To give you an idea of how wrong I was in this murder mystery: my main suspect turned out to be the love interest...and I have seen multiple reviews praising him for being the greenest of flags.

I've really been getting into fantasy murder mysteries lately, so The Tainted Cup has been on my TBR for a little while. I didn't particularly enjoy Foundryside by the same author, so I was a little hesitant until I read the first chapter and was immediately intrigued.
Din is an engraver who can remember everything he sees and recall it whenever he wants, and he is working as an assistant to a very eccentric investigator - Ana - when a new murder case arises. It is quickly complicated by politics, and I'm going to be honest and say I didn't completely follow everything, but I understood enough to get the gist of all of the political motivations. Do I think you can accurately predict the murderers? Probably not. I did manage to sort of call a plot twist, but it was based entirely on vibes, and I only saw it about 2 chapters before the reveal. That being said, I did really enjoy just watching puzzle pieces fall into place and there was a bit of action too.
I think the highlight of this, though, is the dynamics between Din and Ana. I didn't realize how fun the eccentric mentor and cinnamon roll assistant could be until I saw the banter and the relationship between these two. Din reminded me a lot of Richa from Empire of Exiles, and Ana is just Ana. I didn't really love any of the side characters, mostly because I was paranoid that they all wanted to kill Din...but now that I know that most of these characters were innocent, book two will hopefully improve my opinion of them.
The Tainted Cup is an extremely twisty fantasy murder mystery with politics, spy antics, danger, and some amazing character dynamics.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

4.25/5

How do I keep finding my way into horse-girl fantasy?

Champion of Fate is a fantasy/sorta romance story about an organization of women that basically trains to protect heroes for all of eternity. In hindsight, I'm not sure why I was so drawn to the description because it's not necessarily something I would usually get super excited about, but it was in my TBR jar, so here we are...
As much as I wanted to enjoy the novel, the plot was a little too slow for my liking. Admittedly, I am a person who prefers fast pacing, but when it takes 30% for the plot to be "announced" and 60% for the plot to actually begin...I think most people will agree that it's pretty slow. The story actually begins with a backstory and a ton of exposition, all of which could've been shortened. The main plot twist wasn't super surprising (I didn't predict it, but I wasn't shocked by it). I will say that the few chapters around the 65-80% mark were interesting to me, and I was actually excited, but it quickly faded away.
I also struggled a bit to connect to the characters. Most of the older women who were Aristenes blurred together, and I didn't care much for Aster (the mentor) or Veridian (the other exiled mentor). Gretchen was completely irrelevant unless she returns in book 2 (I was hoping for a villain arc) and I thought Lyonene's personality was fairly bland. The Aristenes as a whole gave the vibes of the Light from Dark Rise but without the fun parts. As far as Reed went, I didn't hate her, but I didn't love her either. I also didn't love Hestion because he didn't get much development...just like the relationship between him and Reed jumped quickly from strangers to making-out buddies.
If you're into legendary female warriors and women protecting the heroes, then Champion of Fates is a book you might want to check out.

Link to Libby Annotations
3.25/5

This book told me exactly how it would end in the first chapter, and yet I was still surprised by the ending (and emotionally wounded...I need the sequel immediately).

Vultures in the House of Silence is a fantasy that subverts the Chosen One trope and mixes a fun cast of characters with a fast-paced adventure. Firstly, I'd like to note that the storytelling narrative form is slowly becoming a favorite of mine. Similar to in The Ruin of Kings and The First Binding, the book is narrated by Khurafa retelling his story, and the reader knows where his adventure will end.
Speaking of adventure, I always forget how enjoyable classic adventure stories can be. Khurafa has a prophetic vision of the end of the world (which reminded me a bit of There Will Come a Darkness) and sets off to save the world with his mentor, Shaykh Nariman, and his new mind-reading friend, Zakiyya. It was extremely fast-paced and there were plenty of plot twists. I probably could have read it in one sitting if I tried to. And even though the ending is revealed in the first chapter, it still hurt me and I'm still upset.
I also absolutely adored the dynamics of the crew. I don't know how old Khurafa and Zakiyya are, but they bicker like siblings and I love it. Khurafa is also stupid enough that he continuously gets himself into trouble and Zakiyya rescues him every time. Shaykh Nariman is the embodiment of the "Would you love me if I was a worm" meme, and I love Kedi too because cats always give books bonus points. I didn't love Shahid, but I didn't hate him.
I don't know when the sequel is coming out, but I will read it immediately because you can't just leave me like that! If you're a fan of banter, adventure, and fantasy books that play with unusual tropes and narratives, Vultures in the House of Silence is a book you won't want to miss.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4.5/5

I love learning halfway through a book that a character you thought was 20 is actually in her 40s.

The Will of the World is a fantasy novel set in a world where amalgamations (basically zombies) roam the world and can only be warded off by magic crystals. It is reminiscent of older fantasy adventures with bands of mercenaries and old-fashioned assassins.
This story reminded me a lot of classic adventures where there isn't necessarily a clear goal in mind but the characters go off on the occasional journey to save the world. I really liked the beginning, especially with the set-up for Ren's trauma given the prologue. Some of the first few chapters had an academia kind of vibe, which I liked but it was quickly replaced with adventure vibes. Admittedly, I did find the ending to be a bit disappointing because there wasn't really a climax and there were just a handful of fights scattered throughout. The lack of a clear goal and two specific slower POVs also were struggles for me.
There are four POV characters in this book, and I really liked two of them. Ren and Seffin are arguably the most "main" of the main characters. They're both young men in their final years of magic school, and there's a bit of ...tension between them. I liked their dynamic a lot and I thought they both had some unique qualities. I thought Flicker was neat as an assassin, but her POVs were a bit confusing until her identity was revealed. The same goes for Jessica. I understood her importance, but her chapters were sort of boring compared to the rest.
If you're looking for a classic fantasy adventure with a new zombie twist, The Will of the World is a fast-paced book with the beginnings of a found family.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!
3.5/5

What a fun little puzzle book!

I almost wish I had waited to read this until I had a print copy rather than the e-ARC. My cousins and I would have had a lot of fun making incorrect guesses and false accusations.
The puzzles are a good mixture of easy and challenging, at least in my opinion. I thought they got more complex as the book progressed, but that could also have been because my attention was wearing thin (instead of doing a puzzle a day like what would have been smart, I read the entire thing like an actual book which was a mistake on my part).
If you're a fan of escape rooms, logic puzzles, or murder mysteries, I would definitely recommend checking out this book when it releases.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

"I'm passing the torch to you, Blimmery...Remember our deal, and use your words. Finish what I started."

I am so excited to have received my ARC for Maelin after I was a beta reader for it a few months ago. This novella is a prequel to the Belladonna series, and it gives some insight into the backstory of one of the older characters in Nightshade Academy: Blimmery.
The novella is told by Blimmery, but it is about a girl named Maelin who realizes the truth behind the Guardian program and is silenced. This is not a spoiler; the story begins with Blimmery announcing Maelin's death. The knowledge of where the story is going plays in its favor, creating an unavoidable tragedy. There are plenty of parallels between this novella and the main series, but neither is necessary for reading the other. I also really liked that romance was not at the forefront of this story. I really liked the dynamics between the main cast (especially Maelin and Taig).
If you have read the original series or are looking for a unique and dark YA story to binge, Maelin is a quick and yet incredibly powerful novella about the risks that come with sharing the truth.
Thanks to the author and Lost Island Press for allowing me to beta read and providing me with a free e-ARC!

4.25/5