Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Emily Knight I Am… Power 

 

Author: Abiola Bello 

 

Book Series: Emily Knight Book 4 

 

Rating: 3/5 

 

Diversity: Black FMC, Black characters, BIPOC characters 

 

Recommended For...:  Middle Grade readers, Fantasy, Action 

 

Publication Date: April 28, 2025 

 

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy 

 

Age Relevance: 10+ (PTSD, Violence, Death, Kidnapping, Grief) 

 

Explanation of CWs: There is some violence and death is mentioned. A kidnapping is mentioned. There are scenes with grief and PTSD. 

 

If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: This Is Me Trying 

 

Publisher: Hashtag Press 

 

Pages: 251 

 

Synopsis: As the chosen one to battle the powerful Neci, the stake of the warrior world is on Emily's shoulders but with family betrayals and super powers being stolen, everything is falling apart. Can Emily rise above it all and defeat her toughest opponent? Will she live up to the expectations of being number one? Win or lose - this is the final battle. 

 

Review: Overall, I liked this book and I felt like it was a good ending to the series. The book continues Emily's story and her need to save the world from Neci. I felt like the intro and backstory were good for readers who hadn't read the last 3 books in a bit. The story is captivating and it's a super quick read for those who like shorter fantasy books. The book also upped the ante from the other 3 and I felt it aged well. The world building and character development were also pretty good.
 
 However, I did think that there was maybe too much backstory told in the beginning and it was just one big info dump. There's also a lot of telling but not much showing. And finally the pacing is off in the book. 

 

Verdict: I think it was a good conclusion to this series. 

 

Disclaimer: I received this finished copy from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo 

 

Author: Philippa Leathley 

 

Book Series: Inkbound Book 1 

 

Rating: 5/5 

 

Diversity: POC foster child side character 

 

Recommended For...: Middle Grade readers, Fantasy, Mystery 

 

Publication Date: January 28, 2025 

 

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy 

 

Age Relevance: 10+ (absent parent, scary pain, terrorism, sibling death, divorce, death) 

 

Explanation of CWs: There is an absent parent in the book. There is a death, sibling death, and some scary pain shown in the book. There is one act of terrorism done in the book that might be a little frightening for some readers. There is talk of divorce in the book. 

 

If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: A Place in this World 

 

Publisher: Storytide 

 

Pages: 352 

 

Synopsis: On her tenth birthday, Meticulous Jones--known to her friends as Metty--receives her fate, as all children do, in the form of a magical tattoo on her hand. She hopes that her ink will reveal something exciting: a tattoo that will symbolize travel, or discovery, or adventure. What appears is a skull, balanced in the palm of a violet glove. Metty's fate is to become a murderer. Metty is swiftly hidden away by her father, Moral Jones, in a remote Welsh farmhouse, with only a miserable housekeeper (who's terrified she'll become Metty's first victim) for company. But when Moral goes missing, his sister, Aunt Magnificent, arrives to sweep Metty off to the glittering city of New London. Metty is mesmerized by the magic and enchantment she discovers there. But when she starts to hear rumors of a mysterious and dangerous organization known as the Black Moths, she wonders if they might be connected to her father's disappearance--and to her own fate. . . . 

 

Review: I really liked this book. The book is about this 10 year old girl who discovers her magic ability via an ink tattoo. When she gets her tattoo, however, she thinks it's a cursed one until something happens otherwise. I think this book did so well with the action scenes and the world building. I also loved the character development and I think this is a good replacement read for HP books. I was left wanting more and I can't wait for it. 
 
 The only issue I had with it is that there was some slight pacing issues but other than that it was great! 

 

Verdict: It was the start of a great series! Highly recommend! 

 

Disclaimer: I bought this book for book club. Support your authors and read books with friends! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Powerless 

 

Author: Lauren Roberts 

 

Book Series: The Powerless Trilogy Book 1 

 

Rating: 2/5 

 

Diversity: BIPOC coded characters 

 

Recommended For...: Young Adult Readers, Romantasy, Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Magic, Dystopia 

 

Publication Date: January 31, 2023 

 

Genre: YA Romantasy 

 

Age Relevance: 14+ (gore, death, discrimination, genocide, language, romance, sexual innuendos, poverty, alcohol consumption, panic attack, violence, grief, torture) 

 

Explanation of CWs: There are scenes that show violence, blood gore, death, and torture. There is discrimination shown in the book and a genocide is currently ongoing. There is romance in the book and some very slight sexual innuendos. Extreme poverty is shown and mentioned. There are a couple of scenes showing alcohol consumption. There is a panic attack detailed in the book. There are scenes of grief. 

