emery

I received this book as an ARC from the author

I really really enjoyed this book! I thought it started a little slow which had me struggling to get super into it at the very beginning. Thankfully, it quickly caught my attention and I didn't want to put it down! I adored all of the characters and would honestly read books about every one of them on the crew. I thought the action was great and I did not guess any of the plot twist (although I'm not the best at that haha). Overall, there was very little I didn't like in this! 

I will say I'm not a fan of miscommunication so I was annoyed at the characters a lot but it didn't take much away from my enjoyment in the end! I definitely would recommend this.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio.

Healer Anja makes a habit of drinking poison. Not to die, but to practice. Forever searching for cures where others have given up. Her peaceful days of herbs and experiments end abruptly when the King calls upon her. His beloved daughter, Snow, is fading fast, and he hopes Anja's peculiar talents might save her.

Armed with a grumpy guard, an unbearably vain cat, and her own relentless curiosity, Anja tries every remedy she knows. Nothing works, until a gleaming mirror reveals a secret world on the other side. But in this strange, enchanted realm, the cure Anja seeks may prove even more dangerous than the sickness itself.

This Snow White inspired fantasy/horror novel was an absolute delight to read! I'm already a big fan of T. Kingfisher and every new book I pick up makes me a bigger fan! This story was full of whimsy and fun while also having darker elements. 

Anja is a very likeable and relatable character who I really enjoyed reading about. Her one track mind when it comes to poisons and finding cures was really interesting. She felt like a complex, real person to me.

Of course, the cat was a star. Anytime there's an animal sidekick type character you know I'm going to love them. He brought some comic relief to an otherwise fairly depressing story about a princess slowly dying and trying to figure out how to save her. He added a good balance.

I listened to the audiobook for this and really liked the narrator as well! She brought the characters to life perfectly. Overall, this was a very fun read and I would definitely recommend if you enjoy fairytale retellings!

I received this book from NetGalley. 

I love a good haunted house story and anything queer so this book was right up my alley. This had twists I didn't see coming that had me genuinely gasping. There were so many moments that had my skin crawling it was so creepy but also heartwarming sweet moments as well. It had a really good balance of vibes. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press for this ARC!

As expected, Andrew Joseph White is incapable of disappointing me with any book he releases. I was nervous going into this book as it heavily focuses on themes I usually avoid (pregnancy) but I refused to miss an AJW book so I pushed through and I'm so glad I did! 

This book is gross. Seriously gross. But also beautiful in a lot of ways. There's so much depth to Crane as a character even though he doesn't speak at all throughout this book. It's definitely a hard read with a lot of trigger warnings that I highly encourage readers to check before going into it but it's so so good. I cried multiple times because I just felt so deeply for these characters and what they were going through. 

Every scene that included the swarm made my skin crawl. I could picture everything so vividly and it was disgusting which is very fun to read. There is a lot of violence and Crane has some seriously dark thoughts but I always felt so empathetic towards him. AJW is so good at writing complex characters that I personally always get so attached to so quickly. 

Overall, this was an incredible book that I would highly recommend if you like gritty and gross horror and want some queer and autistic rep in there too!

my first batman media. he's interesting but i'm not hooked on him yet.