I don't know what to say for this one yet. I haven't sobbed while reading a book in a long time...and I was spoiled on a death, or so I thought, because that character didn't die? The entire 1000 pages I was so worried for them, and they were fine. It was a nice relief but it definitely tainted my experience when I was reading chapters from their POV.
I really don't know how to feel. Am I happy at how it ended. I think so? Am I numb and emotionally drained from reading about a war that terrorized my favorite fictional characters for 1000 pages. Absolutely, yes.

Sarah J Maas is way too good at writing evil, unlikable characters. I am so emotional after the last few hundred pages of this one. I can't believe we only have two books left.

I’ve had this book on my Amazon wishlist since the cover was revealed in the early stages of publication and promotion. The premise of mermaids following slave ships was a heartbreaking new take on the mythical creatures and their creation story. I was equally excited, and emotionally warry to dive into this world and explore these characters.

Initially I was under the impression that the entire story would take place in the ocean. I quickly realized that would not be the case. Our MC Simi became a mermaid (Mami Wata) after being thrown overboard from a slave ship, and is now tasked with capturing the souls of other slaves who endure her same fate. Simi ends up finding a teenage boy who has been thrown overboard who is barely alive, and doesn’t have it in her heart to let the ocean claim him. In saving this boy she dooms the rest of her kind to the wrath of the highest god. Her creator warns her that she must now travel on land with this boy in order to set things back on the right path.

I initially did not like our male MC. While I can sympathize with his situation (he was beaten to the brink of death and thrown into the ocean, then rescued by a mermaid) when he regains consciousness he harms Simi, and then begins demanding and manipulating her into giving him what he wants. To say he didn’t give off a great first impression to me as the reader would be an understatement. But I tried to understand that he was in survival mode with adrenaline coursing through him, and his mind was solely focused on the steps he needed to take to get back to his village.

From this point in the novel we begin uncovering more of the mythical lore, understanding the gods and goddesses hierarchy and structure, as well as encountering other mythical creatures along the way. The first 60% of the book I was intrigued, engaged, and excited to see what would happen next. However once our characters reached the village I began losing interest.

It was at this point that we are introduced to a character who I immediately spotted as being out of place, and who ended up being the ultimate bad guy. The novel also became repetitive and formulaic in the way we moved from event to event, catastrophe to catastrophe. The characters were put in harm's way so many times that I stopped caring that they were in harm's way. I became desensitized, and hadn’t formed enough of a bond to the characters to particularly care what periles lay ahead.

Despite the character’s stories unfolding through flashbacks and via their own storytelling, I didn’t become as attached to them as I wanted to. Our main characters were well written and fleshed out, with character arcs that made sense narratively. I think my distaste for the repetition in the plot structure, as well as the story taking place primarily on land when I expected to be reading about the ocean, formed a disconnect I couldn’t recover from.

The strongest part of the novel for me was the beginning where we discover why the Mami Wata were created, how the gods and goddesses have been trying to avenge their people by tracking and destroying the slave ships and villages, as well as the truly heartbreaking scenes where Simi is collecting the souls of those thrown overboard. I think if I had gone into this novel understanding we’d be on land a majority of the time I might have had a different reading experience.

I honestly can’t tell you why I waited so long to read this book. Maybe it’s because for years I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews, and was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype. Maybe it’s because I’ve been drowning myself in romantasy and dark romance lately, and wasn’t ready to take a trip back into young adult territory. Whatever the reason, when I found Legendborn available at my library I knew my time to read it had finally come.

The two biggest takeaways I had from the synopsis of the book was that this would feature a new spin on the King Arthur legend, and follow a young girl through her journey of processing grief. This book delivered on those two fronts while offering the reader so much more.

The depth to our main character, her family’s history, her school (and the current and past residents) was unbelievably impressive. This novel felt like an onion, peeling back layer after layer of history, heartache, struggle, and triumph. Despite the magical and fantasy elements of the plot this novel never shied away from the very real, and raw, microaggressions and outright racism displayed by a handful of characters.

As a white reader this novel was insightful, impactful, and deeply unsettling in some instances. The nuances of a young black girl going to earl college in the deep south were threaded artfully throughout the novel. Deonn made sure that the reader never forgot what our MC, and her ancestors, faced in mundane and extraordinary circumstances. Whether she was fighting hellhounds or standing up to overt racist comments, we never for a second forgot the energy it took our MC to move through the world in her own skin.

