Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.51k reviews by:
popthebutterfly
Disclaimer: I received an arc in a contest I won hosted by the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: A Danger to Herself and Others
Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: contemporary lovers, mental health readers, mystery readers, ya readers
Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (mental health, suicide mentions, gaslighting)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 341
Synopsis: Four walls. One window. No way to escape. Hannah knows there's been a mistake. She didn't need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at her summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctors and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year. In the meantime, she is going to use her persuasive skills to get the staff on her side.
Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage. And she may be the only person who can get Hannah to confront the dangerous games and secrets that landed her in confinement in the first place.
Review: I had to DNF this book at page 71. While the book is wonderfully well written and I love that I won it, I just couldn't read it at this time and it's time for me to put it off my TBR for awhile. The book has some graphic detail about mental health and some various ways the character and her therapists try to deal with it. I don't feel like I'm in the best health myself to read that and unreliable narrator books don't really interest me as they are sometimes wrote too confusingly. However, the book didn't shy away from calling people out who dehumanize people with mental health issues and I love how raw and unapologetic it is.
Verdict: It wasn’t for me this time, but it could be for you!
Book: A Danger to Herself and Others
Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: contemporary lovers, mental health readers, mystery readers, ya readers
Publication Date: February 5, 2019
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 16+ (mental health, suicide mentions, gaslighting)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 341
Synopsis: Four walls. One window. No way to escape. Hannah knows there's been a mistake. She didn't need to be institutionalized. What happened to her roommate at her summer program was an accident. As soon as the doctors and judge figure out that she isn't a danger to herself or others, she can go home to start her senior year. In the meantime, she is going to use her persuasive skills to get the staff on her side.
Then Lucy arrives. Lucy has her own baggage. And she may be the only person who can get Hannah to confront the dangerous games and secrets that landed her in confinement in the first place.
Review: I had to DNF this book at page 71. While the book is wonderfully well written and I love that I won it, I just couldn't read it at this time and it's time for me to put it off my TBR for awhile. The book has some graphic detail about mental health and some various ways the character and her therapists try to deal with it. I don't feel like I'm in the best health myself to read that and unreliable narrator books don't really interest me as they are sometimes wrote too confusingly. However, the book didn't shy away from calling people out who dehumanize people with mental health issues and I love how raw and unapologetic it is.
Verdict: It wasn’t for me this time, but it could be for you!
Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Written in Starlight
Author: Isabel Ibanez
Book Series: Woven in Moonlight Book 2
Rating: 1/5
Diversity: Indigenous Bolivian culture and people, but racist views and statements and misconceptions about the culture and religious aspects
Recommended For...: fantasy readers, ya readers
Publication Date: January 26, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 368
Synopsis: If the jungle wants you, it will have you...
Catalina Quiroga is a Condesa without a country. She’s lost the Inkasisa throne, the loyalty of her people, and her best friend. Banished to the perilous Yanu Jungle, Catalina knows her chances of survival are slim, but that won’t stop her from trying to escape. It’s her duty to reclaim the throne.
When Manuel, the son of her former general, rescues Catalina from a jaguar, a plan forms. Deep in the jungle, the city of gold is hidden, home to the fierce Illari people, who she could strike an alliance with.
But the elusive Illari are fighting a battle of their own—a mysterious blight is corrupting the jungle, laying waste to everything they hold dear. As a seer, Catalina should be able to help, but her ability to read the future in the stars is as feeble as her survival instincts. While searching for the Illari, Catalina must reckon with her duty and her heart to find her true calling, which could be the key to stopping the corruption before it destroys the jungle completely.
Review: I'm DNFing this book at 1%. I'm disturbed by the reports I've heard and evidence I've seen about how the indigenous culture and people are mistreated and how the book has a white savior complex. I can't, in good faith, read this book right now. I might come back to it in the future, but right now there’s too much not being taken seriously about the valid concerns of people who are hurt by this book.
