Arrah has been desperate for a whisper of magic all her life, as she was born to two of the most powerful witchdoctors of their generation. When her loved ones and city are put in danger, and magic still refuses to answer her call, Arrah must seek out other ways to make the magic do her bidding. But is she willing to pay the price?

I was lucky enough to be chosen for the cross-country travelling ARC initiative, and even though the book wasn’t for me I absolutely support the idea! This one ARC is giving so many teen and POC reviewers the chance to read and review the ARC early without requiring a large following or hundreds of ARC copies. I was only 4th in this chain of readers, but I’m happy so many people are getting the chance to read this single copy of the book!

This book is a difficult one to discuss for me, mainly because I really wanted to enjoy it and I need for there to be more POC written fantasy with POC characters in YA and fantasy in general. Unfortunately, while I loved many of the background aspects of this book, I just couldn’t click with the characters or the way this story was told.

This book’s main issue was that it was way too ambitious for both a debut and a first book in a series. There was just so much in this book to digest, and I still don’t think I’ve fully finished understanding and thinking through all of it. It’s not only thick, but dense as well, and chock-full of just too much plot, action, and death. This book alone could have served as an entire series on its own with its plotline, as the book seems to follow the chain of exposition -> rising action -> climax -> falling action quite a few times. It was just too much for me as a reader alongside understanding the world and the lore woven into the novel as well.

However, my biggest personal issue was the hopelessness of most of the novel. This novel gets really dark really fast, and I get that comes with demons, but the utter despair that this book emanates from 20%-90% with no hope of a true resolution put me off a whole lot. It seemed like the only way this could turn around was with a miracle, and instead of it reading as a struggle between the main cast and this evil, it seemed more like continuous beat down of the main cast as their loved ones were all slowly killed off. (Seriously, almost every single character you’re introduced to in the first 10-20% of the novel is dead by the end). Don’t get me wrong, I like dark books and dark magic and dark villains, but I need some balance. It needs to be a battle/war that the main character seems to have some feasible chance of winning for me to stay invested.

Even with all those issues, I have to commend the author on the world and lore she created for the story and the way morality is played with in this book. The world seems to be incredibly diverse naturally, it doesn’t seem forced at all. Additionally, I absolutely loved the lore/religion of the world and how it factored into the plot itself, especially all the reveals made at the end. You also have no sense of good and evil in this book as almost everyone seems to walk the line between the two, with Arrah trying desperately to figure out which side to stake her life on. It was fascinating to analyze and read from that mindset alone.

I am extremely tempted to continue the series when the rest of the books come out, even with my disappointing experience with the first book, as I did really enjoy what the author was trying to do. Hopefully there’s a little more balance in book 2, and I don’t get the same strong feelings of despair and hopelessness.

I just can't make myself continue this anymore. I tried to keep going, but I just dislike the characters waaay too much, and there's nothing in the plot, world building, or magic system to intrigue me enough to keep going. Plus I feel like it's trying way too hard to be 'woke', and it is not subtle at all . It's overbearing, poorly done, and honestly just seemed pretty ridiculous at points.

Fans of his other work, [b:What If It's Us|36341204|What If It's Us|Becky Albertalli|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526557760l/36341204._SY75_.jpg|57912876], might like this as it's got a similar writing style + level of references (and amount of them), but I just can't recommend this.

I feel bad for another dnf, but these books just haven't been clicking with me lately.

I read the first 45% of this book fairly quickly, it flew by and I could just keep going and going. However, after I had stopped, I wasn't able to make myself pick it back up again. I realized I just didn't have a connection with the characters nor was intrigued by the story and family history that this book seemed to be building to, and with the book needing to be nearing more action/reveals/tension, I didn't think I was going to end up being invested when everything went down.

It's hard to pinpoint where this lack of interest came from. I think some of it definitely came from the general subject matter of the story (or the hobby through which the inner story of our MC is dealt with). While I knew this book would be about taxidermy, dead animals, etc., I guess I hadn't expected the detail? I guess I had assumed it would be backgrounding the larger family story rather than the other way around, and in reality I just don't enjoy reading about dead animal collecting, studying, and attempts at taxidermy of these dead animals. It just made me really uncomfortable at points, and I found myself skimming longer passages that involved these types of scenes. And unfortunately... this was most of the book. At least I know this for next time though, avoid books with a focus on dead animals?