The depth and pain in parts of this novel made it feel like it could easily belong in the New Adult genre, but I had to remind myself that real children Bree’s age experience this type of pain (the loss of her mother and heartbreaking reality of her ancestor’s past). I cannot emphasize enough what a great job this novel did at weaving Bree’s culture, the true history of the south, and fantasy together.

I’ve heard some reviewers say that this novel is challenging to settle into. I think having an understanding of King Arthur legends will give readers a leg up, as well as readers already having a good grasp on fantasy and magic systems in general. However, I would hope that readers who do not possess either wouldn’t shy away from this novel, and would try their best to push through the lineages, magic system, and new vocabulary to uncover the story beneath the surface.

I studied King Arthur in college and loved this new take on the round table, and how they kept the legend alive from generation to generation. The key players are all accounted for with twenty first century personalities that made conversations and battles with demons very interesting.

I loved that while Bree is infiltrating King Arthur’s court, she’s also discovering her own brand of magic. It would have been so easy for the focus to remain on the larger than life King Arthur legend, but the addition of her own, culturally relevant and cultivated, magic was such a breath of fresh air for the plot and her character development.

This novel is so well crafted that I’m having a hard time deciding where to take this review next. We could discuss how important the grieving process is, how great it was to see therapy play a role in Bree’s personal awakening, or we could dive into the budding romance between Bree and Nick (and possibly Sel), and what that means for future novels. We could discuss how this novel takes place on a college campus with a student who is still in high school and taking advanced courses, and is therefore a few years behind her peers yet masterfully advancing beyond them with every decision and action. We could discuss slavery, and the revelation at the end of the novel that shocked not only the characters, but me as the reader.

How Deonn wove so many powerful lessons, stories, emotions, characters, personalities, and magic systems into one novel is a mystery. Why it took me so long to pick this up is another I have no answer for. But I won’t be making the same mistake twice, and I’m already primed to start book two in the series as soon as I finish this review.

Bloodmarked is the second book in the Legendborn series by Tracy Deonn, which means this review might contain some spoilers for both book one and book two. We pick up right where book one left off with Bree still reeling from her new access to powers from both sides of her ancestral lines. We learn that because of her new status in the magical world she has been sequestered in the house on campus for her own safety, and she’s starting to feel the effects of being essentially caged in.

I was initially worried that because Nick had been taken at the end of the first novel we wouldn’t see him much in this second installment, but thankfully Deonn devised a very creative way for Nick to be featured alongside both Bree and Sel. As a novel with only one point of view I thought the ways Nick popped back up in the story were really smart and exciting, and it helped us as the reader remain emotionally connected and invested in Nick as a character.

Despite worrying about missing Nick I was equally excited about the prospect of getting to know Sel better as he and Bree were confined together for most of this novel. Their budding friendship, and their chemistry, left me squealing and kicking my feet. I thought the pacing of their connection from book one to book two was slow and steady which worked naturally with their tumultuous past from book one.

While the first book included talking points about historical events and present day racism this book took this discussion even deeper. We got to experience multiple scenes where Bree was stereotyped, harmed, and discounted solely because of her race. This was a major catalyst for a lot of the climactic events in the story, and worked to highlight just how corrupt, and behind the times, the Order truly is.

Where book one focused on Bree’s grieving process after the death of her mother, book two seemingly centered around emotional manipulation. There are multiple characters and instances in this book when Bree is mesmered or emotionally manipulated by characters she is growing to trust, and I’m extremely curious to see how the aftermath of this topic will be explored in the next book in the series.

As a whole this series doesn’t shy away from harsh realities, ugly topics, and at times graphic violence. This story is not for the weak at heart when it comes to injuries sustained from and incurred by fighting demons. Just like with book one it was hard for me to remember that this is a young adult novel when reading about Bree, her friends, and her enemies’ injuries.

For some reason I felt like this novel wasn’t as cohesive, and didn’t flow as intricately as the first book. It felt a little disjointed, and like we hopped from setting to setting, which is admittedly how I’m sure the characters felt as well. I’m not sure if that pacing was intentional, or a hint of the dreaded book two syndrome, but it wasn’t distracting enough to take away from the story (which I devoured). Overall I’m really pleased with where this series is going, and I’m so excited and hopeful for book three. I can’t believe I have to wait until next year to see what will happen next after an incredibly traumatic ending.

