ravensandpages's Reviews (598)

I just need to be free… I need to see the light again… I need to know there are good things at the end of my time 

old note: DO NOT BE AFRAID BY THE DNF THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD I’m just shelving it to start again in November for a buddy read! If you are seeing this add this book to your TBR! I would die for all four of them!! 

new note: I WOULD STILL DIE FOR THEM!!! 

arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I went into reading this knowing nothing about it and came away with a series I'll absolutely be finishing. A Serenade for Pretend Lovers follows Akari, who finds out her boyfriend is married when she sees him with his wife at work, but freshly after the breakup her coworker appoints her in charge of a documentary feature with an eccentric composer who proposes they fake date after he hears her name. 

I really loved the growing tension between the two mains, and the fake lovers trope was used really well here. I must have had my shoujo glasses on because I wasn't expecting the sexual aspects, but I really loved them! It's refreshing to see an adult relationship with adult humor and content. While it didn't end on a cliffhanger, which is usually what draws me into vol 2, the sneak peek had me setting a reminder to make sure I don't miss the next volume! 

Required reading.

arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Real rating is closer to 3.5, but I've rounded up both because I'm not the intended audience, but also because this is a book that fully deserves four stars. 

While I don't normally seek out middle-grade titles, I requested Zachary Ying because of how much I loved Iron Widow. While Zachary Ying didn't blow me away to the same levels, I was amazed at how Zhao crafted such a fun and adventurous yet sensitive and complicated world, rich with history and references and just an all-around wonderful time. 

Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor follows a boy, Zachary Ying, who is a little out of place in his school. He faces bullying for being the only Asian kid in school, but has a few "friends" because of his love for Mythrealm, a virtual reality game. Enter Simon, an Asian exchange student who also likes Mythrealm and seems normal enough, except for the fact that he's a vessel for Emperor Tang Taizong and wants Zachary to accept the spirit of his own ancestral emperor: Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China and as it turns out, a yappy tyrant. 

When Qin Shi Huang binds to Zach's AR headset instead, a battle ensues that leaves the live of Zachary's mom hanging in the balance, Zachary must traipse across China to battle historical figures, heist magic artifacts, and rediscover the culture he never got a chance to learn about. I really enjoyed the way Zhao incorporated Chinese figures and stories into the book in an informative way that was still funny and engaging. I can tell this is a book that will be adored by its target audience, and while I personally didn't always enjoy the plot or character choices (ugh, kids), people of all ages will love Zachary Ying. 

happy pride month to myself. you’re free. unless you decide to come back in which case you dnfed at chapter 4. 

not everyone needs to have an enter key