 

If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things 

 

Publisher: Simon and Schuster 

 

Pages: 523 

 

Synopsis: Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites. The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity. Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done. When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary. 

 

Review: I’m gonna start off this review by saying I don’t like this book. I finished the book, struggled with it for almost a year to do so, but I did finish it. For the positives I felt like the overall worldbuilding was amazing and I am intrigued to know how this all ends. However, that’s where all my praise ends. 

 

This book obviously takes a lot of inspiration from The Hunger Games and Red Queen, but so much so to a degree that I didn’t see a lot of individuality in the book that could make it stand apart from these two books. The romance is very cringe and not only are there too many red flags with both of the love interests, there’s a completely unnecessary love triangle. Around the middle of the book, the plot just completely disappeared and we went from “I’m having to survive everyday” to “tea and crumpets, nothing is wrong”. The pacing also became all screwed up in the middle as well and I’m not sure who the editor was but they either didn’t have a lot of time to fully dedicate their services to this book or this is some new horrible trend in publishing where it’s a competition to have the most pages in a book no matter how unrelated content makes it into the book. I personally think a good 200-250 pages could have been taken out of this book with more editing. There’s no sense of danger after awhile, the romance is known, and the book just became so blah. It was also so unnecessarily confusing. What is the point of these Trials? Why are you putting royals and higher ups in a fight that might kill them? Why is nothing ever really fully explained in this book? And just to prove I’m not an idiot who didn’t fully read the book, I read this book in a book club and between 9 people we were all confused and couldn’t explain why things that were happening in the book were happening in the book. Personally, I think Paedyn’s POV should have been the only POV in this book. The others were entirely unnecessary and Kai and Kitt’s eventually just became bad fanfic-styled writing about oogling over Y/N. This series will be one that I won’t be reading anymore of. 

 

Verdict: In short, this book sucks in my opinion. Hopefully you have a better experience! 

 

Disclaimer: I got this book from the library! Support your local library! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 

 

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid 

 

Book Series: Reidverse (Not Numbered) 

 

Rating: 4/5 

 

Spice Rating: 3/5 

 

Diversity: Cuban Bisexual MC, Biracial Jewish MC, BIPOC characters, Mexican character, Lesbian character, Gay character 

 

Recommended For...: Adult Readers, Historical Fiction, Old Hollywood, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, LGBT, Queer 

 

Publication Date: June 13, 2017 

 

Genre: Historical Fiction 

 

Age Relevance: 18+ (cancer, suicide, domestic violence, parental death, nonconsentual underage sex, sexual content, romance, child abuse, sexual assault, racism, incest, abortion, death, grief, biphobia, homophobia, drug use, underage alcohol consumption, alcohol consumption) 

 

Explanation of CWs: There are mentions and scenes involving cancer and suicide. There are scenes and mentions of domestic violence and child abuse. Parental death, abortion, death, and grief are all shown. There is one scene in which there is nonconsentual underage sex implied (MC was not of age to consent legally but lied about her age). There is one scene and mentions of sexual assault and a vaguely mentioned incest. There are scenes of sexual content and romance. There are small mentions of racism. Biphobia is shown and mentioned, homophobia is mentioned. There is some drug use. There are mentions of underage alcohol consumption and there are some scenes of alcohol consumption. 

 

If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: Fresh Out The Slammer 

 

Publisher: Atria Books 

 

Pages: 389 

 

Synopsis: Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways. 

 

Review: I have a strange fascination for Hollywood stars and blind items, so a faux-memoir of an Elizabeth Taylor-styled tell-all was all I needed to know to start reading this book. I was hooked from the very beginning and loved reading the story throughout. I thought the book did well to have this Old Hollywood style of storytelling and I thought it was really well done in how the author went between the past and the present. The world building was absolutely well done and the character development was as well. I also did NOT see the plot twist at the end coming and I thought it was so well done. 

 

The only issue I really had with the book is that sometimes it felt like we breezed by things way too quickly and the pacing waned a bit here and there. I didn’t like how some of the more abusive scenes were glossed over, especially when the biphobia occurred, although I was a bit relieved when the offended character did apologize in the end. I also will say that the author is a bit controversial as she writes about marginalized communities without accurately portraying the characters, which can be seen in this one as well (in that all of the Latinx characters were abusive and most were poor or in the service industry). 

