I think this is the worst luck I've ever had with picking my favorite characters...

The Moon Tear is the first novel in a high fantasy trilogy with elves and magic and plenty of other fascinating creatures. I've seen other reviews claiming this book was confusing, and I was prepared to devote all of my energy to not being confused...but I was. It definitely could have benefitted from a glossary and maybe some deeper worldbuilding? I hate saying I need to be spoon-fed the lore, but I'm stupid and apparently can't retain information unless I'm beat over the head with it.
Like I said, the plot was kind of confusing. The basic gist of the story is that Eyolin is an elf with a hidden destructive power that's been prophesized about, and everyone is trying to use her or kill her. It sounds easy to understand, but I think the issue I had with comprehension was that I had no idea where the story was going next. I struggled to grasp a rhyme or reason for anything...she was training, and then she was on the run, and then she was training again, and then all of a sudden, everyone was dying? It could be an error on my part (and, honestly, it almost certainly was), but I just didn't understand entirely what was going on at any given time. That being said, I liked the ending, and it sets up for an interesting sequel.I'm just not sure if I'll read it.
Another issue I had was that I liked the side characters more than the main ones, which is never a good thing (because they all die usually). Eyolin was fine as a protagonist, but she felt a bit cliche in the "chosen one with a power she'll never understand." Kipp spent most of the book drunk...and everyone else suffered because of it. I liked Jet and wish he got more page time, and the same goes for Dale. I hated Karok at first (because his name looks like Korok ... if you know, you know), but I grew to love him. The villains were pretty decent but not incredibly memorable - although, again, that might be a "me" problem.
The Moon Tear is a high fantasy story about a girl with the potential to destroy and what it means to defy one's fate.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.25/5

This is why British, middle-aged, white guys shouldn't be allowed to go on adventures.

I actually pulled Neverwhere from my TBR jar about two months ago, but I didn't pick it up from the library until a few days ago. It sounded a bit like A Darker Shade of Magic, so I was pretty excited about it. I also haven't read much Neil Gaiman (I read Stardust for school two years ago). That being said...I'm not sure I'm really a fan of Gaiman's writing style.
This story is about a 30-year-old British dude named Richard who "falls between the cracks of London" and ends up in London Below, a dark fantasy world filled with secret markets, all kinds of creatures, and doors to other realms. The plot is relatively fast-paced, and I rounded my rating up because of the plot twists at the end, which I didn't predict but wasn't super surprised about, either. That being said, there are a lot of POV switches to characters/scenes that are partly irrelevant. And, as I said before, I'm not a huge fan of the style. I'd consider this book to fall into the category I call "quirky fiction," which is always a hit or miss for me. There's a lot of general "weirdness" and oddly specific descriptions, and while I know it's meant to be humorous, I just wasn't a fan of it... and I don't know why.
I also didn't love any of the characters. The marquis was my favorite, but I don't have an explanation. I thought Door was cool, too, and I didn't hate Hunter. The villains were fairly cool, especially following the plot twist. I just hated Richard, which is a horrible thing to say when he's the main character. I found him annoying and whiny, and I disagreed with the majority of the decisions he made. I don't know what it is about authors picking middle-aged, white British businessmen with no real personality to be their narrators, but I'm not a fan.
While I'm sure fans of the author will enjoy Neverwhere, I personally found that it fell a bit flat of my expectations, and I didn't enjoy the narrative style.

3.5/5

"For a moment, Dafyd Alkhor saw the universe the way a Carryx would, and it was beautifully simple and utterly horrific."

The Mercy of Gods is one of the very few adult sci-fi novels I've read, and it's going to be one that sits with me for a while. I'm not saying YA books can't be enriching, but there's something ... "heavy" about adult novels like this one. It discussed colonialism and human nature in a haunting way, and there were parts that truly made me feel things.
Aliens are real, and only those they deem useful are allowed to live. Following an attack on the human population of the planet Anjiin that leaves 1/8 of them dead, a number of "promising" humans are taken to an alien world where they must prove their usefulness in order to save their friends and family. The pacing was well done, although the story itself felt as though it didn't begin until about the 10% mark (but this was important for character and world development, so it makes sense). The whole book felt like an emotional roller coaster, and the ending was heart-wrenching. I will be anxiously awaiting the sequel in the meantime.
I also found myself very attached to most of the main cast. Jessyn and her declining mental health, as she holds out hope for her brother's survival. Synnia's all-consuming grief. Tonner's pride caving to the weight of responsibility and failure. Campar's humor being his sole connection to sanity. Else's internal struggle with losing her humanity. Dafyd's quest to understand his enemies but still prevent himself from becoming something alien. Their struggles felt genuine, and I cared for all of them in different ways. The end hurt me. I know I'm only going to be more hurt in the next book.
The Mercy of Gods is the first novel in a stunning new sci-fi series following humanity's last hopes as they struggle to prove themselves "useful" to a mysterious alien race.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

