Like I said, I won’t be reviewing this series, but for some reason I just really like the vibes of Lodestar and it’s probably my favorite book so far?

Anyway, here are my notes on the book, and just a spoiler warning for this book and the rest of the series:
- (6) Deep Voice #3: Fitz has a deep crisp accent
- I think people forget Biana and Fitz’s traumas when it comes to their brother and keefe (who is Fitz’s best friend) betraying them in less than 48 hours
- (27) Keefe says the Neverseen had ALL their Technopaths working on the cache, which implies to me that there’s at least 3 of them … and if that’s the case, surely at least one of them could make high tech weapons for the Neverseen or ability restrictors because a 12 year old boy could
- (34) why does Forkle not like his Magnate Leto look
- Grady thinks Keefe is going to be like Brant (saying Sophie is like Jolie) and Edaline thinks Keefe will be like Jolie by being a double agent
- (43) Kenric wasn’t part of Project Moonlark but is he involved with the Black Swan in some other way?
- (58) why DID the Neverseen attack the registry? (Update: they erased Alvar, Brant, Fintan, and Ruy’s records)
- (159) Fintan wipes his mind of anything he doesn’t want to remember … what if he wiped his memories of Bronte on purpose
- (225) Juline is the only Collective member with a family at home that she lives with
- (343) Ruy is in charge of teaching Keefe skills because he was (according to Keefe) Exillium’s star student, which also makes me wonder why hpe got kicked out if he was so good at everything … also Alvar makes Keefe do his chores
- (368) When Alvar let Sophie get away when he was the Boy Who Disappeared, the Neverseen locked him in a flaming room for a day and I’m just imagining Ruy’s reaction (maybe he made a secret force field to protect Alvar or maybe he just sat outside the room and worried the whole time )
- (390) why are Grizel and Sandor kinda Percabeth coded? Like, childhood friends to lovers, turning down important positions (Grizel didn’t join the queens Royal guard) to stay together … I guess the similarities end there but still…
- (396) Ruy and Alvar are fighting again … Ruy is going to get punished and he wants Alvar to share the blame to lessen the punishment but Alvar said no … I’m choosing to believe they’re both too traumatized by previous punishments but honestly they’re giving Lovers Doomed By the Narrative right now
- (399) Fintan called Ruy a disappointment
- (407) Marella is ALSO not Tam’s type, and Linh says he’s into brunettes but … are we sure that’s what he’s referencing
- (421) is there a reason Jensi is one of the three people to burst splotchers on the first day of training?
- (432) Oralie recommended Sandor to watch Sophie? Did she know him before?
- The ability-centricity of the world of the elves itself harms everyone, not just the Talentless. Grady is seen as a tool or weapon to be utilized by multiple parties throughout the series, and his ability defines him more often than his own personality does. He is not allowed at the Summit because he might mesmerize someone, and while I understand the concerned, it’s not just the summit where Grady faces prejudice and I feel like it’s something that’s not discussed enough in the series, especially given what little we know about his past and how he lost all of his friends when he manifested and how they pinned the blame on him whenever they felt like it.
- (439) Ruy is being a big drama queen right now
- Listen, I know spiral staircases are aesthetically pleasing but also … all it takes is one elf in a wheelchair and suddenly they can’t go anywhere because you don’t have any freaking elevators … unless there’s some Elvin magic floating wheelchair tech that I’m not aware of
- (474) I get the symbolism of a sword in a stone but also like … why not just make it a fake sword that can’t do anything on the off chance that prisoners will break out … it seems stupid to taunt them at that point
- (509) Sandor and Grizel need to be a thing by the end… like, they’re so sweet with each other and if they die I will cry so hard … now I’m just picturing them falling in battle together
- (520) If Forkle has figured out a way to trigger abilities, why not just make the kids at Foxfire do that instead of go through ability testing
- (575) Sophie infuriates me because she literally has a chance to look at Ruy’s face right now but doesn’t
- (578) AND once again Dex’s trauma is ignored … he got trapped in the mirror room and I’m sure it reminded him a little of his kidnapping
- (582) Terik thanks Sophie for bringing the alicorns to Foxfire … why is he so excited about it
- (630) Honestly, Dimitars logic is sound … his own people gain nothing from alliance with the elves and I think he’s right to question them (even if he has other flaws)
- (659) what feels wrong about Brant’s death to Sophie? Is it that she later realizes there were 4 figures on the beach, including Vespera? What is it?
- Did Brant get a wanderling? I can see why he wouldn’t but … he was still a victim of circumstance and maybe he was evil but it was because the world forced him to be

