Review: I cannot even begin to express how much I love Holly Black’s adult debut novel! "Book of Night" is SO good! 

 

The story is told from multiple perspectives, many of the chapters alternating between the past and the present. I really enjoyed watching obscure details only briefly mentioned in the past end up playing a larger role in the mystery that unfolds in the present. Black masks the breadcrumbs she leaves with her wonderful prose and elements of urban fantasy, making the plot twists all the more shocking! 

 

The world Black creates in “Book of Night” is complex and unique. Humans that  are “shadowless” are rumored to be missing a piece of themselves. Humans that are still in possession of their shadow are able to try their hand at accessing shadow magic, the first step in becoming a gloamist. Gloamists are able to pursue different magic disciplines. Carapaces focus on their own shadows to do things like fly or armor themselves. Masks concentrate on unraveling the secrets of the universe. Puppeteers send their shadows to do things in secret. Alterationists manipulate the shape of shadows. Representatives from each discipline are chosen to form the Cabal, a group that regulates shadow magic and hunts and traps blights (shadows are not attached to anything). All in all, I found the idea of shadows being conscious extremely fascinating. I was completely sucked into the story by Black’s detailed descriptions of the magic system and the shadows themselves. 

 

Charlie Hall, the main character, is very intriguing. She can’t seem to ever escape trouble. Instead, she embraces chaos, which I really like. She is smart, quick on her feet, a master thief and great liar. Based upon the cliffhanger at the end of “Book of Night,” I have a feeling that Charlie won’t be stepping away from a life of crime anytime soon. Holly if you are reading this, I need book two asap!! 

Review: I really wanted to love the final novel in the cursebreakers trilogy, but it was just not for me. 

The characters I knew and loved from books 1 & 2 completely changed in “A Vow So Bold and Deadly.” Rhen falls prey to his insecurities and lashes out. Harper lets fear and anger cloud her decision making. Grey truly becomes “scary Grey,” treating Harper so coldly. Lia Mara allows Nolla Verin, her sister, to undermine her, portraying her as a weak ruler. So much of the conflict created between these characters was unnecessary and could have easily been resolved had they communicated with each other. 

I was most disappointed by the novel’s ending. Two of my favorite characters got the short end of the stick, leaving me feeling upset, confused, and unsatisfied.

All that being said, there are many aspects of “A Vow So Bold and Deadly” that I enjoyed. Kemmerer’s writing is just fantastic. As with the previous two books, it did not take long for me to become fully immersed in the world she created. Alternating between Harper, Rhen, Grey, and Lia Mara’s perspectives felt natural and the fighting sequences were not hard to follow. 

While this novel is not my favorite, I am excited to return to Emberfall in “Forging Silver into Stars!”

Review: “A Heart So Fierce and Broken” is not the sequel I was expecting, but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

While the first novel is told from the perspective of Rhen and Harper, this story is told from Grey and Lia Mara’s points-of-view. 

Lia Mara, the daughter of Karis Luran and heir to the Syhl Shallow throne, is a new addition to the series. She is soft hearted, yet fiercely protective of her kingdom. I enjoyed reading her chapters for several reasons, the first being that her character offers the viewpoint of a rival kingdom. Before “A Heart So Fierce and Broken,” the reader was only exposed to life in Emberfall. Lia Mara allows the reader to fully explore Syhl Shallow, a kingdom that is unique in that the heir to the throne is not selected based upon birth order. 

Another reason I appreciate Lia Mara’s chapters is because they highlight the strong bond that she has with her sister, Nolla Verin. Though both sisters are very different in nature, their love for each other is unbreakable. 

“A Heart So Fierce and Broken” also has much to offer in the way of romance. Kemmerer creates great chemistry between Lia Mara and Grey. The two begin as enemies from rival kingdoms, but fate allows them to turn into something more. It was touching to watch Grey, who once forswore relationships as a soldier, slowly fall in love and give someone his heart. 

