy so much of this story. I loved the worldbuilding and I'm a sucker for magical academy settings (even if we barely spent any time there). I loved the discussions of generational trauma and the lasting effects of war. I loved the sisterly bond and I freaking loved the dragons.

If you're someone that already loves YA fantasy and are looking for one that breathes new life into familiar elements, while also creating something beautifully unique, I wholeheartedly recommend this. ]]> 3.83 2024
author: Kamilah Cole
name: mads
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/02/15
date added: 2024/12/26
shelves: 2024-releases, dragons, reviewed-2024, ya-fantasy, ya, rated-3-stars, completed-series
review:
"You don't stop being the chosen one just because the war is over."

�� 3.5

TW: blood, colonization, confinement, death, death of a loved one, fire/fire injury, forced institutionalization, genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, mental illness, panic attacks/disorders, racial slurs, racism, slavery, violence, war, xenophobia.

Absolutely overjoyed that dragons are having a bit of a comeback right now. Dragons are my fae, in the way that I will read almost anything that even mentions dragons.

Admittedly... the fact it had dragons was the only thing I knew about this book going in but if I had known that it had the burnt-out chosen one trope and siblings on opposite sides of a war, I would have picked this up the second it was released. Either way, I'm glad I picked it up now.

This was such a good debut and a really good dragon book! It had its flaws, namely falling into some unfortunate YA ruts (such as incoherent military planning and over-dramatized chapter endings throughout the book) but those were minor compared to all of the things this story did right.

We follow Faron and Elara, sisters that were dragged into a war as children and even though we begin the story in a time of peace, we can see that neither of the sisters have truly left the war. Not really. And that creates such an interesting dynamic, as we see Faron constantly pushing back against the worship given to the chosen one and Elara constantly trying to keep up with her younger sister's renown. Both sisters were distinct and interesting to follow, though I did struggle more with Faron due to her absolute stupidity.

Which leads me to both a plus and a negative: this book read very young. It's a YA, so that isn't a bad thing. However, it also had a tendency to pull me out of the story when characters that had almost singlehandedly won a war at age 12 (?) were so... incapable of thinking things through or even a modicum of self control. That paired with the overdramatized moments I mentioned earlier could make this a more difficult read for people growing out of YA, so while I don't think this is necessarily a negative, I do think it's worth noting.


Other than the few things I didn't care for, I really did enjoy so much of this story. I loved the worldbuilding and I'm a sucker for magical academy settings (even if we barely spent any time there). I loved the discussions of generational trauma and the lasting effects of war. I loved the sisterly bond and I freaking loved the dragons.

If you're someone that already loves YA fantasy and are looking for one that breathes new life into familiar elements, while also creating something beautifully unique, I wholeheartedly recommend this.
]]> 214175090 Perfect for fans of Raybearer and Fourth Wing, this astonishing sequel to the bestselling novel So Let Them Burn doesn't hold back. After all, there are no easy endings in war—especially when sisters are forced to fight on opposite sides.

Faron Vincent was once the saint of San Irie. Now, she’s done the unthinkable: betrayed her country. Alone, disgraced, and kidnapped, Faron is forced to help Iya grow his bloody empire. With her soul bonded to a ruthless killer, Faron has become an enemy to her people�� and she fears they might be right.

Elara Vincent—the new Empyrean—must undo the damage her sister has caused. San Irie has been brought back to the brink of war as Iya proclaims no nation will be safe from his brutal invasion. But how can Elara save her sister, her best friend, her country, and her world when she’s already cracking under the pressure?

This heart-pounding conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology pushes these unforgettable heroines to their breaking point and beyond. Because when the lines between hero and villain are blurred, deadly sacrifices must be made.]]> 416 Kamilah Cole 0316534951 mads 3 ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

last read of the year completed!!

Unique and thought-provoking, This Ends in Embers solidifies the Divine Traitors duology's place as a refreshing presence in YA.

To prepare for writing this review, I went and reread my review for the first book and was pretty surprised to see that my feelings on both books were almost identical. I still really appreciated the world-building and the conversations on generational trauma and the costs of war.

During this book, we follow Faron and Elara as they are separated due to circumstance and the rising war. Because of this, the world and the politics got to be expanded. We learn more about the history of their world, the dragons, the gods, and how the general public views the sisters'.

However, for me personally, this particular installment fell quite flat.

I found much of the book to be redundant and over-dramatized, with powerful sentences being repeated so many times they began to lose their meaning. The sisters still both acted incredibly young, which was something I struggled with in book 1. This is YA, the characters are meant to be young. I know that. But when you have characters that have been stripped of their childhood and forced into these adult roles, it's hard to believe that they'd still be behaving this way.

This also fell into the unfortunate YA habit of feeling very... teachy? Sometimes, authors write YA characters as an adult writing teenagers (rather than putting themselves into the mind of the character), filled with all of the lessons they want to get across and the encouragement they want to give to young people. Which is beautiful and admirable! But it doesn't feel like these characters learning those lessons on their own, it feels like the author is telling me to get my confidence back and not to kill.

I also found this a bit confusing, but I'm not counting that against the book. I've been especially tired this year and I'm more than willing to admit that might have been user error. I would recommend rereading So Let Them Burn before jumping into this one, if you need a refresher.

Overall, I stand by the fact that this duology deserves all the hype and praise it's gotten (and more!) Kamilah Cole did something incredibly interesting with what could have been a very basic premise.

While this book didn't entirely work for me, I definitely recommend it to people that love YA fantasy (+ don't mind YA that reads incredibly young) and want to read something that doesn't feel like everything else. ]]> 3.87 2025
author: Kamilah Cole
name: mads
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/25
date added: 2024/12/26
shelves: 2025-releases, dragons, arcs, rated-3-stars, reviewed-2024, ya, ya-fantasy
review:
ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

last read of the year completed!!

Unique and thought-provoking, This Ends in Embers solidifies the Divine Traitors duology's place as a refreshing presence in YA.

To prepare for writing this review, I went and reread my review for the first book and was pretty surprised to see that my feelings on both books were almost identical. I still really appreciated the world-building and the conversations on generational trauma and the costs of war.

During this book, we follow Faron and Elara as they are separated due to circumstance and the rising war. Because of this, the world and the politics got to be expanded. We learn more about the history of their world, the dragons, the gods, and how the general public views the sisters'.

However, for me personally, this particular installment fell quite flat.

I found much of the book to be redundant and over-dramatized, with powerful sentences being repeated so many times they began to lose their meaning. The sisters still both acted incredibly young, which was something I struggled with in book 1. This is YA, the characters are meant to be young. I know that. But when you have characters that have been stripped of their childhood and forced into these adult roles, it's hard to believe that they'd still be behaving this way.

This also fell into the unfortunate YA habit of feeling very... teachy? Sometimes, authors write YA characters as an adult writing teenagers (rather than putting themselves into the mind of the character), filled with all of the lessons they want to get across and the encouragement they want to give to young people. Which is beautiful and admirable! But it doesn't feel like these characters learning those lessons on their own, it feels like the author is telling me to get my confidence back and not to kill.

I also found this a bit confusing, but I'm not counting that against the book. I've been especially tired this year and I'm more than willing to admit that might have been user error. I would recommend rereading So Let Them Burn before jumping into this one, if you need a refresher.

Overall, I stand by the fact that this duology deserves all the hype and praise it's gotten (and more!) Kamilah Cole did something incredibly interesting with what could have been a very basic premise.

While this book didn't entirely work for me, I definitely recommend it to people that love YA fantasy (+ don't mind YA that reads incredibly young) and want to read something that doesn't feel like everything else.
]]> 44076760 9780241411148 Black Beauty
9780241411155 Dracula
9780241411162 The Secret Garden
9780241411209 The Wizard of Oz
9780241411216 Treasure Island]]> 126 Charles Dickens 024141119X mads 5
]]> 4.27 1843
author: Charles Dickens
name: mads
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1843
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
shelves: christmas, dickens, rated-5-stars, reviewed-2024
review:
Seventh time reading and as always, it's an absolute delight.


]]> 68320207 C’est le début d’un périple au bout du monde, où l’on retrouve tous les ingrédients qui font le sel des grandes aventures : des contrebandiers de la pire espèce, une sorcière malintentionnée, un redoutable dragon, des pirates sales et méchants (ou pas), et même un rat qui parle...
Tress de la mer Émeraude est le premier des quatre « romans secrets » écrits par Brandon Sanderson, l’auteur best-seller aux plus de trente-six millions d’exemplaires vendus à travers le monde, durant les confinements de la pandémie de Covid-19. Ces romans ont fait l’objet d’une campagne de financement participatif record sur la plateforme Kickstarter aux États-Unis.

Un roman à dévorer. Numerama.

Un roman du Cosmère.]]> 486 Brandon Sanderson mads 0 to-read 4.45 2023
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: mads
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63280765 For fans of The Midnight Library and One Day in December who love a dash of Dickensian magic, One Christmas Morning is a heartwarming debut novel about a woman’s self-discovery, the strength found in friendship, and the promise of second chances.