4.5/5

As if I didn't need more evidence that I should never be a detective, I spent the entire time hyper-fixating on accusing the wrong character and completely missed the very obvious plot twist.

Warcross is one of the few books by Marie Lu that I've yet to get around to. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect because I loved some of her books (the Legend series and Skyhunter) but was sorely disappointed by others (The Young Elites series and Steelstriker). I've also been on a dystopian/sci-fi kick lately, so I figured I might get tired of it soon.
I've seen some reviews comparing this book to Ready Player One, and while the similarities are there, I think it's a common concept for sci-fi stories in general. Emika is a hacker just trying to make a living, and when she hacks into an important Warcross game, she becomes an overnight sensation and attracts the attention of Hideo Tanaka, the creator of the game himself. He recruits her to uncover a mysterious hacker, and she must disguise herself as a player in the Warcross tournaments. The pacing was pretty good (I read it in about 24 hours), although I feel like not a ton of stuff actually "happened." I think the plot twist would've been easily predictable if I stopped accusing Kenn of being evil for 5 seconds. The cliffhanger is intriguing, but I don't know when I'll get around to the next one.
I didn't particularly love any of the characters. Roshan was my favorite, although I don't really know why. Ren was interesting, and I hope we see more of him. Asher gave Adrian from Renegades vibes. Hideo is literally just Artemis Fowl if he cared more about video games than fairies. Emika was fine as far as main characters go, but she wasn't my favorite of the author's protagonists.
Warcross is a worthwhile sci-fi read for fans of Marie Lu, filled with action, intrigue, explosions, and mystery.

4/5

Phoenixes/firebirds are literally the best magical creatures, and we need more of them in fantasy, please!

These Feathered Flames is a YA fantasy novel with plenty of court intrigue that pulls from Russian folklore to create an enticing story about a pair of royal twin sisters. This book has been on my TBR for a while, mostly because of the Firebird mythology, but I was honestly surprised by the "murder mystery" aspect and the fact that I was completely blindsided by the plot twists.
Izaveta has lived her whole life in the castle with her mother, whose untimely death leads Izaveta to step into the role of queen way earlier than she anticipated. As Izaveta's sister, Asya is the Firebird - the mythological being who controls the balance of magic by exacting prices from those who have used magic without "paying" for it. Both girls are forced to embrace their roles in the wake of their mother's death, but someone in the court is obviously still out to get them. The story was quite fast-paced, which I enjoyed, and the stakes were higher than I anticipated, which I also greatly appreciated. I didn't call any of the plot twists somehow, but the cliffhanger is very well done, and I'm excited to pick up the next book.
I really enjoyed the dual POVs from Izaveta and Asya, and I liked most of the cast. Izaveta is a very intriguing protagonist, given she tries to see the logical side in every situation and is not afraid to make difficult choices to protect her country. Nikov was probably my favorite, and I hope we get to see more of him in the next book, especially seeing as he's the only person who can get Izaveta out of her shell. I liked Asya as well. It was interesting to see her passion and reluctance to harm others in contrast to Izaveta's personality. I also thought her relationship with Yuliana was exciting, although I did think Yuliana was a lot older than her at first and got a bit confused.
These Feathered Flames is the first book in a fast-paced YA fantasy series filled with court intrigue, Russian folklore, mystery, and the beginnings of romance.

3.75/5

If I had a dollar for every time an older sister is incredibly protective of their younger sister with destructive tendencies, I'd be rich by now.

