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652 reviews by:
abby_ace_of_books
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I think this might be the first book I read this year where the "Nick" character wasn't blonde...
I read Only a Monster a few years ago and was completely shocked by the ending, but for some reason, I never went back to it. I saw book three on Netgalley and requested it a while ago, so now I have an excuse to finish the series and reread book one. I think I initially read it in the peak of my enemies-to-lovers phase, but I also remember not being super impressed by the romance, and that's why I didn't come back to it. I remembered very little of it for my reread, which was both a good and a bad thing. I also want to briefly mention the worldbuilding because it's a bit confusing. Monsters are basically just people who can time travel by stealing time from humans. They look human and basically are human except for the time travel, so readers looking for monstrous monsters should look elsewhere. Each monster family has a different power, but it's never really explained who does what, and I think just a list of each family (and possibly their relevant characters) and their powers would've been extremely helpful, especially because the Hunt family power isn't really mentioned until about 75% into the book.
Joan's family has told her stories of monsters since she was a child, but she doesn't quite realize the truth of those stories until she accidentally time-travels...and steals time from a human in the process. As it turns out, her crush, Nick, is actually a monster-hunter, and when her family is brutally murdered in front of her, she must ally with monster heir Aaron Oliver to go back in time to save them. The pacing is quite quick; the actual timespan of this book is only a handful of days. There's a pretty consistent level of tension throughout the story, and for the most part, it kept me hooked. The ending is relatively twisty and has interesting implications for the next book. I enjoyed the plot (it was definitely what kept me engrossed in the story), but it wasn't anything that I found particularly unique. The label "monster" feels underdeveloped, as the only difference between monsters and humans appears to be the ability to time travel, and so the theming can feel a bit shallow at times. Overall, I didn't mind the mild predictability of the plot because it was fast-paced and had interesting implications, but I'm hoping book two explores more exciting aspects of the world.
As much as I was hooked on the plot, I wasn't incredibly fond of the characters. Joan is fine as a protagonist; she has an interest in history, which is helpful for a time traveler, and acts as a relatively unique character trait for YA urban fantasy. She does feel a bit bland at times, but I think her reactions were realistic, and I'm excited to see her embrace her role as half-monster, half-human. Aaron is the broody, rich love interest with a probably tragic backstory. Despite the large amount of page-time he occupied, he felt a bit underdeveloped (as did his relationship with Joan). I might be the only person in the world who isn't team Aaron. I didn't really care much for Nick either until the end. He falls into very strict archetypes, but I think that's the point of his character, and I'm hoping book two plays with that. If you want comps for the love interests, Aaron Oliver is pretty much Aaron Warner from Shatter Me, and Nick reminds me a bit of Fitz Vacker from Keeper of the Lost Cities. I liked Ruth but didn't really feel attached to her, and Tom gave me icky vibes at first, but eventually I grew to appreciate him. There weren't a ton of other characters, but the focus was more on the plot than the love triangle, so I didn't mind.
Only a Monster is a YA urban fantasy that follows the monsters instead of the heroes and would be a fitting read for fans of The Temptation of Magic and The City of Dusk.
3.5/5
I read Only a Monster a few years ago and was completely shocked by the ending, but for some reason, I never went back to it. I saw book three on Netgalley and requested it a while ago, so now I have an excuse to finish the series and reread book one. I think I initially read it in the peak of my enemies-to-lovers phase, but I also remember not being super impressed by the romance, and that's why I didn't come back to it. I remembered very little of it for my reread, which was both a good and a bad thing. I also want to briefly mention the worldbuilding because it's a bit confusing. Monsters are basically just people who can time travel by stealing time from humans. They look human and basically are human except for the time travel, so readers looking for monstrous monsters should look elsewhere. Each monster family has a different power, but it's never really explained who does what, and I think just a list of each family (and possibly their relevant characters) and their powers would've been extremely helpful, especially because the Hunt family power isn't really mentioned until about 75% into the book.
