This is a story of gods, revenge, quests, and monsters. The story features a wide variety of events from the rape of Medusa to Medusa being turned into a Gorgon and then being beheaded, Perseus’s journey, Adromedea’s story, Athena’s birth, Athena vs Posedion battle over athens, Atlas’s story, and so many more. While this is meant to be a story about Medusa, she felt more like a side character. This story features a lot going on, but it really captures the helplessness of women and the way they are raped and treated like property by both men and gods. It feels you with rage and disgust that they have to endure such things, that they are forced to submit, and even in the case of Medusa, where she was raped and then victim blamed by Athena. The story definitely is not light, it just wasn’t what I was expecting going into it. You read it and feel like bad because these women go through so much and there really is no payoff or vindication for the actions of men and gods who abuse them.

*Thank you Harper for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

The opportunity of a lifetime awaits for Ann Stilwell when she is given a job at The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for it’s medieval art collection and its enigmatic researchers studying the history of divination. Ann is desperate to escape her small town and so when she travels to New York City for a summer job at the MET she finds that the position was actually closed but then she finds herself being offered a job at the Cloisters and she is willing to do anything to stay in New York. She then befriends Rachel, the stunning “IT” Girl of the Cloisters, Patrick the head of the program who has a relationship with Rachel, and Leo the gardener who also has an interest in Rachel and Ann. Ann also begins to study the history of tarot and the researcher’s theories on fortune telling. She finds herself drawn in by Rachel, from her wealth to her looks, to even her secret relationships. When Ann discovers a hidden 15th century tarot deck that could be the key to predicting the future, a dangerous game of power and seduction begins at the Cloisters. Everyone is out for themselves and Ann needs to learn who she can trust and how far she is willing to go to get what she wants. This one started off great but then fell flat for me. It had all the dark academia vibes I normally adore and it even had deaths.... but the overall story itself felt lacking and rather anti-climatic and felt like it dragged on. Ann felt kind of like a Mary-sue and the overall “seduction” and relationship element in the book was bland for me. I had high potentials for this because I thought it would be somewhere between Ninth House and A Discovery of Witches with the dark academia, seductive relationships, a bit of haunting and deaths... but it fell flat overall for me.

*Thanks Atria Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

A gorgeous collection of poems dealing with everything from motherhood, friendship, love, and loss. I had a great time reading this and one of my favorites (albeit a weird one) was Sewer Rats’ Delight. The poems were fantastic, some of them were funny others were heart breaking, all of them were thought provoking and just a all around must read for fans of poetry!

*Thank you Harper Perennial for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review*

He’s the second prince in line... the spare, and she’s the fae bride who must choose between the two brothers... yet when she over hears a conversation the choice is suddenly very clear for her... or is it? Lady Roisin is meant to marry one of the king’s son: between Prince Alrec, the dashing heir to the throne and Prince Caiman, the rumored dark prince. Roisin initially falls for Caiman but when she overhears him calling her a monster she decides to marry Alrec instead. For years she’s blissfully unaware of Alrec’s true nature and faults while hating on Caiman yet Caiman knows his brother’s true nature, an abusive, narcissistic, and power hungry man who constantly cheats on Roisin and only wants Roisin because of her beauty meanwhile Caiman has been harboring a secret love for her. Yet when tragedy strikes and Caiman is forced to become king instead and take his brother’s place and marry Roisin, they’ll have to finally face the misunderstandings between them. Roisin will have to begin to realize that the Alrec she thought she knew was fake all along and that she judged Caiman too much and misunderstood him. I’ll have to say I was all for the misunderstood romance between them but I draw the line at Roisin just justifying and constantly being like “ but I loved him” and “I can’t betray my love for him” ( in reference to Alrec) despite finding out he sexually assaulted a young woman, that he was abusive to everyone and was just a horrible person, like come on girl, please. I wish they worked out their misunderstandings a lot more and actually communicated with each other. The resolution felt too unfinished and rushed, and while this is a short story, it definitely could have done with a chapter or two more.

A cursed prince that must claim a bride, and this bride is out for blood. Raquel has been raised to kill the mysterious Prince Edom who has come to collect a bride every year and kill her. What she didn’t expect was to marry an actual bear... or rather a cursed prince who is the twin brother of Edom who must fulfill a prophecy if he wants to save his people. He is shocked to see that the bride he picked up has already tried to kill him and is equipped with more blades than he can imagine. Raquel is determined to kill the man responsible for the death of her best friend who was the previous bride but soon finds herself in the middle of a battle for the crown, war, demons, and an infuriating and handsome prince who is trying to win her heart,.. but has secrets of his own that could break hers, It doesn’t help that both Raquel and Jake have to kill the other but can’t help falling in love with each other... and the cursed dreams that plague their sleep of their future family together. Can they find a way to be together despite their goals and prophecies or will one of them kill the other to get what they want? The banter and enemies to lovers element in this story was fun, I just was left wanting a bit more on the ending and the resolution of their whole fight cuz while it did wrap up it kind of leaves you wishing it was more fleshed out despite it being a short story, like maybe a chapter or two more. Overall it’s a good fantasy romance read and it’s a fast read so give it a go.

