3.75/5

Time to meet the gods of ancient Egypt! Sadie and Carter's father releases these ancient gods from the Rosetta Stone. One of them, Set, is determined to throw the world into chaos. Sadie and Carter must stop him before it's too late.

- I love ancient Egypt and learning about the gods and ways of life. The book was peppered with facts and accurate but modern interpretations and it was so much fun recognising figures I've read and learned about since childhood. My favourites were Bast, Sobek and Anubis.

- The book is told through the format of recordings made by Sadie and Carter and the perspective switches every few chapters. I found the format engaging and it would probably be easy to follow and enjoy for younger readers (the intended audience).

- The magic was very fun and well portrayed. The House of Life was really interesting and I hope we learn more about it in the next book.

An excellent read for kids (or adults) who enjoy mythology, ancient Egypt and lots of action and adventure.

It's been a couple of years since I last visited the Locked Tomb series so I decided I'd give Nona a listen. Nona lives in a turbulent city with Cam and Pyrrah who look after her. She's friends with a bunch of local kids from school. But there's something a bit different about Nona...

- Not quite as confusing as Harrow the Ninth but Nona still took a while to make sense. This might be due to the gap in reading but also seems like Muir's writing style too. She throws out the tidbits of info in a seemingly random way then brings them together(ish) for the end.

- Nona was super sweet and I loved her naïve view of the world and how things worked. I particularly liked how she interacted with the other characters and her foray into friendship.

- We meet some familiar (and occasionally hidden) faces from previous books. I did enjoy how those characters have changed due to events and how they move forward. 

I eagerly await Alecto the Ninth after the epilogue of this book. A worthy entry to the series.

⭐ 4/5 ⭐

Queer fake dating meets medieval court romance. Gwen, royal princess, and Art, son of a Lord, have been betrothed since they were infants and have hated each other almost as long. Upon both discovering the other is gay, they agree to pretend their betrothal is working out. However, there is trouble at court and someone is stirring up strife for the royal family...

- First and foremost, this book is hilarious. I loved some of the sarcasm and teasing between characters and several times had to put the book down and stop laughing. 

- The characters wouldn't have looked too out of place in a modern romance. The book doesn't take it's medieval setting too seriously which makes it a lot more digestable and accessible for readers. Definitely not as complicated as a lot of historical romance books.

- I love how Arthurian legend is sprinkled into the book and the twists the author makes to it. Excalibur nine, anyone?

Queer, makes you laugh and easy to digest. Perfect for those wanting an easy read with diverse characters.

⭐ 5/5 ⭐

Audiobook narrated by Nicole Lewis.

And this is how you write a middle book. following on from the events of The Final Strife, Sylah searches for aid in foreign lands, Anoor is accused of murder and has to find out who really committed the crime and a strange and terrible power gains influence in the Warden's Empire.

- The character progression in this book is extremely well done. El-Arifi builds on previous events and writes people in such an authentic way, acknowledging their trauma and how events have affected the characters. I also love the interactions and relationships that develop through this.

- This is a book of adventure and discovery. There's so much that is new and exciting. I described the book to a friend as like an open world video game with an amazing plotline. I enjoyed the main story but equally I wanted to roam around and learn more about this vibrant and nuanced world. This just attests to the author's amazing world building.

- The magic system was developed a lot through this book, both in complexity and how horrifying it became. I think the concept of sacrifice is excellent as it provides terrible, terrible balance to what would otherwise be horrendously overpowered magic.

I need the third book yesterday and am not sure how I will wait until August. I most definitely recommend this series to any fantasy lover.

⭐ 3.5/5 ⭐

The second book of Mistborn era one. The Lord Ruler is dead and Vin, Elend and Kelsier's crew are desperately attempting to hold things together in Luthadel when three armies appear on their doorstep. 

- This book has an awful lot of politicking. Honestly, I don't enjoy court politics so it did put things of a downer for me. There was enough magic and action to keep me going but there were lots of sections I found hard.

