andat's Reviews (467)

Thank you to DAW for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. 

Well that was one hell of an opening. Strange and ethereal fae and supernatural humans, hunting and the hunted, and a doorway through worlds set into a tree. Alright, you got me. Let’s go!

Aaaaand that’s unfortunately about as far as it goes. By a quarter of the way through I’m waiting for something, anything to happen. It’s not extensive in world building because it’s mostly dystopian modern day. We don’t get any idea of the fae or what’s driving them at this point. I’m desperately trying to connect with any of the characters and… I just can’t. I am afraid it’s a DNF for me. I need more. I need to feel like I’m there. It’s all so passive that I can’t get into the story. I love the premise. I just with the execution was an inventive as the concept. 

A big thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. 

I promise I’ll get into the plot but I have to say this first. If there is not a restaurant named “Kabob’s Your Uncle” then this world is not complete. I spent a good couple of minutes laughing when I read it. 

Okay, into the plot we go! I did not realize this was the second book in a series. If it had featured more prominently on the cover, I would have read the first book first. She does mention she solved a murder before with Jamie, so you aren’t totally lost. But again, I don’t know what I’m missing but it does FEEL like I’m missing key information as I’m reading.

I really liked the integration of the tarot cards into how Katie thinks about herself and the people around here. I especially enjoyed the flashbacks with her Aunt Rosie explaining the major and minor Arcana cards. (We could all benefit from having an Aunt Rosie.) And the way she navigated the myths around reading tarot. I appreciated that it was based in reality and not “fortune telling”. 

The mystery and murder is baffling. Her best friend is arrested for killing the police officer that saved Katie’s life as an infant. There’s more than just a beloved neighborhood cop to the victim and Katie works to find out who really wanted Officer Pete dead. Trigger warning, there are themes that deal with sexual assault and sexual harassment that are key to the central story. They are not explicit, however you are the best judge of your tolerance for those subject matters. That said, I enjoyed reading this book a lot. I got immediately sucked in and blew through half of the book in a single afternoon. Katie True is engaging and not afraid to use dry sarcasm as a conversational weapon. I very much related to her as a main character. I feel like this is one people could easily underestimate. They shouldn’t. Highly recommend reading Tricks of Fortune when it’s available in early July!

Ffs Darrow, what hole did you plan yourself into now? Oh. It’s a literal hole. That tracks. What a beautiful mess the Sons have made. 

So I don’t spoil any plot points here, a few thoughts as I read through. 

We don’t deserve all that is Sevro. 
Ragnar’s dialogue is in boldface- just like him. 
Fuck you, Roque. 
I want to ride a griffin and be a scary Valkyrie. 
I live for Sophocles and his jellybeans. 
Hehehehehe. Fartbox. 
Dammit, I think I’m starting to like Victra. 
Awww, a wedding! Oh noooooooo, please don’t let this be like a game of thrones wedding. 
“…we are here for war. Not words.”
Nonononononononononono!
Ffs Darrow. 
Oh! Ohhhhhhhhhhh! 
Ugh, the Jackal. 
What!?!? What!?!?

I’m not crying. You’re crying. 

I almost didn’t start this because I wasn’t ready to have the series end yet. (Yes, I know there’s two more books coming. Now I do anyway.) I’m glad I did. Samantha Shannon excels at throwing you right back into the mix and making it feel like you never left. Still searching Warden and missing 6 months of memories, Paige is a force to be reckoned with. 

I won’t reveal any plot points. I will say this: Holy Sweet Cake and Frosting…FINALLY! Ahem. Anywho…

Oh. One last thing. Fuck you, Jaxon Hall. 

I mean, let’s be honest. We are all here for Mephi. Mephi is everything. Yeah yeah, the characters are great. But Mephi… we love him the most. I also have to admit that Thrana is growing on me, too. 