 

Verdict: It was good, but make sure to listen to marginalized voices about the portrayal of these characters in books like this. 

 

Disclaimer: I bought this book. Support your local indie bookstores and authors! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Onyx Storm 

 

Author: Rebecca Yarros 

 

Book Series: The Empyrean Book 3 

 

Rating: 4.5/5 

 

Spice Rating: 3.5/5 

 

Diversity: POTS MC, Deaf character, BIPOC characters, character who uses a prosthetic, queer characters 

 

Recommended For...:  Adult Readers, Fantasy, Romantasy, Dragons, New Adult, Political War 

 

Publication Date: January 21, 2025 

 

Genre: Romantasy 

 

Age Relevance: 18+ (war, gore, violence, death, animal death, grief, language, sexual content, romance) 

 

Explanation of CWs: There are themes and scenes of war and violence throughout the book. There are scenes showing blood gore. There is death and animal death shown. Grief is discussed and shown. There is some cursing. There is sexual content throughout the book, as well as romance. 

 

If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: End Game 

 

Publisher: Red Tower Books 

 

Pages: 527 

 

Synopsis: After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust. Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him. Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath. 

 

Review: I really liked this sequel for the most part. This book takes up where the 2nd left off and in this one we explore themes of exploration and forming political relationships. I liked that this one leaned more into the political side of the conflict and that we saw a lot of other civilizations. I have a minor in sociology and I attempted to get one in archaeology (I ran out of time to pursue it fully) so I’ve always been highly intrigued by how people in different cultures live together and how history has shaped different cultures, so this was right up my alley. I also liked how the world building was built upon more and the characters continue to be fully developed. 

 

However, I did have some issues with the book. I felt like there were places where the pacing was off and I wanted more of the island exploration, including more explanations as to why certain islands were the way they were. I also thought some of the battle scenes were a bit weirdly paced. Furthermore, I think the author is facing a difficult inner conversation with herself on who to kill off. We have gotten to a point where there are too many main characters in my opinion and I think we need to start culling the herd so to say. 

 

Verdict: It was good! I can’t wait for the next one. 

Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Please Pay Attention

Author: Jamie Sumner

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: Cerebral Palsey MC who uses a wheelchair, Other disabled characters, MC has a Guardian, Gay couple characters

Recommended For...: Middle Grade Readers, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Poetry, Disability, School Shooting, Grief, PTSD

Publication Date: April 15, 2025

Genre: MG Contemporary

Age Relevance: 12+ (school shooting, vague HP reference, lots of Christianity, parental death mentioned, death, blood gore, grief, PTSD)

Explanation of CWs: The book revolves around the before, during, and aftermath of a school shooting from the perspective of a child. The school is Christian and there are a lot of mentions about Christianity. Parental death is mentioned in one comment. There is blood gore and death shown and mentioned in the book. There are scenes revolving around grief and PTSD.

If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: Only the Young

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Pages: 240

Synopsis: There is a Before and an After for eighth grader Bea Coughlin. Before the shooting at her school that took the lives of her classmates and teacher and After, when she must figure out how to grieve, live, and keep rolling forward. But as her community rallies in a tidal wave of marches and speeches and protests, Bea can’t get past the helplessness she felt in her wheelchair as others around her took cover. Through the help of therapeutic horseback riding, Bea finally begins to feel like herself again. And as she heals, she finds her voice and the bravery to demand change.

Review: Overall, I thought that the book was really well done. I loved that the book was from the perspective of a child but also I think that making the main character disabled added another context to the story, like a look into how much more difficult navigating a school shooting is when you're disabled. I did like the little mentions about how inaccessible the world was to the MC especially after the shooting. Everything from not being able to use the stairs and having to wait for the elevator while in the middle of the scene, to being pushed by an officer who also refuses to listen to her about what she needs, and to even having to figure out how to hide while in a wheelchair, whether that be throwing herself out of the chair and crawling or making do with what she can. I also liked that this book was written for the author's friend who was the head of The Covenant School in Nashville before she was killed during a school shooting, I thought this was a very touching tribute to them and other school shooting victims. I liked the story overall, I liked that the book had a lot of action steps for protesting and therapy and I really liked that there wasn't a preachy message from a religious perspective about the event. I lastly think this is the type of media that might help build up a generation that will stand against easily allowing school shootings.