Without a doubt this novel was one of my most anticipated reads. As soon as I heard that we were getting a bipoc fae fantasy story, and saw the stunning depiction of the characters on the cover, I was sold. I went into this novel only knowing it was a fae romantasy, and anticipated being pleasantly surprised while watching this story unfold. 

The first line of this novel is one of my absolute favorites. I literally stopped reading to just let that line sink in, and mentally note that we were off to an incredible start. Our story follows our FMC Lore who is a human stuck in a fae world. The way humans got to this fae land has been lost to time, and is now retold through their oral histories and tales. Faes treat the humans with disdain, outright violence, and in some instances as pets or slaves. 

The novel opens with Lore working in her family’s apothecary and orphanage. We learn relatively quickly that Lore is extremely intelligent, and that she possesses the coveted skill of reading and writing in the fae language (which is extremely unusual for a human). When fae nobility learn of her talents she is forced to come into the fae lands and organize one of their libraries. I was so hopeful that our story would take off from here, but found myself getting a little lost and even bored at times as the story progressed. 

The descriptions in this novel of the world, character features, creatures, and surroundings were lush and vibrant. I could so vividly imagine the different fae, the dusty library, and the mysterious forest. I loved getting a glimpse of this new world through Lore’s eyes as she was simultaneously in awe and enraged by what she saw. Living in and among her oppressor was both a gift and a hardship. She had decadent meals, a bed and a roof over her head, but she was always looking over her shoulder in fear of snide remarks or a knife in her back.

While I loved the descriptive nature of this novel the pacing left me wanting more. It felt like a lot of action happened off the page. We would oftentimes see a peripheral character leave on a mission or task for weeks or months at a time. The passage of time was either described literally or just didn’t exist on the page at all. There was one point in the novel where Lore began planning for something, and on the next page she was in the middle of that action without the reader being a part of how she got from point a to point b. 

The pacing made it feel like something was missing. Like bits of the story hadn’t been fully developed, or had been cut down to fit the appropriate word count. After reading the ending I even began to wonder if some of the off the page actions were intentional to make the final reveal feel even more dramatic. Whatever the reason, it didn’t work for me and left the novel feeling disjointed. 

It’s very important to note that this story is more of a cozy fantasy with just a splash of violence. A majority of this novel is just slice of life content with Lore and her new fae friends learning about her magic while being on the run. It made any violent interactions feel that much more gruesome and unexpected. 

I wasn’t entirely sold on the romance of this novel either, which I can also blame partially on the pacing. While it was setting up to become a why choose, the characters really didn’t have enough on the page interactions to warrant their feelings towards one another. There is one semi spicy scene at the end of this novel that felt like it came out of left field. If this is marketed as an adult romantasy I’m surprised there wasn’t more spice sprinkled throughout. If it was to be remarketed to a young adult audience I think that could easily be done if they remove that semi spicy last scene. 

Sadly this novel does not have a happy ending, and it does have a rather devious cliff hanger. I wish the entire book had been as awe inspiring as the first line in the novel was. Unfortunately I think it’s a little too apparent that this was a debut novel, and it needed some more editing with regards to the plot and romantic development.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eARC of this novel in 2019 in exchange for an honest review. My deepest apologies for my review being so egregiously late.

This novel solidified Evie Dunmore as a new must read author. This book had everything I love in a historical romance, and left me smiling so hard my cheeks hurt long after I set the book down. I believe fans of Bridgerton or Pride and Prejudice would become absolutely immersed in this story.

Our story follows Annabelle, a woman from the country, and Sebastian who is more commonly known as Duke Montgomery. We flash back and forth between both Annabelle and the Duke’s points of views, getting personalized glimpses into their worlds as individuals, and as a budding couple. While their romance kept me turning the page, devouring each flirty interaction, seering look, and lingering touch, our characters also had steadfast, plot driven storylines that complimented their romantic narrative. 

There were so many moments throughout this story that helped build our characters’ connection to one another. The plot devices that kept these two orbiting one another were exactly what I would have written if I was driving this narrative, and made me giddy with conspiratorial glee. 

