sunshinestark's Reviews (376)

This continuation of Henry and Tobias follows the two men as they struggle to come to terms with the aftermath of the events from Silver in the Wood and what it means for them, and their relationship, going forward. Told with the same fairytale like quality of the first, Drowned Country is well worth the read or listen.

With high stake action, dynamic characters, and engaging prose Venators: Magic Unleashed introduces a dangerous and enthralling faery world filled with magic, vampires, werewolves and more that exists beside ours. For Rune, who has long felt the uneasy pull toward otherworldly creatures, her first introduction to this world occurs when she's forced to leave ours after discovering she is something called a Venator and her first contact with faery creatures awakens her latent gifts. Working alongside her is Grey, a young man she's known for years who is also a newly awakened Venator, both fighting against varying forces that want to kill or use them, while also hoping to rescue Rune's kidnapped brother, Ryker. 

With Lock Every Door, Riley Sager deviates slightly from the themes of his first and second books but maintains the same fast pace and unexpected twists that give such a satisfying read. Jules lost her sister eight years ago, but she isn't necessarily trying to unravel a mystery from her past. Instead, she's simply struggling in the present. When offered a chance to apartment sit at the Bartholomew she takes it, despite the rules being a little on the sketchy side because the benefits outweigh any suspicions. But then other apartment sitters go missing. And sometimes she thinks someone else might be inside the apartment she's staying at. Is it a ghost? Something more sinister? Jules begins to dig into the past of the Bartholomew in order to find answers. Just like Jules, if you think you have those answers figured out, I guarantee you're wrong. 

Tarnished Are the Stars is a wonderful exploration of found family mixed with exciting, fast paced plots. Anna's very existence is illegal. She's a girl with a mechanical heart in a world where tech of any kind is illegal. Nathaniel is the son of the Commissioner, sent to capture Anna so she can be punished for helping others use tech to survive. Eliza is a spy sent by the Queen to relay information regarding Nathaniel and the Commissioner. Each from vastly lives, with missions that seem incapable of co-existing, finding common ground seems nearly impossible. But as they're forced to work together, the trio of unlikely friends find comfort, and ultimately home, with each other as they race to uncover terrible truths being kept from them. 

 If you've never read Alisha Rai before, this is a great introduction to her work. The Right Swipe is the first in the Modern Love series that centers on a second chance romance between Rhiannon and Samson. Never in a million years would Rhi have thought the company she wants to merge her matchmaking business with would be temporarily run by the man who ghosted her. Determined not to let him wheedle his way back into her good graces, Rhi tries to put business before her feelings. But that proves to be harder than she thought it would be when new information comes to light about why Samson ghosted her in the first place. What follows is a charming exploration of learning to communicate, forgive, and give love a second chance.

Great for fans of Isabel Sterling's These Witches Don't Burn! 

Being a witch in a world where your existence is known but your kind are feared and hated isn't easy. Especially when you're a teenager just trying to live a normal life while also trying to hide your magical powers from others (including your family) in order to keep yourself safe. Who can you trust to keep your secret? Who should you fear might try to kill you?

With a diverse cast of characters and timely similarities to current struggles with prejudice and oppression in the United States, this was a great addition to my ever growing list of interesting witch stories. 

Sweet & Bitter Magic is a wonderfully written tale of the grief that comes with the loss of love and the hope that comes with newly found love. 

Witches aren't to be trusted, everyone knows that. But Wren has no other options when her father falls victim to a mysterious plague brought on by dark magic. Teaming up with Tamsin, a witch cursed to never feel love unless she takes it from another person, is obviously a bad idea. Especially because Wren would be any witch's dream come true since she, as a source, is a font of pure magic witches can use to amplify their power. For Tamsin, using the source is the last thing on her mind. She has dark secrets in her past she's desperate to keep from Wren as they complete their quest to stop the dark magic. Why? So there's at least one person in the world who doesn't look at her with disgust and hatred. As danger approaches and Tamsin's secrets threaten to create a divide between them, both girls struggle to overcome their fear and accept their feelings for each other. After all, Tamsin isn't capable of feeling love. Or is she?

Fans of Ashley Poston's Once Upon a Con series will enjoy I Kissed Alice, a rival to lovers romance with a touch of fandom thrown in. Exploring the pressure teens face to create a successful path for themselves in life, friendships, secrets, and how fandom can be a positive outlet for relieving or escaping stress, this is a great book for anyone looking for something sweet and relatable. 

Tracy Deonn expertly takes Arthurian myth and weaves them into the modern day in Legendborn with magic, secret societies, and high stakes action. Whether you are familiar with those myths or not doesn't even matter. Either way you'll quickly be captivated by her writing, world building, and compelling characters. But this isn't just an addictingly good fantasy. It's also a commentary on the systemic racism in this country, and how colonial practices directly influence oppression faced by Black people in the United States today. The end result is a must read that will leave you hungry for the story to continue and rooting for Bree to come out on top.

Queer romance is always my cup of tea. Erotica really isn't, as anyone who is close with me knows. All the same, the idea of an Edwardian queer romance caught my interest and I'm glad I gave this a chance. Yes, it is erotica. Yes, it is in graphic novel form and at times very explicit. But that worked in my favor. Being able to know which page to skim or skip at a mere glance was nice, and the more explicit scenes never once detracted from the sweet romance that bloomed between Patience and Esther. It was also a plus that this was body positive! I always love seeing fat characters get to be loved and adored. For anyone who is hesitant to try this because of the erotica label like I was, I recommend reading it anyway! You just might love it.