heartbrekker's Reviews (797)

To start off, I'm not a big Holly Black fan. I've found most of her books just "meh" and really disappointing, especially after BookTok rose to influence. I went into Book of Night basically with the mindset to have fun and hopefully enjoy her adult debut.

Mannnn... that mindset was perfect because I didn't expect to love it this much!

"It takes bravery to be an adventurer... And what better adventure than the discovery of our true selves?"

Book of Night is essentially a dark urban fantasy surrounding intense trauma, specifically children in the flashbacks. I'll be leaving my trigger warnings below, but if you do not think this book is something you can handle, please skip it. It takes a lot out of the reader in those moments, and I want to stress just how draining it can be.

Now I think part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much was my low expectations. It surprised me in such a unique way with the character dynamics, world building, and plot overall. This book is going to be very divisive for people because it has an extremely slow start, and the immediate flashbacks further slow the plot when the big events start to take place. I wanted to throw my ARC across the room because I was so tired of reading about young Charlie when she's about to interact with a shadow in present day—that may or may not murder her!

Moreover, many are probably going to consider the mystery and thief thinking as "convenient." I can already see the reviewers talking about how everything Charlie finds is too easy. Personally, I loved the additional genre of mystery and thriller to this piece because it helped move the plot along once the book picked up its pacing. Book of Night is an extremely short adult fantasy, so you have to know going in that the plot isn't going to let Charlie sit around doing nothing. Basically, I liked the trickle of information and search for answers that Charlie goes on. It allowed me to better understand both Charlie and her relationships— while also eventually giving me the appreciation for the flashbacks.

"Shadows are like the shades of the dead in Homer, needing blood to quicken them."

Now— what did I really enjoy? The world building! There's a few spots with some info dumping, but with the urban fantasy tone and easy explanation, I didn't find it hard to follow. It didn't detract from the story either, which I think is much harder to do when you blatantly explain it for a few paragraphs. I've never read novels where shadows can potentially be their own individual, and this concept alone drew me in because shadows are something a lot of people don't bat an eye at. The shadows drive this piece with immense conceptualization and intrigue from the blood feeding, trading/ stealing of one's shadow (sew it back on is such an incredible visual Holly uses), and solidifying into an actual being. I wish the novel were longer just so I could have more time with this world. I can't wait a year for the sequel!

"Do you think that stars have shadows?"

Also, if you know me... you know I love morally ambiguous characters. From Charlie to her boyfriend Vince, sister Posey, and the eventual billionaires gone wild, the darkness within any of these characters is fully present and unapologetic. Charlie constantly thinks she is cursed because of all the horrific and chaotic things that have happened in her life. She's done tons of criminal and morally bad things, but what makes her interesting is her distinct remorse for certain decisions. She has her own moral compass, and while it is biased at times, I loved that she stuck to it. She's trying to heal by ignoring and hiding secrets from her loved ones at the start of the novel, and I love that Holly pulled the rug out from under her. One of the distinct scenes that stuck with me was Charlie's argument with Vince near the beginning of the novel. People will have loads of opinions on how she reacts and blames him for everything while ignoring her issues within the relationship, but after all her trauma and indecision to look inward on herself, I think it makes perfect sense. It's a good scene to go back to once the ending comes because a lot of the characters hide their true feelings. It's a fatal flaw for the loved ones when "the devil" comes knocking. Plus— representation-wise— Charlie is plus size/ mid-size depending on someone's definition because she is a size fourteen. Personally, as someone who is a size twelve/ fourteen depending on brands, I loved this because fantasy books (adult fantasy especially) are not very inclusive of all body types, specifically plus size. Though, I wish it had been mentioned sooner than the halfway mark.

"There are lots of different kinds of lies. Fibs to lubricate society. Deceptions, to avoid consequences. Misrepresentations to hide behind, because you're worried another person won't understand, or won't like you, or because what you've done is bad and you're ashamed of it. And then there are the lies you tell because everything about you is a lie."

