Anita
A good, introductory novella to the interesting world Aspen Kilgore has introduced us to.
The idea of threads bound to us is an interesting concept, expanding off of the red thread concept for soulmates. I enjoyed the gradual transformation of Eth, becoming more human as he interacts with Elle more and more, almost learning how to be human again.
I love forward to reading the rest of the books, especially with how this one ended.
A bit different to my usual reads, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn't put it down once it got to about the 30% mark. It was written extremely well, with a mix of history and myths, as well as political intrigue.
Whilst I didn't feel much for our main lead at the beginning, she really begins to grow as the story goes. Whether it's the right way, it's unsure, but it did lead to so very good plot points for growth within the story. We see a young girl shed her innocence and naivety as she goes from loss of friendships, to family and finally to love.
The book ended in a morbidly satisfying way, with our lead taking matters (quite literally) into her own hands as she realises that she doesn't want to return to being repressed and shut down when she has shown herself to be more than capable.
30/06 - I'm not sobbing, you are
01/07 - I'm actually a sucker for the HEA and although this one did give me an almost hallmark HEA, the build up to it was not fun. There was ANGST, there was MISCOMMUNICATION and most importantly there was a hot cousin who just wants to treat you right and make sure you don't trip and mess up your heels (yes Shepard, I might have a tiny crush on you too)
Firstly, I enjoyed the fact that it was the ‘girl who gets left behind' that became our main character. Did she end up going to a small town and finding romance? OK, yes, BUT she still girl bossed and didn't let romance throw her entire life as she knew it out of a box tied with a neat ribbon like the movies (and all her exes apparently).
It's almost refreshing to have a character similar to my own age, so I can relate to them better on some things, such as an unspoken need to protect loved ones and ensure that you can do by them the best you can. But unlike Nora-at-the-beginning-and-most-of-the-middle, I understand you can't protect them forever, and they need to learn how to fight their own battles. Seeing Nora open up to this is a massive growth step, and it left me very happy.
Charlie, oh wow. 5'11, broody with a rent-stabilized apartment? Those last three words had me gunning for him as soon as I read the words. Even better, he didn't make Nora choose between her dream job or him, but actually communicated and worked something with her.
This book made me feel all sorts, and I'm looking forward to my next Emily Henry read.
29/06 - This book did not pan out the way I expected it to, but it actually fit into my usual type of reading more.
01/07 - Honestly, I thought this would be a light, fluffy beach read (as indicated by the title and bright-coloured cover) and yet the deeper I got into the story I realised that it was very realistic, and some parts bordered on no-nonsense almost despite the banter and clich??s between our main character and love interest.
While the setting seemed to be set well, the underlying reason behind why January was there to begin with was not. The book, while still having its moments of romance and cute interactions, was almost a (second) coming of age for our main lead, who has had reality crash down on her, and she's slowly trying to understand that it's OK for it to not be OK. Life isn't something you can plan down to the nth degree, and it certainly isn't (always) a hallmark film waiting to happen.
I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would since it seeped into my usual genre of reads with the realism added in. Looking forward to reading more Emily Henry books in the future.
A beautifully written story that reminded me of a particular childhood favourite - Avatar the Last Airbender.
We mostly follow two perspective, Wave and Jessandra, both a sort of outcast from their peers. Wave doesn't fit in with her fellow waterkin, while Jessandra's father grows tired at her lack of power. After an interesting bit of setup at the beginning, the story really begins to pick up after something unthinkable happens to Wave, and it throws her and those around her into a release of truth and confrontation.
I really enjoy the concept of the Gods granting the people their powers, and that some can have a stronger connection and tap into more than others. Of course, with great power comes great responsibility, as we learn with Wave and co. as they unravel more and more.
I look forward to reading the sequel, which I currently have an ARC for, to continue this journey. Hoping to see what happens to our beloved characters.
???A story is a dangerous thing, Felton Herder. We must value them, we must be careful with them. Set one loose on the world, and you lose all control over your own creation.???
A great introductory short story into the Yarnsworld.
There's just the right amount of unknown and mystery that leaves you craving to know more, despite the fact that this is only a 40-page short story.
Looking forward to reading more of the Yarnsworld.
My nose hurts at thinking about the immensely overwhelming smell of rosemary whenever Slate encounters magic or danger. And I, too, sometimes feel like reacting in demon speak and muttering in my sleep.
T. Kingfisher is quickly becoming a must-read author for me. Her characters are unique and have their own personalities quirks. The world building is amazing, leaving different ways to be explored and expanded upon in subsequent/future books.
