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30something_reads's Reviews (820)

adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes


What a fantastic debut! I came for the Slavic folklore and moody vibes but stayed GLUED to this story for the dark humor, mysterious characters and delicious slow burn romantic sub-plot.

I am so excited we'll get the second book later this year.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

Wow, this was insane 
and chilling 
and it made me angry 
and it made me sad.

Consider me ready to pick up everything else Gurba has written.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
emotional hopeful inspiring fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I AM NOT OKAY  😭♥️♥️
adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Maybe? Maybe lower? Maybe higher? Idk. I need to think on it.

There were some really interesting and exciting things happening in this story. It took turns that I was not expecting and really enjoyed. And it was compulsively readable. Emily Tesh has a great pen. 

But I also think the author maybe took on too much with only surface level resolutions for all of it. The -isms and -phobics were off the charts and I don't necessarily think all of them were handled appropriately. (An d by that, I mainly mean the way racism is discussed. It definitely feels like a white woman wrote it in that regard.)

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

I need to sit with this one for a bit. An incredibly massive story packed inside less that 200 pages. Wow, I loved this.

I love it even more after learning that this novella was inspired by the song, 'The Deep' by clipping - a music group with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes. And then Daveed Diggs turned around and narrated this book which just feels like a fantastic full circle. I'm a little obsessed. 
adventurous tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Just call me Xiala because I too am in love with Serapio- my murderous little crow man.

This book sets up for the third very nicely. All of the stress I thought I was going to feel here? I now know it's coming for me in the third.

Fevered Star
is very heavy on the political machinations that all of the surrounding players are cooking up. Sometimes it feels like there isn't a lot of action but that's because we're more focused on the spinning of lies and the uncovering of truths. Intentions are discovered and schemes are being set into motion.

I fear for my heart when I pick up Mirrored Heavens. 
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

This was such a sweet and steamy installment of this series and I adored it!

My new favorite thing is when big scary demons adopt stray animal and become adoring pet parents.



dark hopeful tense medium-paced

“Sometimes...isn’t it better to be the monster they already think you are?”

Super eerie.
A little bit of t4t romance and a lot of satisfying vengeance 🤌🏻

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fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes

Whewww 🔥 Zoe really did it with this one.

Poly orcs! My new favorite from the series!

(This was the reason I binged 4 books back to back.)