Not unlike the first book, it takes a bit to get into the heart of the matter. We learned more about the constructs on the island and who/what is driving them. We do get more on what Mephi and Thrana are thanks to a mysterious cloudtree monk that materializes on the Imperial island offering information and help. And Jovis. My favorite foot in mouth smuggler turned Captain of the Imperial Guard. If he didn’t have bad luck, he’d have no luck at all. 

I won’t spoil any of the major plot points, but it’s no secret given the title of the third book where this is headed. It’s the main players that are the surprises. And that last page. Right in the feels!

I have to be transparent, I have some serious PTSD when it comes to King Arthur legends/stories thanks to public schools sucking every ounce of whisky and magic in the name of interpretation essays. So hard, hard side eye before I started reading. Then I blinked and next thing I know it’s 193 pages later and I’m mad I have to work for a living rather than keep reading this book. 

Fine. Fine. Y’all win. I really like this one! (You still can’t make me like Once and Future King though!) Dammit. Another series I’m sucked into that’s not done being written. Why do I do this to myself? I blame you all. 

The magic system is what’s so inventive here. Not just the Arthurian mages but the underlying root magic and where it comes from. I can’t decide if it’s dark academia, magic, Arthurian retelling, a searing indictment of the system racism of the south that endures to this day, or all four. (Yep, definitely all four.) Regardless, the hype is true. It’s evocative and beautifully written. You can’t help but get pulled along the story uncovering truth after truth. Pick this one up. It’s worth the time to read!

I finally caved and got it from Libby. I didn’t know much going into it except a) expect pain and b) the first book is good but the second is a masterpiece.

So. Uh. Stockholm Syndrome. That’s a thing. I did not realize it was a reimagining of Beauty and the Beast until a friend told me. Beauty and the Beast but with Fae. I’ll be honest. I side-eyed the hell out of this book, until about 10% in. And then I couldn’t stop reading. This is a masterclass in writing to ensnare your audience. It was mystical and ethereal, no word or scene was wasted. Incredibly detailed yet utterly engaging. (Unlike a certain writer of Hobbits. Yeah I said it.) I was not bored or annoyed as I read this. I get did annoyed with real life dated to intrude and make me do stuff. 

But wow. Just. Wow. 

Besties, I DEVOURED this. I thought I was done with vampires. I did Buffy (show and movie- yes I’m old af), I ate up True Blood (Lafayette forever, along with the original series by Charlane Harris), I did the Strain, I did the Passage (books and show of both); the list goes on. I was vampired out. 

Until. 

Whoever it was that recommended this… damn you and thank you in the same breath. I am hooked. (Grumble, grumble). Vampires are back on the menu again. 

A humongous thank you to Orbit Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own. 

Well, we are back in the world of footnotes. Oh and Davi, too I guess and her hot orc girlfriend Tsav. The heroine with the least of aspirations and drive for glory has just been crowned, you guessed it, the Dark Lord. The leader of what will be a genocide of evil humans. Yay? Mind you this is after she finds out that a) she’s not the first person from Earth to have landed here and b) they’re not exactly interested in her leadership skills. After a brief yet footnote-laden recap, we are off to the town of Shithole. Where everything is brown. Every. Thing. Is. Brown. And Davi has a plan, er, set of objectives. 

This one overall hits different. The first book was filled with frenetic energy that was essentially Davi. The frustration of starting over repeatedly, of trying to navigate something that after hundreds of years didn’t feel real, it made sense to be flippant. But it’s different now. After the loop only set her back a day, she’s coming to terms with the permanence of her actions and their consequences. We get to see her mature a bit and really lean into being a leader that has to make hard decisions. 

The ending is the duology is exactly what you might think it is. I’m not mad at it either. It really could only end this way. Surprisingly touching, to be honest. I’ll definitely be pre-ordering a copy of this book!

Also. Octopanzer. *snort* That is all. 

I 100% chose this book based on the cover. And I am so glad I did! It’s a spooky, witchy, LGBTQIA+ romantic YA read. It’s absolutely adorable! I ripped through it in a day, it’s a fun, fast read. Highly recommend this one! 

(Just a warning, it is the first in a series and ends in a cliffhanger.)