Books with second-person POVs are either the best or worst books you'll ever read...sorry, I don't make the rules.

The Fifth Season is considered (at least from what I've seen) to be one of the best science-fiction/fantasy novels and a must-read for all SFF fans. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it when I started, as I typically don't enjoy "classic" SFF books, and admittedly, it did take me a bit to get used to the prose. I think the most striking thing about this book is the worldbuilding. In a world where a select group of people can control the earth and cause major weather changes called "Seasons," there is also another class of humanoids called stone-eaters, as well as Guardians who monitor those with magic.
I'd like to introduce a new term that I think describes the plot: meandering. Books like this have characters who want to accomplish something, but along the way, they kind of "meander" through the story. The pacing was kind of slow, especially because two of the POVs didn't necessarily have explicit "goals" in a sense. Essun is a mother searching for her kidnapped daughter. Damaya must train in her power. Syenite must comply with the wishes of her superiors or face the consequences. The ending was interesting, and I'm excited to see where the story goes, but the plot definitely wasn't my favorite part.
I can't say much about the characters for spoiler reasons. My opinions on the POVs changed over the course of the novel. Essen's POV (which was in second person) was interesting at first but slowed down early on. Syenite's POV started slow but I think it ended up being my favorite. I really liked Damaya's POV as well. As for side characters, Alabaster grew on me a lot, and I also liked Hoa from his first introduction. Schaffa can die in a hole, please and thank you.
The Fifth Season is a masterfully written SFF novel with incredible worldbuilding, beautiful prose, and powerful women.

4.25/5

The Bjorn Curse strikes again! Apparently, 2024 is not my year for Viking books because I am really not vibing with them.

The Road of Bones is a fantasy adventure filled with romance, Vikings, and hidden magic. I think it originally ended up on my TBR because of the found family trope, but I honestly didn't love the found family in this one. Before I continue this review, I just want to note that although I did not really enjoy this book, I think there is a large audience out there who would (I'm just not a fan of smut or possessive romances).
The plot of the book was pretty decent. There are multiple POVs, but only one of them is really "different" (there's an assassin chasing the main characters). Silla's life is thrown into turmoil when her father is murdered in front of her, leaving her with only an address to find at the other end of the very dangerous Road of Bones. She meets the Bloodaxe Crew and convinces them to take her across the Road, but on the way, they are met with danger in the form of forest creatures, soldiers, and even their own relationships. I thought the plot was pretty well-paced, although there were sections that dragged. I did find the plot twists to be fairly predictable, especially the main ones (I only missed one, but I had considered it at one point). I thought the ending was okay, but I don't know that I will be continuing the series.
The characters were the part that made me not enjoy the book. Silla is portrayed as an innocent, naive, blushing maiden who hasn't cursed, got drunk, or had sex...and apparently, that's the hottest thing on the planet for the male leads. She refuses to even witness "violence" until halfway through the book, and I just found her to be annoying. Most of the "found family" was forgettable, although I would have preferred a book about them rather than Silla. I did not like Rey because I thought he was 40...and because he's just boring, in my opinion. I hated Jonas even more, though. I could rant about him and his toxic little behaviors for days (buddy was excited to find out that Silla was a virgin because that meant he got to take it from her...)
The Road of Bones is a fantasy adventure story that borders on romantasy and is filled with popular tropes sure to make it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-copy!

