ARC BOOK REVIEW FOR NETGALLEY


"Contrary to what stories told, being petty, revengeful, and deceitful felt amazing." ~ [b:The Cup and The Prince|55098686|The Cup and The Prince (Kingdom of Curses and Shadows #1)|Day Leitao|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1598268270l/55098686._SY75_.jpg|85899491]





This is the perfect series for fans of the [b:Poison Study|60510|Poison Study (Study, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388519019l/60510._SY75_.jpg|1180409] series and the [b:Throne of Glass|7896527|Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495278054l/7896527._SY75_.jpg|11138426] books. I love how "The Cup and the Prince" has the similar concept of a young girl traveling to a new kingdom and completing dangerous tasks. Just like in "Poison Study" and "Throne of Glass," the main heroine of this novel learns about court intrigue, tries magic spells, and makes important allies. Zora and Griffin's relationship reminds me so much of Yelena and Valek's relationship! If you ship Yelena and Valek, you will fall head over heels for Zora and Griffin. Also, I love that Zora has the same level of sass that Celaena has.


I loved "The Cup and the Prince" because it puts all of my favorite fantasy tropes to great use and abandons all the overrated tropes. For example, yes, the kingdom, knights, and magic trope is overplayed, but Zora breaks tradition by refusing to date any of the princes. She straight out refuses to date anyone until she secures a future for herself. All of the princes are shocked at this turn of events and so was I! I was pleasantly surprised at that the author didn't rush to throw the main heroine into a silly romance.





I have few critiques for this book. If anything, I wanted it to be longer! I know there will be a sequel, but this first novel was extremely short and there are quite a few loose ends. THAT CLIFFHANGER TOO! I am dying to know what is wrong with Griffin. I'm okay with not having all the answers, but I have too many questions and no release date for the next book. I'm praying that the sequel is as amazing as this novel.


I was completely swept away into the beauty and sheer ferocity of this story! Zora is smart and strong, kind and sincere, and sensitive but also terrifying when she has to be. She has all my favorite personality traits that I want in a fictional heroine! Also, her friendship with Mauro is to die for. I love them! I can't wait for this book to premiere on October 15th so I can discuss it with other readers.





Some of my favorite quotes:

"Forget that she'd even accepted to give her body as a gift. She was nobody's gift."

"She squeezed Zora's hand. 'Keep being amazing and representing us. Show these men what a woman can do.'"

"Perhaps in a way his heart had been broken, too. She didn't think much of men's hearts, but didn't mind doing something to alleviate a person's suffering."

"He frowned. 'No. No. Of course not. You can say no to anyone you want anytime you want, even if it's the king of the universe.'"

THIS IS A NETGALLEY ARC REVIEW.


While I enjoyed the diverse representation and unique concept of the story, this book just wasn't for me. First of all, I think the title doesn't fit the book well. I would've preferred the book to be titled after one of the characters' names or a specific setting. The current title feels out of place. Usually, I form emotional connections to all the characters in a book, but I couldn't this time. What impressed me was how the author paid attention to all the ways Prince Larkin was struggling in a new time period. Everything from explaining updated clothes, to plumbing, to laws, and species relationships, it really added depth to the story. This caused me to feel so much empathy for Larkin's character and it made me feel invested in the book's outcome.


I would've loved to see more of Merrick's backstory since I feel his only personality traits are feeling conflicted about his parentage and being attracted to Larkin. While I appreciate Merrick finding someone who loves him, I thought the relationship was too rushed. Larkin had such a difficult time adjusting to his new life so was it really a wise move for him to jump into a relationship with someone from a different time period? It felt more like lust than love. This novel is essential lgbtq representation, but if the novel was longer and if it developed the romance over time, it would be more worthwhile.

3.5 stars

4.5 stars


“You've no right to walk into people's castles and take their guitars.”