Eva has spent the past three years burying herself in her work, trying to forget the heartbreaking events of the Christmas that ripped her world apart. This year, the last thing she wants is to attend her friend’s weekend-long Christmas party. But at her husband James�� insistence, here they are.

When Eva—overwhelmed by bittersweet memories—tries to sneak back to London in the middle of the night, she is visited by the ghost of her beloved grandmother. Gran tells Eva that if she doesn’t face her fears head-on and stop shutting out her loved ones, she risks losing them all forever.

When Eva wakes on Christmas morning, she finds herself living not her own life, but that of her hardworking assistant, Diana, whose overflowing inbox isn’t the only secret she’s been keeping. The next day, she wakes on Christmas morning again, this time in the body of her best friend’s little sister. As Eva lives the same day again and again through the perspectives of her friends, she is offered a glimpse into the lives of those she has been pushing away. With each Christmas Day comes a new lesson—and an insight into the secrets and struggles her loved ones have been hiding. To move forward, Eva must let go of the past. But is it too late to fix her future?]]> 336 Rachel Greenlaw 0063288486 mads 2 TW: alcohol, blood, cancer, car accident, cursing, death, death of a loved one, grief, infertility, infidelity, injury/injury detail, medical content, medical trauma, miscarriage, panic attacks/disorders, pregnancy, vomit.

I'm tired and don't really feel like writing a review for this one, so to put it bluntly: this book lost an entire star after the 75% mark. I won't expand on what exactly caused this, but I will say that I'm not usually the type to lower my rating because I disagree with the author's creative choice.

That being said, the point of this event was to show we can choose happiness even amidst tragedy. However, since the entire point of the story and literally every other experience made this point, that event felt traumatic simply for the sake of being shocking. Maybe it was more realistic, but I think a magical Christmas story can handle a little unrealistic happiness?

I liked how this book handled grief and Eva finding her way back to herself. Even the way she handled the body-swapping was more reasonable than most stories with that plot and I appreciated it.

This still (even for a book about healing from grief) felt incredibly bleak.

I kind of regret reading this and I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone. (This isn't against Rachel Greenlaw as an author. I loved "The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells" and enjoy her writing even if I disliked this one.)]]> 3.58 2023
author: Rachel Greenlaw
name: mads
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/22
date added: 2024/12/22
shelves: 2023-releases, adult, adult-contemporary, adult-fabulism, christmas, disappointing, rated-2-stars, reviewed-2024, standalones
review:
TW: alcohol, blood, cancer, car accident, cursing, death, death of a loved one, grief, infertility, infidelity, injury/injury detail, medical content, medical trauma, miscarriage, panic attacks/disorders, pregnancy, vomit.

I'm tired and don't really feel like writing a review for this one, so to put it bluntly: this book lost an entire star after the 75% mark. I won't expand on what exactly caused this, but I will say that I'm not usually the type to lower my rating because I disagree with the author's creative choice.

That being said, the point of this event was to show we can choose happiness even amidst tragedy. However, since the entire point of the story and literally every other experience made this point, that event felt traumatic simply for the sake of being shocking. Maybe it was more realistic, but I think a magical Christmas story can handle a little unrealistic happiness?

I liked how this book handled grief and Eva finding her way back to herself. Even the way she handled the body-swapping was more reasonable than most stories with that plot and I appreciated it.

This still (even for a book about healing from grief) felt incredibly bleak.

I kind of regret reading this and I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone. (This isn't against Rachel Greenlaw as an author. I loved "The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells" and enjoy her writing even if I disliked this one.)
]]> 12968705 Brandon Sanderson's epic fantasy trilogy overturns the expectations of readers and then goes on to tell the epic story of evil overturned in a richly imagined world.

A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields.

But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on criminal that no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy - the magic that lies in all metals.

A word of mouth success in the states the Mistborn trilogy has, this year, broken onto the New York Times Bestseller list. The time is ripe for its success to cross the Atlantic.]]> 676 Brandon Sanderson mads 0 to-read 4.50 2006
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: mads
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 151
«Nos capítulos iniciais de Anna Karénina, somos conduzidos, uma e outra vez, a um sentido de analogia musical. Há efeitos de contraponto e harmonia no desenvolvimento das principais tramas do “prelúdio Oblonski�� (o acidente na estação ferroviária, a zombadora discussão sobre o divórcio entre Vronski e a baronesa Chilton, o deslumbramento do fogo vermelho diante dos olhos de Anna). O método de Tolstoi é polifónico; mas as harmonias principais desen- volvem-se com uma tremenda força e amplitude. As técnicas musicais e linguísticas não podem comparar-se de um modo exato. Mas como poderíamos elucidar de outro modo o sentimento de que as novelas de Tolstoi surgem de um princípio interior de ordem e vitalidade, enquanto as dos escritores menos importantes parecem alinhavadas?»

«Anna Karénina morre no mundo do romance; mas cada vez que lemos o livro ela ressuscita, e mesmo depois de o termos acabado adquire outra vida na nossa recordação. Em cada personagem literária existe algo da Fénix imortal. Através das vidas perduráveis das suas personagens, a própria existência de Tolstoi teve a sua eternidade.» [George Steiner, Tolstoi ou Dostoievski]]]> 838 Leo Tolstoy 0143035002 mads 0 to-read 4.11 1878
author: Leo Tolstoy
name: mads
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1878
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 2166833
Here is a collection of enduring fiction. Each title chosen for it's literary quality and for the untold pleasure it will give readers of all ages.

Charles Dickens vividly conveys the horror and the humor, the violence and the pathos of a young boy's plight in the harsh underworld of Victorian England.]]> 464 Charles Dickens 1582790493 mads 0 to-read 4.20 1838
author: Charles Dickens
name: mads
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1838
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36590299 The dinosaur is back on earth—alive, now, in Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park.

An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them—for a price.

Until something goes wrong...

In 'Jurassic Park', Michael Crichton taps all his mesmerizing talent and scientific brilliance to create his most electrifying technothriller. The story, told with an almost documentary verisimilitude, is an account of the attempt, through a hair-raising twenty-four hours on a remote jungle island, to avert a global emergency—a crisis triggered by today's headlong rush (virtually unchecked by any government or scientific watchdogs) to commercialize genetic engineering.

Michael Crichton (1942��2008) makes a brilliant and captivating use of the unique amalgam of suspense and informed science (this time paleontology, biotechnology, and chaos theory) that he originated in 'The Andromeda Strain' (1969). Of all his superb scientific thrillers—all of them best-sellers��'Jurassic Park' is in every way the strongest. It is certain to be his most widely read, talked about, and unreservedly enjoyed novel to date.

Edition Notes:
This BAM! (Books-A-Million) exclusive edition of Michael Crichton’s classic novel features the original Chip Kidd cover design pressed into a scaly, dinosaur skin cover—a perfect collector’s edition!]]> 400 Michael Crichton 038536573X mads 0 to-read 4.45 1990
author: Michael Crichton
name: mads
average rating: 4.45
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59122160
The Shadow lies across the Pattern of the Age, and the Dark One has turned all his power against the prison that binds him. If it fails he will escape and nothing will stand in the storm that blows then . . . save the man that was born to battle the darkness: Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn.

But to wage his war Rand must find Callandor, ancient Sword of the Dragon . . . and the Forsaken will shatter the world to thwart him.]]> 672 Robert Jordan 0356517020 mads 3 TW: animal death, blood, confinement, death, death of a loved one, fantasy racism, fatphobia (not challenged), fire/fire injury, gore, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, misogyny, murder, slavery, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence, war, xenophobia.

This was the book equivalent of a sleeve of bland crackers. It will technically feed you, but you'll be incredibly bored.

I'm still loving this series, but I'm grateful to be done with this one.]]> 4.18 1991
author: Robert Jordan
name: mads
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1991
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
shelves: adult, adult-fantasy, rated-3-stars, reviewed-2024
review:
TW: animal death, blood, confinement, death, death of a loved one, fantasy racism, fatphobia (not challenged), fire/fire injury, gore, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, misogyny, murder, slavery, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence, war, xenophobia.

This was the book equivalent of a sleeve of bland crackers. It will technically feed you, but you'll be incredibly bored.

I'm still loving this series, but I'm grateful to be done with this one.
]]> 76714487 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq have arrived in the shining city of Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent, whose vast armies are Erilea's last hope. But they have also come to Antica for another purpose: to seek healing at the famed Torre Cesme for the wounds Chaol received in Rifthold.

After enduring unspeakable horrors as a child, Yrene Towers has no desire to help the young lord from Adarlan, let alone heal him. Yet she has sworn an oath to assist those in need—and will honor it. But Lord Westfall carries shadows from his own past, and Yrene soon comes to realize they could engulf them both.

