Babylonia was a solid read. I really liked the setting and the way Casati brought the ancient world to life. Some parts moved a little slow for me, and I didn’t always feel super emotionally invested in the characters (particularly the male characters), but the story kept me curious enough to stick with it.

The highlight for me was honestly the author’s note at the end. It added a lot of depth and gave me a new appreciation for what Casati was doing with the story. I wish it had been a forward rather than placed at the end. I think the context would’ve made the story more engaging and enjoyable.

Not my favorite, but I’m definitely glad I read it.

At some point this just became a hate read 

Little by Edward Carey is super well-written…his storytelling is really unique, and the world he creates is weird in the best way. I loved how vivid everything felt, from the gritty streets of Paris to all the odd little characters. 

But honestly, I just couldn’t get fully into Marie’s story. It’s not that it wasn’t interesting, it’s just that her life is sad and lonely and after a while, it was hard to stay emotionally connected, I just continuously was angry for her. I felt more like an observer than someone truly rooting for her, and that made it tough to stay invested.

Overall, I’m glad I read it, it’s definitely different and memorable, but it didn’t quite hit me in the heart like I hoped.

Olivie Blake delivers her usual blend of academic chaos and existential dread, but what really stood out for me was the asexual representation. Unfortunately however, that was really the only part of this book that kept me going. The magic and mayhem with the family fortune part just really was not that interesting to me.

While I know this book is not a King Lear retelling, I kept coming back to that thought. The patriarch death and the sibling rivalry, particularly in regards to the youngest, felt very Shakespeare, and I found that super interesting. 

At the end of the day this is a quick read with refreshingly solid queer and ace rep, and a loose relationship to one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays.

I really wanted to love this as much as book one, but the conclusion was just okay for me. A lot of the fire and intensity from the first book is really only present in the first half here…after that, it loses some steam. The shift into middle ground politics felt pretty abrupt. While it made sense for the story, I wish more groundwork had been laid in book one to make it feel more natural. Same goes for the whole concept of Wisdom—it plays a big role here, and I think a bit more world-building around it earlier on would’ve made this book stronger. Overall, it was fine, just not as strong or memorable as the first.

What in the Armie Hammer

Heartless Hunter by Kristin Ciccarelli pulled me in from the very first page and refused to let go. Ciccarelli has a gift for building tension, every chapter is with danger, secrets, and the thrill of what might happen next. Whether it’s the romance, the undercurrent of rebellion, or the constant threat of betrayal, there’s a tension to the storytelling that makes it impossible to stop turning pages.

It reminded me a lot of The Shepherd King duology it had that same dreamy, slightly dangerous atmosphere and characters who feel like they’re always walking a tightrope. Both series have that slow-build intensity that keeps you flipping pages, and an amazing FMC and morally gray love interest that you can’t help but root for. 

This tension-filled romantasy only gets docked .5 stars for me because the book is non-stop. There is not moment to just breathe and take in what is happening because every inch of every chapter is filled with action, sometimes I need a little pause in the pacing to let me take things in. Obviously this was a massive page turner, but still, some softer moments could’ve been great in here. 

Very excited to read book 2!

Good Dirt completely blew me away, I loved everything about this book. Charmaine Wilkerson has such a gift for telling generational stories, and the way she uses a single artifact to tie everything together is just brilliant (she already accomplished this so well in Black Cake, and Good Dirt just continues to show her chops for this kind of storytelling). You really feel the weight of family history in every chapter, how the past defines, shapes, and sometimes haunts the present.

What find most impressive is how she brings traumatic events and real history to life. It never feels heavy-handed…just honest, emotional, and deeply human. Her characters feel so real, and their stories stay with you long after you finish the book. Ebony, Baz, Soh, Avery, Henry, Ed, and so many more… all of them feel deeply thought out, and the Wilkerson’s ability to make you feel connected to everyone is something few authors accomplish. 

This is one of those novels that feels intimate despite its massive scope (1800s-2019), I felt deeply for every character and deeply appreciated the attention to history from Wilkerson. Absolutely worth the read.

PS: the author’s note mentions many of the history books that guided her writing journey, I look forward to hopefully diving into those as well!