I had a million theories going through my head about certain flashbacks, and surprisingly enough, I did not specifically guess it. It's not a hard plot twist to figure out, but it's such a genius decision for the book. I refused to believe the obvious just like Vince says about billionaires, and Holly does the exact same thing to us— or me haha. I'll probably come back to this review to update once I can scream about spoilers because there's so much to unpack.

Thank you to Tor for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

TW: Loads of blood depictions (pricking, slicing fingers to feed shadows is a notable one), self harm (usually to feed shadows), death, murder, child abuse/ trauma, child neglect, toxic relationships (parent/ child & romantic), gun violence, kidnapping, panic attacks/ anxiety, depression, drinking, alcoholism (brief scene), captivity, drugging (adult and child), violence, PTSD, Emesis (forcibly but not bulimia), intense grief, cancer (mentioned), manipulation, elitism

Immediate response at ending:
WHAT. HOLLY THIS IS JUST PLAIN RUDE AND HEARTBREAKING.

"At the core of each of us, one of his first teachers said, there is a spark of divine fire."

I don't know what I was expecting going into this novel, but it wasn't this beautiful blend of identity and healing amidst the thralls of a deadly hunt. Last month, I actually listened to The Scorpio Races, and it is a perfect comparison to this novel in terms of stakes, competition, and strong willed characters. I highly recommend readers dive into this novel mostly blind, so the story can unfold richly and mysteriously.

"... dreams don't always have to be practical. That's why they're dreams. And now ours live and die together."

Margaret Welty is a stunning protagonist that is coming to terms with her loneliness and identity within her house/ life ever since her mother left roughly four months and hasn't been seen since. She's not looking for anything when Weston "Wes" Winters, a wannabe apprentice for alchemy, appears on her doorstep wishing to be her mom's next alchemist student. He can't seem to keep an apprenticeship to save his life, and Margaret finally relents in letting him wait out for her mom. But... the thing is Margaret has zero clue when her mom will be back and is pretty certain she'd deny Wes in an instant. Let's just let the wait drive down Wes's interest.

Then, the two are swept up in the Halfmoon Hunt. Whichever duo can kill the infamous and deadly hala (white magical fox) gets prize money, fame/ recognition, and maybe could persuade Margaret's mom to return and teach Wes. Thus, the two make an unpredictable duo in the hunt, and they work through alchemy, enemies, and time constraints to hatch a plan to win it all.

"No one knows how to hurt you if you always play fool. No one can truly be disappointed in you if they don't expect any better."

Again, I'm in love with this story. The writing aches with emotions abound, and it's such a softly poetic prose too. Back when I read Down Comes the Night, I recognized Saft's gift with writing, but she made it stronger with this sequel. The pacing was my only issue with her debut, so it's incredible to watch Saft's growth within her second book. I never felt the plot dragging or the need for quick action. She stole my attention form the start and never looked back!

The romance is just so sweet too! Margaret and Wes, in many ways, remind me of the couples where the woman knows how to do everywhere while the man is just a clutzy mess. They're both so endearing to one another, and I love how they push each other to new limits. Wes even says so to Margaret herself that he has never worked harder or better than by her side. My heart! Both are the perfect whole to not only succeeding but also tracking down this mess of a hala. Readers will love their slow burn romance as well as their easy friendship at the start. Nothing is forced, and I'm so thankful Saft chose to hold their kiss for later in the novel. Absolutely incredible!

"Alchemy makes monsters of men."