The only things that I knock the book for is the one vague HP reference that wasn't needed in today's works and that I thought the book was a bit hard to read in a couple of places, but that last bit is more of a knock on me because I struggle with verse-told books.

Verdict: It was really good! I recommend it.

Disclaimer: I bought this book. Support your authors! All opinions are my own.

Book: Iron Flame

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Book Series: The Empyrean Book 2

Rating: 4.5/5

Spice Rating: 5/5

Diversity: BIPOC characters, Deaf character

Recommended For...: Adult readers, Romantasy, Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, New Adult, Dragons, Magic

Publication Date: November 7, 2023

Genre: Romantasy

Age Relevance: 18+ (language, sexual content, romance, death, violence, gore, ableism, torture, war)

Explanation of CWs: There is some cursing in this book. There are scenes involving sexual content and romance. There is violence and death, including parental death. There is a war going on in this book. There is a lot of blood gore. There are scenes of torture throughout the book. There is an instance of ableism.

If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: The Great War

Publisher: Red Tower Books

Pages: 623

Synopsis: Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky. Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves. Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year. Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

Review: I thought this book was pretty good. It focused on the continuation of Violet's story from the first book, in which we see the evolving war and the evolving romance with Xaden. We also see a lot of character and world development in this book which starts to further expand on how extremely messy this war actually is. The book also started focusing on the ill aftereffects of conquests and colonization, especially in terms of lost culture, language, and artifacts. There was some great commentary on what is lost when kingdoms and cultures are absorbed into one another and one or more is forced to lose themselves in the name of "unification". You can also see in the book that this is felt in several of the characters, as they mention only knowing bits and pieces of their individual culture because when this happens in real life generation after generation stands to lose more and more of that connection to their roots through no fault of their own. Beyond the commentary, I thought the story that continued did well to continue to build upon itself. More and more of this story is slowly unfolding and I don't find myself bored with it.

The only thing I would discredit the book for is that it did feel like the book should have been split into two because it felt like there was a natural end in the middle of the book and then it continued.

Verdict: It was good! I like it.

 

Disclaimer: I bought 5 copies of this book. Support your authors! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Sunrise on the Reaping 

 

Author: Suzanne Collins 

 

Book Series: The Hunger Games 0.5 

 

Rating: 5/5 

 

Diversity: Indigenous, Black, and POC characters 

 

Recommended For...: Young Adult readers, Dystopian, Fantasy, Science Fiction 

 

Publication Date: March 18, 2025 

 

Genre: YA Dystopian 

 

Age Relevance: 16+ (alcohol, alcohol consumption, violence, gore, parental death, death, child abuse, suicidal ideation) 

 

Explanation of CWs: There are a couple of mentions and scenes involving alcohol and alcohol consumption, especially underage alcohol consumption at the end of the book. There is violence, blood gore, and puke shown in the book. There are mentions and scenes of parental, child, and other death. There is a child abuse scene. There are mentions of suicide and suicide ideation. 

 

If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: Eyes Open 

 

Publisher: Scholastic Press 

 

Pages: 382 

 

Synopsis: As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena. 

 

Review: I am not well after reading this book. And like… in a good way. I have been a long time fan of this series since I was younger so I didn’t have any expectations going into this book. I knew it would be good and I know that Suzanne always writes when she has something to say so I wanted to sit and hear it. But the level of lore, detail, and such deep examination of US propaganda is so amazing. The book is expertly written. The worldbuilding is unreal. The book and its connections to the series are next level. I want to give a hug to Suzanne and thank her for this life changing read. And like, that’s all I can call this book really: life-changing. This book will force you to confront the horrors and levels of propaganda that the US has used and will use and that’s so unfortunately important in today’s age. Reading is political and Suzanne proves this time and time again. 

 

The only thing I could even dent the book for is that it leaves me wanting more and that I want more of Haymitch. And that now I’m strangely craving to see Woody Harrelson on the screen again. 

 

Verdict: It was FANTASTIC! This book and series are required reading. 

 

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from Netgalley and then bought the book at a book con. Support your authors! All opinions are my own. 