I also wasn't fully enraptured by the verse. I've loved a lot of novels written in verse (most from Ellen Hopkins), but I just didn't mesh well with this particular take. I feel like verse is a little more hit or miss with me than prose, just as poetry is as well, and I honestly didn't feel like this novel benefited much from the verse (from what I read of it, of course). It seemed to read more as just broken up sentences than an actual style, and it just wasn't lyrical for me. I do think others will enjoy it though!

All in all, this book just wasn't for me, but I don't feel like I can judge it 'objectively', as much as anyone ever judges a book objectively. It just had too many things that weren't my taste, but I do feel like this book will find a home on some readers' shelves.

“Memories were like love: wound and cure, both at once.”

Ghosts of the Shadowmarket is Cassandra Clare’s latest collection of short stories set in the Shadowhunter world, following [b:Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy|28954137|Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy|Cassandra Clare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1454864103l/28954137._SY75_.jpg|46924845] and [b:The Bane Chronicles|16303287|The Bane Chronicles|Cassandra Clare|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395159015l/16303287._SY75_.jpg|22436394]. Like the other collections, Ghosts tells tales that span the entirety of Shadowhunter history, with a focus on a certain location, the Shadowmarkets, and a focal character, Jem Carstairs/Brother Zachariah.

There aren’t many series/worlds that I make sure to read every single released short story of, but the Shadowhunter world is definitely one of them. Each anthology just works to add so much more to the already established world and cast of Clare’s novels while still containing an actual purpose, a plot that affects the ongoing narrative or even just a plot contained within the interwoven stories. It’s also more than just another novel with really long chapters, as each individual story still contains enough independence from the others. Ghosts was no exception, as it contained 10 individual stories that were strong in their own right as well as an overarching story that bound all these stories together (and served as a segue into each of Clare’s upcoming trilogies). Not only was I able to enjoy each story individually, they also served to increase my excitement for upcoming books as well as introduce the characters of those books that I had not met yet.

There will always be stories that stand out more than others, however, especially the ones that contain Magnus and Alec in some magnitude (they will always be my favorites). However, even with that original bias, I found myself getting very attached to some of the new characters we were introduced too, like Michael Fairchild and James Herondale. And while not every single story was as strong as the others, with some hitting me harder than others (and dang, were there some incredibly dark stories included in this one), all of them had their own merit. I don’t think there was a single story that I feel worse off having read, and none I would have skipped reading in hindsight.

I must admit that the anthology is stronger at its end than at its beginning, purely because of the chronological way it’s written. The beginning of this story lines up with the era of the Last Hours, which is a series filled with brand new characters. That meant those stories had a lot of familial plotting and character backgrounds to give vs. the latter stories with the more known characters, leading to a lot more exposition and less dedication to build-up and climax within the story. Later on, since characters like Jace, Clary, Valentine, Alec, Magnus, etc. need a lot less explaining (as there is an assumption you’ve read the other series), there’s a lot more focus on the story being told instead, making them just a little more well-rounded and balanced.

All in all, this was another strong anthology by Clare, and I’m seriously excited to see where both The Wicked Powers and The Last Hours go!

“You can’t change what’s happened. The only thing you can control is how you deal with it.”

Quincy Carpenter is a Final Girl, the last one left standing after a horrific massacre. She’s one of 3 that have been dubbed by the media as ‘final girls’, but the world slowly forgets about her and the others as time creates distance. However, when someone starts killing final girls, and the only other surviving one shows up on her doorstep, Quincy’s carefully crafted life quickly gets turned upside down in the chase to find the killer and remember what truly happened on the night everything changed.

Final Girls was my first thriller by Riley Sager, and I went in knowing that while lots of people raved about this book, my close friends personally enjoyed his later works a lot more. So I always went in with the intention of reading his latter books anyways, even if this one didn’t do it for me. In the end, Final Girls does not rank highly at all on my list of favorite thrillers, though I can appreciate some of the things done in this novel in terms of writing, plotting, and reliability of the narrator.

