monarchbooks's Reviews (547)

Even though I absolutely knew Nick didn't kill Amy, I was so convinced he did by the end of part 1

This story is absolutely batshit

This book is fucking hilarious at times and extremely sad at others, but most of all very easy to consume. Loved Will Wheaton as a narrator. 

Perfect for teenage boys:
Male mc ✅️
Comedy (mostly crude humor) ✅️
Very little "kissy stuff" ✅️
Adventure ✅️
Good message ✅️

"She nods and gives me a smile, one that goes back in time and shows me her face from thirty years ago. It looks exactly like mine." SOBBING

If I wasn't so fucking tired from staying up late to reas this book, I'd probably be sobbing. Truly fantastic book for anyone who loves the found family trope. Very manageable high fantasy for anyone who might need an introduction (or a convincing) to that genre. 

I could not put this book down. Seriously. I need to be writing my thesis right now but instead I dedicated nearly the entirety of the last 24 hours to obsessively reading this book. It was insane! I always thought a completely unsympathetic main character was impossible to write but R.F. Kuang managed to do it and that is absolutely a compliment. AND SHE DOESN'T LEARN ANYTHING! I can't figure out why this book is so good because it really shouldn't be, but it is. 
I am a little concerned with how this will translate to a movie as much of the book is the narrators insidious internal thoughts, but I imagine it will be something like You, probably? Hopefully they don't try to make audiences like June. 

Oh the humor, the found family, the mystery, I loved it all. Did I guess the killer in the first 100 pages? Absolutely, but that is a good thing. I wanted to know why so badly, I barely wanted to set down the book. Checking myself into therapy bc of Chapter 36. 

Definitely a bit creepier than the movie, but not as creepy as some people have made it out to be. Loved the tea party with her dolls. 

I only read what was necessary for my class

I have followed Catarine Hancock for years, absolutely amazed by her poetry, and so when I saw that she was releasing a book, I was excited to say the least.

I will admit that I approached this book with caution - fantasy is not typically my genre of choice. However, from the very first page I was sucked in by the worldbuilding and detailed descriptions of magic and training that Catarine wrote. I could envision everything as it was happening.

The characters as well are extremely well thought out. Every character is so distinct that I rarely found myself confusing even the background characters.

The mystery and suspense in this book had me on the edge of my seat constantly, wishing that I did not need to put the book down, and the foreshadowing was very well done. There were times where I felt tense for seemingly no reason and I feel like that is a testament to Catarine's writing because it was as if I was in Kindra's shoes.

And the romance? Suffice to say, I found myself obsessed, particularly during a certain festival scene that for a moment felt straight out of Tangled. 

Thank you to Catarine Hancock for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review (not paid).