In this sweeping parallel novel to the New York Times bestselling Empire of Storms, Chaol, Nesryn, and Yrene will have to draw on every scrap of their resilience if they wish to save their friends. But while they become entangled in the political webs of the khaganate, deep in the shadows of mighty mountains where warriors soar on legendary ruks, long-awaited answers slumber. Answers that might offer their world a chance at survival—or doom them all . . .]]> 663 Sarah J. Maas 1639731040 mads 0 4.26 2017
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: mads
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves: 2017-releases, new-adult, new-adult-fantasy
review:

]]> 76713323 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what—and who—to sacrifice if she's to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart.]]> 693 Sarah J. Maas 1639731024 mads 0 4.66 2016
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: mads
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2024/12/20
shelves: 2016-releases, dragons, new-adult-fantasy, new-adult
review:

]]> 217005439 A fierce, glamorous sapphic fantasy reimagining the secret societies of postcolonial Singapore, for fans of Jade City, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and the feverish intensity of RF Kuang’s Poppy War trilogy.

Singapore, 1972: Newly independent, a city of immigrants grappling for power in a fast-modernizing world. Here, gangsters are the last conduits of the gods their ancestors brought with them, and the back alleys where they fight are the last place where magic has not been assimilated and legislated away.

Loner schoolgirl Adeline Siow has never needed more company than the flame she can summon at her fingertips. But when her mother dies in a house fire with a butterfly seared onto her skin and Adeline hunts down a girl she saw in a back-alley barfight—a girl with a butterfly tattoo–she discovers she’s far from alone.

Ang Tian is a Red Butterfly: one of a gang of girls who came from nothing, sworn to a fire goddess and empowered to wreak vengeance on the men that abuse and underestimate them. Adeline’s mother led a double life as their elusive patron, Madam Butterfly. Now that she’s dead, Adeline’s bloodline is the sole thing sustaining the goddess. Between her search for her mother’s killer and the gang’s succession crisis, Adeline becomes quickly entangled with the girls�� dangerous world, and even more so with the charismatic Tian.

But no home lasts long around here. Ambitious and paranoid neighbor gangs hunt at the edges of Butterfly territory, and bodies are turning up in the red light district suffused with a strange new magic. Adeline may have found her place for once, but with the streets changing by the day, it may take everything she is to keep it.]]> Wen-yi Lee mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.18 2025
author: Wen-yi Lee
name: mads
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 215944300 The first installment of��USA Today bestseller David Dalglish's latest epic fantasy trilogy about immortal demigods, civil wars,��and ancient evil will be irresistible to classic fantasy fans and will appeal to readers of James Islington��and Anthony Ryan.��

Six immortal siblings.��Five sworn to peace.��One demands a throne.

Radiance, the mysterious power of life and creation, is theirs to command. Death cannot claim them. For hundreds of years, the ever-living ruled with ease. Yet when the world is nearly broken beneath their reign, the humbled six swear a They will sit upon no thrones, wear no crowns, and no longer teach humanity the gifts of radiance.

But after centuries of peace, Eder rejects their vow, anoints himself Voice of Father, and spreads a new, cruel faith across the land.

Faron cannot allow such indiscretion. Returning from a self-imposed exile, he swears to crush Eder’s kingdom, and he will not do so alone—Sariel, their cold and calculating brother, knows all too well that an ever-living’s dominion is bound for brutality and destruction. But to overthrow a nation, they will need more than each other. They will need an army and a ruler who can take the throne their own vow forbids. And so, they pledge themselves to the fanatical Bastard Princess, a woman with incredible powers she insists were given to her by the goddess Leliel.

But Eder’s conquest is not what it seems, and it will take more than a holy war to stop an immortal who has heard the desperate plea of a god.]]> 525 David Dalglish mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.44 2025
author: David Dalglish
name: mads
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/19
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 218022666
Ravence has fallen. Her enemies have ravaged her people. And now Elena Aadya Ravence must decide how far she will go to reap her revenge. As she is pulled into a bitter war that will decide the fate of her kingdom, a new tyrant rises to reclaim his home, and Elena finds that perhaps her hunger isn't enough.

And his knows no bounds.

In the thrilling sequel to The Phoenix King, deadly secrets are uncovered, new alliances are forged, and an exiled princess will rise from the ashes of the old world as the burning queen.]]> 400 Aparna Verma 0356522040 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 5.00 2025
author: Aparna Verma
name: mads
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 63325346
The Ravani kingdom was born of a prophecy, carved from unforgiving desert sands and ruled by the Ravence bloodline: those with the power to command the Eternal Fire.

Elena Aadya is the heir to the throne—and the only Ravence who cannot wield her family’s legendary magic. As her coronation approaches, she will do whatever it takes to prove herself a worthy successor to her revered father. But she doesn’t anticipate the arrival of Yassen Knight, the notorious assassin who now claims fealty to the throne. Elena’s father might trust Yassen to be a member of her royal guard, but she is certain he is hiding something.]]> 513 Aparna Verma 0316522775 mads 4 "The stars would come and go. Fire was eternal."

�� 4.5

TW: ableism, blood, body-horror, child abuse, child death, colonization, confinement, cursing, death, death of a loved one, drug use, fire/fire injury, genocide, grief, gun violence, injury/injury detail, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, murder, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, police brutality, racism, religious bigotry, sexual content, slavery, suicide, torture, violence, vomit, war, xenophobia.

Everything I hoped it would be.

This was absolutely my kind of book. A religion based magic system, unearthing corrupt history, royalty x guard romance, complex family dynamics, and the realities of how far one must go to keep what they love safe.

I loved so much about this book, but (surprisingly) my favorite part was following Leo - Ravani's king and Elena's father - as he grapples with his own humanity and the decisions he feels he has to make to be a good leader. The way his relationship with faith and life was handled was really interesting to me and it made me look forward to chapters that, written by another author, might have bored me.

The relationship was fantastic, if a bit more rushed than I'd like in a slow-burn fantasy series. (Take this with a grain of salt, they don't even hold hands until at least 400 pages in.) I loved the characters on their own and I appreciated that neither of them lost their own struggles to fawning over each other.

Also, this book is brutal and no one was safe (which I prefer!)

It was a bit predictable, but in the way that makes you feel satisfied as everything unfolds.

My main complaint would be that - despite being a rather slow-paced, 500+ page book - certain aspects were rather rushed. I can't give any examples without heading into spoiler territory, but what I will say is that I just wished things would have been given more time instead of just quickly being moved past.

Overall, though, this is exactly what I was hoping it would be and I cannot wait for the next book. If we usually have similar tastes in books, I definitely recommend this one. ]]> 3.64 2023
author: Aparna Verma
name: mads
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/17
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: 2023-releases, adult, adult-fantasy, adult-sci-fi-ish, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2024, royalty-and-guard-trope, series-i-might-finish
review:
"The stars would come and go. Fire was eternal."

�� 4.5

TW: ableism, blood, body-horror, child abuse, child death, colonization, confinement, cursing, death, death of a loved one, drug use, fire/fire injury, genocide, grief, gun violence, injury/injury detail, medical content, medical trauma, mental illness, murder, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, police brutality, racism, religious bigotry, sexual content, slavery, suicide, torture, violence, vomit, war, xenophobia.

Everything I hoped it would be.

This was absolutely my kind of book. A religion based magic system, unearthing corrupt history, royalty x guard romance, complex family dynamics, and the realities of how far one must go to keep what they love safe.

I loved so much about this book, but (surprisingly) my favorite part was following Leo - Ravani's king and Elena's father - as he grapples with his own humanity and the decisions he feels he has to make to be a good leader. The way his relationship with faith and life was handled was really interesting to me and it made me look forward to chapters that, written by another author, might have bored me.

The relationship was fantastic, if a bit more rushed than I'd like in a slow-burn fantasy series. (Take this with a grain of salt, they don't even hold hands until at least 400 pages in.) I loved the characters on their own and I appreciated that neither of them lost their own struggles to fawning over each other.

Also, this book is brutal and no one was safe (which I prefer!)

It was a bit predictable, but in the way that makes you feel satisfied as everything unfolds.

My main complaint would be that - despite being a rather slow-paced, 500+ page book - certain aspects were rather rushed. I can't give any examples without heading into spoiler territory, but what I will say is that I just wished things would have been given more time instead of just quickly being moved past.

Overall, though, this is exactly what I was hoping it would be and I cannot wait for the next book. If we usually have similar tastes in books, I definitely recommend this one.
]]> 25667118
Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.]]> 413 Victoria E. Schwab 0765376466 mads 4 “For the ones who dream of stranger worlds.��

TW: abuse, alcohol, blood, body horror, body-shaming, cannibalism, cursing, death, death of a loved one, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, gore, grief, gun violence, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, misogyny, murder, physical abuse, police brutality, possession, rape, self harm, sexual harassment, sexual content, sexual violence, stalking, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, torture, trafficking, violence.

Solid, if not as life-changing as I might have hoped.

