bookreviewsbyaimy's Reviews (788)

This is a slow burn book done right!!

It starts off slow and at times it read more like a contemporary fiction than a thriller (that’s not a complaint) That led to amazing character building and gave insight into all the relevant characters.

Just when you get comfortable and feel that ok now I know how this ride will go the author switches gear and throws you one twist after another which gives you a literal whiplash!

I loved it! Thankyou NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review

I had loved the First book so so so much but the second was a disappointment for me, however, this one redeems itself by being every bit as fun and engaging as the first!

Absolutely loved it!!

Omg omg omg this book was so so awesome! So glad my book club picked it to read this month!

I was hooked till the last page! The misdirect and the multiple POVs is done to perfection!

Hands down my favorite Lisa Unger book now!

So so good!

Heather O’Neill’s The Capital of Dreams is the kind of book that feels like a fable wrapped in a dystopian war story. It follows fourteen-year-old Sofia Bottom as she tries to smuggle her mother’s manuscript out of Elysia, a once-thriving artistic haven now crumbling under authoritarian rule. It’s a poetic, surreal, and sometimes heartbreaking exploration of creativity, survival, and the power of stories.

O’Neill’s writing is undeniably beautiful—her prose has that dreamlike quality that makes you feel like you’re floating through a world both magical and cruel. But at times, the book gets a little too caught up in its own lyricism. There are moments when the storytelling meanders, becoming more about the words themselves than the plot, which can feel self-indulgent. Some sections feel convoluted, as if O’Neill is layering metaphor upon metaphor until you lose sight of what’s actually happening.

That said, the book is still powerful. Sofia is a compelling protagonist, navigating war-torn landscapes while wrestling with big existential questions. And the cast of side characters—including a talking goose with intellectual aspirations—adds both depth and whimsy. If you love books that blur the line between fairy tale and reality, you’ll probably appreciate this one. Just be prepared for a few detours along the way.

I just finished reading the ARC of The maids secret and I feel like I’ve been given a warm hug!
That is my favourite thing about this wonderful world that Nita prose has created. The sense of community and the proverbial village always leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy.
I absolutely loved getting to know Gran better. Loved the layering of the stories and the deep development of characters.

For those who haven’t read the previous books, I would strongly recommend reading atleast the first one before you dive into this one.

Thankyou NetGalley and penguin Random House for this ARC for free in exchange for my honest opinion

Queens of Spells and Stone completely took me by surprise—in the best way. I went into it curious, but I didn’t expect to be so instantly pulled into the story. One of the first things that made me fall in love with this book was the main character. She’s a middle-aged, plus-sized woman—finally! A fantasy heroine who isn’t a teenage chosen one or a twenty-something assassin. Instead, she’s wise, flawed, real, and still on a journey of self-discovery. It was so refreshing to see an actual adult take center stage in a world of dragons, fae, and gargoyles.

The story itself is fast-paced and packed with adventure, magic, and plenty of emotional depth. I loved how the author wove multiple POVs throughout the book—it gave me a chance to connect with different characters and see this incredible world from various angles. The world-building is immersive without being overwhelming, and the pacing kept me turning pages long after I should’ve gone to bed. There are themes of identity, found family, empowerment, and the power of choosing your own path, even later in life.

This book doesn’t just deliver on fantasy; it also brings heart, nuance, and representation that the genre sorely needs more of. If you're craving a magical world that doesn't feel like a copy-and-paste of every other fantasy book—and a heroine who breaks the mold—Queens of Spells and Stone should be on your radar. I can’t wait to see what Katerina Stevens writes next.