 

Book: Delilah Green Doesn’t Care 

 

Author: Ashley Herring Blake 

 

Book Series: Bright Falls Book 1 

 

Rating: 5/5 

 

Spice Rating: 5/5 

 

Diversity: Lesbian FMC, Bisexual FMC, Bisexual character 

 

Recommended For...: Adult readers, Romance, Small Town Romance, One Bed, Lust to Love, Casual Sex to Love, Queer, Lesbian, Bisexual, Contemporary Romance 

 

Publication Date: February 22, 2022 

 

Genre: Romance 

 

Age Relevance: 18+ (language, romance, sexual content, dead parents, alcohol consumption, neglectful parenting, cancer) 

 

Explanation of CWs: There is a lot of cursing in this book. There are scenes of romance and sexual content. There are mentions of dead parents and some scenes of neglectful parenting shown in the past. There is alcohol consumption. There is a mention of cancer. 

 

If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: Midnight Rain 

 

Publisher: Berkley 

 

Pages: 375 

 

Synopsis: Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls—nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood where she was little more than a burden to her cold and distant stepfamily. Her life is in New York, with her photography career finally gaining steam and her bed never empty. Sure, it’s a different woman every night, but that’s just fine with her. When Delilah’s estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself back in the godforsaken town that she used to call home. She plans to breeze in and out, but then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid’s stuck-up besties, and decides that maybe there’s some fun (and a little retribution) to be had in Bright Falls, after all. Having raised her eleven-year-old daughter mostly on her own while dealing with her unreliable ex and running a bookstore, Claire Sutherland depends upon a life without surprises. And Delilah Green is an unwelcome surprise…at first. Though they’ve known each other for years, they don’t really know each other—so Claire is unsettled when Delilah figures out exactly what buttons to push. When they’re forced together during a gauntlet of wedding preparations—including a plot to save Astrid from her horrible fiancé—Claire isn’t sure she has the strength to resist Delilah’s charms. Even worse, she’s starting to think she doesn’t want to... 

 

Review: How much time do you have to read about how much I love this book? Because I love it SO SO MUCH! This was my first introduction to Ashley Herring Blake’s writing and I can’t be more of a fan now. I am now a fan forever. I thought this book had some great writing and had a great story. The story expertly sets up the rest of the series in my opinion and I crave more of this series with these characters. The book had the tropes of small town romance, one bed, and casual sex/lust to love. I thought the world building was also so wonderful and the book was just so addicting from start to finish. I wanted to read this thing wherever I was (which was a romance book con… so like it was on brand LOL). 

 

The only thing I wish the book had was that I wanted more defined chapters as to who’s chapter it was because that was a little confusing and I wish there was more Asterid and Delilah reconnection, but I have a feeling I’ll get that in another book. 

 

Verdict: I LOVE IT SO MUCH! Highly recommend. 

Disclaimer: I bought this book for book club. Yay reading buddies! All opinions are my own.

Book: Magic Bites

Author: Ilona Andrews

Book Series: Kate Daniels Book 1

Rating: 4.5/5

Recommended For...: Urban Fantasy readers, fantasy, paranormal, romance, vampires, shape-shifters, adult readers, magic

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publication Date: May 27, 2007

Publisher: Ace

Pages: 260

Recommended Age: 18+ (language, police brutality, death, violence, gore, dead parents, racist term, sexual content, religion, incest, sexual assault)

Explanation of CWs: There is a lot of cursing in this book. There are mentions of police brutality. There is a lot of violence, death, blood gore, and mention of dead parents. There is a racist term in this book due to the age of the book (g****). There is some sexual content mentioned in this book. There is some mentions of the Christian religion. There is one mention of incest and sexual assault.

If This Was a Taylor Swift Song: Bad Blood

Synopsis: Ilona Andrews invites you to experience the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series featuring the intriguing fantasy world of mercenary Kate Daniels… When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake. Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles. The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate’s guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league—but she wouldn’t have it any other way…

Review: I thought this book was so inventive and really well done. The book takes place after this magic apocalypse and our MC is a woman who was just informed of their quasi-adoptive father's death in the line of duty against magical beings. Her journey to find out what happened takes her to far reaching areas of Atlanta and we're along for that journey. I loved that the author took a lot of care and attention to name a lot of places in Atlanta that the magical beings now inhabit and I loved the feel of the story. I thought the world building was well done and the pacing on point.

The only issue I really had with the book is that I felt like the ending battle scene and the scenes after that went rather quickly. It was a lot of set-up for a very quick 10 page ending. However, I can't wait for the next one.

Verdict: It was good! I liked it a lot.