I've found a bit of a mixed bag with V.E. Schwab's works (didn't care for Addie LaRue, The Near Witch, or City of Ghosts but really enjoyed This Savage Song and Gallant) so I was hesitant going into this one, but I wanted to love it. It was one of those books that I just felt like I'd love.

And... while I can't say I'm leaving this book in love, I did enjoy it quite a bit!

This is a book that focuses a great deal on atmosphere (which I love) though it sometimes felt like it came at the price of me connecting with the characters or story. The tone of the story and the setting was incredibly well-crafted, but the villains felt evil just for being evil and the other pieces of the story seemed to fall into place rather conveniently. And the character I found most interesting was a side character and barely focused on.
(Also, side note, I see why everyone says Lila Bard has "not like other girls" syndrome, but I couldn't help but wonder if this was meant to be read as her questioning/struggling with her gender identity?)

Despite my criticisms, this is a good book. I see why it's so well-beloved, even if I didn't connect with it as much as I'd hoped. The world(s) and magic system are incredibly interesting and I could see growing to care for the characters more as I continue with the series.

Overall! This was good, I liked it. The hype may have done it a bit of disservice, but not so much that it ruined my enjoyment. I look forward to reading book 2. ]]> 4.16 2015
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: mads
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/17
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: adult, adult-fantasy, adult-historical-fantasy, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2024, series-i-might-finish, 2015-releases
review:
“For the ones who dream of stranger worlds.��

TW: abuse, alcohol, blood, body horror, body-shaming, cannibalism, cursing, death, death of a loved one, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, gore, grief, gun violence, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, misogyny, murder, physical abuse, police brutality, possession, rape, self harm, sexual harassment, sexual content, sexual violence, stalking, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, torture, trafficking, violence.

Solid, if not as life-changing as I might have hoped.

I've found a bit of a mixed bag with V.E. Schwab's works (didn't care for Addie LaRue, The Near Witch, or City of Ghosts but really enjoyed This Savage Song and Gallant) so I was hesitant going into this one, but I wanted to love it. It was one of those books that I just felt like I'd love.

And... while I can't say I'm leaving this book in love, I did enjoy it quite a bit!

This is a book that focuses a great deal on atmosphere (which I love) though it sometimes felt like it came at the price of me connecting with the characters or story. The tone of the story and the setting was incredibly well-crafted, but the villains felt evil just for being evil and the other pieces of the story seemed to fall into place rather conveniently. And the character I found most interesting was a side character and barely focused on.
(Also, side note, I see why everyone says Lila Bard has "not like other girls" syndrome, but I couldn't help but wonder if this was meant to be read as her questioning/struggling with her gender identity?)

Despite my criticisms, this is a good book. I see why it's so well-beloved, even if I didn't connect with it as much as I'd hoped. The world(s) and magic system are incredibly interesting and I could see growing to care for the characters more as I continue with the series.

Overall! This was good, I liked it. The hype may have done it a bit of disservice, but not so much that it ruined my enjoyment. I look forward to reading book 2.
]]> 56274897 A fantasy adventure about four friends who journey through a magical, Everglades-inspired swampland to break a curse tied to the death of a loved one.

Best friends Cordelia and Larkin have always called the Glades—a peaceful swamp full of magical creatures—home. But when Oziris, Cordelia’s father and the leader of their village, dies unexpectedly, a dark curse sweeps over the land.

The girls know that the curse must be tied to Oziris’s death, and they’re determined to break its hold on their home and bring Oziris back to life. Together, Cordelia, Larkin, and their two little brothers set off into the wild Glades in search of an elusive and enigmatic witch who is rumored to have the power to reverse death.

The Glades are no longer a familiar and friendly place, though, and danger lurks around every corner. But on their journey, the children discover that the most difficult challenge isn’t wild marsh-maids or bogilisks or dragon-gators—it’s the grief threatening to consume them.]]> 304 Laura Sebastian 0593429583 mads 2 "We all have magic in us - even if it never rises to the surface, it's in everyone, and everywhere."

TW: death of a parent, grief.

Basically a magical swamp version of The Village (2004) with bad pacing, a focus on grief, and way too much of the plot devoted to magical snot.

That's really all you need to know.

I've enjoyed Laura Sebastian's other books, but I don't think her middle grade writing is for me.
]]> 3.72 2022
author: Laura Sebastian
name: mads
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/17
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: 2022-releases, rated-2-stars, reviewed-2024, standalones, middle-grade, middle-grade-fantasy
review:
"We all have magic in us - even if it never rises to the surface, it's in everyone, and everywhere."

TW: death of a parent, grief.

Basically a magical swamp version of The Village (2004) with bad pacing, a focus on grief, and way too much of the plot devoted to magical snot.

That's really all you need to know.

I've enjoyed Laura Sebastian's other books, but I don't think her middle grade writing is for me.

]]> 53403588 In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion one hundred years in the making. But when a legionnaire falls in love with a Magistrate's daughter, their love will threaten the fate of the city and the will of the gods.

Luca Matius has one purpose—to carry on the family name, maintaining its presence in the Forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his noviceship with the city's Philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.

Maris Casoeria was raised amidst the strategic maneuvers of the Citadel's inner workings, and she knows what her future holds—a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last Priestess who possesses the stolen magic of the Old War has made her envision a different kind of future for the city. When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set into motion that will divinely entangle their lives.

As a secret comes to light and throws the city into chaos, Luca and Maris hatch a plot to create a calculated alliance that could tip the scales of power. But when an execution forces Luca to become the symbol of rebellion, he and Maris are thrown onto opposite sides of a holy war. As their fates diverge, they learn they are at the center of a story the gods are writing. And even if they can find their way back to each other, there may be nothing left.]]> 400 Adrienne Young mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.58 2025
author: Adrienne Young
name: mads
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 46133968 A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.]]> 830 Samantha Shannon 140888335X mads 0 to-read 4.25 2019
author: Samantha Shannon
name: mads
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60702495 Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance—by the same unbeatable team of authors who wrote the New York Times bestseller Blackout!

As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm?��

No one is prepared for this whiteout. But then, we can’t always prepare for the magical moments that change everything.

From the bestselling, award-winning, all-star authors who brought us Blackout—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—comes another novel of Black teen love, each relationship within as unique and sparkling as Southern snowflakes.����]]> 299 Dhonielle Clayton 0063088169 mads 0
Not rating this because this isn't my preferred genre (it's a YA contemporary) and my rating might be unfairly lower because of it.]]> 3.65 2022
author: Dhonielle Clayton
name: mads
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/16
date added: 2024/12/16
shelves: 2022-releases, christmas, reviewed-2024, ya, ya-contemporary
review:
Picked this up on a whim to try and help myself get into the wintery mood and it didn't exactly help, but it wasn't a bad time either.

Not rating this because this isn't my preferred genre (it's a YA contemporary) and my rating might be unfairly lower because of it.
]]> 61070523 A sweeping, Pakistani romantic fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, where one girl seeks revenge against those who betrayed her—including the boy she used to love.

Three hundred and sixty-four days.
Framed for a crime she didn't commit, Dania counts down her days in prison until she can exact revenge on Mazin, the boy responsible for her downfall, the boy she once loved—and still can't forget. When she discovers a fellow prisoner may have the key to exacting that vengeance--a stolen djinn treasure--they execute a daring escape together and search for the hidden treasure.

Armed with dark magic and a new identity, Dania enacts a plan to bring down those who betrayed her and her family, even though Mazin stands in her way. But seeking revenge becomes a complicated game of cat and mouse, especially when an undeniable fire still burns between them, and the power to destroy her enemies has a price. As Dania falls deeper into her web of traps and lies, she risks losing her humanity to her fight for vengeance--and her heart to the only boy she's ever loved.]]> 439 Emily Varga 1250877385 mads 4 “And what was freedom worth if I still felt imprisoned?��

TW: addiction, blood, body horror, colonization, confinement, cursing, death, death of a loved one, drug use, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, forced institutionalization, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, misogyny, murder, physical abuse, police brutality, sexual content, torture, violence.

I had such a good time with this.

With a focus on female rage, betrayal, magic, and revenge, For She Is Wrath serves as a reminder of just how thrilling and enjoyable YA fantasy standalones can be. It was so refreshing to see a main character that is actually willing to hurt people, instead of boasting about it and then... just... not.

The romance was also so much fun. It's been awhile since I've felt any fictional couples had any chemistry but they did and I loved them for it. This is partially because lovers-to-enemies is in my top three favorite tropes of all time, but also because Emily Varga did a really good job crafting their connection and tension in a rather short space.
(The Pride and Prejudice reference was also beautifully handled.)

I'm not saying this book was perfect. It can be a bit cheesy, with a main character that sometimes felt like a cartoon villain (I love and adore her though), and a plot that happens a bit too conveniently; but these aspects are genuinely easy to overlook with everything else going on.

