CW: death, grief, depression, torture

Holy crap, y’all. Chainbreaker rendered me speechless, and to be honest, this one did too. Everything about it was legit amazing. It broke my heart and mended it and made me laugh and almost made me cry – only the third book to ever do that, if that tells you anything. I love Danny and Colton with every fiber of my heart, as well as Daphne and even the Prometheus crew, now. The stakes are high and the emotions are rampant and I kind of can’t believe the trilogy is over. It was perfect. Read the first two books now and then this when it releases in January. 10/10 would recommend this book and this entire trilogy. 😭😍

Last summer I read The Glittering Court, and that was my very first Richelle Mead book. Oh, how I’ve grown since then. I mean, I’m still really short, but I’ve grown as a reader. Look at me now! Richelle Mead is my second favorite author of all time, and VA and BL have the second and third spots on my all time favorite series list, respectively.

But anyway. I’m sure no one is surprised that I absolutely loved this book. I’m also sure I would’ve read this in about a day, like I did with TGC, if only I didn’t have school.

I definitely enjoyed this book more TGC; where that one was great, this was spectacular. It was a perfectly paced story with a kickass lead, a gruff and witty love interest, wonderful girl friendships, and a swoon-worthy slow-burn romance. The story itself was really good too, with an A+ blend of parties, sleuthing, gowns, and fighting.

And as per usual with any of Richelle’s books, it was extraordinarily painful in the last 25%. Her writing causes the best kind of pain, and between that and the plentiful banter I just can’t stay away. I’m obsessed.

And now I have to wait for next summer, when the third and final* book in this trilogy comes out. I think it’s about Tamsin, and I hope it is. So much was revealed about her throughout this book and I’m curious.

*No, I don’t know what I’ll do when I’m done with the third book. Pray desperately for more YA from Richelle as soon as possible sounds like the most realistic option. (Preferably something set in the VA/BL world featuring those characters, but I’ll take anything.)

Richelle Mead did it again. While I don’t think this is quite as spectacular as Midnight Jewel, I absolutely loved it regardless.

✩ Tamsin is a brilliant protagonist. When I first met her in The Glittering Court, I thought she was nice but obnoxious; now that I really know her, I rescind that opinion. She’s headstrong but kindhearted, and she grew on me in the first few chapters.

✩ Merry and Jago are the best characters in the book, and that’s that on that. Although I did like Orla, too.

✩ TAMSIN AND JAGO. I REPEAT, TAMSIN AND JAGO.
❤️❤️❤️ (BUT MAINLY JAGO.)

✩ It’s a Richelle Mead book, did you really expect this review to be structured and coherent?? Joke’s on you, then. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

✩ On a serious note, though, I liked how this book explored the other cultures of its world. It wove discussion of religious extremism and prejudice toward natives into the story, though as I’m white and don’t follow any religion, I can’t speak further on that.

✩ So much happens throughout the story, but it was written extremely well and all of it felt connected. Just more proof that Richelle Mead is a master storyteller, to be honest. She’s also an evil genius; I can’t tell you how many times her characters have broken and healed my heart at this point.

I don’t know what to do with myself. I’ve read everything related to VA, BL, and now this trilogy. I’d love to read a novella about my girls and their guys and how everyone is doing.

*insert Ariel gif here*

I WANT MORE.

CW: cheating, racism*, homophobia*, panic attacks

*challenged

Everyone has been anticipating this novel for months, myself included. And while I did enjoy it, I must say that it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be.

I loved Arthur and Ben. The former is a gay Jewish teen with ADHD, and the latter is a gay Puerto Rican teen. Arthur is super sweet and hopeful while Ben is more skeptical. They complement each other and they’re adorable and awkward and I’m not sure how anyone could read this and not ship them.

Becky and Adam write incredibly well together. Becky wrote Arthur and Adam wrote Ben, but they combined everything so seamlessly. Not all authors can pull off co-writing, but I think it’s safe to say that they can. Having read all of their previous individual novels, I expected flawed characters that were trying their best, lots of kissing, and various pop culture references. In that aspect, I definitely wasn’t disappointed.

However, there were two things I didn’t like.