Joan's family has told her stories of monsters since she was a child, but she doesn't quite realize the truth of those stories until she accidentally time-travels...and steals time from a human in the process. As it turns out, her crush, Nick, is actually a monster-hunter, and when her family is brutally murdered in front of her, she must ally with monster heir Aaron Oliver to go back in time to save them. The pacing is quite quick; the actual timespan of this book is only a handful of days. There's a pretty consistent level of tension throughout the story, and for the most part, it kept me hooked. The ending is relatively twisty and has interesting implications for the next book. I enjoyed the plot (it was definitely what kept me engrossed in the story), but it wasn't anything that I found particularly unique. The label "monster" feels underdeveloped, as the only difference between monsters and humans appears to be the ability to time travel, and so the theming can feel a bit shallow at times. Overall, I didn't mind the mild predictability of the plot because it was fast-paced and had interesting implications, but I'm hoping book two explores more exciting aspects of the world.
As much as I was hooked on the plot, I wasn't incredibly fond of the characters. Joan is fine as a protagonist; she has an interest in history, which is helpful for a time traveler, and acts as a relatively unique character trait for YA urban fantasy. She does feel a bit bland at times, but I think her reactions were realistic, and I'm excited to see her embrace her role as half-monster, half-human. Aaron is the broody, rich love interest with a probably tragic backstory. Despite the large amount of page-time he occupied, he felt a bit underdeveloped (as did his relationship with Joan). I might be the only person in the world who isn't team Aaron. I didn't really care much for Nick either until the end. He falls into very strict archetypes, but I think that's the point of his character, and I'm hoping book two plays with that. If you want comps for the love interests, Aaron Oliver is pretty much Aaron Warner from Shatter Me, and Nick reminds me a bit of Fitz Vacker from Keeper of the Lost Cities. I liked Ruth but didn't really feel attached to her, and Tom gave me icky vibes at first, but eventually I grew to appreciate him. There weren't a ton of other characters, but the focus was more on the plot than the love triangle, so I didn't mind.
Only a Monster is a YA urban fantasy that follows the monsters instead of the heroes and would be a fitting read for fans of The Temptation of Magic and The City of Dusk.
3.5/5
This was, quite literally, a masterpiece.
I'll be honest, this book was pretty far down on my TBR but my library recently added it to the collection so I put it on hold. I had low expectations because I don't usually enjoy adult fantasy, and the only other Sanderson books I've read are Skyward and Starsight .
This book surpassed all of my expectations. The moment I opened the book and saw the stunning character art, I knew I was in for a treat. The worldbuilding is absolutely spectacular (and every time I think I'm done obsessing over pirates, I find another book like this). I loved every single one of the characters. As for the plot...I had to force myself to put this book down. The witty style caught my attention from the beginning and this novel has one of my new favorite narrators of all time.
Needless to say, I will be checking the library to see how many more Sanderson books I can get my hands on.
I'll be honest, this book was pretty far down on my TBR but my library recently added it to the collection so I put it on hold. I had low expectations because I don't usually enjoy adult fantasy, and the only other Sanderson books I've read are Skyward and Starsight .
This book surpassed all of my expectations. The moment I opened the book and saw the stunning character art, I knew I was in for a treat. The worldbuilding is absolutely spectacular (and every time I think I'm done obsessing over pirates, I find another book like this). I loved every single one of the characters. As for the plot...I had to force myself to put this book down. The witty style caught my attention from the beginning and this novel has one of my new favorite narrators of all time.
Needless to say, I will be checking the library to see how many more Sanderson books I can get my hands on.
Fourteen year old me would've absolutely devoured this book and made it her entire personality.
The Sunbearer Trials is marketed as a mix of Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games , and Xio is a carbon copy of Nico di Angelo while Aurelio and Auristela are Cato and Clove if Cato and Clove were siblings.
Also, this book has some of the coolest official fanart that I've ever seen and I highly recommend checking it out if you read the book.
The Sunbearer Trials is marketed as a mix of Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games , and Xio is a carbon copy of Nico di Angelo while Aurelio and Auristela are Cato and Clove if Cato and Clove were siblings.
Also, this book has some of the coolest official fanart that I've ever seen and I highly recommend checking it out if you read the book.
