I think that this was a classic case of right book, wrong time.

In theory, I should've adored this book. It was like A Darker Shade of Magic met Elena of Avalor and they had a baby with some of my favorite tropes.
But it took forever to read the book and I was bored. Were there plenty of actions scenes? Yes. Was there angst and danger? All the time. Did I like the characters? They weren't my favorites, but I didn't dislike them.
I don't know why this book fell flat. Was it the wrong time to read it? Am I in a reading slump? Was it really just not my kind of book? I have no idea. All I know is that I was sort of disappointed in what I anticipated to be one of my favorite reads of the year.

"'Heroes are just villains with worse survival instincts and moral superiority complexes.'"

It's been about a year since I read this duology for the first time, but I could not remember what happened in the second book so I decided it was time for a reread.
Overall, the second book is better than the first. It fleshes out the characters more and it really drives in the urgency of the situation at hand.
While Gavin and Alistair were my favorite characters by far, Isobel, Reid, and Briony grew on me a little. I still have my issues with Briony, and Reid creeps me out, but I didn't hate them as much as I did the first time reading.
Of the three main romantic subplots present in the story, I felt that two of them were very surprising but also they fit relatively well together.

Spoiler

When I first picked up the series, I saw a lot of fanart of Alistair and Gavin and I was confused because they're not a thing in book one, but once I read book two I realized why. Isobel and Reid are a bit weird to me...I don't know why, but something just feels off about them.

All in all, this duology is a great series for anyone looking for a magical "Hunger Games" type scenario or a modern, dark fantasy that will leave you questioning who the heroes truly are.

Spoiler

"'The thing is, I've died before. So I shouldn't be this upset, or this scared. Because I know that when it's over, I won't hurt. I won't want these things anymore, because I won't want anything. I won't be anything. So maybe the way it hurts right now doesn't matter. But I really want it to matter. I-I don't want to die knowing that everything I've suffered through meant nothing.'"

Actual Rating: 4.5/5 stars

"'Weakness is settling for a life based on what others want of you and from you.'"

Crowned a Traitor is a YA fantasy novel about Lucifer's daughter who wants to avoid being the Queen of Heck at all costs, and it's one of those books that feels like a mixture of genres. It was fantasy, of course, but there were aspects of it that reminded me of paranormal and horror fiction too.
I'm not usually a fan of fantasy books about different "species" like werewolves and demons, nor am I knowledgeable about demon "lore," but the worldbuilding was fairly solid. It mixed religious symbols, Greek mythology, and Fae folklore for an intriguing mixture of elements.
However, I thought the plot lacked clarity at times. I never really got "hooked" into the story, but I saw another review saying the action started around page 140, and it did...but I still struggled to stay engaged at points. There was a fair amount of urgency in the plot with Klara running from her family, I just wasn't invested in it.
I think I didn't get invested because I didn't care much for the characters. Klara was cool and as far as main characters go, I liked her. Frendall was my favorite and then he disappeared for half the story. I didn't mind Wolfgang or Lottie either, but those were the only characters that I actually empathized with. There were so many other characters introduced that I assumed would have little relevance to the plot, and so I didn't bother remembering the details about them.
If you're a fan of dark fantasy stories about demons, werewolves, and characters running from their "destinies," Crowned A Traitor is a book you shouldn't miss.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5

The Smoke Thieves has been pretty close to the top of my TBR for a while now because any fantasy book with found-family elements and multiple POVs is basically an automatic must-read. Now I've finally gotten around to it, and I don't know quite what to think.
The weird thing is, I enjoyed the book despite the fact that it felt like almost nothing happened. I think that the five POVs really worked in the story's favor. Usually, I don't like books as much if I can't get a feel for the overarching plot, but I didn't mind as much because I was entertained just getting to know the characters and the world.
Admittedly, Ambrose has the weakest POV: he just simps for Catherine the whole time, which wasn't horrible until I learned he's 21 and she's 16... and his entire personality is just HER. I also didn't love Catherine, but I did respect her. I've read the "betrothed to some prince" trope too many times to count, but she genuinely wanted the neighboring kingdom to like her, and she made much smarter decisions than I expected. Tash, March, and Edyon were by far the highlights of the story. Tash's POVs were super interesting and I really liked her character and how unique she was. March and Edyon were also very unique; their dynamic was quite different than anything I'd read before. I look forward to seeing what shenanigans they can get into in the next book. Overall, I really liked seeing how the characters interact with each other and how their plots interweaved throughout the novel.
While The Smoke Thieves felt like a prequel to a series or an introduction to a world, it sets up for a fun and action-packed fantasy story about demons, royalty, and found family.
4/5

"'Faith is a strange thing, isn't it? ... You can explain all you want to a doubter, but if you want them to truly come around, you have to let them walk their own path.'"