I know this is meant to be a classic YA rom-com, but sometimes it felt a bit too cliché. I didn’t like how many issues stemmed from lack of or miscommunication, and honestly, all of the relationship drama, both platonic and romantic, got a bit ridiculous. Just! Talk! To! Each! Other!

The ending has been a hit or miss for many readers, and while it wasn’t bad like I’d come to expect, it was unfortunately a miss for me. I’ll give it props for being unique and probably more realistic, but jam it, I was really hoping for something else. Arthur and Ben are still cute and awkward and I still love them. I don’t think that will change. But come on. So much tension and many cute scenes, and then this. *side eye*

I definitely think that fans of Becky and Adam will enjoy this. I know I did. It’s a basic love story that could’ve probably been a bit shorter, but it’s very gay and very fun – I recommend it.

Buddy read with Erika!

CW: torture, death, suicide

I’m not sure what to think of this book. It’s a Mongolian-era fantasy with ghosts, riddles, and political intrigue. I hadn’t seen anyone talking about it.

The good:
✩ I’ve never read a book set in the Mongolian era or focused on that empire, so that was interesting.
✩ I liked Jinghua’s backstory. It added an extra layer to the story.
✩ Timur started the story as a completely unlikable prickwaffle, but by the end, he managed to grow on me somewhat?? He’s a cynical old goat but I think he does have some semblance of a heart, and I have him to thank for one of my new favorite phrases: “Go suck used tea leaves.”
✩ The timeline was unique – it switched between the present, when Khalaf was trying to solve the riddles, to the past, leading up to present events. I think it would’ve been okay chronological, but I do appreciate spicing it up a bit.

The bad:
✩ Although I liked her backstory, Jinghua seemed to be a rather plain character. She was so in love with Khalaf and unsure of whether or not to act on it that I couldn’t really get to know her.
✩ On that note, I didn’t know a story could be so focused on romance without actually including any kind of romantic relationship. Jinghua was pining for Khalaf constantly, but status and necessity and different goals kept them apart, blah blah blah. This isn’t what I signed up for.
✩ I’m not sure what to think of Khalaf himself. He felt too good, if that makes sense. Sure, he was irrational from time to time, but he was also attractive and philosophical and could quote religious phrases and various poets at the drop of a hat. Who does that? I can appreciate a well-learned love interest, but that’s a bit over the top. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
✩ What the flip flop was that ending?? There was so much drama and tension and defiance and then…well. It wasn’t terrible, it did wrap things up, but it was undeniably disappointing.

I went into this curious and hopeful, but it didn’t work so well for me. Although I’d say it’s an average read, I think it has potential to be someone’s favorite.

This novel has an unique premise, but unfortunately I was very disappointed. While it was an intriguing steampunk, and I appreciate a Victorian-era setting that isn’t England, this fell flat for me.

Around halfway through, I considered dnfing; however, a twist arose that kept me interested enough to continue. It didn’t last. I read the last ~75 pages just to say I finished it.

The story features two characters of color. It also features insta-love. Imagine this: Elsa from Frozen as a brown girl and Leo from Heroes of Olympus, both sans elemental magic, running around 19th century steampunk Italy and falling into an angsty almost-love. Granted, the only thing Elsa has in common with Elsa is the name, and Leo is a mechanic, like in HOO, but the similarities end there. (You can’t tell me that the name Elsa doesn’t make you think of Frozen and five you the urge to belt “Let It Go”…or maybe that’s just me.) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (There’s also a chance that I saw this comparison in another review and it’s midnight, thus I’m not responsible for my nonsensical Disney references.)

I was going to give this 2.5 stars, but bumped it up to 3 because of Skandar the sweet mini tentacle monster and the labyrinth scene. But mostly Skandar.

If you’re looking for a fun steampunk read, I’d recommend giving this one a try, though I probably won’t be reading the sequel.

I was really excited to dive into this anthology, and I wasn’t disappointed.