"The Second Civil War, also known as 'The Heartland War,' was a long and bloody conflict fought over a single issue. To end the war, a set of constitutional amendments known as 'The Bill of Life' was passed. It satisfied both the Pro-life and the Pro-choice armies. The Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. However, between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, a parent may choose to retroactively 'abort' a child … on the condition that the child's life doesn't 'technically' end. The process by which a child is both terminated and yet kept alive is called 'unwinding.' Unwinding is now a common and accepted practice in society."
2007/2008 young adult dystopian books really are a whole different breed.
Unwind is one of those books that's gritty and makes you sick to your stomach. It doesn't shy away from controversial issues---namely the discussion of reproductive rights. It's a book that's banned because of "violence" and "encouragement of civil disobedience" (really, it's banned because it doesn't align with certain political views). While I agree that certain scenes were gory and made me sick to my stomach, I also believe it has messages that are growing increasingly more important to share.
The more dystopian books I read, the more I fear for what society may become because none of these supposedly fictional worlds are too far off from reality.
2007/2008 young adult dystopian books really are a whole different breed.
Unwind is one of those books that's gritty and makes you sick to your stomach. It doesn't shy away from controversial issues---namely the discussion of reproductive rights. It's a book that's banned because of "violence" and "encouragement of civil disobedience" (really, it's banned because it doesn't align with certain political views). While I agree that certain scenes were gory and made me sick to my stomach
Spoiler
(Roland's Unwinding was absolutely horrific and I can't imagine going what he went through)The more dystopian books I read, the more I fear for what society may become because none of these supposedly fictional worlds are too far off from reality.
"'And what if the treasure was the friendships we solidified along the way?' Arthur asked.
Lucy pulled a face. 'That's the worst treasure in the world. They already were my friends. I want rubies'"(192).
This book was my reminder that wholesome books can be just as good as angsty ones. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
"'Yes...It's--unfortunate. We get trapped in our own little bubbles, and even though the world is a wide and mysterious place, our bubbles keep us safe from that. To our detriment...But it's so easy because there's something soothing about routine. Day in and day out, it's always the same. When we're shaken from that, when that bubble bursts, it can be hard to understand all that we've missed. We might even fear it. Some of us even fight to try and get it back. I don't know that I would fight for it, but I did exist in a bubble...Thank goodness you popped it'"(278-279).
Lucy pulled a face. 'That's the worst treasure in the world. They already were my friends. I want rubies'"(192).
This book was my reminder that wholesome books can be just as good as angsty ones. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
"'Yes...It's--unfortunate. We get trapped in our own little bubbles, and even though the world is a wide and mysterious place, our bubbles keep us safe from that. To our detriment...But it's so easy because there's something soothing about routine. Day in and day out, it's always the same. When we're shaken from that, when that bubble bursts, it can be hard to understand all that we've missed. We might even fear it. Some of us even fight to try and get it back. I don't know that I would fight for it, but I did exist in a bubble...Thank goodness you popped it'"(278-279).
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.
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.
I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed When Gods Fall. To be quite honest, the only reason I finished it as fast as I did was because I was convinced I could predict a plot twist and my roommate thought I was dead wrong. (Well, guess what, I was right! Did I miss all of the other plot twists? Yes. But do I care? A little, but that's not important.)
The world-building was probably my favorite part of the book. It's reminiscent of a Greco-Roman word with twelve gods that match with the twelve Olympians. However, there are three different sets of gods (including the main twelve) for the main three regions of the world. There are also Non-Humans...which I don't really know how to describe. There's also the Gifts of the gods, which is essentially the magic system. I really liked the take on "demigods" and the various forms of magic found throughout the book. In general, though, the world-building was super immersive and intriguing.
In terms of plot, it was relatively fast-paced. When I look back on how much happened in the book, I'm amazed at how much was fit into roughly 1,000 e-book pages. It did drag a bit closer to the end, but the actual ending was explosive and I can't say much more without spoiling anything.