Verdict: I’m unsteady about this series from the concerns I read and what I remember from reading it myself. I’m also very concerned about the lack of a statement from the author and the amount of people who have attacked those who voiced their valid concerns about the book. The author isn’t doing anything to help the matter by remaining silent and letting people continue to attack those who voiced concerns and letting them continue to make racist remarks about the people and culture the books are based on.
Book: Written in Starlight
Author: Isabel Ibanez
Book Series: Woven in Moonlight Book 2
Rating: 1/5
Diversity: Indigenous Bolivian culture and people, but racist views and statements and misconceptions about the culture and religious aspects
Recommended For...: fantasy readers, ya readers
Publication Date: January 26, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 368
Synopsis: If the jungle wants you, it will have you...
Catalina Quiroga is a Condesa without a country. She’s lost the Inkasisa throne, the loyalty of her people, and her best friend. Banished to the perilous Yanu Jungle, Catalina knows her chances of survival are slim, but that won’t stop her from trying to escape. It’s her duty to reclaim the throne.
When Manuel, the son of her former general, rescues Catalina from a jaguar, a plan forms. Deep in the jungle, the city of gold is hidden, home to the fierce Illari people, who she could strike an alliance with.
But the elusive Illari are fighting a battle of their own—a mysterious blight is corrupting the jungle, laying waste to everything they hold dear. As a seer, Catalina should be able to help, but her ability to read the future in the stars is as feeble as her survival instincts. While searching for the Illari, Catalina must reckon with her duty and her heart to find her true calling, which could be the key to stopping the corruption before it destroys the jungle completely.
Review: I'm DNFing this book at 1%. I'm disturbed by the reports I've heard and evidence I've seen about how the indigenous culture and people are mistreated and how the book has a white savior complex. I can't, in good faith, read this book right now. I might come back to it in the future, but right now there’s too much not being taken seriously about the valid concerns of people who are hurt by this book.
Verdict: I’m unsteady about this series from the concerns I read and what I remember from reading it myself. I’m also very concerned about the lack of a statement from the author and the amount of people who have attacked those who voiced their valid concerns about the book. The author isn’t doing anything to help the matter by remaining silent and letting people continue to attack those who voiced concerns and letting them continue to make racist remarks about the people and culture the books are based on.
Disclaimer: I received the arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Brass Queen
Author: Elizabeth Chatsworth
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: fantasy, steampunk, sci-fi, historical fiction, romance
Publication Date: January 12, 2021
Genre: Historical Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, gore, romance, slight sexual content)
Publisher: CamCat Books
Pages: 448
Synopsis: In 1897, a fiery British aristocrat and an inept US spy search for a stolen invisibility serum that could spark a global war.
Miss Constance Haltwhistle is the last in a line of blue-blooded rogue inventors. Selling exotic firearms under her alias, the ‘Brass Queen,’ has kept her baronial estate’s coffers full. But when US spy, Trusdale, saves her from assassins, she’s pulled into a search for a scientist with an invisibility serum. As royal foes create an invisible army to start a global war, Constance and Trusdale must learn to trust each other. If they don’t, the world they know will literally disappear before their eyes.
Review: For the most part I really enjoyed this book. I've never really had luck with steampunk inspired novels but this was a fun read with magic and we'll explained technology. The character development was well done, the world building and magic system building was sound, and I really enjoyed the story.
The only issue I had with it is that the beginning is super slow and confusing. It took a bit for me to get into the book. I also found the romance off-putting for some reason. I can't really name it, but I didn't like it.
Verdict: It’s a good book, just takes a bit to get into.
Book: The Brass Queen
Author: Elizabeth Chatsworth
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: fantasy, steampunk, sci-fi, historical fiction, romance
Publication Date: January 12, 2021
Genre: Historical Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 17+ (violence, gore, romance, slight sexual content)
Publisher: CamCat Books
Pages: 448
Synopsis: In 1897, a fiery British aristocrat and an inept US spy search for a stolen invisibility serum that could spark a global war.