My only gripe with this novel is the portrayal of Rhen and Harper’s characters. Rhen is unnecessarily awful and cruel in “A Heart So Fierce and Broken.” His actions left me disgusted by the end and I was even more taken aback by Harper’s passivity. It is clear that she knows that Rhen is in the wrong, but does not challenge his decisions. They just were not the same characters from book 1, which was disappointing.

Regardless, I look forward to reading the epic conclusion to the Cursebreakers trilogy and catching up with Tycho in “Forging Silver into Stars.” He is a precious little bean!

Review: “A Curse So Dark and Lonely” is the “Beauty and the Beast” retelling of my dreams! Kemmerer tells the story from Rhen and Harper’s points-of-view, giving us both Belle and the Beast’s perspectives, which I enjoyed. 

While Rhen share’s the Beast’s arrogance, Harper is no Belle. She’s much better! When she is kidnapped from Washington DC and taken to the land of Emberfall, she is no longer able to benefit from her brother’s protection. She learns how to handle an assortment of weapons in order to defend herself in her new environment, transforming into a badass warrior princess. 

Her cerebral palsy does not get in the way of her becoming this version of herself and she proves to the people around her that she can do anything able-bodied people can do. I truly love the dis/ability representation in this novel!

Rhen also undergoes many changes as a character. He initially isolated himself from his kingdom to protect his people from the beast. Harper helps him come to the realization that his absence was more harmful than helpful. His arrogance slowly gives way to selflessness, showing that deep down inside he has always cared for his people and would give his life for them. 

Kemmerer writes slow burn well! Rhen falls first. He grows fiercely protective of Harper and does everything he can to get her home, acknowledging that her departure would leave him prey to the curse. The longer Harper stays in Emberfall, however, the more she falls in love with the kingdom and the prince she thought was her enemy. 

There is just so much to love about this book, which is why it instantly made my favorites list! If you have not read “A Curse So Dark and Lonely” already, do yourself a favor and pick it up!

Review: Sabaa Tahir draws from her own lived experiences to create this heart-wrenching novel and I cannot even begin to express how powerful it is. “All My Rage” needs to be read and it needs to be taught.

The novel is told from the perspective of three different characters—Misbah, Salahudin, and Noor—spanning across generations. They are all intertwined by faith, friendship, and the real issues they grapple with (many of which tore my heart right out of my chest) as they navigate life in the United States as Pakistani-Americans. 

Misbah, Salahudin’s mother, has many hopes and dreams. But after tragedy strikes, her husband, whom she was arranged to marry, becomes an alcoholic. She struggles to shield her son in a foreign country and seek the treatment she needs to combat her newly diagnosed kidney disease. 

Noor’s family dies in an earthquake in Pakistan. She is forced to abandon her culture when she moves into her uncle’s house in the United States. She experiences physical abuse under his care and discrimination at school. 

Salahudin loses his mom to disease and his father to alcohol. He nearly loses Noor, his best friend, when he is caught dealing drugs to afford the expenses surrounding his family’s motel. 

I seriously cannot say enough about this book. It left me broken. “All My Rage” is definitely Tahir’s best work. She leaves the reader feeling raw and I admire her strength in telling this story.

If you have not read this book yet, I urge you to do so. The representation provided by this novel is extremely important, as it reflects the hardships experienced by so many immigrants and people of different ethnic backgrounds in the United States.

Review: “Believe Me” was everything I could have hoped for and more!

One of my favorite aspects of this novella is that it is told from Warner’s point-of-view. With the dust beginning to settle after the fall of The Reestablishment, Warner begins to realize how important friendships are and that happiness is in his future. Believe me when I say that heartstrings were tugged as Warner began to let people in and lean on them. 

Another aspect I enjoyed was Warner’s interactions with “dog.” What an iconic duo! Every time they shared the page together I couldn’t help but laugh. 