I also really liked the character dynamics of this book. The backstories of Alena and Katell reminded me a bit of Veronyka and Val from the Crown of Feathers, whereas their actual relationship reminded me a lot of Ephyra and Beru from There Will Come a Darkness. Personally, I found Alena's POVs to be more interesting than Katell's, but I know I'm in the minority there. The romance was pretty good, although I can sense a love triangle forming and I don't know which side I like better. On one hand, Leukos and his Elsa powers are a safe bet, but Nik is the Luke Castellan I never knew I needed. I do hate Dorias though with my entire being and I will die on that hill.
When Gods Fall is the beginning of an epic fantasy series with Greco-Roman inspired world-building and magic combined with an enticing rebellion plot and mysteriously charming characters. I look forward to seeing where the series goes next, and I can see the villain becoming truly despicable.
Thanks to BookSSirens and the publisher for the free e-ARC.
4.25/5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reread Update: I forgot most of the plot twists, so I got to reexperience all of them <i>plus</i> my very angry annotations from my last read-through (is it weird that I completed flipped stance on one set of love interests?)
Bumping the rating down to a 3.75 just because the reread took a LOT longer and I just wanted the book to be over, but I was also reading it for a class so that may have affected my enjoyment.
The world-building was probably my favorite part of the book. It's reminiscent of a Greco-Roman word with twelve gods that match with the twelve Olympians. However, there are three different sets of gods (including the main twelve) for the main three regions of the world. There are also Non-Humans...which I don't really know how to describe. There's also the Gifts of the gods, which is essentially the magic system. I really liked the take on "demigods" and the various forms of magic found throughout the book. In general, though, the world-building was super immersive and intriguing.
In terms of plot, it was relatively fast-paced. When I look back on how much happened in the book, I'm amazed at how much was fit into roughly 1,000 e-book pages. It did drag a bit closer to the end, but the actual ending was explosive and I can't say much more without spoiling anything.
I also really liked the character dynamics of this book. The backstories of Alena and Katell reminded me a bit of Veronyka and Val from the Crown of Feathers, whereas their actual relationship reminded me a lot of Ephyra and Beru from There Will Come a Darkness. Personally, I found Alena's POVs to be more interesting than Katell's, but I know I'm in the minority there. The romance was pretty good, although I can sense a love triangle forming and I don't know which side I like better. On one hand, Leukos and his Elsa powers are a safe bet, but Nik is the Luke Castellan I never knew I needed. I do hate Dorias though with my entire being and I will die on that hill.
When Gods Fall is the beginning of an epic fantasy series with Greco-Roman inspired world-building and magic combined with an enticing rebellion plot and mysteriously charming characters. I look forward to seeing where the series goes next, and I can see the villain becoming truly despicable.
Thanks to BookSSirens and the publisher for the free e-ARC.
4.25/5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reread Update: I forgot most of the plot twists, so I got to reexperience all of them <i>plus</i> my very angry annotations from my last read-through (is it weird that I completed flipped stance on one set of love interests?)
Bumping the rating down to a 3.75 just because the reread took a LOT longer and I just wanted the book to be over, but I was also reading it for a class so that may have affected my enjoyment.
REREAD REVIEW:
I stand firm in my belief that rivals to lovers is infinitely better than enemies to lovers.
This was my second time reading Divine Rivals, and it was every bit as enchanting as I remember. The prose is beautifully written (I am so jealous of Iris and Roman and their ability to write amazing sentences on a whim) and the story is wonderfully done. Set in a fantasy world similar to the WWI era and filled with rich mythology that reminded me a bit of the Persephone myth, it's probably the only "romantasy" I actually enjoyed.
Iris and Roman are journalists competing for a columnist section in their newspaper, but their journey takes them to the war front. While it's not a story filled with action-packed explosion scenes, I actually preferred its slower pacing and focus on fleshing out Iris and Roman as characters. (Also, the ending is cruel...)
There's a handful of side characters, but the main focus of the novel is clearly Iris and Roman. I really liked Iris's character. She's strong but still relatable and I enjoyed reading her articles as well as her internal monologues. Roman's POVs are less frequent but just as enjoyable, especially because he falls for Iris long before she falls for him. The way he describes her...Roman Kitt is setting the standards way too high. Their romance is well-written and based on genuine love and not lust.