A fantasy story inspired by the legend of the Chinese Moon Goddess. This story follows a young woman’s quest to free her mother from her immortal prison while also learning to grow, falling in love, and following her heart. Xingyin has always lived on the moon, living a peaceful and quiet life with her mother who mourns for Xingyin’s father. When Xingyin’s magic flares up her existence is alerted to the Celestial Kingdom and now she must go on the run as she discovers that her existence has been kept hidden from the Celestial Emporer and Empress and should she be discovered they might not only destroy her but her mother. Xingyin now is hiding in the Celestial Kingdom with no money, no home, and no prospects.. until she accidentally befriends the crown prince and enters into a competition to become his study companion. So begins the blossoming of a friendship that turns into first love... too bad he is betrothed to another already. While studying Xingyin also starts to develop her archery and weapons skills... to the point where she is talented enough to be a soldier and so in an attempt to break apart from Prince Liwei and their complicated situation she joins the army with Captain Wenzhi, hunting monsters, fighting together, and bonding... and finding that she now has a second love and possible new home to return to, and a person to help her forget Prince Liwei. Along the way she also aids another prince, Prince Yanxi and protect his family from merpeople war and discover new secrets about the legendary dragons. It doesn’t hurt that this prince also develops feelings for her. Soon Xingyin is going between her feelings for Liwei and Wenzhi (like a lot. like constantly, I was definitely rooting for Wenzhi despite everything, he just seemed like the more interesting option compared to Liwei and come on, when it comes to it all, they have more chemistry and a better dynamic). Xingyin must not deal with her complicated relationships and find a way to save her mother without getting killed by the Celestial Emperor and Empress. The story has dragons, demons, merpeople, magic, romance, and so much going on. This definitely read like a cdrama (DEFINITELY) it felt like I was watching a cdrama show and honestly, I didn’t mind. While the love triangle trope is one of my least favorites and a female lead who can’t pick one partner, and is constantly juggling two love interests is tiring, the overall story was interesting. So while the story takes a bit to get into and some of the love aspects were irritating, it was an overall interesting read with a magical feel to it. I am excited to see where the sequel goes and how this duology ends (still rooting for you Wenzhi to be endgame).

Stevie Bell is taking her detective skills international as she spends a week in England with her boyfriend and friends while also tackling a mysterious unsolved murder case surrounding a group of friends. Stevie Bell’s boyfriend David is studying in England and invites her to come visit him for a week under the guise of studying abroad. Stevie has been struggling to figure out what she’s going to do with her life after she’s finished school, in fact, just doing apps is having her struggling. She misses her boyfriend terribly and so when he suggests this, this is the perfect opportunity to get her mind off things. Yet when she gets there she meets his friend Izzy who begs her to help her solve her aunt’s mystery. In 1995, nine friends from Cambridge University go to a country house and play a drunken game of hide-and-seek... and two of them were found murdered in the woodshed the next day. Nobody knows who did it, and its been left as a cold case ever since. But Izzy’s Aunt, one of the friends, is determined to solve it and Izzy thinks Stevie is the perfect person to crack the case. Yet while she is consumed by this case Stevie is also having issues with her boyfriend David ( let me maintain this, I have always disliked David, every book I hope Stevie finally see’s what we all see and just DUMP HIM AND MOVE ON. I never liked him in the previous books but this book just highlights Stevie’s strange fixation on David, and the guy really does do NOTHING to deserve it and he really is the blandest guy ever. With the way he treated her in the previous books i was so over him and was hoping maybe this time he’ll finally just go cuz seriously Stevie, you can do better, just because he’s cute doesn’t mean he’s a good fit for you seriously I would rather you just be single and focus on solving cases than be constantly mooning on and on about how great you think he is when he does absolutely nothing. MORE TO COME IN THE SPOILERS). So while Stevie is trying to break down this case she is beginning to realize that the Nine all have their own secrets and that they are definitely lying.... and that one of them is the murderer. I had fun with the mystery it was the relationship stuff with David that dragged this book for me. The mystery itself was a fun one to read but I honestly wished there was more tension or building, and that it focused on the relationship between the Nine rather than Stevie and David relationship drama. With the way the book ends, there is definitely another book coming... but honestly I don’t now if I’ll be reading it. If you’re looking for good young adult mysteries with some romance check out the books by Karen M. McManus.

Spoiler

( The book ends with David dumping Stevie out of nowhere and Stevie spent the entire book jealous of Izzy and David does nothing really to act like a good boyfriend or even act like a boyfriend seriously, your girlfriend comes all this way to visit you, wouldn’t you want to spend time solving a case with her??? and then when Izzy tells Stevie David dumped her because he felt like he was going to lose her and that he wasn’t good enough for and is now drinking and moping in a bar, Stevie goes to him only to find him kissing someone else. Is anyone else surprised? I certainly am not. IM BEGGING YOU PLEASE JUST LET STEVIE HAVE A DECENT LOVE INTEREST, I DONT WANT OR NEED DAVID ANYMORE, PLEASE JUST LET HIM STAY IN ENGLAND PLEASE DROP THIS RELATIONSHIP).

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*