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I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
While I was incredibly excited to read this book (The Great Gatsby meets witches? Yes please), it just didn't quite work for me. I'm a stickler for a good magic system that makes sense, and the one in Wicked and Wild Things made absolutely no sense at all -- it had no real rules to follow and was never really explained in a satisfying way (side note: I struggle with blood magic because often the characters bleed so much that there is simply no way for them to actually survive their own story). For me, this is one of the ways a fantasy book falls apart. In addition (and honestly, probably more importantly), I never warmed to the characters. I found both Annie and Emmeline totally two dimensional and flat and honestly, just not that interesting. I didn't get the chemistry between them or really understand why they even liked each other. Ironically, the character I liked was totally despicable and probably we're supposed to hate.
Wild and Wicked Things is a book that will definitely be loved by some readers, but it wasn't one that worked for me. It was pure vibes, but didn't really contain anything of substance. I did, however, really like the author's writing style -- I look forward to checking out her next book.
CW: lots of cutting and blood, on- and off-page domestic violence
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
While I was incredibly excited to read this book (The Great Gatsby meets witches? Yes please), it just didn't quite work for me. I'm a stickler for a good magic system that makes sense, and the one in Wicked and Wild Things made absolutely no sense at all -- it had no real rules to follow and was never really explained in a satisfying way (side note: I struggle with blood magic because often the characters bleed so much that there is simply no way for them to actually survive their own story). For me, this is one of the ways a fantasy book falls apart. In addition (and honestly, probably more importantly), I never warmed to the characters. I found both Annie and Emmeline totally two dimensional and flat and honestly, just not that interesting. I didn't get the chemistry between them or really understand why they even liked each other. Ironically, the character I liked was totally despicable and probably we're supposed to hate.
Wild and Wicked Things is a book that will definitely be loved by some readers, but it wasn't one that worked for me. It was pure vibes, but didn't really contain anything of substance. I did, however, really like the author's writing style -- I look forward to checking out her next book.
CW: lots of cutting and blood, on- and off-page domestic violence
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I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
Having loved Foley's The Hunting Party and loathed The Guest List (I get angrier every time I think about that stupid ending -- I should lower my GR rating), I was very curious to see what I'd think of her third book.
The Paris Apartment starts out strong -- we have a missing man, a concerned sister, and an apartment building filled with shifty characters. I really loved the general weirdness in the first half of the book -- Foley does a great job of ramping up the tension and the sense that something is very wrong. I also really enjoyed the revelations made in the middle of the book! However after that, I feel like a lot of that tension and mystery was lost in the second half. By the time the book came to a close, I felt a little underwhelmed. It was, however, still a good read and I would recommend it for thriller readers, but I just don't think she stuck the landing.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
Having loved Foley's The Hunting Party and loathed The Guest List (I get angrier every time I think about that stupid ending -- I should lower my GR rating), I was very curious to see what I'd think of her third book.
The Paris Apartment starts out strong -- we have a missing man, a concerned sister, and an apartment building filled with shifty characters. I really loved the general weirdness in the first half of the book -- Foley does a great job of ramping up the tension and the sense that something is very wrong. I also really enjoyed the revelations made in the middle of the book! However after that, I feel like a lot of that tension and mystery was lost in the second half. By the time the book came to a close, I felt a little underwhelmed. It was, however, still a good read and I would recommend it for thriller readers, but I just don't think she stuck the landing.
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I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is an absolutely stunning book. I read it over the course of several months -- it's a bit of a slow burn and my focus has admittedly been a bit off -- however, it kept me coming back and pulled me in every single time I returned to it.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a story of family, loyalty, love, survival, and betrayal and I got lost in Tan's beautiful writing. She does an incredible job of creating a lush and gorgeous writing style that's slow and meandering, but absolutely demands your attention. I loved Xingyin's journey and growth, as well as her sense of loyalty to her roots.