I loved getting to see Annabelle’s involvement in the women’s suffrage movement, her studies in Oxford, her newly developed friendships, as well as the Duke’s goings on in running his estates, managing his brother, and his political machinations. There was such a healthy balance between the historical plot points and the romance that I never found myself bored with the story, or waiting impatiently for things to heat up between these characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride whether we were discussing Annabelle’s studies at Oxford, the scandalous, stolen moments in the maze, or the Duke’s political negotiations with the Queen.

This story had so many heartwarming undertones including the Duke’s, at times, frustrating relationship with his younger brother and heir, as well as the relationships Annabelle was cultivating with other women at Oxford. Including these secondary and tertiary relationships was a great way to show what healthy relationships and boundaries can look like, as well as crafting fully developed characters of substance. 

These characters were so likable, relatable (despite the time period), witty, intelligent, and well matched. I often found myself giggling at their quick banter, and even found my face flushing at their more intimate moments. Getting to watch this pair give in to their sizzling chemistry a little more with each interaction made their ultimate coupling that much more intense. 

This novel was the perfect balance of sweet, intelligent, historical, silly, serious, and heartwarming storytelling. I fell head over heels for these characters while watching them fall even harder for one another. This was a feel good historical romance with a touch of misunderstanding, that eventually smoothed out into a very deserved happily ever after.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eARC of this novel in 2019 in exchange for an honest review. My deepest apologies for my review being so egregiously late.

This cover is absolutely stunning, and paired with the synopsis of the story I was drawn in like a moth to a flame. Speaking of flames, they play a major part in this story with regards to the trauma our main character, Thia, experiences within the first few chapters. Very mild (in my opinion…read at your own risk) trigger warnings for death of a parent or parental figure, disfigurement and scarring via fire, and prolonged periods of depression.

For a young adult fantasy novel this story was tackling some major themes, and generally doing them justice. I loved the depiction of depression in the novel by showcasing our character’s struggle to get out of bed, and participate in life around her. We got to see how other characters tried to intervene and help in their own ways, which I thought was so realistic to my own mental health experiences.

Depression, grief, and working through trauma are strong themes, as well as catalysts, that propel the plot forward. I thought the author did a great job of subtly, or intentionally, displaying how each character we met had their own internal battles that sometimes resulted in very physical, and obvious, scars.

I enjoyed the snarky, and oftentimes downright cruel, banter between Princess Thia and her soon to be husband, Prince Ericen. I kept waiting for the moment Thia gave in to his sly advances, but she never forgot who he was, or what he represented. Ericen was a really interesting character, and I kept waiting for his story arc to take an unexpected turn, but he just wasn’t ready to divert from his lot in life. I’m truly hoping that in the second novel he was able to break away from his mother’s dark shadow, and come into the light he so clearly desires not only for himself, but for his kingdom.

As more of the plot is revealed we the reader, as well as our characters, begin to understand why our evil character acts out in numerous ways. However, this knowledge doesn’t make her wrong doings (aka violent mass murder, physical and psychological warfare and torture) suddently redeemable or okay. It was another reminder that every character carries a history that influences their present, and how they choose to act under the weight of their individual burdens.

Thia is given a love interest aside from Prince Ericen, and while he was incredibly sweet, smart, and a bit dorky I had a hard time connecting with him as quickly as she did. The relationship between Thia and Ericen, or Thia and Caylus, didn’t have enough on the page build up or tension to warrant their chemistry and dynamics.

While the beginning of the novel felt well paced, the latter half of the novel felt a bit clipped and rushed. We were told time was passing through repetitive days and actions, and I think this led to a disconnect for me as the reader when trying to align myself with the romantic feelings the characters shared with one another.

The time period in our characters’ lives when we the reader are brought into the story makes navigating the magic system involving the crows a bit tricky. As soon as we meet the crows they are taken away (that’s putting it mildly). The author does provide a full index of terms and explanations at the end of the book, but I wish we were given more time, or even flashbacks, to experience the crows at the height of their powers.

The author tries to combat their absence by using Caylus’ character and scientific experiments as a way for Thia to teach him (and by extension us) more about their unique abilities and strengths. The crows and their magic are really the only true fantasy element in this story, and they are present for only about 35 percent of the novel.

This story is a duology and I’d be really interested to see where Thia and her hatchling crow go from here. Will the characters who genuinely want a better world for themselves and their people be able to overcome the sins of their parents? Will the crows rise back to power or die out in a final battle? I guess I’ll have to read the next novel to find out.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eARC of this novel in 2020 in exchange for an honest review. My deepest apologies for my review being so egregiously late.