Overall, this is so underrated and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a unique, romantic, revenge fueled YA fantasy standalone.]]> 3.68 2024
author: Emily Varga
name: mads
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/15
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: 2024-releases, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2024, standalones, ya, ya-fantasy
review:
“And what was freedom worth if I still felt imprisoned?��

TW: addiction, blood, body horror, colonization, confinement, cursing, death, death of a loved one, drug use, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, forced institutionalization, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, medical content, misogyny, murder, physical abuse, police brutality, sexual content, torture, violence.

I had such a good time with this.

With a focus on female rage, betrayal, magic, and revenge, For She Is Wrath serves as a reminder of just how thrilling and enjoyable YA fantasy standalones can be. It was so refreshing to see a main character that is actually willing to hurt people, instead of boasting about it and then... just... not.

The romance was also so much fun. It's been awhile since I've felt any fictional couples had any chemistry but they did and I loved them for it. This is partially because lovers-to-enemies is in my top three favorite tropes of all time, but also because Emily Varga did a really good job crafting their connection and tension in a rather short space.
(The Pride and Prejudice reference was also beautifully handled.)

I'm not saying this book was perfect. It can be a bit cheesy, with a main character that sometimes felt like a cartoon villain (I love and adore her though), and a plot that happens a bit too conveniently; but these aspects are genuinely easy to overlook with everything else going on.

Overall, this is so underrated and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a unique, romantic, revenge fueled YA fantasy standalone.
]]> 38898402
Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from N.D. Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel is perfect for the legions of fans of the web comic and is sure to win Noelle many new ones.

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.]]> 272 N.D. Stevenson mads 0 4.44 2015
author: N.D. Stevenson
name: mads
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2024/12/15
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: 2015-releases, graphic-novels, reviewed-2024, standalones, ya, ya-fantasy
review:
Cute and humorous. I see why so many people love this story so much. I think I expected a bit more due to the hype, but I didn't mind it.
]]> 53759101
While she is gone, raiders raze her village and obliterate the Eangi priesthood. Grieving and alone, Hessa - the last Eangi - must find the traveller, atone for her weakness and secure her place with her loved ones in the High Halls. As clans from the north and legionaries from the south tear through her homeland, slaughtering everyone in their path, Hessa strives to win back her goddess' favour.

Beset by zealot soldiers, deceitful gods, and newly-awakened demons at every turn, Hessa burns her path towards redemption and revenge. But her journey reveals a harrowing truth: the gods are dying and the High Halls of the afterlife are fading. Soon Hessa's trust in her goddess weakens with every unheeded prayer.

Thrust into a battle between the gods of the Old World and the New, Hessa realizes there is far more on the line than securing a life beyond her own death. Bigger, older powers slumber beneath the surface of her world. And they're about to wake up.]]> 432 H.M. Long 1789094984 mads 0 dnf DNF @ 16%

Nothing's wrong with this, I'm just incredibly bored and have no urge to keep reading.
]]> 3.75 2021
author: H.M. Long
name: mads
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: dnf
review:
DNF @ 16%

Nothing's wrong with this, I'm just incredibly bored and have no urge to keep reading.

]]> 59662414 In this explosive conclusion to the epic trilogy that began with Fireborne, Annie and Lee are fighting for their lives—and for each other—as invading dragonfire threatens to burn their home to the ground.

A new revolution is underway, and nobody will emerge unscathed.

In New Pythos, Griff is facing an execution by the dragonborn, who are furious at his betrayal. He has allies on both sides seeking to defy his fate, but the price of his freedom might come at a dear cost. And Delo will have to make a choice: follow his family, or finally surrender to his conscience.

Meanwhile, Annie must race home to hatch a plan to save her Guardians and their dragons. With Callipolis on the brink of collapse and the triarchy set to be reinstated, she may be the one person who can save the city—if she can overcome her own doubts about her future.

Lee is a revolutionary at heart, but now he’ll have to find a way to fight with diplomacy. Going up against the dragonborn court and a foreign princess, he faces a test of loyalty that sets his head against his heart.

As the fate of Callipolis darkens, Annie and Lee must determine what they are willing to sacrifice in order to save each other, defeat their enemies, and reclaim their home.]]> 494 Rosaria Munda 0525518282 mads 5 "Sing me now your fury-song"

TW: animal death, blood, branding, child death, classism, death, death of a loved one, fire/fire injury, grief, homophobia, injury/injury detail, misogyny, sexual content, torture, violence, war.

Update: 12/15/24

There may come a day when I can reread this book without crying like a baby, but today is not that day. This was my third time reading Furysong and I managed it better than the first two times, but man... that one scene comes and I cannot handle it.

The biggest change upon this read was that I actually found quite a bit funny (somehow) in this book, which my devastation hadn't allowed previously. I love how sassy some of the characters are in this one, even with everything terrible happening.

This is a perfect conclusion to a perfect series and I can't wait to cry over it again and again.
------------------------------------------------

Update: 11/30/23

There are really no words for how much this series means to me and every time I try to find them, I just feel more overwhelmed by the magnitude of love I have for this trilogy. As with the rest of the series, Furysong book only got better upon reread.

The things that broke me the first time were just as heartbreaking. The beautiful moments were even more beautiful. I don't know how Rosaria Munda manages it, but every time I reread one of these books, I end up just a bit more in awe of it than I already was.

To say that this book - this series - is perfect is honestly an understatement for just how special it is to me.
------------------------------------------------

Original Read: 8/22/22

If there was ever a perfect book in my mind, it's this one.

This is the kind of book that has made me question if I've ever truly loved a series before this one. Never before has a book made me feel so much. I had to set this book down because I was so devastated I needed to step away for a bit. I have literally never had to do that before.

There isn't much I can say without spoiling this or the rest of the trilogy so I'll just say that this book was perfect. Any concerns I had over this book not living up to my (extremely high) expectations were pointless. Rosaria Munda truly outdid herself.

Not that it needed to, but this book has confirmed the Aurelian Cycle's place as my favorite series of all time. I care so much for these characters and this world. (For someone that never cries while reading, I cried when someone brushed a little kid's hair. That's how gifted Rosaria Munda is at making mundane moments emotionally charged and devastating.)

Overall, I mean it when I say this book is perfect and I will continue trying to force everyone I know to read it. I genuinely kind of feel like there's a hole in my heart now that I've completed this series.

Seriously, read this series. You won't regret it (she says, sobbing uncontrollably.)]]> 4.49 2022
author: Rosaria Munda
name: mads
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/15
date added: 2024/12/15
shelves: 2022-releases, dragons, reviewed-2022, ya-fantasy, reviewed-2023, ya, rated-5-stars, reviewed-2024, favorites-expanded
review:
"Sing me now your fury-song"

TW: animal death, blood, branding, child death, classism, death, death of a loved one, fire/fire injury, grief, homophobia, injury/injury detail, misogyny, sexual content, torture, violence, war.

Update: 12/15/24

There may come a day when I can reread this book without crying like a baby, but today is not that day. This was my third time reading Furysong and I managed it better than the first two times, but man... that one scene comes and I cannot handle it.

The biggest change upon this read was that I actually found quite a bit funny (somehow) in this book, which my devastation hadn't allowed previously. I love how sassy some of the characters are in this one, even with everything terrible happening.

This is a perfect conclusion to a perfect series and I can't wait to cry over it again and again.
------------------------------------------------

Update: 11/30/23

There are really no words for how much this series means to me and every time I try to find them, I just feel more overwhelmed by the magnitude of love I have for this trilogy. As with the rest of the series, Furysong book only got better upon reread.

The things that broke me the first time were just as heartbreaking. The beautiful moments were even more beautiful. I don't know how Rosaria Munda manages it, but every time I reread one of these books, I end up just a bit more in awe of it than I already was.

To say that this book - this series - is perfect is honestly an understatement for just how special it is to me.
------------------------------------------------

Original Read: 8/22/22

If there was ever a perfect book in my mind, it's this one.

This is the kind of book that has made me question if I've ever truly loved a series before this one. Never before has a book made me feel so much. I had to set this book down because I was so devastated I needed to step away for a bit. I have literally never had to do that before.

There isn't much I can say without spoiling this or the rest of the trilogy so I'll just say that this book was perfect. Any concerns I had over this book not living up to my (extremely high) expectations were pointless. Rosaria Munda truly outdid herself.

Not that it needed to, but this book has confirmed the Aurelian Cycle's place as my favorite series of all time. I care so much for these characters and this world. (For someone that never cries while reading, I cried when someone brushed a little kid's hair. That's how gifted Rosaria Munda is at making mundane moments emotionally charged and devastating.)

Overall, I mean it when I say this book is perfect and I will continue trying to force everyone I know to read it. I genuinely kind of feel like there's a hole in my heart now that I've completed this series.

Seriously, read this series. You won't regret it (she says, sobbing uncontrollably.)
]]> 182484370
Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now she ( slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical future she lost.

