Nickie

The premise sounded great, but it wasn't. I thought heists were supposed to be exciting, it wasn't.
This book was boring! Some of the heist bits were ok, but the romance was not good. And I am not happy with who Dani ended up with!
I wanted to give this author a go because people really seem to like her books, but it just wasn't for me. I'm not a big romance fan, so I was hoping the addition of a heist would make it better, but I just didn't like it.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

Rozlyn was cursed at birth. The curse in her veins draws monsters to her. Since she is safely locked away in her tower, the monsters kill her people. Her father says if she marries, the love of her husband will break the curse. Her father is lying.

This was ok. I liked the Beauty and the Beast vibes. I think it could've been shorter.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

Perfect blend of fantasy and horror. Terrifying that it's based on a real place.

This is really good! I loved the rocs. I thought the whole premise was fascinating.

Not as good as the first one, but still very enjoyable. Great ending. This is a guilty pleasure and I'm ready for more.

It was so nice to read more about Emily and Wendell. I'm not a big romance fan, but this had just the right amount (very little).
As this is the 2nd book in the series, I won't give details.
They are still searching for the door to Wendell's kingdom. I loved their adventure! I also liked all the different fae introduced in this one.
I've been a fan of this author for quite a while, and she just keeps getting better.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

This was ok. Not great. I do not recommend the audiobook, the narrator was pretty bad. I will not continue the series.

We follow three main characters throughout this book.
Leven is a Herald of the Imperium. She has no memory of who she was before she became a soldier. She was turned into a fighting machine along with the other Heralds to help win the war.

Envoy Kaeto is loyal to the Imperium. He knows what was done to create the Heralds and what will eventually happen to them.

Ynis is a human that was raised by Griffins. She knows nothing of the human world.

They are all connected. They just don't know it yet.

I wasn't sure about this at the beginning, but the more I got to know the characters and the world, the more invested I became. I really enjoyed it.
The narrator was great!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an audio copy.

I really liked this! Fun middle grade.

Estevar Borros is an overweight, prideful magistrate. As a Greatcoat, it is his duty to investigate what is happening on the island of Isola Sombra. He has received word that there is major strife among the monks. What he finds is so much worse than he expected.

I loved this so much! Estevar is a great character. I love that he's not perfect, and I love his humor. While I love Estevar, Imperious is definitely my favorite animal companion. Love love love him!

This has prompted me to reread everything Greatcoats.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I wanted to love this, but it was pretty boring in spots.

I don't read much YA anymore, but this one sounded good. I actually liked it a lot!
I usually find YA pretty predictable, but this book had quite a few “I did not see that coming” moments. Especially the end. I am excited for the next one.

Penny and the rest of the Thorn Coven are prisoners of the High Warden. They are forced to patrol the veil between life and death to make sure nothing gets through. In order to do that, each night one of them must burn. They are tethered to their crystals and can follow their lifeline back.
One night Penny's sister goes on patrol and doesn't come back. Penny has never burned before, but she will now so she can bring her sister back.
What she finds in death is a shocker!
I liked this, but my big complaint is the lack of back story. How they came to serve the Warden, etc. I just wanted more of an explanation for how they got there. Other than that, it was good.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

This picks up right where the first book ends.
Siyon may hold the title of the Alchemist, but that doesn't change the fact that he wasn't born an Elite. Many of them still look down on him.
Even though he stabilized the planes, something still isn't right in Bezim. The magic seems stronger and things are showing up that don't belong in our world. So of course the council expects him to fix it.
Meanwhile, Anahid wins a wager with huge consequences.

I am loving this series. I love Siyon's pov, but I really enjoyed Anahid's part in this one.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

Winifred Hall is taking on a job as “governess” for an old friend. Winifred is many things, but governess is not one of them. She is to keep young Robert safe.
Winnie senses something is off as soon as she reaches the manor. And by wrong, I mean fae.

I love books with Victorian settings, and Olivia Atwater does it so well. The Gothic vibes are fantastic in this one.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I tried to read this a couple of years ago when I was in a reading slump and it was a dnf. I'm participating in a readathon this month and one of the prompts is to give an author a second chance so I picked this one. I'm so glad I did! I can finally understand why this book gets so much love.
I thought it started a bit slow, but it just got better and better. I will definitely continue on with the series.

This book is amazing! I loved the first one, and this was just as good. So many shocking moments and reveals. And I loved the character growth. I can't decide if I want Raine to end up with Sanvaunt, or Esher. I love both of them! I might just have to reread both before the next one. They are that good!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

This was ok. I definitely did not like the narrator.

This picks up right where One Dark Window ended. This was fantastic! One of my new favorite series, and I will read anything she writes.
I love the magic of the cards. It's different and new. And these characters are some new faves. They are all flawed and that made me love them even more.
Whether you're a person that likes character driven books or you're looking for a good plot, this would be great for you. It's so good!

Thank you to Net Galley and Orbit for an e-arc.

I was looking for cozy vibes and this definitely delivered. Now I need to read more from this author. I had a great time with this one.

I loved the first half, then it was a slog to finish. I'm sad that I didn't love it as much as everyone else. I don't think I'll continue the series.

Everything about this book is great, but the world building is top notch.
I love these characters! And, the revenge is oh so sweet.
I've been trying to get more into sci-fi, but it's really hit or miss for me. This type of sci-fi is perfect for me.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I'm a big fan of Pride & Prejudice, so I was excited for a witchy spin on the classic.

This is from Lydia's perspective. She's essentially writing her life story, so everyone understands where she went wrong.
I liked the story, but the way it was told was very disjointed. It didn't flow very well going between writing about her past and what was going on in the present. If not for that, I would have rated it higher.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

Great book! I'm off to my indy store tomorrow to pick up the next one! Love these characters!
The ending hurt, but I have to see where this series goes in book 2.

Perfect middle grade for spooky season!