mystiereads_dbooknook's Reviews (723)

Intense, a force of nature really, are the words that describe this book in my opinion.

It deserves all of the accolades it has received. The writing is emotional and in depth. The story made me deeply feel what the characters were experiencing and honestly it tore my heart open. In the first 10 minutes I was sobbing uncontrollably as I read. There are few authors who can create such intense feeling within the beginning of a book but M. L. Wang does it, and does it poignantly.

I had to take breaks while reading this one. The pain, the trials, the truth were at times tough to bear. Especially right now in history. This book felt like a warning of who we could become if we are not careful. It also felt like a tale of what has already happened in human history because society created others who were seen as less than human.

This one is easy to recommend. I hope many people read it and understand the lessons of it.
What. A. Book.

Do you need a new book bf... because Jamaal is it! (No pun intended 😜)

I had plans to read other books and again sampled a few pages and 24 hours later, I'm giggly, light hearted, and absolutely in love with Jamaal!

This book is about love, family, and taking chances to find your own happiness even when it is scary.

A solid 4.5 I just wish it were longer and would love a follow up to see Miles fall in love.

Definitely will read more from this author.
And if your day needs some joy...this book is your fix 😁

Talk about a book that caught me by surprise! I was minding my business and saw a review for this one on bookstagram, it looked interesting and I went on the Zon to try a few sample pages to get a feel for it.
Lol, next thing I knew it was downloaded and I was chapters deep into a consuming story. 

Sariyah, our FMC, has literal black girl magic. She can hear what people need, and HER need is to fulfill those needs or feel the pain. It makes her life and her relationships complicated. This also interferes with her school activities, but she has a supportive family and a good friend circle, so she makes it work....mostly, sorta...*shrug*

Then...one of her friends, disappears. It shakes their group, as this is not the first girl in their tight knit circle to disappear. This time though, they swear they will do all they can to get their friend back.

It is an enthralling story. So many interesting bits and pieces, with characters and personalities that light up the page. There are also realistic dynamics between the friends and their families that keeps those pages churning wayyyy after you should be asleep.

On the real, this book will have you disrespecting the fact that you have to work. The mystery and unfolding events just keep taunting you, pulling at you with the 'but what happens next'?

And let us not forget the TWIST in the end...sigh...sleep is overrated anyway right?!

I loved this one. The characters, the story, the journey of it all. Do yourself the favor of picking it up and following this author, it is quite clear she has a lot more to give us. I, for one, cannot wait to get into it!

Please be aware I am about to gush!!!

This was a transformative, incredible conclusion to a sparkling trilogy. An ending that matched every thing we learned and loved about our conflicted but noble heroine, Emiko.
Not every trilogy gives you a satisfying ending that has you screaming and cheering, but this one poured that out and more from chapter one to the final sentence.

The plot was simple. Whatever could go wrong...did. Furthermore, it all ended up in Emiko's lap and she had to find a way to fix it. From a dweller of a another realm, to her relationships with friends and family coming into screeching focus. There was no running away. There was no cowering. There was only Emiko standing in her truth and finding a way forward that may just break all the rules she was drilled to observe and follow.

With non stop action and continuous secrets being revealed the authors steal your breath away page by page. Whenever things seemed calm it was only a space for strategy and startling truths to be disclosed. It was all so exciting and dramatic at times lol...making it such a fun read!!!

For me though, one of the most important arcs throughout the series, was that relationship between Emiko and her parents. It started full of tension, mistrust, and with Emiko feeling as though she was so much less than they needed her to be. But in this book, we get that satisfaction of knowing exactly why things went the way they did, and when I say the fam bam SHOW UP...they SHOW UP!!!! Not going to lie, reading this specific part had me tearing up. It was perfectly written, for all of us trauma babies lol!

In reading this story, look forward to action, bad stuff happening, and unorthodox solutions... heavy on that part especially :D!!!!

Unreservedly, loudly, and with heartfelt fervor, I recommend this book, this series, these authors. When I picked up book 1 of Phoenix Hoard, Ebony Gate, last year I had no idea of the ride it would take me on. And I have ABSOLUTELY no regrets going on this journey. Sincerely, I hope many more join me as fanatics of Emiko and her world so we can get even more stories about them!

If action filled fantasy, relatable but bad a$$ FMCs, ancient lore, found family, and humor are your thing...you should be chapters deep in this series already. Stop stalling and get into it today!

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the authors for allowing me to review this arc. It was a true pleasure!

What a cozy adventure!

This book was an entertaining mix of cozy, snuggle and read vibes, alongside a mythical new world journey to save ill beings.
All with a new vampire buddy who happens to be a hottie ;)

In the beginning, our heroine Raven is facing some serious strife and is then handed a way out. Something she grabs onto. While our Vampire, Hunter, is more of a mystery. As the story unfolds we get to learn who they really are and what the mission is about. It is a voyage filled with twists and turns!
Along the way we meet even more interesting characters and start to get a real feel for this new world and I fell in love with it just like our FMC did.

With fantastic descriptions and an evolving mystery this book caught my attention and held it to the end....which came way to soon and with a HUGE surprise.

So if you need an engaging read and a new found family to melt into, this is one to get.

Thanks again to the author for choosing me as an arc reader, it was a fun ride!

Hot and spicy read! 

Enjoyed the characters and I hope this world expands beyond this novella.
It definitely stirred my curiosity and held my interest.

Hoping for more!

I am absolutely heartbroken this book is over!!! Going to just lay here and wonder about why life is this cruel...(I know I am being melodramatic, BUT it really was a perfect book to me!)

In life, if you are lucky, there are some books and characters that you do not just read about, but with whom you form a special bond. And I did that with this entire crew. Every second I read the words in this one, I felt that I was on that ship next to them navigating where in the world we would go next.

Beyond being chock-full of  descriptive writing, this work was addictive. Chapter after chapter of feelings and adventures unfurled, keeping my mind engaged and my heart stuttering in hope and fear for my beloved crew. I felt magical traveling with them, traversing the Indian Ocean and learning many historical aspects of both piracy and general trade. This window into history was eye opening and enjoyable.

But what was the plot about? My bad!

In this story, we have our main character, Amina, who used to be a pirate. She is now retired after a grave incident, for which she carries a lot of guilt. She is also in hiding, because as you can imagine, being a successful pirate meant she made enemies. However, despite how well hidden she is, her identity and home are discovered. Of course she is manipulated into one last mission. YAY!!! 
She heads out and gathers her main crew to help. And absolutely nothing goes the way it should......it was glorious! 

When reading this be ready for a fully immersive journey that culminates in a beautiful story of self discovery and acceptance of those who love you as you are.

What a book! I am genuinely sad it is over. I live in hope that the author feels inspired to continue this as a series, because I will miss my new book friends until I get to go off into the horizon with them again.

Sweet and funny. This was a great addition to the trilogy. Can't wait to see what happens with sister number 3!

I am making a concerted effort to push my reading boundaries this year and this book certainly did that. 
This was horror mixed in with unexpected paranormal, entrenched in imbedded racism. All of this seen through the eyes of a podcast. 
Lol! It was a helluva book. 
Tiffany D. Jackson continues to impress me with her writing style and her engaging way of story telling.
Highly recommend this book for anyone who wants their perspective of racism shaken up, or anyone who just loves a good horror story.

This book had me laughing out loud from chapter one! 
A funny, entertaining story that I finished all too quickly.

If your heart needs a pick me up...pick this up!