When she learns about an old spellbook that holds the secret to restoring her power, she turns to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous historian who might just be able to help her unlock the book’s mysteries. Luke, who has his own reasons for staying at the inn, never planned on getting involved in the madcap goings-on around him and certainly had no intention of letting certain grumpy innkeepers past his icy walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he not only agrees to help, but also finds himself thawing .

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone... and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.]]> 352 Sangu Mandanna 0593439376 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.69 2025
author: Sangu Mandanna
name: mads
average rating: 4.69
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/14
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 56470336
Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother. When an old servant tells him of his destiny to fight beside the Stewards, Will is ushered into a world of magic, where he must train to play a vital role in the oncoming battle against the Dark.

As London is threatened by the Dark King’s return, the reborn heroes and villains of a long-forgotten war begin to draw battle lines. But as the young descendants of Light and Dark step into their destined roles, old allegiances, old enmities, and old flames are awakened. Will must stand with the last heroes of the Light to prevent the dark fate that destroyed their world from returning to destroy his own.]]> 455 C.S. Pacat 0062946145 mads 1
I'm too angry about what I just read to write a coherent review right now.

Imagine, if you will, that The Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time, and The Infernal Devices all got together and had a baby with the magic of science. Imagine how excited everyone would be for this baby, because they really enjoy each of its parents' presences and can't wait to see the beautiful, unique little being their union has created.

Now imagine if that baby came out as a turkey with a slave kink and a tendency to bastardize its parents qualities.

Confusion! Alarm! Disgust!

Except! Everyone else really likes this turkey? They say it's even better than its beloved parents. That turkey earns a 4.16 average rating and you're left to question... am I the problem? Is there something wrong with me for not liking this turkey?

This book is that turkey.

I respect the opinions of everyone that loves the ugly little bastard, but I'm simply overjoyed to be free of it. ]]> 4.11 2021
author: C.S. Pacat
name: mads
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves: 2021-releases, disappointing, rated-1-star, reviewed-2024, series-i-probably-wont-finish, ya, ya-fabulism, ya-fantasy, ya-historical-fantasy
review:
Easily one of my most hated books of the year.

I'm too angry about what I just read to write a coherent review right now.

Imagine, if you will, that The Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time, and The Infernal Devices all got together and had a baby with the magic of science. Imagine how excited everyone would be for this baby, because they really enjoy each of its parents' presences and can't wait to see the beautiful, unique little being their union has created.

Now imagine if that baby came out as a turkey with a slave kink and a tendency to bastardize its parents qualities.

Confusion! Alarm! Disgust!

Except! Everyone else really likes this turkey? They say it's even better than its beloved parents. That turkey earns a 4.16 average rating and you're left to question... am I the problem? Is there something wrong with me for not liking this turkey?

This book is that turkey.

I respect the opinions of everyone that loves the ugly little bastard, but I'm simply overjoyed to be free of it.
]]> 219493547 A devout iconographer must paint an exiled saint in this sumptuous gothic romantasy full of slow-burn tension and windswept moors, for fans of DIVINE RIVALS and A STUDY IN DROWNING

'Nothing less than blasphemy brought you to me,' Jude told her. Maeve trembled. He was an open flame. Any closer, and she’d burn.

Jude is a saint with dangerous magic �� exiled by the Abbey to live out his days in a decaying estate on the moors alone �� until gifted iconographer Maeve is sent to paint his icon. Suspecting she’s a spy for her beloved Abbey, Jude makes it his mission to get rid of Maeve as soon as possible. That is, until he discovers that Maeve holds the same tainted magic as he does, and she may be the key to destroying the Abbey’s power��

But this institution has eyes everywhere, and the only thing the Abbey loves more than a saint is a martyr.]]> Kalie Reid 000871195X mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 5.00 2025
author: Kalie Reid
name: mads
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 54316667 Revolutionary flames ignite around Annie, Lee, and a brand new POV character in the second book of the Fireborne trilogy.

After fleeing the revolution and settling into the craggy cliffs of New Pythos, the Dragonlords are eager to punish their usurpers--and reclaim their city. Their first order of business was destroying the Callipolan food supply. Now they're coming for the Dragonriders.

Annie is Callipolis's new Firstrider, and while her goal has always been to protect the people, being the government's enforcer has turned her into public enemy number one.

Lee struggles to find his place after killing kin to prove himself to a leader who betrayed him. He can support Annie and the other Guardians . . . or join the radicals who look to topple the new regime.

Griff, a lowborn dragonrider who serves New Pythos, knows he has no future. And now that Julia, the Firstrider who had protected him, is dead, he is called on to sacrifice everything for the lords that oppress his people--or to forge a new path with the Callipolan Firstrider seeking his help.

With famine tearing Callipolis apart and the Pythians determined to take back what they lost, it will be up to Annie, Lee, and Griff to decide what to fight for--and who to love.]]> 496 Rosaria Munda 052551824X mads 5 “Logs on fire. Fires to burn the world down. A lifetime in the ashes of such a fire has taught me that it doesn't end there. Anyone can start a fire. The problem is what happens after.��

TW: animal cruelty, animal death, blood, bullying, classism, child death, death, death of a loved one, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, physical abuse, sexism, sexual assault/coercion, slavery, torture, violence, vomit, war.


Update: 12/12/24

I swear I just get more defensive of these characters (Lee, specifically) and in awe of Rosaria Munda's writing ability with every single reread.

This was my fourth time reading Flamefall and something that doesn't change is the amount of pain I have whenever I reach certain scenes in this book, or how deeply her words continue to affect me. I could write entire books just on how much this series means to me.

Also, Power's an ass but I always forget how much he cracks me up in this installment.

Once again, I'm not ready to face Furysong or the absolute wreck I become whilst reading it.
------------------------------------------------

Update: 11/21/23

As with each book in this series, my awe and love for this book only grew upon rereading it. The foreshadowing, the parallels, the characters, the discussions of grief.... There are so many lines in Flamefall that are so beautiful, so poignant that I always take time to reread them again and again before moving on.

I'm once again not prepared for Furysong or for the emotional desolation I feel whilst reading it :)
------------------------------------------------

Update: 8/10/22

This book left me speechless the first time I read it and a little over a year later, I find myself speechless again. The only thing I can say is that - beginning to end - this book is a work of art. From the way it handles grief and trauma, to the way it makes you feel so damn much.

My opinions haven't changed much in my reread, except that I felt a bit more compassion for Lee this time around. I was still irritated at how irrational and sullen he was being, but I understood it more this time. (Yes, he's an idiot; yes, I'll defend him to the death.)
I hate Megara just as much as the first time around though :)

I'm also a complete mess about Delo and Griff rn and I'm terrified for Furysong. Keep them FAR away from urns, Rosaria Munda, I beg you. Please. They deserve happiness and peace and all we have right now is pain. So. Much. Pain.

As for that ending, I shall repeat my review from last year... "Excuse me WHAT"

I could talk about this book forever and I wouldn't begin to touch the surface of how much it means to me, or how amazed I was by every chapter and Rosaria Munda's absolute gift with words. I noticed so many parallels this time around and I left even more awed than the first time around.

Now... onto Furysong....
------------------------------------------------

Original Read: 3/7/21

Excuse me WHAT]]> 4.22 2021
author: Rosaria Munda
name: mads
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/12
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: 2021-releases, dragons, ya-fantasy, reviewed-2022, reviewed-2023, ya, rated-5-stars, reviewed-2024, favorites-expanded
review:
“Logs on fire. Fires to burn the world down. A lifetime in the ashes of such a fire has taught me that it doesn't end there. Anyone can start a fire. The problem is what happens after.��

TW: animal cruelty, animal death, blood, bullying, classism, child death, death, death of a loved one, emotional abuse, fire/fire injury, genocide, grief, injury/injury detail, physical abuse, sexism, sexual assault/coercion, slavery, torture, violence, vomit, war.


Update: 12/12/24

I swear I just get more defensive of these characters (Lee, specifically) and in awe of Rosaria Munda's writing ability with every single reread.

This was my fourth time reading Flamefall and something that doesn't change is the amount of pain I have whenever I reach certain scenes in this book, or how deeply her words continue to affect me. I could write entire books just on how much this series means to me.

Also, Power's an ass but I always forget how much he cracks me up in this installment.

Once again, I'm not ready to face Furysong or the absolute wreck I become whilst reading it.
------------------------------------------------

Update: 11/21/23

As with each book in this series, my awe and love for this book only grew upon rereading it. The foreshadowing, the parallels, the characters, the discussions of grief.... There are so many lines in Flamefall that are so beautiful, so poignant that I always take time to reread them again and again before moving on.

I'm once again not prepared for Furysong or for the emotional desolation I feel whilst reading it :)
------------------------------------------------

Update: 8/10/22

This book left me speechless the first time I read it and a little over a year later, I find myself speechless again. The only thing I can say is that - beginning to end - this book is a work of art. From the way it handles grief and trauma, to the way it makes you feel so damn much.

