(specifically, Lethe, the Ninth House she becomes a member of) for her unique ability to see Grays (this world's version of ghosts, essentially). It was interesting seeing Alex and Darlington (her guide in Lethe) interact.. Darlington has grown up in high society and has a background that contrasts Alex greatly. In their initial interactions it is clear that he is quite  judgemental of Alex. However, as we discover more about both Darlington's and Alex's past, it is clear that they share experiences that parallel each other. This explains why they understand each other very well as they get to know each other.

The story switches back and forth between the past and the present. It took me a few moments to realize that events were occuring in a dual timeline, but it's not something that was too confusing or took away from the story. There were intermittent snippets of Alex and Darlington's backgrounds sprinkled in. It made it easier to understand their motivations within the story and also created a lot of sympathy for both of them. Additionally, it made me want to keep reading to find out more about them.

Furthermore, I appreciated the female to femlae relationships in the book. Dawes and Alex don't really like each other that much when they first. As the story progresses it is clear that the most unexpected people can become the best allies. We don't see Alex's roomates very often in the story. However, via events in the story, it is clear that they are becoming friends more than roomates. There were cathartic moments that they had together that involved pain, vengeance, and justice that felt satisfying to me. I also appreciated the loving mother/daughter relationship shown between Alex and her mother. There is a lot of painful history between them. Despite that, it is clear that they absolutely love and care for one another .

This books explores very dark themes including drug addiction, sexual assault, rape culture, etc. The theme exploration I enjoyed the most in the story is that of poverty and how growing up in poverty or scarcity affects how you think about things as an adult. There are a lot of moments where some of the thoughts Alex has or the way she perceives things show us that she grew up poor. That was also probably the most impressive thing about Leigh Bardugo's writing; she has an amazing way of showing you a character without having to tell you about them. It made this reading experience incredibly enjoyable for me. I'm looking forward to the sequel because this story was such a pleasure to dive into.

This is probably the closest I'll get to reading furry fiction. This isn't really the kind of romance I would have usually picked up, but I opted to take advantage of my Kindle Unlimited subscription and try something different. This romance was actually very cute and handles the theme of prejudice very well. Reece is wary of monsters because he had a bad experience with them as a child. His sister is now engaged to a monster and his prejudice affects his ability to form a friendship with the man her sister loves. He meets the love interest, Cyrus, through friends in common. Slowly, his prejudices start to recede as he gets to know Cyrus and starts being attracted to him. I think it shows how realistically prejudices can be overcome once you humanize the people you fear because you don't understand them. Cyrus and Reece have a lot of cute moments together. Cyrus is very understanding of Reece's boundaries and that's part of the reason the relationship works out so well. The side characters are also very funny and have personalities that are distinct and likeable.  I think I might pick up other books in this series just because I enjoyed this one so much. 

This story was unconventional and felt like a sci-fi speculative fiction mostly. It's crazy reading this post COVID-19 since it hits so close to home. The main premise is the exploration of various character's lives after a pandemic decimates about 99% of the human population. It's crazy seeing how much people's lives change when there is no one to run the internet, airplanes, news channels, etc. It also explores how extreme situations can push people to believe in things they may have never believed in otherwise.

I think at the time this book was published it would have probably been a bit crazier to think that people would join a cult in response to a pandemic. However, after seeing the way so many people responded to the idea of a vaccine for a pandemic that was killing thousands of people post-2020, the pipeline isn't that hard to fall into, clearly

. 

 Arthur, the character that dies in the beginning, is the most recurring. Although, as you keep reading the book you realize that the story is not about one single character, but more of a slow analysis of human nature through the experience of many different people both pre/post pandemic. This isn't a book I would recommend for everyone. If you want something plot heavy and super engaging, this may not be for you. I think it's a story that required patience and appreciation for the themes explored. Otherwise, you may find it boring because not much happens for a while until everything comes to a head as you learn more about each of the characters explored. It was a very interesting exploration of humanity and I think it worked well as a break from more fast paced stories.

I usually don't read horror books, but this was like reading an enthralling haunted house horror flick. The characters are distinct and interesting. The atmosphere is intriguing and dark. The story starts slow, building up the atmosphere and gradually giving you more background on the characters while also making you ask more questions as you keep reading. The climax of the story feels well deserved and it plays on elements of gore to make the reveals in the story all the more horrifying. 

The historical background of the story is not lost. There are white characters whose attitude toward Noemi allude the racism/colorism present in Mexico at the time (and unfortunately which still pervades today). There are also various characters in the story, including Noemi, that represent women fighting against the authority that patriarchal society has over them. There is a good amount of body horror and other themes such as incest that are explore in the story that may be uncomfortable if you're queasy. All of those elements only add to the story, though, in my opinion. I always look forward to books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I'm can't wait for the next one.

 A great combination of an interesting fantasy world, action, and romance. The magic comes at a price, which I always appreciate in a magic system. I feel like it makes the stakes higher and emphasizes that even with magic, characters have limitations. Gethen and Halina are the main characters we follow. Halina is a knight under her father, the king's, service. There is an impending war and she is sent out to seek the help of the shadow mage, Gethen. Gethen is a shadow mage attempting to separate himself from the dark past of those that came before him and refuses to participate in this upcoming war. 