Of course, my favorite moments are whenever Warner and Juliette are together. His love for Juliette in this novella feels all too real and the content is WAY MORE mature than the other books in the series. There are no more fade to black scenes, allowing the reader to get to know Warner and Juliette more intimately. 

Reading from Warner’s perspective also gives the reader access to his feelings. In “Believe Me,” Warner comments on how disgusted he feels by those who romanticize and objectify him. His feelings shed light on the very real issue of the sexual objectification of men. Objectification is known to increase mental health problems, self-consciousness, and body shame. I appreciate how he draws attention to this issue and emphasizes his desire to be viewed as a whole person. 

Reading the final few pages of “Believe Me” was bittersweet. Though my heart grows heavy at the thought of not receiving any new written material, I can rest easy knowing that all my favorite characters are alive and well. 

Review: I cannot believe I have reached the end of the “Shatter Me” series! It is crazy to think that after six books and four novellas that my time with Juliette, Warner, and Kenji is coming to an end.

“Imagine Me” gave me the ending to the series that I wanted, but I didn’t think the book was particularly necessary. The novel itself repeated a lot of the previous book’s plot points. It became pretty apparent that “Ignite Me” was meant to be the original ending to the “Shatter Me” series because every book that came thereafter was a bit repetitive. 

That being said, I would read trash if it meant I could spend more time with Juliette. I loved reading from her and Kenji’s points-of-view and Warner once again proved that he is boyfriend material by putting Juliette’s life before his own. His relationship with her is just so precious and he is an absolute wreck when he is kept apart from her. Unfortunately, Juliette and Warner spend most of the novel separated, resulting in less romantic moments between the two of them.

What sets “Imagine Me” apart from the previous novels is the way in which it is formatted, which I appreciated. The strikethroughs and repetition from book one return as Juliette’s history is rewritten and her memories return. In addition, I thought it was a cool idea to label some sections “Juliette” and other sections “Ella” depending on when she has her memories and when they are being kept from her. 

I loved the direction Mafi took with the epilogue and how it was written from Warner’s point-of-view. I can only hope that Juliette and Warner get their happily ever after in “Believe Me.”

Review: Wow! What a wild ride! I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Defy Me.” 

I love how the story is told from Juliette, Kenji, and Warner’s points-of-view. Each perspective is distinctive from one another and fills in the gaps before they are formed, especially when other characters are incapacitated. 

In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed how some of the perspectives included flashbacks woven intermittently into the present. These flashbacks allow the reader to explore the memories and past lives of characters like Juliette and Warner, which is extremely important. 

As with the other “Shatter Me” novels, the prose in “Defy Me” is phenomenal. Mafi’s descriptive language is beautifully written and is, in my opinion, a defining aspect of the series as a whole.

I cannot believe I only have one more book to go! I’ve spent so much time with Mafi’s world and her characters that I am fearful of the book slump I will surely be in after reading “Believe Me.”

Review: After learning that “Ignite Me” was originally meant to be the last book in the “Shatter Me” trilogy, I wasn’t sure what more could be introduced in “Restore Me.” Man am I glad Mafi decided to extend the series because WOW!

For the first time in the series, “Restore Me” alternates between Juliette and Warner’s points-of-view, which I found both intriguing and exciting. Providing two separate, but intertwined perspectives made the revelations about their pasts that much more shocking. 

I really appreciated how “Restore Me” broaches important topics like racism in relation to Kenji’s past. Mafi elaborates upon the discrimination experienced by Kenji and his family as a result of being Japanese immigrants. My heart broke several times, especially after learning how Kenji’s parents passed. 

The novel also has much to offer in the way of diversity. The introduction of new characters like Nazeera, Haider, Valentina, Nicolas, and Stephan provide much needed representation. 

Though no book in the series will ever compare to the masterpiece that is “Ignite Me,” I am so grateful to be given more time to spend in this captivating world.