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cozysquib's Reviews (165)
The Veiled Kingdom by Holly Renee
I'm a bit torn on how I feel about this one.
On the one hand, I enjoyed my time reading this book and I plan to read book two. It was quick, it had fun themes, and there is the potential for book two to grow the world as a whole.
On the other hand, there were a lot of little things that I didn't love.
I'm a mood reader and a vibe reviewer, my technicals are surface level at best. This is a reflection of my taste as a reader, not the merits of the book or its author.
That being said, I don't love the FMC. I've always been a fan of strong, aggressive, abrasive FMC's. Which, Nyra simply isn't. She feels more like Evangeline from OUaBH; which fits with her backstory, but not my taste as a reader.
In regards to the spice. I've now learned what my kinks AREN'T 😂. The intimacy here really didn't do it for me. The scenes felt drawn out, and the frequency overtook plot near the end.
We start off with a fantasy bang of powers and plot, but those fizzle out pretty early on. I want world building, a deeper idea of the magic system, and more on page connections.
There are noticeable repetitive phrases, specifically regarding thighs. With Nyra "clamping her thighs" or "pressing her thighs" frequently. The word "thigh" itself appeared 56 times over 338 pages, meaning it was used at least every 6 pages.
Finally, why does everyone have "photos" in a tech free medieval esq universe? It was said 18 times...
This book was a solid 3 for me. I liked it, I'll read book two, but I doubt it'll stay with me because it didn't quite click.
I'm a bit torn on how I feel about this one.
On the one hand, I enjoyed my time reading this book and I plan to read book two. It was quick, it had fun themes, and there is the potential for book two to grow the world as a whole.
On the other hand, there were a lot of little things that I didn't love.
I'm a mood reader and a vibe reviewer, my technicals are surface level at best. This is a reflection of my taste as a reader, not the merits of the book or its author.
That being said, I don't love the FMC. I've always been a fan of strong, aggressive, abrasive FMC's. Which, Nyra simply isn't. She feels more like Evangeline from OUaBH; which fits with her backstory, but not my taste as a reader.
In regards to the spice. I've now learned what my kinks AREN'T 😂. The intimacy here really didn't do it for me. The scenes felt drawn out, and the frequency overtook plot near the end.
We start off with a fantasy bang of powers and plot, but those fizzle out pretty early on. I want world building, a deeper idea of the magic system, and more on page connections.
There are noticeable repetitive phrases, specifically regarding thighs. With Nyra "clamping her thighs" or "pressing her thighs" frequently. The word "thigh" itself appeared 56 times over 338 pages, meaning it was used at least every 6 pages.
Finally, why does everyone have "photos" in a tech free medieval esq universe? It was said 18 times...
This book was a solid 3 for me. I liked it, I'll read book two, but I doubt it'll stay with me because it didn't quite click.
Starsight by Brandon Sanderson
As usual Brandon Sanderson creates a detailed and colorful world full of nuance.
Spensa's journey to joining the space flight and fighting for her home world has progressed and we ender her espionage arc.
M-Bot is still a top tier character with his AI quips and insights. We get a few more moments with everyone's favorite doom slug. However, we get very little growth for existing friendships and instead turn towards a new cast of unlikely allies.
This story picks up 6 months after the end of book 1, so there feels like some missing history between some characters. I've discovered there is a novella that covers that time period, so I'll have to go back and get caught up.
I love that Sanderson doesn't shy away from killing off characters or heavily damaging them. It gives the battles a sense of urgency and peril that is lacking when an author plays it too safe.
Spensa has grown so much as a character throughout this book and her journey feels very real. I love seeing her face new obstacles that require her to adapt and grow beyond her standard impulsive reactions.
The romantic in me wanted more time with Jergen, either through more of his own POV or just more fleshing out of the budding romance. But, I'm aware that this is not a romantasy, and romance was never going to be the driving force behind the story.
Very enjoyable read all around. Can't wait to read book 3 after that ending!
As usual Brandon Sanderson creates a detailed and colorful world full of nuance.
Spensa's journey to joining the space flight and fighting for her home world has progressed and we ender her espionage arc.
M-Bot is still a top tier character with his AI quips and insights. We get a few more moments with everyone's favorite doom slug. However, we get very little growth for existing friendships and instead turn towards a new cast of unlikely allies.
This story picks up 6 months after the end of book 1, so there feels like some missing history between some characters. I've discovered there is a novella that covers that time period, so I'll have to go back and get caught up.