Divine Rivals is a beautifully written novel about the truths of war and the strength of love in the face of darkness, and I am so excited to read the next one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roman. Crazy. Kitt.
There is no way that everyone is fighting over Rhysand and Xaden when Roman Kitt exists.
"She and Roman would survive this war. They would have the chance to grow old together, year by year. They would be friends until they both finally acknowledged the truth. And they would have everything that other couples had---the arguments and the hand-holding in the market and the gradual exploration of their bodies and the birthday celebrations and the journeys to new cities and the living as one and sharing a bed and the gradual sense of melting into each other. Their names would be entwined---Roman and Iris or Winnow and Kitt because could you truly have one without the other?---and they would write on their typewriters and ruthlessly edit each other's pieces and read books by candlelight at night"(425).
The worldbuilding is exquisite, the writing is divine (get what I did there?), and the characters and romance are so amazingly well-written.
"'It's not a crime to feel joy, even when things seem hopeless. Iris, look at me. You deserve all the happiness in the world. And I intend to see that you have it'"(508).
Link to Libby Annotations
I stand firm in my belief that rivals to lovers is infinitely better than enemies to lovers.
This was my second time reading Divine Rivals, and it was every bit as enchanting as I remember. The prose is beautifully written (I am so jealous of Iris and Roman and their ability to write amazing sentences on a whim) and the story is wonderfully done. Set in a fantasy world similar to the WWI era and filled with rich mythology that reminded me a bit of the Persephone myth, it's probably the only "romantasy" I actually enjoyed.
Iris and Roman are journalists competing for a columnist section in their newspaper, but their journey takes them to the war front. While it's not a story filled with action-packed explosion scenes, I actually preferred its slower pacing and focus on fleshing out Iris and Roman as characters. (Also, the ending is cruel...)
There's a handful of side characters, but the main focus of the novel is clearly Iris and Roman. I really liked Iris's character. She's strong but still relatable and I enjoyed reading her articles as well as her internal monologues. Roman's POVs are less frequent but just as enjoyable, especially because he falls for Iris long before she falls for him. The way he describes her...Roman Kitt is setting the standards way too high. Their romance is well-written and based on genuine love and not lust.
Divine Rivals is a beautifully written novel about the truths of war and the strength of love in the face of darkness, and I am so excited to read the next one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roman. Crazy. Kitt.
There is no way that everyone is fighting over Rhysand and Xaden when Roman Kitt exists.
"She and Roman would survive this war. They would have the chance to grow old together, year by year. They would be friends until they both finally acknowledged the truth. And they would have everything that other couples had---the arguments and the hand-holding in the market and the gradual exploration of their bodies and the birthday celebrations and the journeys to new cities and the living as one and sharing a bed and the gradual sense of melting into each other. Their names would be entwined---Roman and Iris or Winnow and Kitt because could you truly have one without the other?---and they would write on their typewriters and ruthlessly edit each other's pieces and read books by candlelight at night"(425).
The worldbuilding is exquisite, the writing is divine (get what I did there?), and the characters and romance are so amazingly well-written.
Spoiler
Also...that ending? I am so freaking excited for book two. Hopefully it gives me what I wanted from Marie Lu's Steelstriker but didn't get."'It's not a crime to feel joy, even when things seem hopeless. Iris, look at me. You deserve all the happiness in the world. And I intend to see that you have it'"(508).
Link to Libby Annotations
"'I don't know any of those cursebreakers,' Adrius replied easily. 'I know you.'"
Garden of the Cursed is single-handedly convincing me that I sometimes have good luck. Not only is it yet another incredible by Katy Rose Pool, but I ordered a used copy and ended up with a signed, exclusive edition? My dreams have come true (and it's so beautiful).
