emmreadsbooks's Reviews (1.28k)

This book was heartbreaking for me. I felt so many things for Adunni - anger when she was married off, despair when she was forced to set off on her own, and fear when she arrived at Big Madam's. Adunni was filled with so much hope and it was contagious both to the other characters in the story and to this reader. Such a beautiful book.

I'm sentimental about these books - they remind me of my best friend who lives far away from me. But that isn't to say that these books aren't great! I love following Maddie through her journey to become a ranger and getting to fight chauvinistic villains and their expectations. This book was great in particular because we were following Horace, Cassandra, and Maddie through the siege of Castle Araluen and got to delve further into battle strategies and tactics. This is an amazing middle-grade book that can still interest adults.

While a clear homage to Will's original journey into Gallica, this was still a great story on its own. I loved learning about juggling and knife throwing, as well as their discussions on how to travel stealthily. Again I love Maddie's inner dialogue and her interactions with Will. I'm so excited to read the next one!

It takes a lot to get me to read a 700+ page book. But man for this one, I’m glad I did. Chakraborty stuck the landing on this series, tying up so many of the loose ends from the previous 2 books without sacrificing the characterization she’d built up. This book felt truly dangerous when compared to the others and solidified much of the lore we’ve been learning about. Overall if you want a completed fantasy series with rich worldbuilding and setting, compelling characters, and a plot that will keep you on your toes, this is the series for you.

WOW WOW WOW!!

I didn't think that Sykes would be able to outdo Seven Blades in Black but man... he did! There's so much character growth for Sal in this book and we get to see some badass other vagrants that - get this - DON'T want to kill Sal! Then you add in the thrill of a heist and I'm sold.

Sykes' writing style here isn't for everyone, but I think it's perfect for Sal. She's conflicted, over-dramatic, and a bonafide asshole, but that doesn't keep you from loving her all the same.

Give me book 3!!!

This is a solid domestic thriller with great writing style and characters. I particularly enjoyed Lila and Ginny, both their dynamic with each other and as standalones. The plot was elegantly done, though I didn't often find myself being surprised. This is a great debut novel and I expect Kane's writing and plots to evolve further as time goes on.

This is a marvelous novel, touching on the themes of grief, loss, and second chances. I can completely relate to the idea of wanting a do-over with someone that I've lost and be able to properly apologize and say goodbye. Obviously it's a bit more complicated than that here, but the idea of this book is so fresh and original while feeling familiar and believable. Overall just a book that made me feel sad, so you should read it too.

This is a cute romcom novel, with more emphasis on the comedy than the romance. I felt as if the book needed around 50 more pages to have a satisfying ending, rather than the confusing epilogue we received. That being said, I loved Bree, Chip, and especially RUSSELL!! The characters in this book were so relatable that this becoming a series is only logical.

For someone who enjoys romcoms with less romance, this is a great choice. Could've done with more pranks and pages though!

This is a slow burn police procedural thriller, quite possibly the slowest I've read in awhile. My guess is that that's just the Scandanavian style though. This was a compelling mystery with characters you could easily root for, even the stoic Hess. I appreciated the multi-perspective writing and frequent time skips, giving us a more realistic take on the process of solving a murder. The addition of the chestnut men was creepy enough to keep me intrigued and I loved the serial killer's modus operandi. Overall a very solid book!

Everyone has regrets. It's a fundamental truth of life, but you can't let those regrets get in the way of actually living.

That was my biggest takeaway from reading this beautiful book. I found the concept of The Midnight Library, a magical place reminiscent of limbo filled with all of your possible lives, to be truly innovative. While I hyped this book up to myself for months, I really felt seen by this book and to me it lived up to that hype.

Expect to think about your own regrets throughout this book and experience self-reflection. I've never read a book like it, and I honestly don't expect to again. Big applause for Matt Haig.