Halina and Gethen have great characterization. There is a lot of tension between them secondary to the circumstances, but it eventually coalesces into mutual respect. They begin a romantic relationship a bit over half way through the book. The development of the romantic relationship is balanced out well with the overarching plot, so it does not feel like it detracts from the important plot points at all. Gethen is a very solitary man, but he has very close friends that are almost like family that play a role in the story. We also get some animal companions, which I'm always happy about. I found the ending satisfying and I think it's a good opener for the sequel. I'm looking forward to continuing this series and I wish I had actually read it earlier. I do recommend this for anyone who likes fantasy with a bit of romance, but with more of a focus on the plot and character development than the romance. 

 This was a fitting conclusion to this trilogy and it did not disappoint. I felt this installment was more event driven compared to the previous two books. The first half of the story focuses a lot on investigating a threat to the enclaves. El has quite a few internal demons she needs to battle on her own both secondary to her loss of Orion and the prophecy that has haunted her since childhood. We finally get to explore the enclaves around the world and the complex politics involved. There is a lot of ethical questions that are brought up with how the enclaves obtain their mana and how they choose to distribute and use it. It's almost like watching different mafia families fight over power, sometimes via less than moral means.

We get to meet the families of a lot of the main and side characters we've gotten to know since book 1. Some of them are worse than others in terms of being terrible people. Even outside of the Scholomance it is clear that there is a mentality of "survival of the fittest". Mages are trying to get the best advantages to survive at the expense of others most of the time. El, through her actions, has found a semblance of respect among the Enclaves. This helps her have leverage in terms of changing some of the systemic ways in which the hierarchy of power is oppressive and immoral. 

The tensions are high in this last book. All of it, thankfully, has a great pay off. The build up at the beginning is slower, but there wasn't a moment where I wasn't interested in finding out what was going to happen next. I'm looking forward to reading more series by Novik. This one has been great. 

I don't think there is ever a bad time for British humor and this hit the spot. The tone of the characters is dry, matter-of-fact, and sarcastic. The start of the book tells you all you need to know about the satirical nature of the story. Nothing like an angel and a demon having a casual conversation about Adam and Eve and their respective "bosses" (i.e. God and the devil) as well as the impending end of the world. The tongue in cheek humor permeates the prose and events of the story. It's clear that none of it is supposed to be taken seriously. The characters are fun and likeable. The stakes are high, but because of the tone it's hard to take it seriously. Again, this is a satire, so that is kind of the point. 

My favorite parts were probably the ones that emphasized that Crowley's fondness for the terrestial world and humanity. It was a juxtaposition to how the other demons were willing to accept the end of the world as we know it. It added to the humorous idea that Crowley had to pretend to want the same thing as the other demons he was in contact with. Turns out he had more in common in ideology to the angel of all people. I've read books by Neil Gaiman before, but not by Terry Pratchett. I'm looking forward to eventually, especially after reading this gem. Definitely adding the show to my list of things to watch. 

I'm always down for a Persephone and Hades. This one starts off with Hades and Persephone immediately taking a liking to each other. Their initial interactions go from innocent to flirtatious reasonably quickly. They don't know who the other is when they meet, which always makes it more interesting, I think. I feel like there is bit more of a focus on the sexual attraction between Hades and Persephone. They definitely like each other beyond that by the end of this book, but it feels like they still need more time to get to know each other better. This book isn't meant to be a stand alone, so it doesn't bother me as much. I'm looking forward to seeing their relationship develop more in the following installments. It was enjoyable overall, but still not necessarily my favorite retelling for this couple. 

I picked up this book right during the spooky season and Hispanic Heritage Month, so perfect timing. The world building was fascinating. You are in an alternate universe Mexico city with different kinds of vampires. There are different vampire subspecies that function similarly to different ethnic groups, if you will. In their case, it also manifests in each subspecies having a different set of abilities unique to their subspecies. There is even a glossary at the end of the book with a description of all of the vampire subspecies. 

Atl and Domingo have an awkward dynamic when they first meet. It never really felt like they were equals in the relationship. By the end, I feel like Atl always knew this and that definitely affects some of the decisions she makes at the end of the story. Atl leaving Domingo behind to live a normal life felt adequate. I agree with Atl's assesment that they were going to get each other killed if they stayed together. Obviously I don't think Domingo sees that initially, but I think he will understand this decision eventually. I would say the ending isn't happy, but it is hopeful and those are usually my favorite kind of endings. 

I absolutely loved this Latinx iteration of urban fantasy. The world building was interesting and you could see the aspects that were inspired by our real world Mexico City. I'm looking forward to my next Moreno-Garcia novel. 

I was looking forward to going back to this world. Manu has an amazing amount of character growth in this installment. There is more of a focus on her romantic relationship rather than her more platonic relationships. However, I think it balances out with the first book since that one was mostly about Manu finding her place among friends. In this one she has to camaflouge herself once again in order to survive. She feels more secure with herself and it really shows through her willingness to take initiative. 

There is a lot of continued commentary on how damaging strictly enforced gender roles can be to members of a society. Manu and the girls in the pack have to consistently push against social norms in order to accomplish their goals. I like that even the characters we have come to like have to be challenged sometimes. It shows that they are flawed and shows a realistic view of how change happens in a society. Even those that have great intentions have to continously learn and course correct. 

The ending is open ended and feels perfect for a sequel. For now this has been published as a duology. I'm hoping that in the future Romina Garber is allowed to revisit this world. The epilogue left me wanting more and I feel like there is still so much more that can be explored in this world. It's also just amazing to have Latinx urban fantasy represented in a demographic as significant as YA.