3.25/5

"Love may give you strength, but retribution gives you purpose."

The Final Strife is a fantasy story rich with discussion of oppression in a world where classes are divided by the color of their blood. The worldbuilding was intriguing, especially as the book progressed and plot twists were revealed. I'm always a fan of stories rich in history, and this book was no different.
The story follows three main POVs: Sylah, an Ember disguised as a Duster; Anoor, a Duster disguised as an Ember; and Hassa, a Ghosting. The three women come from different classes but are connected in their wish to see change in the world. I did find the book a little slow at times. It could be the beginning of a reading slump, but I really just didn't connect well to the story. There was a fair amount of action throughout, especially towards the end, and the plot twists kept me entertained, but overall I just felt like the story dragged on for a while. The middle of the book focused more on the characters' inner growth, in my opinion, and because I wasn't super invested in the characters, I didn't love the slower pacing.
The main cast of characters is definitely intriguing and complex, I just didn't really feel attached to any of them. Sylah's struggle with addiction was empowering, but she was fairly stubborn and set in her ways, and she got on my nerves a few times. I liked Anoor a little bit more, and I'm excited to see where her character arc takes her, but she was a bit trope-y. Hassa was probably my favorite, and she was the only one whose POVs I really looked forward to. In terms of side characters, Gorn grew on me, I liked Kwame, and I absolutely despised Jond.
Fans of fantasy stories rooted in history will enjoy The Final Strife and the romance, action, and social commentary it has to offer.

3.5/5

I thought I was mentally prepared for this book on my second read-through, but I wasn't...

The Dragon Republic is the second book in the Poppy War series, and not only does it expand worldbuilding-wise, but it also discusses new themes and introduces new characters and relationships. I honestly don't think I can rank these books because each one has things that I love.
Rin has destroyed the Federation, but now the stakes are higher than ever. The Hesperians wish to eliminate Chaos (aka shamanism), and the Dragon Warlord intends to overthrow the Empress and establish a republic. One of the things I love about this series is that you never know where it'll go next. Usually, I don't like it when I can't predict things in books, but I don't mind it here because the progression of events seems natural. The plot has plenty of twists, and there's some action dispersed throughout the book, but overall, I think it's the style and the themes that keep me enthralled.
Every single character feels complex and human. I love the evolving friendship between Rin and Kitay (more platonic friendships in fiction, please!), and I love it juxtaposed Rin's relationship with Nezha. I'm glad Venka made a reappearance (she's one of my favorites in this one). Qara and Ramsa are also favorites of mine, but Chagan grew on me a lot, and there are so many other characters that I like, too. I also like the introduction of the Hesperians and what they symbolize in terms of Chinese history.
The Dragon Republic escalates the stakes of the first Poppy War book while furthering character development and establishing new themes regarding the role of foreigners and their religions.

4.75/5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To say I am angry with the end of this book is an immense understatement.

SPOILER I was so afraid that Kitay would die that I didn't even think to worry about Ramsa or Qara (two of my other favorites). And then Nezha? If he were real, he and I would no longer be on speaking terms.

At least my military history class knowledge finally came to be useful.

"They were binary stars, trapped in each other's gravitational field and easily diminished without the other's opposing force."

