James

I received an eARC copy of Making History thanks to Tor Publishing and NetGalley. I was so excited to read this book because the premise seemed so interesting and intriguing to me. I was disappointed when the story itself failed to live up its potential. I found the first half of the novel slow and boring and the story's characters mostly boring and flat. The story picks up but by the conclusion feels rushed and ends in a very underwhelming way. The story isn't bad, just not what it could have been if given more pages to develop.

You can read my full review at https://jspears.me/blog/making-history/

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group I received an eARC copy of The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully! Detective mysteries are not my normal reading territory but I found myself enjoying the adventure of the world's greatest detective Audrey Merritt and her just okay Gen Z assistant Olivia Blunt way more than I expected I would. Tully delivers a feel-good detective mystery full of murder, intrigue, and logical deduction that kept me guessing whodunit until the very end. I strongly recommend that anyone who is a fan of detective mysteries or is looking for a feel-good story to lose themselves in pick up a copy from your local library or bookstore ASAP!

Read my full review at: https://jspears.me/blog/feel-good-detective-vibes/

Check out my full review on blog at https://jspears.me/blog/mystery-and-shadow-magic/

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing, I was provided an ePub ARC copy of Book of Night by Holly Black for review. An interesting paranormal fantasy novel with engaging mystery elements! Holly Black's Book of Night is a novel caught my attention and left me guessing until the very end. Book of Night is an interesting paranormal fantasy novel with an engaging central mystery and romantic dynamic. After a slow start, I found myself tearing through the books (virtual) pages on my Kindle and really enjoying the twists and turns that Black takes her readers on. And two surprising twists near the conclusion throw even more intrigue into the story and set up Charlie Hall's story to continue

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆

I'm grateful to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyage for providing an eARC of Katabasis by R. F. Kuang, a book I eagerly anticipated! I was so excited to see this book available to review and was quick to snap it up. I quite literally devoured Kuang's other novels Babel and Yellowface and could not wait to dig into this one. From the start though I realized this wasn't quite like Kuang's other novels. It was unique and thoughtful just like I'd come to expect from this author but clear that this novel was something a little different. It took me much longer than I'd like to admit to finally finish the book but I don't think that detracts from my enjoyment of it. Despite the slower pace, I found the book to be engaging and interesting. If you've read Kuang's other novels, you'll appreciate Katabasis, but be prepared for a uniquely measured pace. Read my full review at https://jspears.me/blog/katabasis-kuang/