I love that Sanderson doesn't shy away from killing off characters or heavily damaging them. It gives the battles a sense of urgency and peril that is lacking when an author plays it too safe.
Spensa has grown so much as a character throughout this book and her journey feels very real. I love seeing her face new obstacles that require her to adapt and grow beyond her standard impulsive reactions.
The romantic in me wanted more time with Jergen, either through more of his own POV or just more fleshing out of the budding romance. But, I'm aware that this is not a romantasy, and romance was never going to be the driving force behind the story.
Very enjoyable read all around. Can't wait to read book 3 after that ending!
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
I am in love. Are you in love? I'm definitely in love.
This book was so fun to read. It's a wild blend of all my favorite tropes and mythical beasties.
I ate through these pages and couldn't wait to pick the book back up every time I had to set it down.
There is world building, a fantasy plot, and romance. A perfect stay-up-past-bedtime storm in the making. It's giving ✨️ToG✨️ ✨️Spark of the Everflame✨️ & ✨️Cruel Prince✨️ vibes all bundled in one.
I absolutely love Kingfisher. If you can't tell by now, closed off, traumatized, half-mad males are definitely my cup of tea. He is snarky and sassy, tricky, closed off, and... horny. 🤣
There are definitely a few things keeping me from giving this a 5⭐️ rating instead of the 4 I settled on.
For starters, the modern slang version of words were a big miss for me. I understand that we say y'know and gonna, but I personally hate seeing it in books.
Although there weren't many instances, there were a few notable times had to pause reading due to grammar issues. I'd go back and correct the sentence before I could process it and move forward. I'm by no means a spelling or grammatical god, it's simply worth noting because a round of editing would resolve those issues.
This is a weird one, but although the romance was 💋🤌 the actual described intimacy was just not quite there. It didn't live up to the build up and felt very tame, quick, and clunky compared to the vibes of the romantic tension. 🤷♀️
Finally, I wish Fisher kept a bit more of his snark further into the book. There's a definite turning point in his attitude, but it seems like there should have been more middle ground. A snarky asshole may stop being an asshole as feelings develop, but snark doesn't just disappear from a personality overnight.
All that being said, those are really super minor complaints and pale in comparison to how much I enjoyed this read. Book 2 can't come soon enough! Highly highly recommend if we have similar taste on books!
I am in love. Are you in love? I'm definitely in love.
This book was so fun to read. It's a wild blend of all my favorite tropes and mythical beasties.
I ate through these pages and couldn't wait to pick the book back up every time I had to set it down.
There is world building, a fantasy plot, and romance. A perfect stay-up-past-bedtime storm in the making. It's giving ✨️ToG✨️ ✨️Spark of the Everflame✨️ & ✨️Cruel Prince✨️ vibes all bundled in one.
I absolutely love Kingfisher. If you can't tell by now, closed off, traumatized, half-mad males are definitely my cup of tea. He is snarky and sassy, tricky, closed off, and... horny. 🤣
There are definitely a few things keeping me from giving this a 5⭐️ rating instead of the 4 I settled on.
For starters, the modern slang version of words were a big miss for me. I understand that we say y'know and gonna, but I personally hate seeing it in books.
Although there weren't many instances, there were a few notable times had to pause reading due to grammar issues. I'd go back and correct the sentence before I could process it and move forward. I'm by no means a spelling or grammatical god, it's simply worth noting because a round of editing would resolve those issues.
This is a weird one, but although the romance was 💋🤌 the actual described intimacy was just not quite there. It didn't live up to the build up and felt very tame, quick, and clunky compared to the vibes of the romantic tension. 🤷♀️
Finally, I wish Fisher kept a bit more of his snark further into the book. There's a definite turning point in his attitude, but it seems like there should have been more middle ground. A snarky asshole may stop being an asshole as feelings develop, but snark doesn't just disappear from a personality overnight.
All that being said, those are really super minor complaints and pale in comparison to how much I enjoyed this read. Book 2 can't come soon enough! Highly highly recommend if we have similar taste on books!
The Cursed by Harper L. Woods
After 3 days of refusing to move on but also avoiding picking this book up, I think it's time to accept fate. This one is getting a DNF.
By all metrics, I should love this book. When you get down to the details and the nitty gritty of it, I do enjoy the story. However, something feels lacking.
