This is the sweetest thing I’ve ever read! Genuinely had tears in my eyes at some points because of how cute it was. The art style is so cute, and I adored all the diverse character representation. Our two MCs had the softest and sweetest personalities, and their interactions were adorable. As a sapphic Asian American, I can’t explain how much it meant to me to see these two lesbian WOC fall in love in such an innocent and tender way <3 I would highly recommend this to a YA or adult audience! This will most likely be in my favorites of the year 

This is my favorite of the Witcher books so far. I actually felt the politics in this one were really interesting, where as the last book I didn’t really care at all lol. This book was so compelling and I continue to love our 4 MCs. I’m loving the progression of Ciri’s arc, and I’m excited to see what’s happening with Yennefer in the next book. We find out more about the prophecy and what it means for our MCs. Also, how many times was the word “contempt” said in this book? lol
Also, this is where we start to get less and less Geralt and more of Ciri.

I know a lot of people do not like this series due to the misogyny. I will say, the misogyny is pretty often in this one, and probably is the worst of the series so far.  There’s a lot of men calling women slurs and a lot of references to men wanting to rape women. These moments are uncomfortable, but i think it’s important to note that they are supposed to be. The author is not making jokes about these things or using them for shock value. That being said, totally understandable if you aren’t comfortable reading it!
Although there are so many powerful female characters in this series, a lot of what they talk about involve men or bitching about other women (except Ciri, who is a more masculine female and therefore “less bitchy”)
I feel the author tries to start conversations about a lot of stereotypical gender based tropes in fantasy such as female virginity, female fertility, female bodily anatomy, prophecy of a prince, legitimate male bloodline, ect. Does it always hit the mark? Not always, but I feel there is intention to the reasoning behind these themes in the book.

Important warning: there is a sexual assault scene at the end of the book. It is not graphic or speaking about the physical action. It is about the confusing feelings of the character that is being assaulted. It is halfway through page 378 through the end of page 380 if you want to skip.

A really important read. I wouldn't say this taught me anything new, but it is the way the message is told that has the impact. This format of a message to his son makes the book feel so deeply personal, and the language and beauty of the authors writing really communicates everything so well.

A good read but a bit disappointing for me. I personally was not able to connect with a few of the stories in this collection, but it did have quite a few standouts as well. I did enjoy LaRocca's descriptive writing, but I did find his style to be repetitive at times. I think his style would work better for me in a novella or novel. Will definitely be checking out more of their work. 

Individual story reviews:

1st story: Too short for it to have an impact. 2.5 stars.
2nd story: Great compact story. 3.5 stars.
3rd story: Loved this one! Tragic and compelling. Loved the blog post aspects. 5 stars.
4th story: Once again, loved! Interesting and horrifying take on an abusive couple. 5 stars.
5th story: Really enjoyed this one, it felt very cinematic. I was stressed lol. 4.5 stars
6th story: Didn't find much interesting about this one. 3 stars.
7th story: I understand the point of the story, just wasn't the best execution for me. 3 stars.
8th story: Didn't like it and didn't understand the reasoning behind any of it. 1.5 star.

Also I find it kind of weird that there’s not a single character that’s described as BIPOC but then we get told that an Italian character was told to use a different name because her name “sounded too ethnic”…..

FANTASTIC ! Absolutely adored this. The horror begins before the actual “demon” enters the story, with grotesque descriptions of what ballet does to the body. Loved the casual queerness. Can’t wait to read the sequel!

This short story did everything it needed to do. It was fun and engaging, with an easy plot and solid characters. This story would’ve been a lot of fun as a novella or novel as well, but I think short and sweet was best. Loved the ending line! Loved the messiness!

This was such a fun and campy read. I can’t remember the last time a book made me genuinely laugh out loud. The MC is funny and easy to root for. Loved all the cats <3 The book feels very present day whilst still feeling very lighthearted. Would definitely recommend! Also appreciated the accurate dolphin rep lol