"'It's funny, isn't, it, how you can only ever see the surface of a person? I feel like most of the time, beneath my surface, I'm drowning. And no one can see it.' Her eyebrows furrowed together, thoughtful. 'That's it,' she agreed. 'That's it exactly.'"

Tara Sim's Timekeeper series is one of my all-time favorites, so when I found the signed, special edition of this book for $5 at a local bookstore, it was an automatic buy.
Scavenge the Stars is the beginning of a adventure-filled duology based on The Count of Monte Cristo. While I haven't read the inspiration for the book itself (I tried to read the Sparknotes article but got too confused), Scavenge the Stars reminded me a lot of Amanda Foody's Ace of Shades.
While I didn't find the worldbuilding or the plot to be particularly unique, I did enjoy the characters and the plot twists. Cayo reminded me of a Jesper who was rich to start with and Amaya was your typical swashbuckling, fiery protagonist. Sebastien was my favorite at first, and he still might be but I'm not sure because I can see myself favoring Roach in the sequel. I liked most of the plot twists, too, and I only managed to call one of them. I'm hoping book two has a bit more action and angst, but I'm scared to admit it (because I said the same thing about Timekeeper and then ate my words...I'm still scarred from that).
If you're in the mood for a short fantasy filled with gambling, corruption, hidden identities, and sort-of pirates, Scavenge the Stars is the book for you.
3.75/5

"'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

So...I read this in less than 24 hours.

I'm really not sure what to think about Dark Heir. It was at the top of my TBR and I got it from the eBook library literally the moment they acquired it. The first book had set up for one heck of a sequel...and now I feel like the sequel is just set up for a killer finale.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book. I read the first 65% in one sitting and the rest the next morning. There was angst, plenty of plot twists, and so many cliffhangers that I kept telling myself "one more chapter" only to read five more.
That being said, I don't know if I liked it as much as book one. Was the angst much better? Yes, I savored every interaction between James and Will, and I highlighted every single one of Will's Sad Thoughts.
But this book was a bit slower. The first book had several instances where I really felt the "danger," and got nauseous worrying for the characters. There were significantly less of those moments in the sequel, which is something I definitely anticipated.
I also got bored of some POVs. Will is still my favorite character, so his POVs were my favorite, and Violet and Cyprian's were okay but I still just don't like Elizabeth or any of her family.
I can't say much without spoiling the first book, but I am super excited for book three (it's going to be so angsty!). I'm hoping the Dark Rise series proves to be one that gets better with time.
4.25/5
Link to Libby Annotations

I love reading graphic novels in my Law and Justice class to occupy myself so I don't get hangry and yell at people.
I think Solutions and Other Problems was better just because it had Richard in it, but I still really like this book.
4.25/5

"'You are like a living rose among wax flowers. We may last forever, but you bloom brighter and smell sweeter, and draw blood with your thorns.'"

Forget Rhysand and Cardan, Rook is my new favorite fae prince.
An Enchantment of Ravens is a beautifully written fantasy story of a mortal artist and a fae prince. I'll be honest, I enjoyed it way more than I expected too.
I usually try to stay away from faerie folk books because I haven't read many well-written ones, but I loved the worldbuilding in this one. The fae couldn't use the "Craft" - basically anything involving cooking, painting, writing, or other "creative" activities" - which was something I'd never encountered before.
The plot was admittedly more focused on romance than I usually prefer, but there was still a fair amount of danger and action which was really fun to read as well. I didn't "call" the main plot twist, but I wasn't surprised by it because I had incorrectly dismissed my theory.

Spoiler

I said to myself, "wouldn't it be funny if the spring prince was evil like Tamlin?" ... I should've known

I liked Isobel's character, but Rook was my favorite by far. Listen, you can't give me books about snarky princes with tragic pasts and expect me not to like them. Also, he was way more genuine than most love interests of his type are, so...
If you're looking for a wonderfully written fantasy novel with gorgeous worldbuilding and a romance that you can actually root for, check out An Enchantment of Ravens and I promise you won't be disappointed.
4.25/5