I've been in a dark academia/spooky season mood recently, so I decided to reread The Atlas Six with the intention of actually getting to book 3 this time. (I'll probably get there...but I always forget that these books slow me down and I have other things to read). Did this fulfill my dark academia hunger? Not really. The genre itself is fairly hit or miss for me, so I don't know why I'm craving it...but I think this series falls somewhere in the middle in terms of the range of dark academic books I've enjoyed.
Six recruits enter, but only five will complete initiation. This is one of those books where a lot happens, but also nothing happens. The beginning is interesting, and there are a few scenes in the middle that keep the book moving before the exciting end, but most scenes are heavily character-focused, which is something I struggle to enjoy at times. There's a fair amount of "scholarly" conversations about magic that feel a bit like theoretical lectures, but I didn't mind them too much. I struggle to rate this accurately because although nothing really happened, I enjoyed the vibes, and sometimes that warrants a higher rating than I would typically give to a book with a similar plot.
I also think the reason I was willing to rate this as highly as I did is because the characters make me feel things. Callum earns the award for the most hateable POV because I despise him, and he doesn't deserve redemption. Parisa gives the vibes of an evil Nina Zenik, but I didn't mind her as much during this read as I did previously. Tristan is just kind of boring to me, and the same goes for Dalton. My favorites were Reina, Nico, and Libby. Reina is just so logical compared to everyone else, and I like that she's just along for the ride. I really just like the dynamics between Nico and Libby (which is why I still desperately want to read the novella) and the idea of being practically soulmates without actually being soulmates.
The Atlas Six is a dark academia novel focused on magic, knowledge, and what one would do in the name of their ambition.

3.75/5

Once again, I have highlighted way too many things in an Alice Oseman book.

Solitaire is Tori Spring's story. I didn't realize it was written before Heartstopper, and it kind of has different vibes from the other Heartstopper books I've read, but I really liked it. As always, I highlighted way too many quotes (because Oseman is way too good at calling me out). Also, I better understand Michael Holden now so I guess I need to rewatch season 3 of Heartstopper.
I really hope that the next season of Heartstopper focuses more on Tori's story, because I really enjoyed learning about her character her and her struggles. Solitaire is a mysterious blog project that seems coincidentally close to Tori's life, and she's not sure why. There's some mystery element in trying to discover who started Solitaire, how it's connected to Tori, and what it's next plan is. I didn't completely guess the main plot twist, but the idea did cross my mind at least once. I also thought this book was way darker in terms of content than some of the other books in the "Osemanverse," especially toward the end, so be careful of content warnings if you're planning to read it.
This is a character-focused novel, which I sometimes don't like as much, but I think it worked well for this book. Tori's character was relatable in some ways, and I really sympathized with her. I'd love to read more about her. I also really liked the depth of Michael Holden. He's such an interesting and complex character. I liked learning about Tori's other friends as well, and I was glad to see the Nick and Charlie cameos. (Also, Nick is a confirmed Twilight fan?)
Alice Oseman never fails to produce heartwrenching and simultaneously heartwarming stories, and Solitaire is no exception.

4/5

Let's all be honest: Caldon 100% carried this book.

The Gilded Cage is the second book in the Prison Healer trilogy, and despite the fact that I've read this before, I forgot most of the plot twists until about halfway through the book. Plotwise, I think this was a little better than the first book, but the characters and their stupid decisions ultimately dragged down my rating because whoever said Kiva was supposed to be a villain and ended up being a doormat was entirely right.
In light of the events of the first book, Kiva Meridan - also known as Kiva Corentine, heir to a diluted bloodline - has returned with Jaren to his kingdom. There's a lot of political maneuvering in this, but most of the tension comes from Kiva's indecisiveness and her hiding her true identity from the royal family while feeding their secrets to her sibling. Look, I'm a fan of secret identity stories and the conflicts that come with them, but that can only carry the plot so far. The plot twists are fairly convenient, and the rebels' motivations are pretty weak, but it was fast-paced, and the high tensions kept me intrigued.
And as for characters... Tipp and Oriel are adorable, so we love them. I actually thought Mirryn was really cool, but the Vallentis parents were extremely flat. Naari also felt like she got sidelined. Zuleeka annoys me, but Tor is fine. Again, Jaren felt a bit generic and, likely, overly caring for Kiva? I get being in love and whatnot, but he literally put off the rest of his life for her multiple times. Kiva herself was...girl did not know how to make a good decision to save her life. She goes back on her word so many times and she honestly got kind of annoying. I have a love-hate relationship with Caldon because as much he made scenes actually interesting, he does give weird vibes, and sometimes his cockiness was a little too much.
The stakes are higher than ever in The Gilded Cage as Kiva must decide between her blood family and the Vallentis family that has taken her under their wing.