I tend to lean towards larger chonky books and prefer plots to be more drawn out than what this duology can offer given its shorter length. The pacing feels a little rushed. Without the details of a fleshed out story, I'm finding it difficult to stay invested in the romance. Especially given that they talk and act like its been a long time, but it feels instant to the reader. I don't feel any particular attachment to the characters, and the romance feels off because of it.
The other major turn-off has been the heavy-handed messages the author is trying to portray. Inner monologues and even spoken conversations came across as unnatural and forced me out of the book. It's clear she wanted to fit in quoteable messages about body positivity or general boss bitch mindsets.
This is a good duology and I love the premis. I am curious where it ends up, so I may approach it again when I'm in a different mood (all hail mood reading). But for now, we're saying goodbye and setting it down for something else.
*I am a mood reader and a vibe reviewer. My reviews are by no means technical and should always be taken as a reflection of my taste as a reader, not a reflection of the book or its author.
After 3 days of refusing to move on but also avoiding picking this book up, I think it's time to accept fate. This one is getting a DNF.
By all metrics, I should love this book. When you get down to the details and the nitty gritty of it, I do enjoy the story. However, something feels lacking.
I tend to lean towards larger chonky books and prefer plots to be more drawn out than what this duology can offer given its shorter length. The pacing feels a little rushed. Without the details of a fleshed out story, I'm finding it difficult to stay invested in the romance. Especially given that they talk and act like its been a long time, but it feels instant to the reader. I don't feel any particular attachment to the characters, and the romance feels off because of it.
The other major turn-off has been the heavy-handed messages the author is trying to portray. Inner monologues and even spoken conversations came across as unnatural and forced me out of the book. It's clear she wanted to fit in quoteable messages about body positivity or general boss bitch mindsets.
This is a good duology and I love the premis. I am curious where it ends up, so I may approach it again when I'm in a different mood (all hail mood reading). But for now, we're saying goodbye and setting it down for something else.
*I am a mood reader and a vibe reviewer. My reviews are by no means technical and should always be taken as a reflection of my taste as a reader, not a reflection of the book or its author.
The Coven by Harper L. Woods
*DISCLAIMER* I'm a mood reader and a vibe reviewer. Although I may mention technical aspects, this is not a technical review. This is a reflection of my taste as a reader, not the author or their work.
I ate this book up at the speed of light. It is a super quick and easy read. Although it is based on witches and magic, the magic system is super simple and easy to understand.
Since I go into books completely blind, yes COMPLETELY blind. There were multiple moments where I was on the edge of my seat expecting something horror-esq to pop out and eat me. Gave me a good little adrenalin rush at 2am when I should have been sleeping...
I didn't love the weird mix of monsters that is the "vessles" if you want demons, have demons, if you want vampires, have vampires. Mixing the two together just messes with my head cannon for each of those beasties and pulls me out of the story. I also wish the book was at least 20% longer. The pacing felt very quick and there are a few things that could have been fleshed out better with more time. I think this is a trend in my personal tastes though as I lean towards chunkier books generally.
Overall, I loved it and I'll be continuing on in the next book.
*DISCLAIMER* I'm a mood reader and a vibe reviewer. Although I may mention technical aspects, this is not a technical review. This is a reflection of my taste as a reader, not the author or their work.
I ate this book up at the speed of light. It is a super quick and easy read. Although it is based on witches and magic, the magic system is super simple and easy to understand.
Since I go into books completely blind, yes COMPLETELY blind. There were multiple moments where I was on the edge of my seat expecting something horror-esq to pop out and eat me. Gave me a good little adrenalin rush at 2am when I should have been sleeping...
I didn't love the weird mix of monsters that is the "vessles"
Overall, I loved it and I'll be continuing on in the next book.
Darkmore Penitentiary Series by Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti
• Caged Wolf
• Alpha Wolf
• Feral Wolf
• Wild Wolf
This series is the culmination of 14 books from the Zodiac Academy series, 5 from the Ruthless Boys, and now 4 from Darkmore Penitentiary. After a multi month long journey through 23 Solaria books I can finally say I've finished.
I love love loved, this series. Personally, it might be my favorite of the bunch. I found Rosalie's personality to be the perfect mix between ✨️demure✨️ and boss b*tch. She has her opinions and plans and is sticking to them regardless of what you think.
The series is a reverse harem, meaning multiple love interests, so there is always someone for everyone to love. (I'm sorry, but if Cain is your #1 you should get that looked at...)