Looking forward to reading the Wonder Engine (though I wish it hadn't been split into two).
After coming to this revised series from the Root of Chaos books, I knew that the world building was going to be immense. I think I still severely underestimated it, though, because we were introduced into a reformed/dystopian London and Oxford where those who were different from the norm were to be despised and apprehended. The characters are individually well written, but some characters have a more interesting background than others.
For example, our main character Paige has clearly been through a lot of hardship and turmoil in her life - surviving the Imbolc Massacre, bullying from her peers and authoritative figures growing up attending the Ancroft School, etc. - but it is kind of minimised by the fact that she is the main character and she almost needs to experience these in order to get to the point she is now (mollisher for the White Binder).
I definitely agree with many that there was an overabundance of specific terminology thrown at readers almost from the beginning. While I had read On the Merits of Unnaturalness beforehand, so it wasn't as harsh of an adjustment for myself, it was still a bit difficult to understand certain bits of the book. There was also a lot of new information coming in with the Rephs, Buzzers, etc. which caused some distractions. However, towards the latter half of the book it was difficult to put the book down and as soon as the book ended there was a need to pick up the next.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the revised series.
A fun fantasy in a well-built world involving a dead God, attempted assassinations, a berserker paladin who knits socks and, oh, perfume.
There is a weirdly compatible mix of dark and cosy in this book, with some evidently dark bits to the plot line, and yet it turns into fluff when the two protagonists are together. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this first book and look forward to reading the rest.
09/06/24 - i'm destroyed
13/06/24 - now I've calmed down, I can give a full review.
The sheer amount of angst in this book, it was just giving everything it could. The wanting, what ifs, bittersweet parting and the reunion. After reading this immediately after finishing STZ, I understand why Joan said you needed the two to have the complete experience.
This entire duology took a turn that I didn't expect. It was an entirely painful read, the two main characters having clear affection for each other that couldn't be explored because of the immense loyalties they had to their person. The thought of knowing the person you could have loved and was beginning to, didn't love you back and was, in fact, yearning and fighting in memory of someone they lost. Losing each other before they could see what could have had.
I am eternally grateful for Joan to give us a closure in the form of “In Another Life”.
May they meet again in another life.
I didn't want this to end, even though I have the next book lined up, so I took my sweet time to read. While I am not familiar with The Three Kingdoms, Joan He has left descriptions and clear explanations at the end of the book which helped a lot with what I learnt throughout the book.
Zephyr is a wonderfully flawed character. She is afraid of losing more than she already does and so keeps to herself rather than relying on others. Her backstory was a surprise and unexpected, as well as her actions in the latter half.
I look forward to reading Sound the Gong and wrapping up the cliffhanging plot twist presented!
Dick Fuks with son Les Fuks are great character names.
Now that that is out of the way, this was a surprising find that I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. This was a cosy fantasy, with an interesting magical system implementation. I enjoyed the differentiation between Witches and Mages, as well as how described the difference between the two were.
Fin was a lovable and flawed character. He has a clear attitude, which rubs people the wrong way, but protects those that he loves. No one in this book are perfect - they each have their clear flaws and (most) try to work through it, whether it be because they want to or because they're forced to do so.
The ending was very sudden, which left me a little empty, but I did end up purchasing the other books so maybe it's a well done marketing strategy.
Oh my gosh, I DEVOURED this book.
I'm not too sure why, but as soon as I picked up this book, I was unable to put it down. I spent an entire sitting reading it, and before I knew it, it was all over. Maybe it just fit with the mood I was in at the time, but it was easy to read and had just enough sprinkled in to keep me hooked on the building relationship between our lovely Rune and brooding Gideon.
Kristen Ciccarelli manages to throw sudden plot twists and scenes at me. While I had an inkling of what was going on behind the scenes, I was not expecting it to go a step further to reveal what it did. It's a darn shame that it ended where it did, because things had been left at such a delicious plot point. But knowing that a sequel will be out keeps me content for now.
Firstly, this book made me hungry for a lot of buttery food. The descriptive paragraphs were meant to tease and make you salivate, getting you to crave food, while also dropping subtle reminders that you should be eating for yourself and what your body needs.
I originally went into this thinking it would be more of a focus on Kaiji and her alleged victims, but instead I was introduced into an incredibly written, thought-provoking book surrounding food and expectations towards women in Japan. It also stressed the importance of human connections and how eating food can bring joy and comfort.