Miss Constance Haltwhistle is the last in a line of blue-blooded rogue inventors. Selling exotic firearms under her alias, the ‘Brass Queen,’ has kept her baronial estate’s coffers full. But when US spy, Trusdale, saves her from assassins, she’s pulled into a search for a scientist with an invisibility serum. As royal foes create an invisible army to start a global war, Constance and Trusdale must learn to trust each other. If they don’t, the world they know will literally disappear before their eyes.
Review: For the most part I really enjoyed this book. I've never really had luck with steampunk inspired novels but this was a fun read with magic and we'll explained technology. The character development was well done, the world building and magic system building was sound, and I really enjoyed the story.
The only issue I had with it is that the beginning is super slow and confusing. It took a bit for me to get into the book. I also found the romance off-putting for some reason. I can't really name it, but I didn't like it.
Verdict: It’s a good book, just takes a bit to get into.
Disclaimer: I received the e-arc from the publisher and then bought my own copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Lore
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 1/5
Diversity: one gay side character by the time I DNFed
Recommended For...: Greek Mythology lovers
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNFed
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 480
Synopsis: Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths.
Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.
The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.
Review: I DNFed this read at 134 pages. I really like the concept of it, but Alexandra Bracken basically drops you into the middle of a story and 134 pages in and I'm still so lost and confused about what's going on. The characters aren't developed, the book expects you to know the backstory and to have read the blurb before you read it, the timeline and world building are disastrous, and the whole thing is just so cluttered. If you didn't have any knowledge of Greek Gods you'd be utterly confused throughout the book and even with my basic knowledge I'm still very lost. The author didn't take the time to set up anything in the book, we hit the ground running from page 1. I feel like I'm reading the rough draft of this book while I'm actually reading the first edition. I think this would have been a good sequel book, but as a first it's bad and underdeveloped.
Verdict: I wish it was just a little bit better in the beginning and helped bring you into the world.
Book: Lore
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 1/5
Diversity: one gay side character by the time I DNFed
Recommended For...: Greek Mythology lovers
Publication Date: January 5, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNFed
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 480
Synopsis: Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths.
Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.
The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.
Review: I DNFed this read at 134 pages. I really like the concept of it, but Alexandra Bracken basically drops you into the middle of a story and 134 pages in and I'm still so lost and confused about what's going on. The characters aren't developed, the book expects you to know the backstory and to have read the blurb before you read it, the timeline and world building are disastrous, and the whole thing is just so cluttered. If you didn't have any knowledge of Greek Gods you'd be utterly confused throughout the book and even with my basic knowledge I'm still very lost. The author didn't take the time to set up anything in the book, we hit the ground running from page 1. I feel like I'm reading the rough draft of this book while I'm actually reading the first edition. I think this would have been a good sequel book, but as a first it's bad and underdeveloped.
Verdict: I wish it was just a little bit better in the beginning and helped bring you into the world.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author for a tour. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Heaven’s Silhouette
Author: Melissa Lynn Herold
Book Series: Iyarri Chronicles Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: fantasy readers
Publication Date: September 17, 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 18+ (romance, violence, gore, sexual content)
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Pages: 400
Synopsis: When I was little, other children called me a monster. A painting proved them right.
A lifetime of cruel taunts and heartbreak has taught Aurelia to hide, to not get too close to anyone. A painter and gallery docent, her only solace is in the art that can’t stare back. When a new piece arrives, depicting an angelic figure who shares the physical features she’s always thought of as monstrous, Aurelia searches for the artist, determined to get the answers her mother has long refused to provide.
But she isn’t the only one searching. There are others who want the artist—and the truth—silenced. Aurelia is attacked by figures from the painting, fierce warriors with wings and sharpened blades. Shaken and bloody, she manages to escape with her life but finds herself hunted by the Iyarri, who are anything but angels. As she comes to terms with her connection to them, Aurelia is drawn deeper into the heart of a millennia-old struggle. If she’s not careful, the consequences will tear her body, her heart, and the Iyarri in two.