The Gods Below is the first book in a new epic fantasy series that takes the Fold from Shadow and Bone and mixes with the Thanos snap and also (un)dead gods and eating rocks for magic powers. The worldbuilding was absolutely incredible. The aether (basically magic mist) is spreading across the realms, and everything it touches has a 50% chance of disappearing or being "restored," or changed to better match the gods. Gems harvested from rapidly appearing sinkholes filled with aether can be harvested and, if swallowed by a mortal, can be used to temporarily unlock magical powers.
Like most of the best epic fantasies, this story follows multiple POVs, which can be a bit confusing at times. Hakara is a miner who lost her sister, Rasha, to the restoration 10 years ago. After getting caught smuggling gems, she finds herself involved in a rebellion against the god of the restored world, Kluehnn. Rasha has been changed by the restoration and is now on her way to becoming an acolyte of Kluehnn. Sheuan's family has fallen out of favor with the Sovereign, but she intends to regain her status by reinventing trade between the realms. Mull is determined to journey below the earth to find the gods and ask for a boon to save the woman he loves. There are also some past sections with Nioanen, one of the gods, as he watches the world around him shatter. The book is relatively fast-paced, with a few slower sections in the middle. I found some of the plot twists predictable but was completely blindsided by others. The book definitely sets up an intriguing sequel, and it's clear that this trilogy is one to follow along with.
I'll stick with the main characters for the sake of keeping this review relatively short (also, this book could totally benefit from a dramatis personae section). I found Rasha's POV to be my least favorite, surprisingly, just because her sections felt slower, and I just didn't connect to her. I liked Sheuan as a character, but I also found her chapters to be a bit dull. Hakara, on the other hand, had interesting chapters, but I didn't love her character, mostly because she seemed to pick fights for no reason. I really liked Thassir, and I hope he has a POV in the next one. Mull's chapters were heartbreaking and I will not be recovering from them emotionally...ever. Similarly, Nioanen's chapters were my favorite and they were also incredibly painful. I'm going to be sad for a while now.
The Gods Below is a promising start to a new epic fantasy trilogy about gods, change, and sisters stuck on opposite sides of a war.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

4.25/5

"My world is only half of what it should be, and I am only half of what I really am. I cannot afford to be whole."

Blood Scion is a YA sci-fi/fantasy novel that follows the story of a child soldier as she struggles to maintain her humanity in a world determined to turn her into a monster. It reminded me a bit of R.F. Kuang's Poppy War series as well as Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. It's definitely a gritty story filled with pain and tragedy.
Sloane is a Scion: she has the magic of the old gods, which is forbidden. When she is drafted as a child soldier to serve the queen's army by slaughtering rebels, she must do her best to keep her magic and motives hidden as she attends training. The pacing was relatively fast, although the last 100 pages or so were practically rapid-fire, and I really enjoyed the ending. There were a bunch of plot twists, some of which I guessed and some of which I didn't. While the first 75% or so was fairly predictable (there are a lot of YA books that focus on "training" of some sort), it still had enough unique flair to keep me interested.
The characters are all very dynamic and 3-dimensional. I liked Sloane as a main character, and her character arc was intriguing. I'm excited to see what happens in the next book. I liked most of the side characters, but my favorite was probably Izara. The romance-type stuff toward the end seemed very abrupt, but I think the author solved the problem already. I also hope we get to find out more about Ara, Nazarin, and Jericho in the sequel.
Blood Scion is a YA sci-fi/fantasy novel rich with African-inspired folklore that tackles what it means to lose one's humanity.

4/5

I came because the official art was pretty, but I stayed because of angsty lover boys and angry rebel women.