The antics are high. The pacing is quick. The story is engaging. Where it fell off for me a bit is the 4th and final book. In my personal opinion, the two year gap between releases didn't do the story any favors. Some of the pacing felt off and the series lost a bit of it's plot once it leaves the prison setting.
Overall, I found this series the easiest to read of the Solaria Universe so far. The spice to plot ratio is perfect for my taste, and the wide range of mmc personality's make for a perfect variety.
Ranking the boys:
Sin > Roary > Ethan > Cain
• Caged Wolf
• Alpha Wolf
• Feral Wolf
• Wild Wolf
This series is the culmination of 14 books from the Zodiac Academy series, 5 from the Ruthless Boys, and now 4 from Darkmore Penitentiary. After a multi month long journey through 23 Solaria books I can finally say I've finished.
I love love loved, this series. Personally, it might be my favorite of the bunch. I found Rosalie's personality to be the perfect mix between ✨️demure✨️ and boss b*tch. She has her opinions and plans and is sticking to them regardless of what you think.
The series is a reverse harem, meaning multiple love interests, so there is always someone for everyone to love. (I'm sorry, but if Cain is your #1 you should get that looked at...)
The antics are high. The pacing is quick. The story is engaging. Where it fell off for me a bit is the 4th and final book. In my personal opinion, the two year gap between releases didn't do the story any favors. Some of the pacing felt off and the series lost a bit of it's plot once it leaves the prison setting.
Overall, I found this series the easiest to read of the Solaria Universe so far. The spice to plot ratio is perfect for my taste, and the wide range of mmc personality's make for a perfect variety.
Ranking the boys:
Sin > Roary > Ethan > Cain
Darkmore Penitentiary Series by Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti
• Caged Wolf
• Alpha Wolf
• Feral Wolf
• Wild Wolf
This series is the culmination of 14 books from the Zodiac Academy series, 5 from the Ruthless Boys, and now 4 from Darkmore Penitentiary. After a multi month long journey through 23 Solaria books I can finally say I've finished.
I love love loved, this series. Personally, it might be my favorite of the bunch. I found Rosalie's personality to be the perfect mix between ✨️demure✨️ and boss b*tch. She has her opinions and plans and is sticking to them regardless of what you think.
The series is a reverse harem, meaning multiple love interests, so there is always someone for everyone to love. (I'm sorry, but if Cain is your #1 you should get that looked at...)
The antics are high. The pacing is quick. The story is engaging. Where it fell off for me a bit is the 4th and final book. In my personal opinion, the two year gap between releases didn't do the story any favors. Some of the pacing felt off and the series lost a bit of it's plot once it leaves the prison setting.
Overall, I found this series the easiest to read of the Solaria Universe so far. The spice to plot ratio is perfect for my taste, and the wide range of mmc personality's make for a perfect variety.
Ranking the boys:
Sin > Roary > Ethan > Cain
• Caged Wolf
• Alpha Wolf
• Feral Wolf
• Wild Wolf
This series is the culmination of 14 books from the Zodiac Academy series, 5 from the Ruthless Boys, and now 4 from Darkmore Penitentiary. After a multi month long journey through 23 Solaria books I can finally say I've finished.
I love love loved, this series. Personally, it might be my favorite of the bunch. I found Rosalie's personality to be the perfect mix between ✨️demure✨️ and boss b*tch. She has her opinions and plans and is sticking to them regardless of what you think.
The series is a reverse harem, meaning multiple love interests, so there is always someone for everyone to love. (I'm sorry, but if Cain is your #1 you should get that looked at...)
The antics are high. The pacing is quick. The story is engaging. Where it fell off for me a bit is the 4th and final book. In my personal opinion, the two year gap between releases didn't do the story any favors. Some of the pacing felt off and the series lost a bit of it's plot once it leaves the prison setting.
Overall, I found this series the easiest to read of the Solaria Universe so far. The spice to plot ratio is perfect for my taste, and the wide range of mmc personality's make for a perfect variety.
Ranking the boys:
Sin > Roary > Ethan > Cain
Darkmore Penitentiary Series by Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti
• Caged Wolf
• Alpha Wolf
• Feral Wolf
• Wild Wolf
This series is the culmination of 14 books from the Zodiac Academy series, 5 from the Ruthless Boys, and now 4 from Darkmore Penitentiary. After a multi month long journey through 23 Solaria books I can finally say I've finished.