Review: For the most part this was an ok book. It has a gorgeous cover and the book has an interesting premise. The character development is fairly well sound, the author did well on those throughout the novel, and the world building was fantastic and well crafted.
The major issues I had with the book is that it's drifted too far from realism. The story is so confusing and unreliable that I don't even know if I'm understanding it fully. You're supposed to believe in one thing, but then the book keeps saying the opposite. The pacing is also so slow throughout the book.
Verdict: It’s good, but not normally my cup of tea, but still good!
Book: Heaven’s Silhouette
Author: Melissa Lynn Herold
Book Series: Iyarri Chronicles Book 1
Rating: 3/5
Recommended For...: fantasy readers
Publication Date: September 17, 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: 18+ (romance, violence, gore, sexual content)
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Pages: 400
Synopsis: When I was little, other children called me a monster. A painting proved them right.
A lifetime of cruel taunts and heartbreak has taught Aurelia to hide, to not get too close to anyone. A painter and gallery docent, her only solace is in the art that can’t stare back. When a new piece arrives, depicting an angelic figure who shares the physical features she’s always thought of as monstrous, Aurelia searches for the artist, determined to get the answers her mother has long refused to provide.
But she isn’t the only one searching. There are others who want the artist—and the truth—silenced. Aurelia is attacked by figures from the painting, fierce warriors with wings and sharpened blades. Shaken and bloody, she manages to escape with her life but finds herself hunted by the Iyarri, who are anything but angels. As she comes to terms with her connection to them, Aurelia is drawn deeper into the heart of a millennia-old struggle. If she’s not careful, the consequences will tear her body, her heart, and the Iyarri in two.
Review: For the most part this was an ok book. It has a gorgeous cover and the book has an interesting premise. The character development is fairly well sound, the author did well on those throughout the novel, and the world building was fantastic and well crafted.
The major issues I had with the book is that it's drifted too far from realism. The story is so confusing and unreliable that I don't even know if I'm understanding it fully. You're supposed to believe in one thing, but then the book keeps saying the opposite. The pacing is also so slow throughout the book.
Verdict: It’s good, but not normally my cup of tea, but still good!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Into The Heartless Wood
Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers, retelling readers, ya readers
Publication Date: January 12, 2021
Genre: YA Retelling
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNFed
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 368
Synopsis: The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths. For centuries, a witch has harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow her domain.
When Owen Merrick is lured into the witch’s wood, one of her tree-siren daughters, Seren, saves his life instead of ending it. Every night, he climbs over the garden wall to see her, and every night her longing to become human deepens. But a shift in the stars foretells a dangerous curse, and Seren’s quest to become human will lead them into an ancient war raging between the witch and the king who is trying to stop her.
Review: I DNFed at 16% in. While the story seemed pretty good, it was really confusing to read. The writing was kind of all over the place. The writing also feels so middle grade when it's adult and I feel like it's luring kids into reading stuff above what they might be comfortable doing. The character development and world building was also hit and miss.
Verdict: It was a weird book.
Book: Into The Heartless Wood
Author: Joanna Ruth Meyer
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 2/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers, retelling readers, ya readers
Publication Date: January 12, 2021
Genre: YA Retelling
Recommended Age: can’t recommend, DNFed
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Pages: 368
Synopsis: The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths. For centuries, a witch has harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow her domain.
When Owen Merrick is lured into the witch’s wood, one of her tree-siren daughters, Seren, saves his life instead of ending it. Every night, he climbs over the garden wall to see her, and every night her longing to become human deepens. But a shift in the stars foretells a dangerous curse, and Seren’s quest to become human will lead them into an ancient war raging between the witch and the king who is trying to stop her.
Review: I DNFed at 16% in. While the story seemed pretty good, it was really confusing to read. The writing was kind of all over the place. The writing also feels so middle grade when it's adult and I feel like it's luring kids into reading stuff above what they might be comfortable doing. The character development and world building was also hit and miss.
Verdict: It was a weird book.