My opinions haven't changed much in my reread, except that I felt a bit more compassion for Lee this time around. I was still irritated at how irrational and sullen he was being, but I understood it more this time. (Yes, he's an idiot; yes, I'll defend him to the death.)
I hate Megara just as much as the first time around though :)

I'm also a complete mess about Delo and Griff rn and I'm terrified for Furysong. Keep them FAR away from urns, Rosaria Munda, I beg you. Please. They deserve happiness and peace and all we have right now is pain. So. Much. Pain.

As for that ending, I shall repeat my review from last year... "Excuse me WHAT"

I could talk about this book forever and I wouldn't begin to touch the surface of how much it means to me, or how amazed I was by every chapter and Rosaria Munda's absolute gift with words. I noticed so many parallels this time around and I left even more awed than the first time around.

Now... onto Furysong....
------------------------------------------------

Original Read: 3/7/21

Excuse me WHAT
]]> 219134676 From World Fantasy Award-winning author Tasha Suri comes The Isle in the Silver Sea, a heart-shattering romantasy of sapphic longing, medieval folklore and a love that spans the centuries.

In a Britain fuelled by stories, the knight and the witch are fated to fall in love and doom each other over and over, the same tale retold over hundreds of lifetimes.

Simran is a witch of the woods. Vina is a knight of the Queen's court. When the two women begin to fall for each other, how can they surrender to their desires, when to give in is to destroy each other?

As they seek a way to break the cycle, a mysterious assassin begins targeting tales like theirs. To survive, the two will need to write a story stronger than the one that fate has given to them.

But what tale is stronger than The Knight and the Witch?]]> 384 Tasha Suri 0356524418 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 4.67 2025
author: Tasha Suri
name: mads
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 221105524
Each queen vies for attention. Clever, ambitious Boleyn is determined to be Henry's favourite. And if she must incite a war to win Henry over? So be it.

Seymour acts as spy and assassin in a court teeming with dragons, backstabbing courtiers and strange magic. But when she and Boleyn become the unlikeliest of things - allies - the balance of power begins to shift. Together they will discover an ancient, rotting magic at Elben's heart. A magic that their king will do anything to protect.

A captivating epic fantasy filled with dragons, court politics and sapphic yearning, perfect for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and House of the Dragon.]]> 416 Holly Race 0356522660 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 3.86 2025
author: Holly Race
name: mads
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 186631952
More about the destinies of these beloved characters coming soon!]]> 385 Lauren Roberts 1665955430 mads 1 “For the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved��

TW: ableism, abuse, animal death, blood, body horror, body-shaming, cursing, death, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, fatphobia, fire/fire injury, genocide, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, medical trauma, miscarriage, misogyny, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, racism, sexism, sexual harassment, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence, vomit.

I never want to read the words pretend or darling ever again. :)

Powerless wasn't great, but I still saw why people enjoyed it and thought it served as a good introduction to fantasy - due to how recognizably influenced by popular YA fantasy books it was. I also think I gave it a bit of grace since it was self-published to begin with and hoped that this book would stand on its own two feet a bit better.

That did not happen.

Instead, Reckless stole feet (specifically from Dance of Thieves, Red Queen, and Tangled) and used said stolen appendages to stand on a pile of manure, into which it slowly descended through the length of the novel.

Which is to say: this was bad and I did not like it all.

Reading is subjective and I know that this was partially intended for a specific type of reader that I am not. I respect that. However! This was also objectively atrocious in literally every regard - from the writing style to the plot to the characters and their absolutely horrific attempt at romance. Holy shit.

(There were also quite a few problematic elements, particularly in regards to the descriptions/treatment of BIPOC characters. While I don't believe it was the author's intent for these lines to read that way, I'm surprised it wasn't noticed by an editor.)

I can't think of a different way to word this, so I hope my meaning won't be misunderstood: it was abundantly obvious that this book was written with TikTok in mind. And I don't mean BookTok as a whole, I mean TikTok video formats and the algorithm. The lines are written like they're all meant to be taken out of context and used to market the book, which I understand.

The problem grows when these lines don't make sense in the context, making the reader feel weirdly divorced from the situations at hand.

For example:

"I'm tired of writing from the villain's perspective."
(This is said by a royal character whilst he's writing letters/signing official documents. It is the last line of a chapter and meant to be dramatic.)


First, there is nothing.
Second, there is everything.
There is her.
"Move, and I'll sink this dagger into your heart."
No. There is hatred.


"I see none of that, because I see nothing at all.
She is no one.
I am nothing.
We are forgotten.
And this is meaningless."


But I seem him now for what he is to me---dead.


"You think so little of me, Highness."
A laugh, "No, I think so often of you."

Aside from the fact that a lot of these read like Atticus poetry on Pinterest in 2016, they also read like they're meant to have a slowed and reverbed song behind them as blurry, nondescript fantasy pictures flash in the background.

This isn't me insulting BookTok or authors that use TikTok to promote their books. I love finding new books to read through every possible platform and I can 100% vibe to some cheesy ass, dramatic fantasy edit. But the intensity of the quotes needs to exist and fit into the story, rather than exist for the purpose of having a dramatic quote.

There are a lot of other issues I have with this book, including but not limited to:

- The worldbuilding (or lack thereof.)
Why the hell did we casually mention Achilles if this takes place in a world with no resemblance to our own? And if it's supposed to be our world but millions of years in the future, that is not made clear.

- The politics.
I don't even know what to say about this, other than the fact that this is the dumbest political environment I've ever read about. The resistance is laughable and the King is... Maven but with no actual reason for being the way he is?

- The "romance".
I mentioned this earlier but it deserves repeating. I didn't like Kai and Paedyn's relationship in Powerless; I hated their banter and saw their feelings as incredibly childish. This book not only proved my point, but made me hate it even more.

There's an art to a 'will they, won't they' situation that a lot of authors don't master. In the case that it isn't done well, it just reads like characters that keep having a melodramatic internal monologue as they make out with the person they just said they were going to kill. It ends up with the same sentence being repeated five. million. times and the reader wanting to become Dobby and slam a lamp into their skull.

I didn't go into this book expecting to hate it. In fact, I really hoped to enjoy it more than the first and I'm really disappointed that the opposite happened.

As I'm saying all of this, I want to add: I've followed Lauren Roberts since before she began writing Powerless. I've enjoyed her content and have cheered for her successes along with everyone else. I'm truly happy that she's gotten to pursue her dream and has found such a loving audience for her works. This review is in no way meant as an insult to her as a person.

With all of that being said, I wanted to love this and I'm really sad that I disliked it as much as I did. I hope that Lauren Roberts continues to find readers that love and support her work, even if it doesn't work for me. ]]> 4.11 2024
author: Lauren Roberts
name: mads
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2024/12/11
date added: 2024/12/11
shelves: 2024-releases, disappointing, rated-1-star, reviewed-2024, ya, ya-fantasy
review:
“For the reckless souls who dare to love and be loved��

TW: ableism, abuse, animal death, blood, body horror, body-shaming, cursing, death, death of a loved one, domestic abuse, emotional abuse, fatphobia, fire/fire injury, genocide, gore, grief, injury/injury detail, medical content, medical trauma, miscarriage, misogyny, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, racism, sexism, sexual harassment, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence, vomit.

I never want to read the words pretend or darling ever again. :)

Powerless wasn't great, but I still saw why people enjoyed it and thought it served as a good introduction to fantasy - due to how recognizably influenced by popular YA fantasy books it was. I also think I gave it a bit of grace since it was self-published to begin with and hoped that this book would stand on its own two feet a bit better.

That did not happen.

Instead, Reckless stole feet (specifically from Dance of Thieves, Red Queen, and Tangled) and used said stolen appendages to stand on a pile of manure, into which it slowly descended through the length of the novel.

Which is to say: this was bad and I did not like it all.

Reading is subjective and I know that this was partially intended for a specific type of reader that I am not. I respect that. However! This was also objectively atrocious in literally every regard - from the writing style to the plot to the characters and their absolutely horrific attempt at romance. Holy shit.

(There were also quite a few problematic elements, particularly in regards to the descriptions/treatment of BIPOC characters. While I don't believe it was the author's intent for these lines to read that way, I'm surprised it wasn't noticed by an editor.)

I can't think of a different way to word this, so I hope my meaning won't be misunderstood: it was abundantly obvious that this book was written with TikTok in mind. And I don't mean BookTok as a whole, I mean TikTok video formats and the algorithm. The lines are written like they're all meant to be taken out of context and used to market the book, which I understand.

The problem grows when these lines don't make sense in the context, making the reader feel weirdly divorced from the situations at hand.

For example:

"I'm tired of writing from the villain's perspective."
(This is said by a royal character whilst he's writing letters/signing official documents. It is the last line of a chapter and meant to be dramatic.)


First, there is nothing.
Second, there is everything.
There is her.
"Move, and I'll sink this dagger into your heart."
No. There is hatred.