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

I started reading the Ascendance series when I was ten...now, nearly eight years later, I've decided to finally finish it.
The Shattered Castle is a vast improvement from the previous book, and while I still prefer the original trilogy, I'm glad that I could finish the series with a sense of satisfaction.
Reading this book was falling back into nostalgia. I forgot how entertaining these fast-paced, death-defying adventures could be. The whole book took place over what felt like a few days and there was rarely a dull moment. While I'll admit that I found 30%-50% the most intriguing and the climax to be a bit underwhelming, it was a great way to close off Jaron's story.
Speaking of Jaron, he has to be one of my favorite narrators of all time. He's snarky, he's way smarter than me, and he hides just enough secrets from the reader to keep you intrigued. The whole ensemble cast was present in this book, but it really focused on Imogen, which I thought was fitting. I also thought Tobias was recognized more in this book too.
Even though the Ascendance series is technically middle-grade, I still think it's a worthwhile fantasy adventure with a great mix of humor and action.
4.25/5
Link to Libby Annotations

"'Don't you realize you can't romance the murderer out of me? Love won't change me, Devin. This isn't a f***ing fairytale.'"

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from The Cave and the Houseboat at first. Typically, urban fantasy isn't my favorite subgenre but honestly, I didn't mind it here. I also usually love dual POVs, but I found myself wishing it was a single POV at parts of the story.
The beginning of the book really interested me and I was on the edge of my seat until about 20%...and then everything started to slow down. That's my main issue with the book: I thought it dragged. I find it hard to enjoy books when I don't know the direction the plot is heading or what the characters' specific goals are, but the plot didn't have a clear direction and I felt like I was just along for the ride. The last 10% was pretty good too, but I struggled to get through the middle.
My opinions on the characters changed a lot throughout the book. At first, Devin was my favorite and while I liked his sort-of corruption arc, I didn't like his romance with Mina for a lot of reasons. Therefore, he quickly fell to the bottom. On the other hand, I disliked Mayli and her POVs at first but once she started spending more time with Seth, I liked her POVs more. By the end, I think Seth was my favorite character.
As much as I liked the premises behind The Cave and the Houseboat, there were times when the pacing felt a bit too slow for me. Readers who typically enjoy urban fantasy stories would probably like this book more than I did.
3.25/5

Once again, I am asking that R.F. Kuang pay for the therapy I need after finishing her books.

Babel is a historical fantasy novel that follows the story of four Oxford students studying word etymology in the 1830s, and I think it might just be my new favorite dark academia book.
Let me start by acknowledging that Babel is not the book for everyone. It's long, filled with lectures on etymology, and it can be dense at times...but personally, I discovered that I find word etymology incredibly interesting (which might be a bit sad, to be honest, but I just think it's cool).
Kuang is a master at meticulously plotting her novels. Just like with The Poppy War, this novel takes place over the course of several years but it's paced perfectly so that every time I started to get bored, the action would begin again.
I also love the characters and the found family dynamic with my entire heart. They're all so innocent at the beginning and I loved how Ramy and Letty were constantly bickering even though they obviously had feelings for each other. Each character was dynamic and unique, and while I do admit that of the main four, I found Victoire to be my least favorite, I came to love her by the end. Kuang also did an amazing job of the subtle shifts in Robin's internal monologue, just like she did with Rin's in The Poppy War.
Babel is probably my all-time favorite dark academia novel and no, I am not okay (I'm still sort of crying from the ending).
4.75/5

This series has been officially moved to my favorites shelf because I read each book in less than 24 hours.

The Cursed Rose is the heavily anticipated finale to Leslie Vedder's Bone Spindle series, and it is a beautifully written emotional rollercoaster.
I won't go too much into details of the plot because I don't want to spoil anything, but I read it basically in three sittings, only because I had to eat dinner and go to bed (otherwise I probably would've read the whole thing in one go). I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and the end had me furiously annotating my e-book with notes of how upset I was with certain turns of events.
The characters, once again, continue to shine through. Perrin grew on me a little in this book, surprisingly enough. I also think my opinions on Red have drastically changed since book one and I love Cinzel with my whole heart. Shane is still awesome and hilarious and she's probably one of my favorite female fantasy warriors. As for Fi and Briar? They're probably still my favorites and let me just say the angst that I went through in this book was insane. Thanks to the author for making me suffer, I enjoyed it a lot.
If you enjoyed the first two books, The Cursed Rose will not let you down. It's full of twists, puzzles, and one final adventure that will rip your heart apart and then piece it back together.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC! (No, really, thanks. When I got the email that my request was approved, I squealed like a toddler).
4.75/5