This book turned out to be quite different from the description in the back, but the plot twists were great, so I'm not mad. I can't say too much without spoiling the best twists in the book, but I will say this: vampires, elves, half-elves, interesting characters, action and a great partnership/friendship between the two main characters. The book starts off a bit slower the first third of the book, but there are inciting events that grab your attention and make you wonder about what is going on.  The story entails a lot of murder/mystery with fantasy elements such as the existence of elves in the world. The ending leaves you questioning the motivations and events that occurred in the plot and it leaves this book as an excellent start to a series. I can't wait to read the rest of the books. I bought all of them second hand all at once and it seems that was a very good decision considering how much I liked this. Do recommend.

This was my first time reading something by Moreno-García and it was a great choice. The book transports you to early 20th century Mexico and has incredibly immersive Mayan mythology that she makes her own. "Machismo" culture (present even today in Latinx culture) is a consistent theme in the book. We see as the main character, Cassiopea, despite being born in  a culture that restricts women 's roles and place in society in many way, is able to overcome the expectations society sets for her. She is a strong, rebellious, and interesting female character that plays a key role in driving the events of the plot. She consistently serves as a tool that challenges the world view of other characters and therefore makes the other characters question their decisions and even influences them. She seems to be a representation of how women can have power and influence even in a society where they are looked down upon by others. This book has an ending that really leaves you pensive, and those are my favorite kinds of endings. The stakes were high in the story from beginning to end which really helped keep me engaged as well. I can't wait to pick up another book by this author, but if you haven't yet, this is a great place to start.

It has been a long journey with all of these characters and I have to say that I am proud of the extent of their character growth and how much I enjoyed this last book. These characters that were so unlikeable and flawed at the beginning of the series, and yet, I can't help but feel proud of them for how far they've come. They all had complete character arcs where they became better people through their experiences. Quentin started off being a selfish and depressed young adult who grew up to be a mature adult willing to make sacrifices for the sake of others. In this last book he finally understands that the things he thought he wanted in life when he was younger are not what would actually fulfill him as a person. We also got more backstory on Janet and it was about time. Despite her tough outer layer she has vulnerabilities and weaknesses and comes off as way more relatable and human this time around. I also love that Janet, Elliot, Josh, Poppy, Julia and Quentin really feel like friends by the end. The ending was also fitting for the world and story and I wouldn't change anything about it. This series definitely stands best when read back to back and together as a whole rather than individual installments. However, the payoff by the end is totally worth it and I highly recommend this series to anyone who is looking for a story with dark magic, realistic flawed characters, and amazingly well done character development.

It was amazing to be able to be back in this world again after so many years. Paolini gave me everything I could have wanted for a sequel/anthology. We get to see some of our favorite characters back and see how they are doing. All I can say without spoiling anything is that Eragon has been busy and overwhelmed (in a good way) and he has definitely grown since we last saw him. We also get to see other characters from way back when, including Angela. I am excited to get another anthology collection like this in the future. If you grew up loving the Inheritance Cycle like myself, or if you just finished the series, I highly recommend picking this up. I doubt you will be disappointed.

I give my congratulations to Katherine Arden for creating a world that is so vivid, atmospheric, and immersive. Usually I prefer books that are very fast paced. This book has more of a medium pace and there are plot points that are planted at the beginning of the book that are not addressed immediately, but rather later. However, the plot is immersed in mystery and suspense that leaves readers curious as to what direction the tale will take. The story changes focus for extended periods of time leaving you wondering what is going on with another plot point, but eventually you get back to it. This also mildly mirrors a Hades/Persephone retelling, which I always appreciate, especially when done this well. There is a variety of characters that range from very unlikeable to super interesting and likeable. Even the unlikeable characters are interesting, though.

This book can stand alone as all of the plot points are answered by the end, but the ending is open to a sequel. This was the perfect book to pick back up in the winter and I can confidently say that it lives up to the hype.

I recently found out that the author took actual sexual assault stories from people she knew while in college and wrote them into this fictional book. This was apparently done without permission and with pretty much no changes to the stories except for names. The accounts also allegedly include personal details from these people's lives including details about their sex lives and familial and personal relationships. If you would like to know more, please watch the video below:

https://youtu.be/nh_CkQi1qrs

With that said, considering this book closely deals with sexual assault and that the author did not respect the privacy of the people she took these stories from, I no longer have an interest in picking up this book or giving this author my money. I just thought I would share since I believe this is important and not such well known information.

This is an interesting introduction to America Chavez as a character. I went in mostly blind, but this run gives you enough context for you to be able to keep up with what is going on. There are a lot of questions at the beginning and the story seemed a bit disorganized in the beginning a d the middle. However, it all comes together in the end. America has a solid circle of family and friends that you are introduced to and that are likeable, but it takes time to become invested in the story. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the run, to see where this all goes. Do recommend.

Had I known this graphic novel was about military shape shifters, I might have picked it up sooner. The events in the story are not told in chronological order, so it can be a bit challenging to keep up. However, this feels like one of those stories that come together more as you are given more context. There are still a lot of questions I had by the end, but this is a solid first volume. There is a lot of representation as well. The main character is a lesbian and her partner is a person of color. There are also other characters in the story of various ethnicities and nationalities. There is a lot of violence and graphic nudity, so if you are light of heart, this may not be the comic for you. This has left me intrigued though, and I plan on continuing to read subsequent volumes.

I understand what people mean now when they say Laini Taylor doesn't really focus on the development of her romances. Usually this bothers me in stories, but since the romance isn't the main focus of the story, I didn't even really notice. The world building and magic system are really what shine in this book as well as the other relationships in the story. I loved seeing Karou's relationship with Brimstone and Issa because despite her not having a typical family, she does indeed have a family. She also has an interesting life as an art student with friendships. Her friendship with Mik and Zuzana reminds us that she is still a regular teenager with a social life outside of the magical world she is a part of. The magic is also very different from anything I've read about before. There is a lot of mystery surrounding who Karou is for most of the book as well as how Brimstone became her caretaker. The journey to obtaining answers to all the questions that arise at the start of the story have satisfying answers by the end. The ending is open ended and leaves you wanting more answers, so I'm looking forward to reading the next installment. If you are looking for a highly convincing romance with characters you ship really hard, this might not be the story for you. However, if you like an innovative magic system, magical creatures you don't see often