I had been expecting an enthralling modern fairytale romance with heavy political themes (I mean, this is set in a fictional monarchy with Filipino characters as royalty), but this novella gives more attention to the public relations side of being a public figure instead of the actual governing side of the equation. Which is still interesting but it definitely threw me off a little.

Plus, Nina was PR disaster personified, and while I admired her bravery and headstrong personality, I just didn't love her character as much as I would have liked to. The chemistry she has with Prince Felipe is undeniable, though!

I liked this, but compared to Carla de Guzman's latest books, it's obvious that this book is one of the first books she's ever published. The writing is a little abrupt and rushed in some places, the character development isn't as precise, and the ending leaves a lot to be desired. Nonetheless, I loved the premise of a fake dating trope between two Filipino royals, and ultimately, Prince Felipe is a buttery cinnamon roll I will adore for the rest of my life.

Quick thoughts:
- I think I'm part of a very small minority here: The Caged Queen is better than its predecessor, The Last Namsara.
- For me, The Last Namsara brought nothing new to the table: headstrong, independent heroine slaying monsters who eventually learns that the true monsters aren't the ones she's slaying. Predictable. Yawn.
- On the other hand, The Caged Queen builds on a larger political narrative that explores a range of themes: power, alliances, deceit, betrayal, strategy, and manipulation. It really gave me a bit of Game of Thrones vibe that I very much liked.
- Roa isn't the stereotypically strong and kick-ass archetype that most fantasy leads (including Asha in The Last Namsara) fall under. Instead, she's a very complex, very flawed character with vulnerabilities, fears, and uncertainties. I actually liked how unsure she was of herself because it felt really honest and raw and realistic.
- While I missed the wonderful sibling relationship between Dax and Asha, I enjoyed learning about the relationship between sisters Roa and Essie.
- I was really intrigued by Essie's character! I wanted to explore her character a bit more.
- Unlike in The Last Namsara, I was heavily invested in the romance in this book!!!
- DAX IS AN ADORABLE, FLUFFY CINNAMON ROLL!!! AND I LOVE HIM!!!
- This book really manipulated the hell out of my emotions. One second, I hate Dax with every fiber of my being. And in the next second, I outright adore that little rascal.
- Sad to say, there aren't many dragons.
- But new magic system!!!
- New folklore and myths!!!
- This book leans more heavily on the love between siblings compared to romantic love, which is one of my favorite aspects!!!
- THE STORY WILL KEEP YOU GUESSING.
- The ending was so immensely satisfying. I am a happy reader.

Full review to follow!

Wildcard stripped itself of all the elements I enjoyed in its predecessor – no more Warcross games, no thoughtfully explored moral questions, unconvincing aspects in the world-building, and worst of all, Emika Chen, our wonderfully headstrong and quick-witted heroine, showed limited, if not, arguably nonexistent agency throughout the story.

Aside from Emika Chen, the rest of the characters in Wildcard were very weakly written. I was not invested in any of them, except maybe Hammie – but even that is a huge stretch. Likewise, the antagonists in the story were insufferably flat and ridiculously one-track-minded. Their respective motivations were literally explained in the book, but even then, I was still pretty unconvinced.

The plot in this sequel was incredibly, wildly unpredictable in a ‘what is this literary hot mess’ kind of way. The lineup of events failed to really tie together and to make logical sense; everything just seemed to be a jumbled mess with half-hearted “plot twists” thrown in. In fact, there were numerous “surprising reveals” (yes, I stand by my use of quotation marks) that appeared to have no significant goal other than (1) unnecessarily extending the plot, and (2) shock factor.

Not only was the whole plot messy, illogical, and difficult to follow, but to make matters worse, the pacing of the book was terrible. For the most part, the timeline of events spanned only eight (8) days. The pacing of these events frequently dragged, only to suddenly rush through the story’s climax and resolution in the most unsatisfying way imaginable.

In line with this, the resolution itself was unbelievably unsatisfying and frustrating as it was very Deus ex Machina (For a clearer example, think of that god-awful Batman vs. Superman film, folks). And this was not the first ✨ magically convenient ✨ occurrence in Wildcard; nope, in fact, the story was interspersed with annoyingly convenient fixes and borderline miraculous events.

All in all, Wildcard is, in my opinion, a woefully substandard sequel that I am excited (and relieved) to finally leave behind. I cannot imagine myself ever recommending this book to anyone. If anything, I’d recommend everyone to abandon this sci-fi duology and read (or, in my case, reread) Marie Lu’s Legend trilogy instead.

Disclosure: I received a physical ARC of Wildcard from the publisher and, in exchange, was supposed to participate in a blog tour, which I decided to withdraw from for obvious reasons. Still, many thanks to the blog tour organizer and the publisher for the opportunity!

The premise is intriguing and quite novel. However, the execution left a lot to be desired. I think this mainly stemmed from the limitations of its format. Frankly, I just could not see why this story had to be told in verse. Honestly, I think the impact of 500 Words or Less would have been more beautifully delivered in narrative form.

I was a bit worried about the possibility that this book might inadvertently glorify or romanticize cheating in relationships. Thankfully, that did not happen at all! Infidelity was handled with remarkable sensitivity, and even more so, 500 Words or Less tentatively explored the gender-based unfairness in infidelity.

The story shined the brightest during the scenes that focused on Nic’s diasporic experiences as a Chinese-American teenager and her journey towards growth and self-discovery. These scenes held the most depth, and it was only during these scenes that I could really empathize with Nic’s plight.

By the end of the day, this verse novel is teeming with untapped potential and I still enjoyed reading it, despite its numerous flaws – largely its lackluster execution and format. Ultimately, 500 Words or Less delivers a story about identity and loneliness that most people can easily relate to, while igniting necessary conversations on systemic issues that the less privileged, particularly people of color, are forced to endure.

Content/Trigger warnings:

Spoiler

Death; infidelity; slut-shaming; parental abandonment; microaggression (challenged).

Disclosure: I am participating in a blog tour organized by Rich in Variety Tours, which is why I received a review copy of 500 Words or Less. This neither affects my opinion nor the content of my review.

Honestly, it took me a while before I was able to really invest in the story, but once I arrived at that point, I really could not put the book down! In fact, despite having a 10 A.M. class the following day, I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning because I was that determined to finish this book.

I think it’d be a huge understatement to say that I have mixed feelings about Holly Bourne’s latest novel; but ultimately, I did appreciate Are We All Lemmings & Snowflakes and really admire the nuanced discourse on mental health that it aims to encourage other people to participate in. I also cannot discount the incredibly important messages and themes that this novel bravely and bluntly addresses, particularly its loud, resonating call for people to become kinder, both to others and to themselves.

All in all, Are We All Lemmings & Snowflakes is an important, poignant book written for teens and should definitely be read by all teens. I am confident that most people will enjoy this novel to a far greater extent than I did (I think I’m still experiencing a contemporary slump that’s been making it more difficult for me to enjoy the genre – but I digress). Holly Bourne has done it again!

Disclosure: I received a physical ARC of Are We All Lemmings & Snowflakes as part of my participation in a blog tour organized by The Nocturnal Fey. This, however, affects neither my opinion nor the content of my review. Many thanks to Erika and Usborne Publishing for the opportunity!

Slightly messy in terms of plot and world-building, but I thought this was a refreshing contemporary take on Greek mythology. I had a ton of fun reading!

Review to follow!