First off, I always love an unreliable narrator. There’s just something intriguing about having to question every scene that’s given to you, every piece of information because it’s being filtered through this character who has loads of biases. In Final Girls, Quincy straight up doesn’t remember what happened the night of her massacre, and this fact combined with her being the final girl, as well as facts that come up as the story progresses, makes her extremely suspicious as a narrator. Sager really runs with this as well, and actively tries to strengthen the divide between narrator and reader through some well-placed memories, scenes, and reactions.

However, that was the only strong point of the novel for me. While I found the setting as well as plot ideas quite interesting and new, it was ruined by how exactly the story was told. Now, most thrillers and mysteries involve a lot of shifting of the finger-pointing, with the reader constantly shifting who they think did it. Final Girls does this, or tries to, but the execution failed for me. Everyone seemed equally suspicious, and when suspicion shifted, it did so hard and with almost complete certainty. There were so many times where almost no doubt was left behind that someone did it, and almost every theory you may have had based on subtle clues in the beginning seemed to be proven 100 times over by the time you got 70-80% done with the book. Then, it turns out the only person (literally, the only one) who was never questioned, never had fingers pointed at them, was the one who did it. Which is also an obvious twist even if I had never considered it. Now, this doesn’t sound all so bad, I was left surprised, I was left guessing, etc., but it was how dramatic and sure all these twists and turns seemed that made it not enjoyable. It just wasn’t subtle enough for me and seemed to remove the game of theorizing as time went on.

I also just did not like any of the characters, and while that’s often okay, it meant I literally did not care if everyone in the book was murdered by the killer, leaving me with no stakes in the game. I was reading it to find out who did it, but without the urgency of potentially losing more characters if it wasn’t solved fast enough. The dislike of the main character was heightened further by what happens in the lull of the mid-book moments. It’s scenes made entirely with Quincy and Sam that work to make both seem more suspicious, but it just feels like such a diversion from the main plot that I couldn’t even really care about what they were getting up to. I really could’ve done without that entire middle section.

All in all, I see a strong basis for future thrillers in Sager’s writing, but Final Girls just had too many flaws for me to fully enjoy.

“The truth can deceive as well as a lie.”

Stars (Out of 10): 9.5/10

Overall Thoughts: This was definitely a great book to end my reading slump with. It was extremely unique from the recent books I read in my opinion, from the inner battles the characters faced, to how the plot was carried out, and the state the world was in at the time. I also enjoyed the writing style of the book, as it kept me drawn in when so many books have been unable to for a while now!

SPOILERS BEGIN HERE

The Good: Can I just say everything? I loved both the villains and the heroes(?). I also liked how as a reader, there seemed to be so many sides to pick from, and all of them having reasons why they are an okay side to be on. You can cheer for the Herrani’s and their fight against oppression, you can cheer for the Valorians and their quest to maintain control, or even for Kestrel, and her attempt to find a medium between the two. I also loved how not even the characters knew what side they wanted to fight for, dealing with inner battles of sacrifice, heartache, love, and hardships. We see promises broken and kept, people betrayed and surprised. Overall, an unpredictable rollercoaster I was happy I just rode.

The Bad: If I scrutinize the small things, I would find that the end did drag a bit towards the end, and made it seem more like the middle of the book, rather than a few chapters until an end. Besides that, there wasn’t much I disagreed with.

The Characters: This was definitely one of my favorite parts of the book. I enjoyed the original twist of Arin being placed, and working for the auctioneer. But mainly, I loved the inner battles we saw Kestrel and Arin face, and whether their feelings were enough to switch sides, or if their duty to their kingdoms reigned supreme. The first book left us hanging in that regard, and I’m extremely curious of where it will go! (However, I am very cautious of Kestrel and this new emperor’s son, I need more of Arin and Kestrel instead!!!)

The Plot: I honestly did not expect the plot to pick up as quickly as it did, with the Herrani rebellion occurring in book one. While I didn’t originally wish for that plot to be expended as soon as it was, I actually ended up enjoying that fact, as it allowed for book one to also build up book two, while still being super interesting in it’s own merit!

The World Building: This was phenomenal in my opinion. I learned so much of both the ways of Herrani and Valorian, as the author seemed to truly try to make these kingdoms and their customs different from just your cut and dry kingdom. This definitely contributed to showing us the differences between the two cultures, and how the erasement of an entire culture had such a huge impact on the lands and it’s people. (Also super happy that the plot allowed for both to be shown in power, giving us insight into the culture of both!!!)