I love love loved, this series. Personally, it might be my favorite of the bunch. I found Rosalie's personality to be the perfect mix between ✨️demure✨️ and boss b*tch. She has her opinions and plans and is sticking to them regardless of what you think.
The series is a reverse harem, meaning multiple love interests, so there is always someone for everyone to love. (I'm sorry, but if Cain is your #1 you should get that looked at...)
The antics are high. The pacing is quick. The story is engaging. Where it fell off for me a bit is the 4th and final book. In my personal opinion, the two year gap between releases didn't do the story any favors. Some of the pacing felt off and the series lost a bit of it's plot once it leaves the prison setting.
Overall, I found this series the easiest to read of the Solaria Universe so far. The spice to plot ratio is perfect for my taste, and the wide range of mmc personality's make for a perfect variety.
Ranking the boys:
Sin > Roary > Ethan > Cain
• Caged Wolf
• Alpha Wolf
• Feral Wolf
• Wild Wolf
This series is the culmination of 14 books from the Zodiac Academy series, 5 from the Ruthless Boys, and now 4 from Darkmore Penitentiary. After a multi month long journey through 23 Solaria books I can finally say I've finished.
I love love loved, this series. Personally, it might be my favorite of the bunch. I found Rosalie's personality to be the perfect mix between ✨️demure✨️ and boss b*tch. She has her opinions and plans and is sticking to them regardless of what you think.
The series is a reverse harem, meaning multiple love interests, so there is always someone for everyone to love. (I'm sorry, but if Cain is your #1 you should get that looked at...)
The antics are high. The pacing is quick. The story is engaging. Where it fell off for me a bit is the 4th and final book. In my personal opinion, the two year gap between releases didn't do the story any favors. Some of the pacing felt off and the series lost a bit of it's plot once it leaves the prison setting.
Overall, I found this series the easiest to read of the Solaria Universe so far. The spice to plot ratio is perfect for my taste, and the wide range of mmc personality's make for a perfect variety.
Ranking the boys:
Sin > Roary > Ethan > Cain
Darkmore Penitentiary Series by Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti
• Caged Wolf
• Alpha Wolf
• Feral Wolf
• Wild Wolf
This series is the culmination of 14 books from the Zodiac Academy series, 5 from the Ruthless Boys, and now 4 from Darkmore Penitentiary. After a multi month long journey through 23 Solaria books I can finally say I've finished.
I love love loved, this series. Personally, it might be my favorite of the bunch. I found Rosalie's personality to be the perfect mix between ✨️demure✨️ and boss b*tch. She has her opinions and plans and is sticking to them regardless of what you think.
The series is a reverse harem, meaning multiple love interests, so there is always someone for everyone to love. (I'm sorry, but if Cain is your #1 you should get that looked at...)
The antics are high. The pacing is quick. The story is engaging. Where it fell off for me a bit is the 4th and final book. In my personal opinion, the two year gap between releases didn't do the story any favors. Some of the pacing felt off and the series lost a bit of it's plot once it leaves the prison setting.
Overall, I found this series the easiest to read of the Solaria Universe so far. The spice to plot ratio is perfect for my taste, and the wide range of mmc personality's make for a perfect variety.
Ranking the boys:
Sin > Roary > Ethan > Cain
• Caged Wolf
• Alpha Wolf
• Feral Wolf
• Wild Wolf
This series is the culmination of 14 books from the Zodiac Academy series, 5 from the Ruthless Boys, and now 4 from Darkmore Penitentiary. After a multi month long journey through 23 Solaria books I can finally say I've finished.
I love love loved, this series. Personally, it might be my favorite of the bunch. I found Rosalie's personality to be the perfect mix between ✨️demure✨️ and boss b*tch. She has her opinions and plans and is sticking to them regardless of what you think.
The series is a reverse harem, meaning multiple love interests, so there is always someone for everyone to love. (I'm sorry, but if Cain is your #1 you should get that looked at...)
The antics are high. The pacing is quick. The story is engaging. Where it fell off for me a bit is the 4th and final book. In my personal opinion, the two year gap between releases didn't do the story any favors. Some of the pacing felt off and the series lost a bit of it's plot once it leaves the prison setting.
Overall, I found this series the easiest to read of the Solaria Universe so far. The spice to plot ratio is perfect for my taste, and the wide range of mmc personality's make for a perfect variety.
Ranking the boys:
Sin > Roary > Ethan > Cain
