I adored The Seafarer's Kiss (book 1 in the duology) and was so excited to read book 2. With shield-maidens, an f/f romance, and all sorts of mythological sea creatures, this is one of the most unique spins on The Little Mermaid I've read. Book 2 also extends into a little bit of Peter Pan retelling as well.

The Navigator's Touch resumes where book 1 left off but with Ragna as the central character this time. She is out to get revenge on the people who killed her family, and Ersel is there to help. We meet several new characters as Ragna tries to form a crew to help her in her mission. What I enjoyed most was Ragna's drive and dedication. It's a bit of a double edged sword (something Ersel especially learns) but her motivation is clear. She holds so much grief and anger in her, and it will take a lot for her to feel any peace.

Julia Ember is so skilled at crafting queer, fantastical stories, and this duology is the perfect example of that.

My top 4 favorite things about THE GIRL AND THE GROVE:

-The activism- So many teens are engaging on all sorts of social issues, especially climate change, and I love the passion Leila has.

-The representation of adoption- While MG and YA have historically featured so many orphan characters or characters otherwise separated from their parents, it's much less common to see representation of healthy, realistic adoption.

-The writing- The writing style is so smooth and uses incredible imagery, particularly in the scenes with Fairmount Park.

-The relationships- I already mentioned the realistic adoption relationship between Leila and her family, but there's also really fun friend and romantic relationships. The romance took unexpected turns and had me in full grins.

What a stunning conclusion to Liesl's story!

WINTERSONG introduced Liesl with her love of music and her encounter with the Goblin King. Six months have passed since the ending of book 1. As much as Liesl tries to stay focused on her future and the music she's composing, everything feels off. Her brother, Josef, has turned cold, and Liesl can't stop thinking about the Goblin King and the world under her own.

I love this duology's blend of historical fantasy romance. The setting and atmosphere are perfection, immediately engulfing the reader in the strange world of music and frost. Especially with it comes to Liesl and the Goblin King, the stakes are so high and the odds seem impossible. My favorite part of this story, outside of the romance, is how realistic Liesl's emotions are. It's hard to imagine anyone seeing the weird wonders of the Underground and returning able to go about as usual. She's forever changed by her time there, and that makes adjusting to her normal life difficult. She ultimately has to decide where she belongs, what role she will play, and how she can truly move forward.

Anouk longs to be part of the human world where she would have the freedom to do as she pleases, meet other people, and maybe fall in love. But as a Beastie, an animal enchanted to become human to serve the witch who created them, Anouk is trapped. When the witch she serves, Mada Vittora, is found dead, Anouk becomes suspect #1. She flees to the outside world of Paris to find the real killer. She only has three days before the spell keeping her human wears off and she returns to being an animal.

While I didn't love GRIM LOVELIES, I did like it. The setting of a magical Paris and incorporation of the Beasties was really creative and interesting. The murder mystery had several cool plot twists that I didn't see coming. I didn't fall in love with any of the characters, but it was still easy to root for Anouk and hope for the best outcome. Her feelings of being trapped and her drive to have a better life were impactful. I also loved the nods to several fairy tales like Cinderella.

Moonbeam used to live under the watch of Father John, the leader of their community. It was important to follow the rules and be obedient. Now, after a fire that changed everything, Moonbeam is starting to realize how twisted her community, and especially Father John, was. But the past won't stay buried, and Moonbeam will have to find a new path as she navigates trauma.

AFTER THE FIRE has a really interesting cult premise. I liked the framing of the story, how we get Moonbeam's current life while also getting flashbacks/other time threads of her life while she was still under Father John. Her journey is full of twists, heartache, and ultimately, hope.

While I enjoyed the premise, the story did tend to drag in places, especially the middle. However, the climax was executed so well that I would definitely read another book from the author.

This was such a funny and cute collection of shorts! The art style is absolutely adorable and does a great job capturing facial expressions. Anyone who has been in a long term relationship will likely find much in common with Catana and her boyfriend's exchanges. There is so much humor and warmth in LITTLE MOMENTS OF LOVE that I can easily see myself rereading it for a comfort read.

*****Spoiler*****

Content warning: homophobia

This book uses the harmful queer-as-villain trope. The person stalking Mrs. Pennyworth ends up being a woman (which is the 'twist' because 'oh no she's a woman instead of a man') who is the only queer character in the whole book. She's angry that her ex-lover (who she thinks is Mrs. Pennyworth) left her for a man (and specifically says 'for a man' instead of having her just be angry that her love left her for someone else in general).