--



I appreciate the dear friend who gifted me this book. I'm so glad that I listened to reason and finally read of one [a:Diana Wynne Jones|4260|Diana Wynne Jones|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1193516584p2/4260.jpg]'s stories. Her imagination and witty turns of phrase made this book all the more entertaining. For something that is considered a "kids book," this novel has complex characters both heroic and evil, gorgeous descriptions, wise themes, detailed worldbuilding and elaborate plot points. There's no other work that I can think to compare it to.



This is an explosive fantasy tale of good and evil. It's as classic as [b:The Black Cauldron|24784|The Black Cauldron (The Chronicles of Prydain, #2)|Lloyd Alexander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405377996l/24784._SY75_.jpg|1122077], [b:The Chronicles of Narnia|11127|The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7)|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1449868701l/11127._SY75_.jpg|781271] and [b:Dealing with Dragons|150739|Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #1)|Patricia C. Wrede|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1385526967l/150739._SY75_.jpg|1178402]. To some, "Howl's Moving Castle" is already considered a modern classic and rightly so. It's filled with wonder and spirit, quirky characters and dazzling worlds.

While Calcifer, Howl and Michael are lively characters, Sophie is my favorite. Her spunk and intelligence make her a lovely person. She's just lovely and kind and sweet and I couldn't say a mean word against her. Usually characters like this are dull to read about, but Sophie never was. She's not perfect, but she is a confident person who always makes the right decision. Her personal journey reminded me of the classic Beauty and the Beast story. Sophie, like the beast, has to learn to live with her physical transformation. She goes from living one life to one opposite of that. However, her transformation leads to an adventure and real friends she makes along the way. By her changing forms, the reader sees even more of her inner beauty.



My final thoughts:

- I loved the concept of Howl's former life in our world. It made him even more of a mysterious and enigmatic character. Also it was sweet how protective of his family he was!

- Calcifer is the original sass master. That is all.

- I got the feeling when Michael was first introduced that he would be distrustful of Sophie and would turn out to be the villain. I'm so relieved that didn't happen! He's such a likeable guy.

- I experienced both terror and nervous laughter during the scarecrow scene. Something about it made me wince, shake and laugh at the same time.

- I can't wait to watch the movie!!!!!!!



Favorite Quotes:

“It is quite a risk to spank a wizard for getting hysterical about his hair.”

“Interesting things did seem to happen, but always to somebody else.”

“In the land of Ingary where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of the three. Everyone knows you are the one who will fail first, and worst, if the three of you set out to seek your fortunes.”

THIS IS A NETGALLEY ARC REVIEW.


"The floating market takes shape amid a flutter of torches and spellfire, each pinprick of light tailed by its glittering reflection in the river beneath. The sun is still below the horizon, though hints of peach and copper streak the underside of the cloudlands, hanging far above the clutter of our market." ~ [b:The Other Side of the Sky|40599772|The Other Side of the Sky (The Other Side of the Sky, #1)|Amie Kaufman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1580873392l/40599772._SY75_.jpg|63051844]





While there was nothing inherently wrong with this novel, it just wasn't for me. I wanted to try a different sci-fi book with futuristic elements; however, I wished for this book to go deeper, be more dynamic. There wasn't enough character development, the plot progression was slow, and the book's ending left me unsatisfied.





I usually love character-driven stories, but it felt strange to only have the focus of this book to be on Nimh and North. So many chapters were just spent between the two of them with little to show for it. It felt like they just spent this book walking around and explaining their backstories. I feel like we didn't even get enough backstory on the cat traveling with them! The two main characters had no chemistry - their romance felt forced and the prophecy made it unclear whether they were destined to be together or not. I think my main struggle while reading this book was that I couldn't emotionally connect with any of the characters.





All of the secondary characters were underdeveloped and I didn't understand their motivations. Also, the villain had the potential to be truly, masterfully complex but her storyline felt rushed. Only in the last fifty pages did we get her backstory, and then the cliffhanger left me confused. Did the mist somehow affect her? This was one of those books where the beginning and middle of the plot moved so slowly and the ending was too rushed. Side note: this book gave me such Disney "Treasure Planet"/"Atlantis: The Lost Empire" vibes!