Something I knew going into this story was that Allison Saft was going to include Jewish-coded themes and antisemitism. Margaret is Yu'adir and experiences a lot of antisemitism throughout the course of the novel (from microaggressions to attempted murder even). It's worse because Margaret is alone when the novel starts after both her parents have left her to fend for herself against the cruelties of the town. She's even afraid to mention her heritage to Wes throughout the first half of the novel because she loves their friendship and doesn't want him to treat her differently. Although, an element to this story that I did not know about was Wes's heritage. His faith is Sumic, which in my opinion is heavily coded with Catholicism, and he's Banvish, which reminds me of the Irish. I could be wrong with either, but as an Irish Catholic myself, I just felt a sudden deep kinship to this story. My partner is both Jewish and Catholic too, so I saw him throughout a significant portion of this story because conversations come up of Margaret and Wes being together. Overall, in my opinion, the religious persecution, anti-immigrant, and nationalism against these identities were handled respectfully. I cried a few times because I wanted to protect both with all my heart. I think many readers can learn and feel for this world as a somewhat foil of our own, especially because it reminded me of the 1920s/ earlier 1900s.

While the hunt is short in comparison to the whole novel, I think A Far Wilder Magic is much more about the journey to the hunt rather than the hunt itself. Yes, the hunt climaxes the plot, but Margaret and Wes have to come into their own before evening journeying down that path. The alchemy and lore itself could drive one's interest, but the characters solidify the complexity and magnificence in the storytelling.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Stories weren't meant to be questioned. They were answers in and of themselves. They were meant to preempt any questions you might ever have, to steal the words right from your mouth."

Ava Reid writes pure poetry amidst the pain of darkness and horror. Wow.

"It was an awful feeling, to draw secrets like blood, without the person even knowing that the needle was in them."

Juniper & Thorn is a gothic/ horror modern fairytale that blends trauma with magic. It takes inspiration from the Brothers' Grimm story The Juniper Tree, and while it is one of the darkest books that I've ever read, it does not do it to be outlandish. There are moments of joy that are brighter than stars, albeit few and far between. It’s a story that will unsettle, traumatize, and even trigger people in many ways, but it’s gothic and that’s innate to the genre. It’s what the genre asks its readers to be prepared to endure. Obviously, all of this means that as a reader you must contemplate if this is a novel that you can handle. It’s not for everyone and that’s okay— come back when Ava releases A Study in Drowning— because, ultimately, it is better to know one’s limits and do what’s best for your own mental health.

"Magic was always like that: it had ugly undersides. Wanting anything was a trap."

I don’t usually read horror books because a lot have that gimmicky feeling to them like horror movies. Yet Ava Reid’s writing and plot remind me of Mary Shelley in Frankenstein with her eloquent but horrific (not in a “bad” writing way) prose. For example, Mary Shelley was influenced by her trauma with childbirth (her mother died giving birth to her) when she wrote Frankenstein. The grotesque monster is the result of decades worth of pain and suffering and self hate. The reason I bring this up is because I know Ava Reid has mentioned this book is built off of their own personal traumas too. All of these negative, traumatic emotions build within Juniper & Thorn out of purpose and healing. It makes me think deeply about loyalty and freedom and morality— to name a few themes. I wasn't sure this novel would pack the punch that The Wolf and the Woodsman did because I loved Ava's debut so much, but somehow it surpassed it. It is as raw as an open wounded heart, and this is the kind of literature that feels most human to me.

"People want to ruin things that are clean and new. It's no fun stamping through old dirty snow."

I'm in awe of Marlinchen, amidst the good and bad. I'm in awe of her journey and her ability to love, particularly for those who don’t deserve it or return the same to her. She’s so endlessly loyal to her loved ones, which leans into her naïveté because she loves so much even when the red flags fly rampant. I saw myself in her in those moments, not necessarily because we share similar experiences, but because we are built to love and help and give so much of ourselves that we leave nothing for us in return. That we ignore the bad signs until it is too late, and people will take advantage of us because they see our blindness in that moment. I don't really have words to explain this book other that the multitude of emotions that rolled through me like a giant wave, so I hope my analogies and metaphors are making sense.

"Magic is the first sip of good wine that makes the edges of your vision blur. Magic is the cool breeze of the boardwalk at night and organ music in the air. Magic is landing a grand jeté and nearly going deaf with the crowd's applause. Magic is the low flicker of tavern lights and the girl you're courting leaning close so you can kiss."