With a group of criminals and a rogue AI on a spaceship, I thought that The Salvation Gambit would be right up my alley. And while I did enjoy some parts of it, the book fell flat for me in some places.
Most notably, I never really got invested in the plot. It wasn't slowly paced, per se, but I didn't care much for Murdock and the plot just felt a bit lackluster. The romance didn't really catch my attention and the only character backstory I found to be truly interesting was Ham's. That being said, I did like the idea of an AI being worshipped as a god and the headbands it used to communicate with its cultists looking like haloes.
Similarly, I didn't care much for the characters. Murdock was okay, but we never got time to really get to know Hark or Bea so I didn't have a connection with them. Ham was cool and I didn't mind Fitz, but none of them were characters I could really root for.
Even though The Salvation Gambit wasn't my cup of tea, I think it's a worthwhile read for readers looking for a quick space opera.
Thanks to Netgalley and the free e-ARC!
3.25/5

"'There's no one else I'd rather be here with at the end than you.'"

To be honest, the cover was what originally landed Cities of Smoke and Starlight on my TBR, but I'm so glad I read it because the steampunk adventure far exceeded my expectations. It reminded me a bit of Tara Sim's Timekeeper mixed with bits of a whole bunch of other sci-fi books - and I've heard that it has similarities to Star Wars.
The book takes place around the year 4500, and it's implied that the characters live on another planet. A scholar and pilot embark on a mission with a handful of others to seek help from a mysterious race in the hopes of preventing war. There's plenty of action to keep readers intrigued throughout, and even though I admittedly found the pacing a bit slow at times, the ending was amazing and I can't wait to see where the story goes next. The main plot twist was foreshadowed enough that I was able to call it but there was still enough shock factor in the reveal to make it impactful, and while I didn't cry, I wanted to.
However, the real strength is in the characters. I didn't really like Zeke or Ben all that much, but I absolutely adored Ebba (she reminded me of Cassie from Timekeeper). And then there's Hallie and Kase... Hallie reminded me a bit of Fi from The Bone Spindle, but her interest in translating ancient texts intrigued me and I liked her character. I can't pinpoint exactly who Kase reminded me of, but his snark and temper meant liked him a lot as well. And the tension between them? Immaculate. They reminded me a bit of Iris and Roman from Divine Rivals and just strengthened my claim that rivals to lovers is infinitely better than a true enemies to lovers. The slow-burn was 100% worth it.
If you're looking for a unique genre-blending read or a steampunk adventure with a found family of sorts, be sure to check out Cities of Smoke and Starlight.
4.5/5

Well, I didn't solve the mystery in this one.

I've been looking for another good fantasy mystery ever since I finished Katy Rose Pool's Garden of the Cursed, so I was super excited for Threads That Bind. It reminded me a lot of Alexandra Bracken's Lore mixed with Amanda Foody's Ace of Shades, and I really enjoyed trying (and failing) to solve the mystery.
Loosely based on Greek mythology, the story follows Io, a descendant of the Fates, as she tries to solve a series of murders in her city. I enjoyed watching Io confront her past relationships with her sisters and friends as well as her attempts to uncover the truth. While I didn't figure out the mystery ahead of time, I wasn't super surprised by the twist and it was foreshadowed well. My only issue was that I didn't connect super well with the book until about a third of the way through, and even then I didn't feel as interested in the story as I expected, but I think it's me going into a reading slump and not the fault of the actual book.
As far as characters go, I liked Io as a protagonist. She had enough flaws to make her relatable but she was strong and intelligent too. I didn't really like any of the other side characters as much because there wasn't much time to get to know them, but Nico was great and I hope he's in more of book two. Edei is yet another fictional man who sets the bar way too high.
Threads of Bind is a great fantasy mystery for readers who like Greek Mythology, urban fantasies, and magical mysteries.
4/5

We need more families fighting the Faerie folk in books.

Shadows Over London is one of the few Faerie books that I actually enjoyed. I'm not generally a fan of the Fae books because they always tend to follow the same tropes, but this story didn't. Rather than focus on a love story between teenage girls and men hundreds of years older than them, this book follows the story of a family divided by their loyalties to the Fae courts.
Justice is a young girl whose life is thrown out of balance when her father returns to London and forces her entire family to flee to a strange mansion in the woods. It turns out her parents are on opposing sides of the upcoming Faerie war, and the siblings must choose who to believe. There's a good deal of action, some mysteries that need to be solved, and some really cool plot points are set up for the next book. It took me a bit to get into, but once Justice, Faith, and Henry were on the run, I read it basically in two sittings.
Although Justice is the main character, there are two other POVs - two of her brothers, Henry and Benedict - and I actually liked them more than Justice. Henry is fourteen and he's just an innocent baby and I will not be happy if anything bad happens to him. I also thought Benedict was interesting because he's been out of the house for years so he doesn't really know his siblings, but I also like where his story is going. Neither of them had much closure and I want to read the next book ASAP purely to find out what happens to them. I didn't really like Justice or Faith as much, but I can see myself liking them more in the sequel. Justice was cool and I liked her magic, I just didn't love her stubborn personality at times.
If you're looking for a quick fantasy that focuses on family over romance, but still has enough action to keep your attention, Shadows Over London is the book for you.
4/5

Yes, I only read this cause I wanted to finish out the year with an official 220 books, but honestly it’s been on my TBR for a while and I’ve been craving some good quality Red London adventures lately.
While Maxim is much different than Kell and this adventure was quite short, the magic illustrations were super cool and the story was quite intriguing. Maxim was never a character I cared much for in the original books, but I can safely say that I have a newfound respect for him. Hopefully I’ll finish off this graphic novel prequel series soon.
4/5