This is yet another one of my fantasy-mystery reads where we join Marlow as she tries to break a compulsion curse on her ex, Adrius. I'm not usually a fan of second-chance romances or fake dating, but this book has proven to me that there are good examples of those tropes. There's so much angst and I'm here for it. I love all of the twists and turns and red herrings. The only thing I have any issue with in the plot is that most of the scenes are just party scenes with a bit of drama, and I'm hoping to see maybe a bit more action in the sequel but that's my only complaint.
I love all of these characters so much. If Swift doesn't get a happy ending, I'm going to riot. There's also Toad, the magical cat, and I love her. Most of the other side characters are designed to be unlikeable, so I wasn't really fond of them. But Marlow and Adrius? They're one of my favorite book couples and I love Marlow's personality and Adrius's sense of humor. They're amazing.
The last time I reviewed this, I said "I apologize for the person I will become when the sequel comes out," and guess who just got an ARC of the sequel. I love this duology so much and cannot recommend it more, and I am so unbelievably excited for one of my most anticipated reads of 2024.
4.5/5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Maybe that's all love was. Handing someone a knife and trusting that they wouldn't cut your throat."
I firmly believe that Katy Rose Pool is incapable of writing a bad book.
There Will Come a Darkness is one of my all-time favorite series, so when I found out that Katy Rose Pool was releasing a new duology, one that's a mix of fantasy and mystery, I was ecstatic and it was 100% worth the wait.
A murder mystery filled with so many twists and turns that I managed to call only one of them, agonizingly angsty romance, loveable characters, a unique magic system, and a cat named Toad? What more could you ask for?
I read this entire book in basically one day. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire thing, annotating the heck out of my poor e-book because I felt that everything was noteworthy.
Marlow is an incredibly cool protagonist and Adrius is one of my favorite love interests. I love Swift and Toad and the vibes of the story as a whole.
110% will recommend to everyone I speak to for the next 24 hours, and I apologize for the person I will become when the sequel comes out.
Link to My Annotations
Garden of the Cursed is single-handedly convincing me that I sometimes have good luck. Not only is it yet another incredible by Katy Rose Pool, but I ordered a used copy and ended up with a signed, exclusive edition? My dreams have come true (and it's so beautiful).
This is yet another one of my fantasy-mystery reads where we join Marlow as she tries to break a compulsion curse on her ex, Adrius. I'm not usually a fan of second-chance romances or fake dating, but this book has proven to me that there are good examples of those tropes. There's so much angst and I'm here for it. I love all of the twists and turns and red herrings. The only thing I have any issue with in the plot is that most of the scenes are just party scenes with a bit of drama, and I'm hoping to see maybe a bit more action in the sequel but that's my only complaint.
I love all of these characters so much. If Swift doesn't get a happy ending, I'm going to riot. There's also Toad, the magical cat, and I love her. Most of the other side characters are designed to be unlikeable, so I wasn't really fond of them. But Marlow and Adrius? They're one of my favorite book couples and I love Marlow's personality and Adrius's sense of humor. They're amazing.
The last time I reviewed this, I said "I apologize for the person I will become when the sequel comes out," and guess who just got an ARC of the sequel. I love this duology so much and cannot recommend it more, and I am so unbelievably excited for one of my most anticipated reads of 2024.
4.5/5
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Maybe that's all love was. Handing someone a knife and trusting that they wouldn't cut your throat."
I firmly believe that Katy Rose Pool is incapable of writing a bad book.
There Will Come a Darkness is one of my all-time favorite series, so when I found out that Katy Rose Pool was releasing a new duology, one that's a mix of fantasy and mystery, I was ecstatic and it was 100% worth the wait.
A murder mystery filled with so many twists and turns that I managed to call only one of them, agonizingly angsty romance, loveable characters, a unique magic system, and a cat named Toad? What more could you ask for?
I read this entire book in basically one day. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire thing, annotating the heck out of my poor e-book because I felt that everything was noteworthy.
Marlow is an incredibly cool protagonist and Adrius is one of my favorite love interests. I love Swift and Toad and the vibes of the story as a whole.
110% will recommend to everyone I speak to for the next 24 hours, and I apologize for the person I will become when the sequel comes out.
Link to My Annotations