I thought I knew where this book was going, but oh boy was I wrong. I am a big advocate of the ol' DNF, but this is one of the few I'd recommend sticking out to the end. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is an early contender for my best book of 2022.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
CW: brief attempted assault
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is an absolutely stunning book. I read it over the course of several months -- it's a bit of a slow burn and my focus has admittedly been a bit off -- however, it kept me coming back and pulled me in every single time I returned to it.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a story of family, loyalty, love, survival, and betrayal and I got lost in Tan's beautiful writing. She does an incredible job of creating a lush and gorgeous writing style that's slow and meandering, but absolutely demands your attention. I loved Xingyin's journey and growth, as well as her sense of loyalty to her roots.
I thought I knew where this book was going, but oh boy was I wrong. I am a big advocate of the ol' DNF, but this is one of the few I'd recommend sticking out to the end. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is an early contender for my best book of 2022.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
CW: brief attempted assault
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I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
I absolutely adored Raybearer -- it was one of my best books of 2020 -- and was so hyped for the sequel! While Redemptor didn't have quite the same shine as Raybearer, it's a fantastic sequel and wonderful end to this duology. Tarisai's journey is incredibly satisfying and I just loved her friendships and relationships with the other characters in the book. This is easily a top tier example of the found family trope.
My only wish is that we had an extra 100 pages or so to explore some of the journeys in this book! There were so many incredible scenarios brought up and I'd have loved to learn a little more.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
I absolutely adored Raybearer -- it was one of my best books of 2020 -- and was so hyped for the sequel! While Redemptor didn't have quite the same shine as Raybearer, it's a fantastic sequel and wonderful end to this duology. Tarisai's journey is incredibly satisfying and I just loved her friendships and relationships with the other characters in the book. This is easily a top tier example of the found family trope.
My only wish is that we had an extra 100 pages or so to explore some of the journeys in this book! There were so many incredible scenarios brought up and I'd have loved to learn a little more.
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I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
This book ruined my life. 10/10 would recommend.
But seriously, RJ is one of my favourite authors for a reason. The Bone Ship's Wake is a beautiful end to a beautiful series. He closed out an amazing plot perfectly and ended each character's story arc in an incredibly satisfying way. This is easily one of the best conclusions I've ever read.
If you haven't picked up RJ's book, especially the Tide Child trilogy, you're missing out on one of the most talented fantasy authors writing today.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
This book ruined my life. 10/10 would recommend.
But seriously, RJ is one of my favourite authors for a reason. The Bone Ship's Wake is a beautiful end to a beautiful series. He closed out an amazing plot perfectly and ended each character's story arc in an incredibly satisfying way. This is easily one of the best conclusions I've ever read.
If you haven't picked up RJ's book, especially the Tide Child trilogy, you're missing out on one of the most talented fantasy authors writing today.
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I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
The older I get, the more rare it is that I'll stay up until 4am reading a good book. So when I say that The Last House on Needless Street not only kept me up until 4am, I also sat in the bath long after the water went old to finish it, that really means something.
I don't even know where to begin when it comes to talking about this book. It's weird and twisted and totally compelling -- I've never really read anything like it. I can see this one being hit or miss for readers (it is, after all, very strange -- one of the POV characters is a cat), however I just absolutely loved it. I couldn't put it down!
I don't want to say too much about this one because you should know as little as possible going in, but pick up The Last House on Needless Street if you're looking for a messed up, twisted, and totally unique thriller. Not for the faint of heart.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
CW: Child abuse, lots and lots of trauma
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
The older I get, the more rare it is that I'll stay up until 4am reading a good book. So when I say that The Last House on Needless Street not only kept me up until 4am, I also sat in the bath long after the water went old to finish it, that really means something.
I don't even know where to begin when it comes to talking about this book. It's weird and twisted and totally compelling -- I've never really read anything like it. I can see this one being hit or miss for readers (it is, after all, very strange -- one of the POV characters is a cat), however I just absolutely loved it. I couldn't put it down!
I don't want to say too much about this one because you should know as little as possible going in, but pick up The Last House on Needless Street if you're looking for a messed up, twisted, and totally unique thriller. Not for the faint of heart.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
CW: Child abuse, lots and lots of trauma
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I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
I've always been a fan of Naomi Novak's writing, from Temeraire to Uprooted, she's a fabulously talented fantasy author. So naturally, I was dying to get my paws on a copy of A Deadly Education, and I ended up loving it.