I added Nightstrider to my TBR because I saw art of it on Instagram, and the easiest way to get me to read a book is to show me pretty pictures. The concept also sounded unique and intriguing, so I requested it on Netgalley when I got the chance, and I will now be anxiously awaiting the sequel. (Also, it just happened that while I was reading this, I played a round of Betrayal at the House on the Hill that was so close to the plot of this book that I got way too excited).
The story follows 4 main POVs (multiple POV fantasies are the best!): Wren, a Nightmare employed by the evil dictator, Para Warwick; Alaric, a Nightmare rebel and former employee of Warwick; Ila, a young queen and weaver who can move from the waking realm to the Reverie; and Caine, a prince who has ties to the Reverie that he never knew existed. The story is very fast-paced, and I really enjoyed trying to guess the plot twists (some of which I did predict, but I was super happy that I was right). The stakes were high, the tension between characters was palpable, and the ending left me anxiously waiting for more.
But, like with almost all books that may or may not devolve into found family...the characters were the best part. Wren was so incredibly cool, and while her POV itself proved to be my least favorite of the 4, I thought she was neat, and I'm excited to see her continue her character arc. Alaric is a simp, and just like with Wren, his POVs didn't excite me as much as the others, but I really liked seeing the parallels between him and Wren. Ila reminded me a lot of Helene from An Ember in the Ashes, and she was probably my favorite character, tied with Caine, of course. She's so strong, and yet she cares so deeply and passionately. Caine reminded me of Dorian from Throne of Glass, and, like I said, he was one of my favorites. He's similar to Alaric in that they're both simps, but he embraced the darkness inside him to save Ila, and I'm really excited to learn more about him in the sequel.
Nightstrider is a multiple-POV fantasy novel with the beginnings of what I hope is a found family, and I will be buying the sequel as soon as it releases.
Thanks to Netgalley for the free e-ARC!

4.5/5

Let me summarize two very minor side plots for you: genetically modified caterpillars can't exist without government permission, and napalm is indeed very sticky.

Monster is the first book in the sequel series to Michael Grant's Gone series. I read the FAYZ books last summer, so they're still relatively fresh in my mind (although I definitely forgot some important details and had to be reminded of them). I have a love/hate relationship with most sequel series, and I was unsure how I'd feel about this one. The verdict? I think this is a series that needs to stand by itself, and I've chosen to pretend that it has minimal relation to the first one.
The first series was a modern Lord of the Flies type story, filled with grit, gore, and the violence of children left to their own survival. This book completely escalates the sci-fi elements from the first one, and the hero/villain motifs are not used subtly at all. The basic gist is that a variety of teens have - both intentionally and unintentionally - encountered alien radiation from meteorites that change their DNA and give them monster forms and superpowers. The pacing was good, especially given the multiple POVs that all gathered in one location by the end. It contained some of the gore and grit from the first series, but the overwhelming sci-fi elements that seemed so unlike the rules established previously made it feel, well, a bit childish to me.
I also think the character development could have used some more work. Because this book was so short and fast-paced, it left little time for the reader to actually get to know the characters. I think Dekka was probably my favorite, mostly because her character development was established in the first series. Shade was also fairly interesting, and I thought her motivation was well done. Armo intrigued me, so I'm interested to see if he'll have more page time in the next book. The rest of the cast was okay, but I do agree with other reviews I've seen that say the diversity in the story feels forced. I also agree that some characters need to stay dead...
I think Monster would be a fine series on its own, but because it's a sequel series that completely changed the vibes of a series I really enjoyed, I didn't love it.

3.5/5

Minimal romance? Found family? Tournaments (that may or may not be fought to the death)? Selective magic? Academic rivals? This book checked off, like, half of the tropes I really enjoy.

Breath of the Dragon is a YA fantasy story that focuses heavily on martial arts and one stubborn boy's journey to rise to the top. It reminded me a bit of The First Binding by R.R. Virdi and Mel Torrefranca's Nightshade Academy, but it had its own unique elements too.
We meet Jun, a young boy determined to enter a tournament to become the country's next Guardian - essentially the master warrior guy who gets special wisdom. He flees home and embarks on a journey that leaves him entangled in politics, rebellions, and magic he never knew existed. The story was relatively fast-paced, and although I managed to predict most of the main plot twists, I still enjoyed them. Admittedly, it took me a while to get into the story, but I also read a book in less than 6 hours right before I started this one, so it might have been a mini-book slump. The cliffhanger left me intrigued for book two, and I'm excited to see where the story goes next.
I think the biggest issue for me was the lack of true depth and complexity of the characters. Jun himself was well-developed, as we got to see his journey from stubborn, egotistical teenage guy to stubborn, noble-ish teenage guy. Ren was probably my favorite character, as she's the only main female lead (but hopefully, she gets more page time in the sequel). I liked Yin as well, especially as he grew to be a part of the found family despite being Jun's rival. The rest of the cast wasn't incredibly large, so I can't really blame them for being a bit flat. This is, really, Jun's story, so we don't necessarily need a lot of information about other characters.
Breath of the Dragon is the start of a new YA fantasy series perfect for readers who love martial arts, found families and rival arcs, and deadly tournaments.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

3.75/5