"I see none of that, because I see nothing at all.
She is no one.
I am nothing.
We are forgotten.
And this is meaningless."


But I seem him now for what he is to me---dead.


"You think so little of me, Highness."
A laugh, "No, I think so often of you."

Aside from the fact that a lot of these read like Atticus poetry on Pinterest in 2016, they also read like they're meant to have a slowed and reverbed song behind them as blurry, nondescript fantasy pictures flash in the background.

This isn't me insulting BookTok or authors that use TikTok to promote their books. I love finding new books to read through every possible platform and I can 100% vibe to some cheesy ass, dramatic fantasy edit. But the intensity of the quotes needs to exist and fit into the story, rather than exist for the purpose of having a dramatic quote.

There are a lot of other issues I have with this book, including but not limited to:

- The worldbuilding (or lack thereof.)
Why the hell did we casually mention Achilles if this takes place in a world with no resemblance to our own? And if it's supposed to be our world but millions of years in the future, that is not made clear.

- The politics.
I don't even know what to say about this, other than the fact that this is the dumbest political environment I've ever read about. The resistance is laughable and the King is... Maven but with no actual reason for being the way he is?

- The "romance".
I mentioned this earlier but it deserves repeating. I didn't like Kai and Paedyn's relationship in Powerless; I hated their banter and saw their feelings as incredibly childish. This book not only proved my point, but made me hate it even more.

There's an art to a 'will they, won't they' situation that a lot of authors don't master. In the case that it isn't done well, it just reads like characters that keep having a melodramatic internal monologue as they make out with the person they just said they were going to kill. It ends up with the same sentence being repeated five. million. times and the reader wanting to become Dobby and slam a lamp into their skull.

I didn't go into this book expecting to hate it. In fact, I really hoped to enjoy it more than the first and I'm really disappointed that the opposite happened.

As I'm saying all of this, I want to add: I've followed Lauren Roberts since before she began writing Powerless. I've enjoyed her content and have cheered for her successes along with everyone else. I'm truly happy that she's gotten to pursue her dream and has found such a loving audience for her works. This review is in no way meant as an insult to her as a person.

With all of that being said, I wanted to love this and I'm really sad that I disliked it as much as I did. I hope that Lauren Roberts continues to find readers that love and support her work, even if it doesn't work for me.
]]> 211642122 A stunning, standalone romantic fantasy filled with dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and passion, of a young ruler who fights to protect her kingdom, from bestselling author Sue Lynn Tan and set in the breathtaking world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

“What the gods did not give us, I would take.��

As the heir to Tianxia, Liyen knows she must ascend the throne and renew her kingdom’s pledge to serve the immortals who once protected them from a vicious enemy. But when she is poisoned, Liyen’s grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. Enraged at his betrayal, the immortal queen commands the powerful God of War to attack Tianxia.

Upon her grandfather’s death, Liyen ascends a precarious throne, vowing to end her kingdom’s obligation to the immortals. When she is summoned to the Immortal Realm, she seizes the opportunity to learn their secrets and to form a tenuous alliance to safeguard her people, all with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War. As they are drawn together, a treacherous attraction ignites between them—one she has to resist, to not endanger all she is fighting for.

But with darker forces closing in around them, and her kingdom plunged into peril, Liyen must risk everything to save her people from an unspeakable fate, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal�� even if it means losing her heart.]]> 464 Sue Lynn Tan 0063267616 mads 4 “I was my past and my present—and I would forge my own future.��

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: blood, death, death of a loved one, violence.

Oh, how I missed Sue Lynn Tan's writing style.

Atmospheric and romantic, Immortal reads like a fairytale, leaving the reader caught up in a haze of enchanting descriptions and dramatic conflicts. Between the lush world-building and the whimsical prose, Sue Lynn Tan's novels are always as beautiful as their covers - this one being no different.

Despite my eventual enjoyment, there was a moment when I was worried I wasn't enjoying this as much as I'd hoped. This was because I struggled to connect with the book at first, due to a few elements I can't discuss here because of spoilers. What I can say is that if you're struggling with the beginning of the book, (most likely) those aspects have a purpose and will be explained.

Like Daughter of the Moon Goddess this book was a fantastical experience, transporting me to the events taking place and leaving me feeling the way a beautiful movie score does. I loved being back in this world.

Overall, I had a fantastic time reading this and I'm still so incredibly grateful for chance to read an ARC. While I don't think this book will work for every reader, I recommend it to anyone that loves romantic fairytales and books that feel like magic.]]> 3.89 2025
author: Sue Lynn Tan
name: mads
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: 2025-releases, adult, adult-fantasy, arcs, rated-4-stars, reviewed-2024, standalones, royalty-and-guard-trope
review:
“I was my past and my present—and I would forge my own future.��

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

TW: blood, death, death of a loved one, violence.

Oh, how I missed Sue Lynn Tan's writing style.

Atmospheric and romantic, Immortal reads like a fairytale, leaving the reader caught up in a haze of enchanting descriptions and dramatic conflicts. Between the lush world-building and the whimsical prose, Sue Lynn Tan's novels are always as beautiful as their covers - this one being no different.

Despite my eventual enjoyment, there was a moment when I was worried I wasn't enjoying this as much as I'd hoped. This was because I struggled to connect with the book at first, due to a few elements I can't discuss here because of spoilers. What I can say is that if you're struggling with the beginning of the book, (most likely) those aspects have a purpose and will be explained.

Like Daughter of the Moon Goddess this book was a fantastical experience, transporting me to the events taking place and leaving me feeling the way a beautiful movie score does. I loved being back in this world.

Overall, I had a fantastic time reading this and I'm still so incredibly grateful for chance to read an ARC. While I don't think this book will work for every reader, I recommend it to anyone that loves romantic fairytales and books that feel like magic.
]]> 220246926 "A wondrous lucid dream...laced with a vivid sensuality."��—Jacqueline Carey,��New York Times��bestselling author of��Kushiel's Dart��

A talented heretic must decide between��the pursuit of forbidden magic, or the ecstasy of forbidden love, in the start of a sweeping, romantic epic fantasy trilogy by��New York Times��bestselling author Tessa Gratton.

Can an empire trip and fall on a mere strand of silk?��

Iriset is a prodigy and an outlaw. The daughter of a powerful criminal, she dons her alter ego Silk to create magical disguises for those in her father’s organization, but she longs to do more with her to enhance what it means to be human by giving people wings, night-sight, and other abilities; to unlock the possibilities of gender and parenthood; to cure disease and even to end mortality itself.
��
Everything changes when her father is captured and sentenced to death. To save him, Iriset must infiltrate the palace and the empire’s fanatical ruling family. There, she realizes she has a chance—and an obligation—to bring down the entire corrupt system. She'll have to��entangle herself in the lives of the emperor and his sister, getting them to trust and even to love her. But love is a two-way street, and Iriset’s own heart holds the most mysterious and impenetrable magic of all.

★��"A beautiful, elegant, passionate novel—as intricate and beguiling as a spider's web. A triumph and a delight from start to finish."��—Antonia Hodgson, author of��The Raven Scholar��

★��"Expertly balances one of the coolest magic systems of the decade, twists that had me gasping out loud, gloriously messy relationships, and the soaring ambition of the architectural genius at its heart. Immersive, riveting, and sexy as hell.�� —P. H. Low, Locus- and Rhysling-nominated author of These Deathless Shores
��]]> Tessa Gratton mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 3.86 2025
author: Tessa Gratton
name: mads
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]> 222168124 There once was a village so far north that most considered it the top of the world... and in that village, the Sun fell in love with her Starmaker. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches comes a whimsical and sweeping romantic fantasy.

Nestled deep in the snowy mountains of the Lost Range, the small village of Reverie endures on a miracle. Beyond the reach of the Sun, Reverie is dependent upon the magic of the mysterious Starmaker: every morning, he trudges across a vast glacier and pulls in sunlight over the peaks, providing the village with the light it needs to survive.

Aurora Finch grew up on tales of the Starmaker’s magic, never imagining she’d one day meet him. But on the morning of her wedding, a fateful encounter in the frostbitten woods changes everything. The Starmaker senses a powerful magic within her and demands she come study under his guidance. With her newfound abilities tied to the survival of the village, Aurora is swept away to his ice-covered castle at the mountain’s peak.

The Starmaker is as cold and distant as the dark woods, leaving Aurora to explore his enchanted castle with only an immortal rabbit for company. Yet the more she discovers about the sorcerer, the stronger their ruinous attraction grows, pulling her closer to the secrets he refuses to share. A deadly frost approaches, and Aurora must uncover what the Starmaker is hiding before she is left in an endless winter that even the Sun cannot touch.]]> 400 Rachel Griffin 1728256186 mads 0 2025-anticipated-releases 5.00 2025
author: Rachel Griffin
name: mads
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/09
shelves: 2025-anticipated-releases
review:

]]>