The Favorite Character: Kestrel!

Buy it, Borrow it, or Bin it: Buy it!

This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/

Stars (Out of 10): 10/10 Stars

Overall Thoughts: Not only was the cover of this book absolutely gorgeous, but the story completely matched up to it. It was fantastic, and I felt entirely immersed in the world every time I picked the book up. It was a phenomenal book for so many reasons, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book, and finish this author’s other series!

The Good: Witty and interesting characters, a fantastic blending of tech/steampunk and magic, and wonderfully crafted world, and a gripping and exciting plot!

SPOILERS BEGIN HERE

The Characters: I fell in love with the cast quicker than I do for most books. Something about the way Arianna described things and saw the world around me had me hooked from the very first chapter (specifically: “‘Get her!’ someone cried, rather unhelpfully. Ari would’ve been nervous or scared by the proclamation if anyone actually competent was on her tail.”) And then it seemed to get even more interesting with each new character introduced, from Florence (the sweetest and most deadly accomplice you’ll ever meet) to Cvareh (was it always this easy to like the “bad” race?). Even Leona was an overall interesting character, and seeing what drove her to commit the acts she did for her king was a perspective that authors don’t often show from the bad guys.

The Plot: The way twists were built, and motives + events described, was great, as it didn’t reveal too much and hid enough to keep an air of mystery around the secret pasts of all the characters. In addition, I loved how the plot took us through both the Loom and Nova worlds, developing both societies simultaneously, and painting both sides of the plot and how each side reacts to actions by the other. Lastly, I love how well this book both built up the rest of the series and gave it great potential, but still remained interesting and action-packed in its own right.

The World Building: This was absolutely phenomenal (I’m running out of unique, positive adjectives to describe this book, can you tell?). The world was flawlessly built, to the point where I never felt confused about how it worked as the story progressed. In addition, the mix of two different races, societies, and magic and steampunk was extremely interesting, and I feel like I could actually read a history book on how the world works, and never be bored.

The Favorite Character: Cvareh & Arianna

This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/

“It wasn’t freedom she wanted. It was belief in something—a prize big enough to run for and to fight for and to keep on reaching toward no matter what.”

Stars (Out of 10): 10/10 Stars

Overall Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book, and a lot more than I thought I would. I didn’t necessarily have expectations going into this book, as I didn’t know the author nor hear much about other’s thoughts about this book, just that it’s one I should read! I ended up loving the characters, and I’m so intrigued by the world and the plot! This book has kingdoms, a looming war, and magic, which all added up to an amazing fantasy book.

The Good: I enjoyed the world in this book, and found it to be pretty well developed so far, and it left me extremely curious as to how it’ll all end up in the future series. I also enjoyed the plot and characters, and the combination of the two left me hanging on to every word!

The Bad: Some of the characters seem a bit unlikable at first, but in my opinion, they did grow throughout the book!

SPOILERS BEGIN HERE

The Characters: While I had a love hate relationship with some of the characters at first (Safiya was kind of a terrible person in the beginning), they all did eventually grow on me. Safiya seemed to grow a lot in this book alone, which makes me excited for what we’ll see in the future! In addition, I also really liked the relationships we saw in this book, from the friendship Iseult and Safiya shared, to whatever’s growing between Safiya and Merik. They also all seemed to have good reasons for what they were doing so far. Safiya and Iseult want to be free, from capture and hatred, Merik wants to save his country, etc.

The Plot: I really loved all the secrets and twists that were revealed throughout this book. From the beginning plot of saving Safiya, to all the secrets about magic and the Wells revealed later, I was completely hooked on this book. I loved the ending we were left with as well, and how the story can go many ways from here!

The World Building: I really liked the world we’re beginning to see, from the magic and the Wells, to the battle brewing between all the kingdoms. I’m definitely curious to learn more of this world’s history!!

The Favorite Character: I really liked Merik and Safiya by the end (even though Safiya was a tad, abrasive, at first)

Buy it, Borrow it, or Bin it: Buy it!!

This review can also be found on my blog: https://paragraphsandpages.wordpress.com/