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: This Golden Flame
Author: Emily Victoria
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: sci-fi readers, fantasy readers, ya readers
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 15+ (slight violence and gore, death)
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Orphaned and forced to serve her country’s ruling group of scribes, Karis wants nothing more than to find her brother, long ago shipped away. But family bonds don’t matter to the Scriptorium, whose sole focus is unlocking the magic of an ancient automaton army.
In her search for her brother, Karis does the seemingly impossible—she awakens a hidden automaton. Intelligent, with a conscience of his own, Alix has no idea why he was made. Or why his father—their nation’s greatest traitor—once tried to destroy the automatons.
Suddenly, the Scriptorium isn’t just trying to control Karis; it’s hunting her. Together with Alix, Karis must find her brother…and the secret that’s held her country in its power for centuries.
Review: Overall, I really liked this book. I do want to remark that the book was really good. The book is diverse, having aro/ace characters, gay, and other lgbt+ characters and also showing and writing disabled characters. I really liked how the story flowed and for a debut novel this was really well done. The characters were well developed and, from what I could tell, wrote with care in who they are. The world building was also well done.
However, I did have issues connecting to some of the characters, specifically Zara, and the pacing in some places was really too slow for my liking.
Verdict: It’s pretty good!
Book: This Golden Flame
Author: Emily Victoria
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: sci-fi readers, fantasy readers, ya readers
Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 15+ (slight violence and gore, death)
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Orphaned and forced to serve her country’s ruling group of scribes, Karis wants nothing more than to find her brother, long ago shipped away. But family bonds don’t matter to the Scriptorium, whose sole focus is unlocking the magic of an ancient automaton army.
In her search for her brother, Karis does the seemingly impossible—she awakens a hidden automaton. Intelligent, with a conscience of his own, Alix has no idea why he was made. Or why his father—their nation’s greatest traitor—once tried to destroy the automatons.
Suddenly, the Scriptorium isn’t just trying to control Karis; it’s hunting her. Together with Alix, Karis must find her brother…and the secret that’s held her country in its power for centuries.
Review: Overall, I really liked this book. I do want to remark that the book was really good. The book is diverse, having aro/ace characters, gay, and other lgbt+ characters and also showing and writing disabled characters. I really liked how the story flowed and for a debut novel this was really well done. The characters were well developed and, from what I could tell, wrote with care in who they are. The world building was also well done.
However, I did have issues connecting to some of the characters, specifically Zara, and the pacing in some places was really too slow for my liking.
Verdict: It’s pretty good!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: We Could Be Heroes
Author: Mike Chen
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: science fiction lovers, superhero novels
Publication Date: January 26, 2021
Genre: Science Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, villain powers)
Publisher: Mira Books
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Jamie woke up in an empty apartment with no memory and only a few clues to his identity, but with the ability to read and erase other people’s memories—a power he uses to hold up banks to buy coffee, cat food and books.
Zoe is also searching for her past, and using her abilities of speed and strength…to deliver fast food. And she’ll occasionally put on a cool suit and beat up bad guys, if she feels like it.
When the archrivals meet in a memory-loss support group, they realize the only way to reveal their hidden pasts might be through each other. As they uncover an ongoing threat, suddenly much more is at stake than their fragile friendship. With countless people at risk, Zoe and Jamie will have to recognize that sometimes being a hero starts with trusting someone else—and yourself.
Review: For the most part this was a great read! I love anything involving superheroes and the power dynamic between them and villains. I loved the character development (the author is amazing at that) and the story kept me intrigued in the read from start to finish. I also loved how funny it was. It really reminded me a lot of Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson.
The only weaknesses of the book I saw was the world building (I wish it was a bit more expanded upon) and the pacing (which was really slow in a lot of places).
Verdict: It was a good book!
