jaduhluhdabooks's Reviews (333)

What an ENDING. I can’t say I saw ANY of this coming honestly.

I thought yah boi was gonna die fr

Ok. Coming out of book two I was ready to shelf this series but Leigh really brings it around. I NEEDED growth from Mal. Needed it and received it. Which, I’m so grateful for. He has some BANGER one liners in here. 

I think the Darkling is such a wonderfully written character. Because I LOVED his psycho ass. In the end, he just wanted connection and when you learn Bahgra’s stories you realize that he was just a boy who learned much more than how to wield his power from his mother. He saw her hurt and her pain and her sorrow at never being seen or known and vowed to find someone… anyone who make sure … ensure that he never was. It was a generational cycle and a layeredly woven story that Leigh weaved SO WELL.


I think I can’t give this book 5 stars because at the end of the day… Alina’s character was so obnoxiously stagnant. Like move a little. Digress much more. I just felt her character wobbling from understanding to “woe is me” - but I also understood that she was a girl who has a lot of unprocessed traumas and for that, I can extend grace. I’m happy she got her Mal or whatever. I would’ve actually taken Nikolai all the way THE FUCK up in his offer ten times over. 


Genya’s story is the most beautiful out of all the characters I believe and what really saved this series for me. “I am not ruin, I am ruination.” YES. POWER. she is and she deserves the world and so much more. Ugh. 

It was a sweet ending. 

Would’ve been ok if Mal stayed dead but whatever I get why she lowkey had to bring him back… anyways.

Before this book I was not sure who Chef Kwame, and as I finish this book I am once again, honored to have sat and listened to someone’s journey. 

I was surprised to find that Chef Kwame was 30… only a few years older than me and still so much life to live and yet, I could tell from this narrative alone that life had dealt him many hands and with each he lived and learned. 

I am always going to uplift Black narratives because they’re a significant part of history and they deserve to exist in the everyday and struggle and life of the world without scrutiny or idolatry. Chef Kwame’s accounts are rich and real and extremely raw in their telling. From the walls of his home to the stoves in his kitchen, there’s so much for him to know and learn. 

My hope is that he continues cooking and opens many restaurants and eventually finds healing from his relationship with his dad. 

As someone who’s embarking on a monumental year in a few mi the this book has given me so much to dream about and research and makes plans for! It’s exciting and new and different and I can’t wait. I’m so excited. It gives you both life changing and reflective suggestions and I think that’s an important part of dreaming.

I would say I docked half a star because this updated edition, still has the Tokyo Olympics as a bucket list item and that was 4 years ago!

This was such a cute little novella and game design and all the things incorporated was gentle and sweet. 

Jesse and Viola are so adorable and widely uncommunicative 💀
But can I just say I adore that Lah confronted Jesse and said “yo, do you like me or nah?” And I said HEARD.

It was just a fun listen and cute and the spice was sort of weird and always interesting via audio so I was like more cringe than “ooo get ittt.” Anyways. Forever keeping up with my Hazelverse reads.