This was my second time reading a novel by Ashley Poston (my first being Geekerella), and honestly my biggest takeaway is just how fun these characters and stories are. Typically I don’t enjoy contemporary storylines. I like to be up to my neck in fantasy worlds, unrealistic plots, and wildly unrelatable character experiences. However the best way to describe this story, and its characters, is relatable.

Fan culture plays a huge role in this series. If you’ve ever participated in a fandom yourself you’ll feel right at home among the AO3 references, fan art plastered all over bedroom walls, and squealing in public over the release of a brand new trailer. So often women (and fans) are criticized for what they love, and how they express their extreme admiration for something, but Poston’s books allow the reader to fully embrace fan culture without guilt or shame.

In this retelling of Beauty and the Beast we meet two characters who should automatically be inexplicably drawn to one another. However they respond to each other like feral street cats defending their turf. Instead of a meet cute our MCs are in this for the long game, and we get to watch as they fall for each other at different times throughout the story. Always orbiting one another, but never quite connecting in time. My only true complaint of this novel is that by the time both characters realize what they mean to one another the story ends, and we are left to speculate or imagine what might have happened next as they tackle life as a couple.

This story also deals with the grief over the death of a parent, and our FMC is learning how to navigate the world without her mother. Relationships play a huge role in supporting our characters through some major life changes, with each main character having a solid core group of people who remain unwavering by their sides through it all. We also get a glimpse at how important the father figure role is in each of their lives, whether that figure is the biological father or simply the man in charge of caring for them at this point in time.

This is such a cute story full of homecoming drama, a guy who cannot wrap his mind around consent (definitely not cute), and a castle housing a dusty (yet dreamy) library. I cruised through this sweet story, and found myself cheering for both our characters’ inevitable happily ever after. Fans in fandoms all across the globe will more than likely be able to relate to, and wish they could dive into this enemies-to-friends-to-more young adult romance.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an eARC of this novel in 2019 in exchange for an honest review. My deepest apologies for my review being so egregiously late.

The experience reading this novel was at times extremely surreal. Our main character Nina is introverted, an only child, a lover of books and animals over people, unable to clearly navigate social cues and situations, meticulously living in the past while trying to stay in the present, and very slowly rearranging her needs as her story unfolds around her.

There were so many moments where experiences I have had as someone who claims to be neurodivergent, and who also experiences daily anxiety, were finally written out on the page in ways I’ve never been able to verbalize or explain to anyone else. Reading about Nina was like looking in a mirror and discovering there are in fact two of us, or more than one of me out there in the world (or in this case a fictional book).

Nina has settled into life and her routines. She might feel lonely at times, but due to her upbringing that’s all she’s ever really known so she doesn’t actively seek out more. The discovery of her father, and thereby inheritance of his extremely large (and semi dysfunctional family) begins to open Nina up to the possibility of more for herself and her life.

Early on in the novel I felt like the descriptive writing and inner monologues were the strongest parts of the story. The dialogue between the characters felt so unrealistic at times that I would long to go back to descriptions and memories Nina would have. As the novel progressed I couldn’t tell if the dialogue itself improved or if I just became acclimatized to it. The change was so drastic that earlier in the novel I thought I’d be giving this a four star rating, but as I reached the conclusion there was not a doubt in my mind that this had jumped up to a five.

This book is smart, and I’m humble enough to admit that it’s much smarter than I am. There were references and words that I had never encountered before. While I knew I, as the reader, am not intellectually in the same league as the author (or her characters) it didn’t interfere with my reading experience whatsoever. There were enough context clues and overall plot points that I just cruised along happily ignoring the words or references that were sailing over my head. Ignorance is bliss, afterall.

If you’re looking for a spicy contemporary romance this novel will not tick those boxes for you. While romance is at the center of Nina’s character arc, the eventual coupling(s) is a series of fade to black and off the page interactions. Imagination is required.

I still loved reading about Nina and Tom, and watching Nina allow herself to open up to so many new people all at once. This book made me laugh out loud multiple times, and I loved seeing all of Nina’s to-do lists and mentally comparing them to my own. If you’re a book lover, an introvert, an only child who always wished for a secret family, or someone who lives with daily anxiety, I think you’ll fall gracefully into this story and meander your way through Nina’s little slices of daily life.