Book: We Could Be Heroes
Author: Mike Chen
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 5/5
Recommended For...: science fiction lovers, superhero novels
Publication Date: January 26, 2021
Genre: Science Fiction
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, villain powers)
Publisher: Mira Books
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Jamie woke up in an empty apartment with no memory and only a few clues to his identity, but with the ability to read and erase other people’s memories—a power he uses to hold up banks to buy coffee, cat food and books.
Zoe is also searching for her past, and using her abilities of speed and strength…to deliver fast food. And she’ll occasionally put on a cool suit and beat up bad guys, if she feels like it.
When the archrivals meet in a memory-loss support group, they realize the only way to reveal their hidden pasts might be through each other. As they uncover an ongoing threat, suddenly much more is at stake than their fragile friendship. With countless people at risk, Zoe and Jamie will have to recognize that sometimes being a hero starts with trusting someone else—and yourself.
Review: For the most part this was a great read! I love anything involving superheroes and the power dynamic between them and villains. I loved the character development (the author is amazing at that) and the story kept me intrigued in the read from start to finish. I also loved how funny it was. It really reminded me a lot of Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson.
The only weaknesses of the book I saw was the world building (I wish it was a bit more expanded upon) and the pacing (which was really slow in a lot of places).
Verdict: It was a good book!
Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher and pre-ordered my own copy. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Warmaidens
Author: Kelly Coon
Book Series: Gravemaidens Book 2
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers, romance lovers, ya readers
Publication Date: December 15, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, romance, ptsd, animal violence, attempted rape)
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Just a few moons after escaping the tomb in Alu, Kammani and the other runaway maidens have found refuge in the city-state of Manzazu. There, Kammani has become a respected healer, especially among the warriors she’s brought back from the brink of death. Now that the nightmares of Alu are fading, she can finally decide whether or not to take Dagan’s hand in marriage.
But when an assassin murders a healer he believes is Kammani and attempts to kill the displaced queen of Alu, the maidens realize they’ve been found.
Hungry for revenge, Manzazu’s queen wants to strike back at Alu with her fiercest weapons—her scorpion warrior maidens—but Kammani knows that war harms more than it heals. To save the innocents and any chance of a future with Dagan, Kammani must take down Alu’s ruler before their lives burn up in the flames of war.
Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The world building is amazing and the character development is awesome. The pacing is pretty on key and the story is very interesting and hooked me from the beginning.
There were a few things I didn't like as much in this book. The book takes place 9 months after the events in the first book but fails to reintroduce characters you might have forgotten. The language, while immersive, also takes a bit to get used to and there's no directory in the book to help with words used. The main character is also one who, throughout the majority of the series, wanted to be childless but then in the end gave a hint that she did want kids in the future. I think that's kind of a sad blow to women who don't want to kids and takes away a character that they could have looked up to.
Verdict: I loved this book, but it could have been a little better.
Book: Warmaidens
Author: Kelly Coon
Book Series: Gravemaidens Book 2
Rating: 4/5
Recommended For...: fantasy lovers, romance lovers, ya readers
Publication Date: December 15, 2020
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, romance, ptsd, animal violence, attempted rape)
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 384
Synopsis: Just a few moons after escaping the tomb in Alu, Kammani and the other runaway maidens have found refuge in the city-state of Manzazu. There, Kammani has become a respected healer, especially among the warriors she’s brought back from the brink of death. Now that the nightmares of Alu are fading, she can finally decide whether or not to take Dagan’s hand in marriage.
But when an assassin murders a healer he believes is Kammani and attempts to kill the displaced queen of Alu, the maidens realize they’ve been found.
Hungry for revenge, Manzazu’s queen wants to strike back at Alu with her fiercest weapons—her scorpion warrior maidens—but Kammani knows that war harms more than it heals. To save the innocents and any chance of a future with Dagan, Kammani must take down Alu’s ruler before their lives burn up in the flames of war.
Review: For the most part this was a well done book. The world building is amazing and the character development is awesome. The pacing is pretty on key and the story is very interesting and hooked me from the beginning.