3.75/5

This book reminded me of, like, a hundred different things, and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. (I'll include the references below my review because there are so many of them).

The Outcast Mage is a high fantasy novel that takes place in a city of glass with an academy of mages. Like I said before, it reminded me of a dozen other books and movies, and I really liked the vibes. The worldbuilding itself took a little bit to get used to, as the book dumps the reader directly into the world without much explanation. I'm still a little unclear on some aspects of the lore, but I understood what was necessary for most of the plot.
Naila is a mage at the academy, but she has a problem...she can't do magic. With threats of exile looming on the horizon, Naila's only hope is the eccentric wizard Haelius Akana, who also happens to be the most powerful living mage. The plot admittedly takes a while to get into (I wasn't invested until 50%, and I didn't really get invested until about 80%), but the ending feels worth it. None of the plot twists felt extremely crazy to me, but the main one didn't really feel predictable. I'm hoping that the pacing issues will be resolved in book two.
Similar to the plot, it took me a while to get attached to the characters. Naila wasn't super intriguing to me because I primarily read YA fantasy, and she fits in well with the protagonists I typically read about, so she wasn't anything special. I didn't mind Ko'ani, and I look forward to seeing where her arc goes in book two. Entonin took a while to adjust to, but I like him now, and the same goes for Karameth. Also, I just want to say I appreciated the mild romance in this because it's a welcome break from heavy romance. Larinne was the underdog because I didn't like her at first, but she was one of my favorites by the end. Haelius was my favorite character just because I'm basic, and I see a sad man with a tragic backstory but silly tendencies, and I immediately love it. Those are the main main characters, but there are enough other characters that I think a dramatis personae could've been beneficial.
The Outcast Mage is a high fantasy novel perfect for fans of academia, political regulation of magic, and found family vibes.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.5/5



References:
Skyward Sword - (video game) - I think because of the academy vibes?
Lisa Frankenstein - (movie) - Ko'ani just gives the vibes of Lisa's stepsister
Crown of Bones - (book by A.K. Wilder) - the main character had similar vibes but also, again, magic school
Harry Potter - the evil government reminded me of the Ministry of Magic
A Darker Shade of Magic - (book by V.E. Schwab) - magic collars and elemental affinities
Keeper of the Lost Cities Nightfall - (book by Shannon Messenger) - dome
Shadow and Bone - (book by Leigh Bardugo) - "hollow" magic
The First Binding - (book by R.R. Virdi) - just vibes

This book really made me sad about my own archival job because I don't get to solve mysteries or talk to people who disappeared decades ago.

I don't typically read much contemporary with paranormal elements or magical realism stories, but The Underwood Tapes intrigued me. I don't know exactly what genre to classify it as, but it's a story about dealing with grief and the dark pasts of small towns.
After losing her mother in a tragic car accident, Grace decides to spend the summer in her mother's hometown working at the local archives. She's given the task of listening to audio transcriptions when she realizes that she can share messages with the last boy to work in the archives, Jake Underwood. I liked the mystery elements a lot, and I honestly didn't mind the "drama" parts either. The paranormal aspects were incorporated pretty well, though we never fully address how/why things happen...though I guess that's fine for the genre. I did think the ending was pretty rushed (there's barely even a chapter of resolution), and I didn't cry, but I liked the story as a whole and enjoyed trying to figure out the plot twists.
I also liked most of the characters. I liked Grace as a main character and narrator, and from what I've seen in other reviews, her actions are relatable for someone who is grieving. Jake reminded me of Charles from Dead Boy Detectives for some reason, and I was really intrigued by his personality/reactions to everything. The older secondary characters were also all interesting, especially when they reacted to Grace's accusations and questions. I didn't mind Lara or Griffin, but they didn't get much page time.
Fans of low-stakes mysteries, small-town secrets, and stories of grief will enjoy The Underwood Tapes.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

4/5