As you can tell by my insane amount of quotes within this review, I love Ava's writing style. If you saw my review of their debut, then you already know how poetically brillant the prose is. I tried to pick a variety of examples for both the grotesque elements within this particular book, and the obvious talent Ava has to evoke emotions of insurmountable feeling within the written word. I truly cannot wait for more books by them. They’re a master storyteller from the purple prose to realistic depictions of humans doing imperfectly human things, and I'll scream for Ava Reid as a recommendation until the end of my days.

"You can take my heart and liver; slit open my belly and eat what's inside. I would sooner bear it than lose you to those who call you plain-faced, who make you kneel and kiss their feet. Do not leave me alone. Do not leave me to lick my wounds like a dog before it's put down. Do not look at the truth of me and then look away."

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for sending me a review copy.

“What was a story except a berry you ate over and over again, until your lips and tongue were red and every word you spoke was poison?”

“Empires are built and maintained with words. Swords are mere precedent to the quill.”

If you’re looking for a grim dark, expansive fantasy, look no further than The Justice of the King.TJOK is about Sir Konrad Vonvalt, an esteemed Justice to the Empire, and his experiences as problems ignite across the Empire— told through the POV of Helena Sedanka, his protégé. Vonvalt, Helena, and Bressinger (Vonvalt's muscle) never expected one aristocratic murder to unveil a secret conspiracy to destroy the Empire itself, but they’re certainly going to try to stop it with every measure possible. They'll run into loads of betrayal, vengeance, first love, and plenty of intimidating standoffs. Any fantasy lover will adore this story for its complexity. I’m obsessed with this convoluted Empire of morally grey people and conspiracies. It's a perfect blend of fantasy and detective genres.

"‘Tis both as tangled as a spider’s web and yet as simple as day versus night.”

What I loved most about this story was the slow build in world building. It’s been a while since I read a fantasy book that was THIS successful at not info dumping or overwhelming the reader. Part of this is due to the small scale events at the start of the novel that build to bigger and grander issues. You never realize how one moment can define any entire historical turning point, specifically such a small event in retrospect, but TJOK proves small moments can be the catalyst. It was a masterful way to start this series, and I’m in love to be frank.

“The wise man arms himself with knowledge before a sword.”

Onto the characters specifically— Helena is a magnificent protagonist! I didn't know going into the book that the narrator was Helena, so it was a wonderful surprise. You come to find out she’s writing down her life following Vonvalt, and readers get amazing insight into her recollection of the past and these relationships. Bressinger and Helena have absolutely wonderful banter, somewhat sibling-like while Vonvalt and Helena defintiely vibe with that stereotypical father-daughter bond. Helena is one of the few instances that Vonvalt actually shows his softer side compared to the stern, serious Justice everyone else sees, and I loved that their relationship was a central part of the plot. The end scene specifically in the whorehouse is one of my all time favorite scenes because of what it not only means for Vonvalt's character but Helena too as his protégé. In general, Helena acknowledges she was not perfect, but whoever is perfect at nineteen? She's young and prone to making bad decisions, but I loved that about her and even the boys too because they certainly aren't anywhere near perfect either.

"All may be judged by the law, so all may uphold it."

Lastly, the magic is another great element to this story. The biggest magical use throughout TJOK is the Emperor’s Voice, an intimidating magic that forces people to speak the truth and answer questions. It's only commanded by Justices and takes nearly a decade to learn. The first time it was used I was not expecting it at all, so it sent endless shivers down my spine... and that’s not even involving the necromancy! Magic plays a bit of a side part to this fantasy until the end, but I loved that. I'm near certain book two is going to go into greater depth since everyone left is returning to Sova. The hidden magics certainly scared me in the end, so I'm curious about what Swan has up his sleeve next.

Thank you to Orbit Books for a finished copy to review!

“I am death. And you… You are life.”
“…Does that mean we cannot exist as one?”
“No… It means that without you, I am nothing.”