• Forbidden Fruit by Roshani Chokshi (Filipino) – 4.5 stars
• Olivia’s Table by Alyssa Wong (Chinese) – 5 stars
• Steel Skin by Lori M. Lee (Hmong) – 3 stars
• Still Star-Crossed by Sona Charaipotra (Punjabi) – 3.5 stars
• The Counting of Vermillion Beads by Aliette De Bodard (Vietnamese) – 4 stars
• The Land of the Morning Calm by E.C. Myers (Korean) – 3.5 stars
• The Smile by Aisha Saeed (South Asian) – 3.5 stars
• Girls Who Twirl and Other Dangers by Preeti Chhibber (Gujarati) – 3 stars
• Nothing into All by Renée Ahdieh (Korean) – 4 stars
• Spear Carrier by Rahul Kanakia (South Asian) – 2 stars
• Code of Honor by Melissa de la Cruz (Filipino) – 4 stars
• Bullet, Butterfly by Elsie Chapman (Chinese) – 5 stars
• Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar (South Asian) – 5 stars
• The Crimson Cloak by Cindy Pon (Chinese) – 5 stars
• Eyes like Candlelight by Julie Kagawa (Japanese) – 4.5 stars

All of the 5 star stories are my favorites, and I’m pleased to say that there was only one, rated 2 stars, that I really didn’t like. For the most part, this anthology was full of lovely writing and intriguing myths and folktales I’d never heard of. I’d definitely recommend this collection.

CW: panic attacks, transphobia, gun violence

I read the original trilogy in 2015-16 so I don’t remember much, but I can confidently say that this is the best book in the series thus far.

negatives
✩ There were some things that seemed inconsistent.
✩ This story was intended to at least partially enlighten readers to the state of the world outside of North America, but I don’t think it did that. The Reestablishment controls everything, the other continents are ruled the same way, yes, but what else? I wanna know.
✩ I did see another review that mentioned some representation issues – I can’t speak for any rep, but I’ll leave them here. One, the Argentinian characters didn’t speak the right Spanish dialect, and two, the only trans character was outed the first time we meet them by a transphobic character.
✩ I’ll be honest here…what was the point of Lena existing??? If someone figures that out, please tell me. She’s one-dimensional and seems to only exist to be the petty, jealous ex. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
✩ On a similar note, the other leaders’ children were pretty bland. Most of them only made one appearance and were mentioned later. The only one with an actual role and personality was Nazeera.

positives
✩ I loved all of the character development!!
✩ Juliette was absolutely badass, like wow. And in the end? She did THAT. Seriously though, it’s both freaking awesome and extremely terrifying?!
✩ Again, I can’t speak for the rep, but Warner does have anxiety and panic attacks.
✩ I LOVE KENJI KISHIMOTO. He’s the best character, to be honest: his friendship with Juliette, his unrequited crush on Nazeera, giving Warner relationship advice, making jokes…10/10 we need more characters like him.
✩ I also love Nazeera. She seemed like a bit of a sour gumdrop at first, but she absolutely grew on me. She went off on Kenji when he questioned her hijab and in that same scene flipped him off. AN ICON™️. In addition to her wonderful sass, she ended up being a great friend and advisor to Juliette. Let’s call her the second best character, by a minuscule amount.
✩ I really have to applaud Tahereh on the twists she woven into the story, because holy crap! Brilliant. Toward the end I did suspect one thing, but otherwise flawless execution. I’m in legit disbelief.
✩ I would say let’s talk about the ending, but it’s after midnight and I don’t think I’m emotionally prepared for that, so let’s not.
✩ Drunk Juliette was the BEST scene in the entire book, don’t @ me.

I can’t wait to read more!!! It’s going to be hard to wait until 2019, but we’ve got the Kenji novella [HEART EYES] in March and book five in April so I think I’ll survive. To be determined.

DNF, page 199

I’ve heard good things about this novel, and even though Halloween is over and it’s officially Christmas time, I was hoping for an entertaining, mildly spooky story. Unfortunately, that wasn’t what I got.