It's definitely a book that isn't for everyone, since it doesn't feel like it's marketed into the correct genres. However, it is a profound literacy piece and definitely worth a read.
A marvellous mixture of magic and mythology, with some flawed characters who try their best to move forward and grow.
There is evidence of the amount of time and attention Amr Saleh has spent to create this story, with how detailed the Ancient Egyptian mythology is. All the Gods and Goddesses are introduced as we meet them, with perfect portrayal of what they are known for. We are also introduced to Pharaohs of wide renown and those who have been forgotten because of history. I loved meeting Hatshepsut and looked into her more after finishing the book.
Now our main characters...they were both very flawed, their relationship very complicated yet when taking their age into factor it is very understandable. Both are young, with ambitions and plans for their own people, yet they have an attraction to each other. Nefiri's growth is clear throughout the book, with her starting off as a naive and single-minded being and ending with more tolerance towards others.
The red herring thrown in was done very well. All the setup was there and yet Amr manages to knock us off our perch before we realised we were on it.
Overall, a very good read and I look forward to the hinted second book!
This was a much needed, cosy and witchy read!
Perfectly Wicked introduces us to a strong female MC who takes no flack from people around her. She just wants to grow her apples and look after her family. Then we add in an attractive show maker who wants to poke his nose around the farm (and our MC) but add in sprinkles of mystery, ghosts and a jerk ex to brew up a lovable story.
I noticed some looks sparking between two of our other characters, plus with the introduced of a big bad, I'm willing to bet more to come...maybe?
Firstly, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was an ideal fantasy adventure book - it had great characters with detailed world-building. The plot line was solid, and the ending left just enough crumbs to keep us hooked for the sequel.
While there were quite a few characters introduced, of varying importance to the story, our two mains were introduced slowly, with more being revealed when the time was right. Each had their own story which made them the way that they are, and as they travel together they all become a family, which is always nice and wholesome. The development in the two mains particular were done very nicely. Initially, I didn't like how headstrong the female main was, because of particular events, but she eventually mellowed out which was great.
The plot has its ups and downs. While the initial mission was interesting, it wasn't as captivating until the latter part, where the action and events pick up. The descriptive scenes introducing us to the magic system as well as the lore for the world adds layers onto the story, leaving want for more.
If you enjoy BG3 and/or D&D, this is definitely a must-read. I look forward to the future book(s)!
A fun, second chance love involving an older main couple (fifties), dragons and our beloved Penrose Duckers.
Sequel to The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, this follows the events quite nicely after, with ample time to allow the folks of Eternity to have a breather before the next big thing happens. While like the first book, with the aim of a dual POV, there is more of a definite focus on Twyla rather than Frank. We get to know Twyla and her hardships more than we do Frank, and when he does get a turn, it comes through what Twyla knows.
There's a strong ‘mom' vibe this time round, most likely because of Twyla's age. There's less action (apart from the end) despite it starting off with purple riding boots and glitter puke. This is definitely more of a coming-to-maturity book than the previous.
However, it was still an enjoyable read and the plot was more focused. The culprit reveal was a little surprising and, well, stupid honestly, but that's more to do with who it was than how it was presented.
A unique take on a fantasy immersed world, with talking animal posties, a grumpy marshal x sunshine undertaker and zombies all rolled into one.
The world is interesting, with the drudges and the force set to deal with them. The little lore we discover behind Tanria itself is also nice to know. There is a decent bit of setup, which may put some off, but it added to what was to come.
The story itself is enjoyable, with lovable characters, including the main characters themselves. There is actually a lot of development for them, which is nice to see. They're also of an older age (early to mid 30s) so things didn't seem as juvenile. I love Duckers, with his unique surname and even more unique forename.
A shame that the side plot with Cunninghams wasn't utilised as well. It felt like there were two side plots fighting for words and this one was eventually sidelined. Overall though, it was very cosy (minus some areas surrounding the drudges) and nice to read.
Honestly, I'm speechless. This is probably the exact kind of cosy, magical fantasy that anyone interested in the genres would be looking for.
It has adorable talking plants, it has books, it has a man that will willingly suggest and offer to build bookshelves for said books and most importantly it has a mer-baby. Adorable, tiny tail mer-baby.
This is one of the best cottagecore, cosy fantasies that I have read. It was all very wholesome, with the main character opening up to people and settling down when she once came from. This will definitely be a treat for those with a sweet tooth, since there's so much of it around.