ARE is my first novel of Rebecca’s, and it stole me away within its first few pages. It’s my first five star fantasy rating of 2022, and I couldn’t be more excited to bestow that on this book. The storytelling and atmosphere of this novel are so viscerally poignant but also extremely hopeful. The hope drives this novel to its core along with love, duty, and change. Plus, the melancholy of young girls disappearing and the threat of war to the West are imminent, but so much joy is found amongst the characters. I laughed more than I expected to, and I’ll be thinking of the Old Menace for quite some time.

I would describe this novel as a modern fairytale. It feels like a story that’s been told in Grimms Fairytales or something along those lines, but it is a new 21st century release. Rebecca masterfully blends this air of history, fairytale world building into a seamless whole. If you couldn't tell, I'm quite obsessed with it. For anyone looking for comp recs, I'd say it is perfect for fans of The Starless Sea, The Binding, and Once Upon a River.

Readers will find a character that matches them within this story. Could be Sidra or Adaira… Maybe Jack. Mirin possibly. Torin for sure. Each of them have a role to play in this story because they’re so individual and drenched in self discovery. I simply loved the breath of their personalities and head spaces.

Anyway, I’m going to impatiently but patiently wait for A Fire Endless, and I’m praying to all the spirits on Cadence that it does release in December like Goodreads says. In the meantime, I’ll be devouring all of Rebecca’s other novels.

Thank you Harper Voyager for a finished copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“We are but fevered stars… here a little while, bright, bright with promise, before we burn away.”

The sequel picks up right where Black Sun left off, and the city of Tova, even the world at large, has descended into chaos and extreme political maneuvering due to the sun's loss. As an overview, there’s definitely less action, in my opinion, in the sequel than book one, so be aware of that going into it. Fevered Star suffers a bit from second book syndrome, which was disappointing to realize while I read it. I was imagining a full five star review like Black Sun, but this sequel is building in intensity. I loved the characters and politics enough to enjoy the setup, but setup is still setup within a novel. I’m nearly positive the third book is going to be incredible in a terrifyingly good but horrific way. Do I wish we could just skip to book three now? Of course but the wait'll be worth it— hopefully.

Roanhorse’s writing is still eloquent and captivating. I love how witty she is with banter— even amidst the apparent apocalypse of this fantasy world. It’s a wonderful contrast to the brutality taking place in most of the scenes. I'm curious to see people's opinions on Serapio, and if they've changed. I love that Rebecca went in the direction to have him question everything's he's ever known. It suits him perfectly because he's fulfilled his duty. He wasn't supposed to survive the end of Black Sun, so to see him coming to terms with this new reality, is extremely interesting. Is he slowly turning into more of a villainous lead? Yes. Do I dig it 110%? OBVIOUSLY. I wish we could've seen it sooner because a part of my will always be on Serapio's side screaming at him to burn everything but Xiala.

Also to answer more character questions— Xiala is still my favorite character by far. She’s the funny, empathetic, and dynamic lead that I remember from book one. One of my selfish critiques is that I wish we had more time with her because more Xiala means at least so witty sass to break up the weight of this dark fantasy. Her plot did seem to be more chaotic, ironic enough, in Fevered Star, but I think that partly had to do with her constant traveling and new companions. She seemed to be the biggest setup of the characters— disappointingly— but at least now we're getting to see her journey back to her homeland (AKA one of the most interesting plots to me).

We actually got more time with Okoa in this installment, which was great since I love his portion of the plot. He really steps up his game in this installment, and I loved seeing him play this chess game for power alongside the other characters, especially his sister because he's torn in the beginning to follow his clan/ family or choose Serpaio like they're supposed to.

Naranpa... well Nara is a giant spoiler, so I'll be leaving her as a big question mark in this review. I think her journey surprised me the most of the five. She's always been this quiet but strong lead, and I love her slow build into the figure she becomes by the end. The ending is truly where this book shines, and as a lil' nudge, it does have to do with Nara. All of the conversations and whispers hit an end point with this culminating moment that just was everything. The slowness in the beginning and middle is worth it just for this point in the plot and that’s all I can say about that.. *wink wink*