There were a few things I didn't like as much in this book. The book takes place 9 months after the events in the first book but fails to reintroduce characters you might have forgotten. The language, while immersive, also takes a bit to get used to and there's no directory in the book to help with words used. The main character is also one who, throughout the majority of the series, wanted to be childless but then in the end gave a hint that she did want kids in the future. I think that's kind of a sad blow to women who don't want to kids and takes away a character that they could have looked up to.
Verdict: I loved this book, but it could have been a little better.
Disclaimer: I received this arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: The Remaking
Author: Clay McLeod Chapman
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 1/5
Recommended For...: horror fans
Publication Date: September 15, 2020
Genre: Horror
Recommended Age: Can’t recommend, DNFed
Publisher: Quirk Books
Pages: 305
Synopsis: Ella Louise has lived in the woods surrounding Pilot’s Creek, Virginia, for nearly a decade. Publicly, she and her daughter Jessica are shunned by their upper-crust family and the Pilot’s Creek residents. Privately, desperate townspeople visit her apothecary for a cure to what ails them—until Ella Louise is blamed for the death of a prominent customer. Accused of witchcraft, both mother and daughter are burned at the stake in the middle of the night. Ella Louise’s burial site is never found, but the little girl has the most famous grave in the South: a steel-reinforced coffin surrounded by a fence of interconnected white crosses.
Their story will take the shape of an urban legend as it’s told around a campfire by a man forever marked by his boyhood encounters with Jessica. Decades later, a boy at that campfire will cast Amber Pendleton as Jessica in a ’70s horror movie inspired by the Witch Girl of Pilot’s Creek. Amber’s experiences on that set and its meta-remake in the ’90s will ripple through pop culture, ruining her life and career after she becomes the target of a witch hunt. Amber’s best chance to break the cycle of horror comes when a true-crime investigator tracks her down to interview her for his popular podcast. But will this final act of storytelling redeem her—or will it bring the story full circle, ready to be told once again? And again. And again…
Review: Had to DNF at 204 pages. It's an ok book but I became quickly bored with it after the shift from Amber to adulthood. The scariness toned down significantly and it left me with repeating dialogue and slow pacing. The book has different paving throughout it and not well developed characters. The world is also not adequately developed and it's just not for me.
Verdict: Not for me and needs more work.
Book: The Remaking
Author: Clay McLeod Chapman
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 1/5
Recommended For...: horror fans
Publication Date: September 15, 2020
Genre: Horror
Recommended Age: Can’t recommend, DNFed
Publisher: Quirk Books
Pages: 305
Synopsis: Ella Louise has lived in the woods surrounding Pilot’s Creek, Virginia, for nearly a decade. Publicly, she and her daughter Jessica are shunned by their upper-crust family and the Pilot’s Creek residents. Privately, desperate townspeople visit her apothecary for a cure to what ails them—until Ella Louise is blamed for the death of a prominent customer. Accused of witchcraft, both mother and daughter are burned at the stake in the middle of the night. Ella Louise’s burial site is never found, but the little girl has the most famous grave in the South: a steel-reinforced coffin surrounded by a fence of interconnected white crosses.
Their story will take the shape of an urban legend as it’s told around a campfire by a man forever marked by his boyhood encounters with Jessica. Decades later, a boy at that campfire will cast Amber Pendleton as Jessica in a ’70s horror movie inspired by the Witch Girl of Pilot’s Creek. Amber’s experiences on that set and its meta-remake in the ’90s will ripple through pop culture, ruining her life and career after she becomes the target of a witch hunt. Amber’s best chance to break the cycle of horror comes when a true-crime investigator tracks her down to interview her for his popular podcast. But will this final act of storytelling redeem her—or will it bring the story full circle, ready to be told once again? And again. And again…
Review: Had to DNF at 204 pages. It's an ok book but I became quickly bored with it after the shift from Amber to adulthood. The scariness toned down significantly and it left me with repeating dialogue and slow pacing. The book has different paving throughout it and not well developed characters. The world is also not adequately developed and it's just not for me.
Verdict: Not for me and needs more work.