sunshinestark's Reviews (376)

Set in Colonial America, Slewfoot is a tale of oppression and fear cloaked in magic and longing that takes the image of the Devil and witch apart seam by seam to reveal that some monsters are simply monsters, but others exist because we create them. Mixed with Pequot myths and colonial history, we are given an ancient being tortured by hidden memories and a desire to be more than the blood thirsty monster he appears to be. Called Devil by those humans who meet him, he is lost, unsure what his true name even is. That is, until he meets Abitha, a woman who has never neatly fit into the roles the Puritans have tried to force her into. After her husband's death, Abitha fights for what little freedom she can grasp, all while trying to resist the temptation of power residing within her that calls every time she brushes paths with the Devil. But the more she sees of him, the more Abitha questions whether he really is the Devil or something else. Something more. As their magic calls to one another, making each other more powerful, they are led on a journey of self discovery that makes them feel whole. With a witch hunt on the horizon and a hidden darkness searching for the ancient one, both of their lives are in danger. And sometimes, in order to save yourself, you must become the monster everyone already believes you to be. 

Holly Black is a master at her craft, dropping us into the land of Faerie in a way that captures the attention as effortlessly as one of the Folk of the Air enchants humans in her story. Jude is our guide through the strange, beautiful, and terrifying world of Elfhame where she was raised by Madoc, her half-sister’s father, after he murdered their mother and Jude’s human father. All she’s ever wanted was to belong, wishing to become a knight. But it’s not easy being a human in Elfhame, even when you’ve been raised by a fierce and widely respected Faerie. At least not for Jude. Especially when you’ve somehow drawn the hatred and cruelty of one of the princes of Elfhame, with a twin sister who fits far more neatly into that world, and another sister who longs only for the human world. When an unexpected opportunity opens itself up to Jude that gives her a chance to finally find her own place in Elfhame, she has to make a choice that will forever change her life. But with that choice comes dangers she never expected as she’s forced to confront a truth she’s always known, that things aren’t always what they seem in the lands of Faerie, ultimately leaving her  unsure who she can truly trust. With unexpected twists and characters you’ll love and hate, sometimes at the same time, this is one Faerie tale you don’t want to miss. And once you’ve had a taste, you won’t want to stop until you’ve finished the entire series as quickly as you can. 

The Babysitters Coven is a fun tale about teenage witches that doesn't take itself too seriously, playfully flirting with tropes found in the horror genre and referencing fictional icons like Buffy Summers and Laurie Strode. Perfect for fans of all things witchy looking for a new entertaining read. 

My Calamity Jane is a fun, fourth wall breaking romp through history with a supernatural twist. Familiar Old West celebrities moonlight as Garou (Werewolf) hunters, all while trying to keep their own secrets, avoid the danger closing in on them, and possibly even fall in love. 

For months I'd been seeing The Devouring Gray pop up on reading lists relevant to my interests by authors I love. Feeling in the mood for something a little darker than my usual reads for the Halloween season, I decided the time was ripe for diving in. I was not disappointed. With a haunting, destructive being trapped inside the Gray desperate to get out, shocking betrayals, and characters you can't help but like despite their faults, this quickly hooked me and I devoured it in one day. 

Sandhya Menon continues to hit all the right notes with 10 Things I Hate About Pinky!  Unexpected feelings emerge when Pinky asks Samir, her polar opposite, to pretend to be her boyfriend for the summer in order to make a better impression on her parents. 

This Coven Won’t Break was an edge of your seat thrill ride that had me anxious for the majority of the book as to the fate of various characters, but I had faith Isabel Sterling wouldn’t kill any of the queer characters I’d fallen in love with and wasn’t disappointed. Although many terrible things happen in this book that are heartbreaking for characters, the ending is satisfying and left me happy while wanting more. I am eager to see what more is in store for these characters and loved the excellent queer representation found in this series! 

I couldn’t put this down and raced through it. Everything about it I loved, from the rich world building of the brujx community Yadriel is a part of, to the diverse cast of characters that included multiple trans latinx and queer latinx characters. It being written by an Own Voices author only made it that much better! 

A retelling of the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, it follows the formula fairly closely without straying much. Hannah is looking for a promotion but her boss doesn’t think she’s serious enough about relationships to have what it takes to move on to planning weddings. Hannah’s solution is to find a boyfriend and prove her boss wrong despite her relationship history telling her she’s just “not the girl you marry”, something she attributes to her being mixed race. 

Meanwhile, Jack is a journalist who is pitched a story about how to lose a girlfriend, something he has plenty experience with - despite being a genuinely nice man, things never work out between him and whoever he is dating. When he meets Hannah one night, he’s instantly smitten but also chooses to make her his assignment. But no matter how many terrible things he does, Hannah won’t break up with him because she’s determined to prove she can keep a relationship going. 

Along the way they develop real feelings for each other but have to figure out how to untangle the mess they’ve gotten themselves in. For anyone who enjoys romcoms and/or retellings, this is a great choice, as long as they keep in mind there’s not much variation from the plot formula from the movie. That being said, I genuinely enjoyed Jack and Hannah’s relationship and their progression from both using each other to falling in love. Secondary characters were also compelling. I’m looking forward to seeing what else the author has written. 

Anyone who loved the start to this series with Alex’s trip to Los Lagos to save her family will love diving into another mythical world when Rose, the youngest Mortiz sister, is whisked away to Adas along with her father. 

While there she will discover more about her family and herself as she’s forced to help the beings of Adas defeat a ravenous rot that has begun to destroy the land and it’s people. Along the way, Rose meets siblings Iris and Arco, the twin fairy prince and princess of Adas, and Lin, a non-binary brujex born in Adas, who will all become important to her in different ways. The introduction of brujex into the world of the Brooklyn Brujas was done well, and Lin’s character only becomes more captivating with each layer that is revealed about their history and power. As for the mythos created for Adas - the tale of how the rot began is heartbreaking and a great addition to an already well thought out and executed fairy world. 

Wayward Witch is my favorite of the series to date, and I am eagerly waiting to see what else might come for the Mortiz family in the future!