I love the magic school trope, and A Deadly Education is a dark, funny, and brutal look at the most dangerous magic school you could possibly imagine. I loved the school setting, the idea of 'graduation', the monsters and magic, everything. The characters were wonderfully written and complex, and I really loved the relationships (or lack thereof) between them.
Highly recommended if you like your magic dark, your cinnamon rolls muscular, and your heroines snarky. I'd also highly recommend the audiobook, which was well narrated and totally addictive. Novak has blessed us by making this series a trilogy and I'm so hyped to read them all!
As a quick note, I know Novak did some rewrites due to the questionable passages in the first edition. It didn't seem like these changes were present in the audiobook.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
I've always been a fan of Naomi Novak's writing, from Temeraire to Uprooted, she's a fabulously talented fantasy author. So naturally, I was dying to get my paws on a copy of A Deadly Education, and I ended up loving it.
I love the magic school trope, and A Deadly Education is a dark, funny, and brutal look at the most dangerous magic school you could possibly imagine. I loved the school setting, the idea of 'graduation', the monsters and magic, everything. The characters were wonderfully written and complex, and I really loved the relationships (or lack thereof) between them.
Highly recommended if you like your magic dark, your cinnamon rolls muscular, and your heroines snarky. I'd also highly recommend the audiobook, which was well narrated and totally addictive. Novak has blessed us by making this series a trilogy and I'm so hyped to read them all!
As a quick note, I know Novak did some rewrites due to the questionable passages in the first edition. It didn't seem like these changes were present in the audiobook.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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The Virago Book of Witches is great collection of witchy stories from around the world. It's a great book to dip in and out of -- I read a few every evening until I was finished. I have always loved fairytales and folklore, and one of the joys of reading this collection was seeing the similarities in lore from countries across the world.
The author has an excellent preface and introduction that are worth a read as well!
The Virago Book of Witches is great collection of witchy stories from around the world. It's a great book to dip in and out of -- I read a few every evening until I was finished. I have always loved fairytales and folklore, and one of the joys of reading this collection was seeing the similarities in lore from countries across the world.
The author has an excellent preface and introduction that are worth a read as well!
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"We earth men have a talent for ruining big, beautiful things."
I really enjoyed this collection of stories following mankind's colonisation of Mars. I didn't expect Bradbury to go as hard as he did (although I probably should have) and this book was much darker than I expected (much to my delight). A poetic, philosophical, and strange novel, The Martian Chronicles speaks on the dangers of colonialism in a way that reflects human history and serves as a warning for our future. Although outdated in some ways, it stands up incredibly well in 2022.
I would highly recommend the audiobook!
"We earth men have a talent for ruining big, beautiful things."
I really enjoyed this collection of stories following mankind's colonisation of Mars. I didn't expect Bradbury to go as hard as he did (although I probably should have) and this book was much darker than I expected (much to my delight). A poetic, philosophical, and strange novel, The Martian Chronicles speaks on the dangers of colonialism in a way that reflects human history and serves as a warning for our future. Although outdated in some ways, it stands up incredibly well in 2022.
I would highly recommend the audiobook!
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I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
The second book in the Monk and Robot series will scratch the same itch as the first -- it's a cosy and philosophical read that explores consent, happiness, mental health, and the wants and needs of human beings. As Mosscap branches out and learns more about humans and the world outside of the familiar wilds, Dex turns inward on a journey of self discovery.
If you prefer your books to have strong plots, this one wont be for you. However, if you enjoy Chambers' signature cosy science fiction with a healthy dose of philosophy, you'll absolutely enjoy A Prayer for the Crown-Shy.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.
The second book in the Monk and Robot series will scratch the same itch as the first -- it's a cosy and philosophical read that explores consent, happiness, mental health, and the wants and needs of human beings. As Mosscap branches out and learns more about humans and the world outside of the familiar wilds, Dex turns inward on a journey of self discovery.
If you prefer your books to have strong plots, this one wont be for you. However, if you enjoy Chambers' signature cosy science fiction with a healthy dose of philosophy, you'll absolutely enjoy A Prayer for the Crown-Shy.