Ashlords was a quick, bold, and adventurous story, one that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. I definitely recommend reading this book, especially if you’re fond of competition-based stories like the Hunger Games or All of Us Villains.

it’s hard for me to rate this book, because on one hand, it was interesting and entertaining, and a pretty solid second book. but some of the concepts in it also made me a little uncomfortable. (such as the fact that the only asexual character was asexual because of the trauma and abuse she’d gone through, and the fact that a lot of queer characters seemed to be revealed as queer just to give them a traumatic backstory.

also, the reverse-sexism thing at the end was such a different theme and idea from the first book that it gave me whiplash. it just felt like a whole different story

) but it wasn’t that bad of a book?? and i enjoyed reading most of it, especially the beginning. all in all, i’m pretty conflicted :/

I need some time to process the ending of this book before I write a review, but for now, just know that Iron Widow is a powerful and vengeful story that absolutely blew my mind and I need the second book immediately.

Belladonna is a YA novel that tells the story of Signa Farrow, a nineteen-year-old who has been ferried from guardian to guardian her entire life, each of them dying mysteriously before getting to claim her great inheritance. The latest location is Thorn Grove, an estate nearly as mysterious as she is, packed with intriguing people and dark secrets that might just hold the answers she's been looking for.

This novel felt gothic, thrilling, and ghost-y (think Crimson Peak, but with some dark romance and a personified Death thrown in), and I loved every page of it. Every bit of the mystery was well-thought out and beautifully written, with plot twists I definitely didn't see coming and lots of complicated threads to unravel. 

The characters were also amazing. My only complaint with Signa is that she did feel like a typical YA I'm-strong-but-only-when-men-think-so character, and I wish she'd been a tad more independent and discovered her badassery earlier. She happened to have some very nice companions, though. Sylas was probably my favorite, but I absolutely adored Blythe. I wish these side characters (even Percy) had gotten a little more page-time and character development, because Belladonna feels very Signa-focused, but otherwise, incredible characters. <33

Adalyn Grace caught my attention with the All the Stars and Teeth duology, which was amazing, so I had very high expectations for this book. It didn't disappoint. Her writing is beautiful, her characters are hilarious and loveable, and her stories are intriguing and action-packed. It's safe to say I'll read as many of her future books as I can get my hands on.