I didn’t like Alice, the protagonist, at all. I know some characters are intended to be unlikable, and I’m totally fine with that. There are some unlikable characters that I actually love; however, this wasn’t the case with Alice. She was cold and angry – what a combination, I know. She treated almost everyone like crap, including her supposed love interest. Up to the point I stopped, there was a part where she didn’t like something Ellery said and told him to “go get a liberal arts degree”, as well as brushing off his attempt at a discussion on racism and privilege – he’s biracial, and Ghanaian, according to another review I read. Oh, and she’s constantly finding ways to insult him because he comes from a wealthy family.

The story itself wasn’t as intriguing as the synopsis and the hype promised it would be. I was rather bored most of the time, and even listening to a few chapters of the audiobook didn’t help. I was about halfway through, and I can honestly say that nothing interesting happened. I did kind of like the fairytales, though they were occasionally too dark for my tastes.

I’m not giving this a rating because I didn’t finish it, but I will say that I wasn’t a fan. For more details from readers that finished the book, I recommend checking out this review and this one – spoiler warning for the second. If you’re interested, definitely give this a try. However, I don’t see myself giving this a second chance, or picking up this author’s future work. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

CW: bipolar disorder, death, grief, suicide

This is undeniably a unique novel, and one I enjoyed reading. However, now that I’ve finished it and read a few reviews, I can say that while there are important topics woven into the story, they were mostly hidden behind a meandering plot and poorly developed characters.

The most notable thing, in my opinion, is that this is a sad book. It follows Corey as she returns to her hometown for her best friend’s memorial, trying to figure out what happened and dealing with her own guilt as she grieves. It talks about her friendship with Kyra going downhill after Corey is forced to leave with her family, and Kyra’s bipolar disorder getting worse leading up to her death. Certain scenes were especially sad and I felt it.

I liked the setting of the story. I don’t think I’ve read a book set in Alaska before, and Lost Creek was a wintery town in the wilderness with secrets. It was intriguing, and did create some level of atmosphere.

A significant part of the book was flashbacks to when Kyra was alive, and she talked about wanting people to separate her from her bipolar disorder, to see her as a person. Outside of the flashbacks, following the present storyline, there was discussion of the “magic” mental illness. I can’t speak on this rep, but I’ve seen others say it was done well. I can say that I appreciate the author approaching this topic, as I don’t think I’ve read any other book that did.

A random thing I liked was the minor m/m couple. There was only one scene that really featured them, but they were cute. And they’re both POC.

From here, I’ve got to get into what I didn’t like. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a long list.

First, some parts of the story confused me. How did Kyra know these things she painted? What did Corey hear when she was alone: ghosts, her imagination, something else? These things were mentioned frequently but I didn’t understand them, even as the novel came to a close.

Both of the protagonists felt underdeveloped. All I can tell you about Corey is that she liked astronomy. Kyra was a bit better, but still, all I know is that she loved stories and lore, had bipolar disorder, and painted to cope with it. Even with Corey narrating and the inclusion of Kyra’s letters and notes, I don’t feel like I really got to know either of them.

The biggest problem I have is with the queer rep. Corey is asexual and Kyra is pansexual. The only real mention of it is somewhere before the halfway point, when a flashback talks about the two of them discovering labels that fit them. While that’s important, I personally don’t think that’s enough. Kyra being pan but also being dead from the start to create the plot could be called an example of the bury your gays trope. Corey being ace is good, because there’s so little ace rep in YA right now, but I would’ve liked it to be a bit more prominent. I also would’ve liked it to be distinguished from aromanticism, as they’re different but not really treated as such in the story. I would say I’m happy for the inclusion, but it’s 2018 and I think more could’ve been done, even though queerness isn’t the focus of the novel.

The last thing I want to bring up is the format. I didn’t mind the inclusion of Kyra’s letters to Corey or the notes she didn’t send or her writing on the walls. I think those added an extra element to the story, added a bit of depth and emotion. However, there were a handful of times where a chapter would randomly be formatted like a script, and it was kind of disruptive. I don’t know why the author chose to do that, and while ultimately it doesn’t matter, I think the story would’ve been a bit more cohesive without that touch.

While I did enjoy parts of this novel, other aspects raised questions and eyebrows as I read. Some things were good, while others needed more development or to be cut entirely. Despite this, I do plan to read more from Marieke, as I think they show a lot of potential as an author.