That Time I Got Drunk and Saved A Demon is a hilarious and action-packed adventure! Cinnamon and Fallon meet when he is trapped under a supposed goddess’ power and freed by her family’s spices. Unbeknownst to the villagers, an evil lich has been gathering power under the guise of a benevolent goddess. As Fallon and Cinnamon work together to destroy her, Cinnamon starts to rethink her no-adventuring policy. Can Cinnamon and Fallon find true love on their adventures? 

This book was so much fun! Lemming’s writing is so witty and genuinely makes me laugh out loud. Her characters are relatable and swoonworthy. Cinnamon’s love for cheese and her family made her an instant favorite for me. Fallon is an excellent villain and his interactions with Cinnamon are filled with delightful tension. As they battle the conniving lich, there are excellent side characters and funny dialogue. I would highly recommend this book for readers who like cozy fantasy, lovable characters, and hilarious writing.  

Thank you to Kimberly Lemming, Orbit Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Flower and Thorn is the beautiful and riveting tale of the flower hunter Irinya. Irinya has always wanted to be a flower hunter and is faced with an impossible choice when her best friend finds a rare and valuable flower. A government impersonator promises to use the power of the flower to save lives, but he tricks Irinya into parting with it. Devastated, the only way she can make it right is to track this man down and recover the flower. Will Irinya find the flower in time and be able to save her people? 

Flower and Thorn is filled with gorgeous prose and sensory details that will make the reader feel they are right there with Irinya. The storytelling feels timeless and classic. Irinya is a wonderful heroine who is fierce, loyal, and possesses intricate knowledge of flower magic. The flower magic system was very creative and detailed. Flowers provide power and all have different uses, which forces Irinya to choose what and who is most important to her. Irinya must disguise herself and her purpose to find her way back to the flower that could change the fate of a kingdom. Readers who seek excellent magic systems, friends to lovers, and beautiful prose will love this book. I’m looking forward to what Rati Mehrotra writes next! 

Thank you so much to Rati Mehrotra, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Shield Maiden is the tale of Fryda, who has always wanted to be a shield maiden. After a childhood accident takes away some of her dexterity, Fryda is discouraged by her overprotective father from pursuing her dream. But Fryda still dreams in secret and practices training as much as she can. Years later, politics converge and her uncle/king Beowulf returns to court. In the chaos of a scheming court, Fryda must choose how far she wants to go to prevent the kingdom from slipping into disarray. Will she finally become a shield maiden? Who will she fight for? 

I enjoyed Shield Maiden! It was a very solid fantasy with a likable heroine at its core. Fryda is a very loyal and strong character. I enjoyed seeing her work towards becoming a shield maiden and teaching herself new ways to fight. The romance felt a little lukewarm, but was overall fine. The chapters from the dragon’s point of view were very interesting, though the end of their story felt a little unsatisfying. Beowulf felt appropriately larger than life and readers do not need to have read Beowulf to enjoy this retelling. Readers who enjoy H.M. Long, readers seeking more physical disability rep in fantasy, and Beowulf fans will love this book. 

Thank you so much to Sharon Emmerichs, Redhook Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

In a dystopian world that somehow does not feel far off from the future, technology is an intrinsic part of everyday life. The Pulse is an implant that allows people to have constant social media access: filters over vision, messaging, news, and tracking etc. Technology has even started to creep into dreams- all in the name of helping people, of course! Moremi is a young girl when her life is changed by a horrific tragedy. As she and her sisters are forced to grow up too fast, Moremi clings to the feeling of wholeness and distraction offered by technology, but is unable to entirely conquer her darkest thoughts. When she meets a dreamer named Orpheus, the two of them must decide how far they will go to escape the manipulations of a technological society built to give power and control to the elite. 

Temi Oh’s writing is clever and thought-provoking. Moremi (Eurydice) is a very complex and original character. Oh follows Moremi’s journey as a young girl and her life before tragedy, to Moremi’s insistence on getting the implant, and how these experiences affect her as an adult. Moremi is relatable as she struggles with mental health and wishes for any way, no matter how improbable, to undo the grief that she feels. Orpheus has a similarly nuanced childhood and is impacted by grief at a young age. The retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice is woven throughout the story and creates a sense of anticipation and dread, as most readers will likely be familiar with how that story ends. Readers will be unable to look away as Moremi and Orpheus attempt to keep themselves above water in a society built to work against them. I also particularly loved the relationship between Moremi and her sisters. Even though they all held different levels of comfort with technology and had very different opinions, they were always there to protect each other.  

More Perfect is reminiscent of the movie Minority Report, where technology is used for dubious purposes in the name of safety for all. Oh raises compelling ethical questions and examines the way technology intersects with humanity and mental health. I really enjoyed how dreams were impacted by technology in this re-imagining of Eurydice. The way that Orpheus was able to design dreams and delve into the magic of others’ dreams was fascinating. Oh is clearly a sci-fi writer to watch as she creates vivid characters, complicated ethics, and unputdownable stories. I’m excited to see what she writes next! 

Thank you so much to Temi Oh, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.