"Nor can we pretend that feminism is fracturing our communities. It’s the patriarchy; it’s always the patriarchy. But the patriarchy has more heads than the Hydra and must be tackled from all sides." ~ [b:Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot|36687229|Hood Feminism Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot|Mikki Kendall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577489813l/36687229._SY75_.jpg|58481445]





The six-month wait for this book was worth it. I can't say enough positive things about this book! The writing is witty, informative, and riveting. I love the way Kendall points out what white feminists are doing wrong, but she points out ways everyone can do better. As a white feminist myself, I found this book to be an inspirational resource. After reading this book, I was left with a warm, happy feeling and believing that I can do my part to make the world a better place. Also, the amount of research that went into this book - so impressive! The use of statistics, articles, quotes, and personal experiences balanced each other out so perfectly.


This is without a doubt one of my new favorite feminist reads and I'm gonna recommend it to every feminist I know! There were some specific moments in the book that really spoke to me. First, I appreciate Kendall's inclusion of statistics and facts about Indigenous women because those are so difficult to find on the Internet!


I love all the nods to the waves of feminism throughout history; acknowledging the Black women that came before her gave this book such dynamic storytelling. For example, I loved the mention of Rosa Parks being involved in the Committee for Equal Justice for Mrs. Recy Taylor because that is too often overlooked in history classes. I've never heard of the terms "misogynoir" and "carceral feminism" and now I feel that those terms are necessary to understand Black feminism.





I appreciate this specific quote: "We think of Beyoncé’s feminism as fierce right up until she turns out to be a human being who loves her spouse more than the idea of the Strong Independent Woman Who Doesn’t Need a Man," because it puts into words something I was thinking about previously. This quote reminded me of how often my feminist girlfriends feel guilty for dating because they think it puts them at odds with being a strong, independent woman. I agree with Kendall that the mere presence of a man in a woman's life doesn't discount her feminist beliefs. Kendall does a superb job explaining that men aren't the enemy so much as they need to be educated to be better allies.


Also, can I just take a moment to say that what sets this book apart is that Kendall actually provides a possible solution to the problems she writes about! So few authors do this. I wish American women could work together long enough to implement this plan Kendall suggests: "Perhaps the best example of what I have in mind is found in the solutions that some women in India and Kenya who were victims of gender-based violence have found. They band together, prioritizing their safety above broader societal narratives about the need for a patriarch to protect them. True feminist solidarity across racial lines means being willing to protect each other, speaking up when the missing women are not from your community, and calling out the ways that predatory violence can span multiple communities."


Finally, Kendall's commentary and thoughts about feminism in the time of the Trump era really motivated me to not give up and to not to feel hopeless. Speaking as someone who looks to history for answers, I totally agreed with Kendall's assessment of President Barack Obama's time in office. When Kendall pointed out the connection between the backlash after President Obama's time in office compared to the backlash of Black men getting into office during the Reconstruction era, my mind was blown! I can't believe more people aren't talking about this. Her commentary was cohesive and focused and full of raw, honest truths like this one: "It’s bad enough that white women won’t even vote to protect themselves; what’s worse is that as a voting bloc they have enough power to harm others." After reading this amazing book, I can't wait to vote in my first presidential election! I am so grateful for this book.





Some of my favorite quotes:

"There is a tendency to debate who is a 'real' feminist based on political leanings, background, actions, or even the kinds of media created and consumed."

"Fight against hunger as hard as you fight for abortion rights or equal pay."

"Portraying Black women and Latinas as promiscuous, American Indian and Asian women as submissive, and all women of color as inferior legitimizes their sexual abuse."

"Depending on who you ask, I am either fiercely feminist or incredibly toxic."

"We love the idea of a Strong Black Woman, celebrate those who, like Anita Hill, manage to continue to have a successful career in the aftermath. But what about those who can’t do that?"

"I wasn’t a cool kid. I was a nerd; my nickname was Books. And yes, I got teased for talking so proper and reading so much."