- This may be a sign that I'm no longer young (30s are tough, man) but I find myself caring less about the plight of younger protagonists. I still enjoyed Vin and Elend but found myself drawn to the older, adult characters. My particular favourites were Sazed, Breeze and the kandra, all of whom got.some excellent character development in this book.

- I enjoyed how allomancy and feruchemy were further explored in this book and how it focused more on new elements and elements not explored in depth in The Final Empire. The attention to detail Sanderson has put into this magic system is very satisfying and appeals to me greatly.

The Well of Ascension definitely suffers from middle book syndrome, mostly bridging events from the first book and setting up for the grand finale. It has it's own highlights though and has made me excited for the next book.

Failed buddy read

⭐ 4/5 ⭐

Audiobook narrated by Kristin Atherton.

The third book in the Howl's Moving Castle universe. Charmain, a bookish and somewhat lazy young lady, is sent to look after her Uncle William's house whilst he is ill. There she is thrown into a world of magic, a missing royal treasury, an incomprehensible house and some malevolent and not so malevolent creatures.

- I love how the author crafts characters that are real and  flawed but also that you can empathise with. Charmain has a temper, is sometimes rude and often selfish but she is also determined and learns that she is built for more than she's been lead to expect.

- As always, the vivid descriptions are amazing. You feel part of the story, landscape, scenes, everything. It's all brought to life with such detail and character.

- As with Castle in the Air, there are cameos from previous books though this time some are more overt. I loved spending more time seeing these characters and how they've changed over time.

Whimsical, magical and thoroughly enjoyable. I have enjoyed his series so much and will be sad to leave. Highly recommended as a cosy fantasy to enjoy with younger readers.

4.5/5

A whimsical and magical tale set in the Howl's Moving Castle universe. Abdullah has spent most of his life in a day dream. One day, a mysterious individual sells him a magic carpet which transports him to a beautiful princess. Then hi princess is kidnapped by a djinn and Abdullah has to travel far and brave many dangers to try and get her back.

- The whimsy and wandering nature of Howl's Moving Castle carries on in this book. I love the fairy tale and Arabian Nights vibes and how the book felt like a bedtime story. 

- Abdullah is the type of protagonist who finds himself as the story progresses. He starts off meek, beaten down and bored with life. His adventure is the making of him and his journey was as much one of self discovery as it was a quest to find his princess.

- I really loved the cameos within the story. Yes, Howl, Sophie and Calcifer are there, and no you won't guess who they are before time.

A truly enjoyable and magical story. Perfect for a cosy, lighter fantasy read or for sharing with children at bedtime.

⭐ 3.75/5 ⭐

Book 5 in the Heartstopper series. Nick is looking at universities, Charlie is building his confidence and things between them are getting serious. Are they ready for the next step in their relationship.

- As always, the queer rep is spot on. I really wish these books had been around when I was a teenager and I'm glad the young people of today have such wonderful, accurate and informative representation available to them.

- I really enjoyed how Nick and Charlie's relationship was portrayed and the exploration into them wanting to have sex for the first time. I like that safety was brought up and the characters checked in emotionally with each other. Nothing graphic is shown and whilst not "fade to black" it done well.

- The artwork was really great and I loved how Oseman uses her art to show certain things like a character's inner turmoil or to imply things rather than outright draw them. This speaks to her amazing skill as an artist.

I really enjoyed this volume and I eagerly await volume 6.

Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

⭐ 3.75/5 ⭐

Audiobook narrated by Lauren Sweet.

A soppy sapphic romance. Margot and Olivia were highschool bestfriends. After a short fling and a lot of miscommunication, they went their separate ways. Eleven years later, Olivia shows up as the wedding planner for Margot's friend's wedding and old feelings bubble to the surface.

- Although part of a trilogy currently, I've only read the first book before (Written in the Stars). It was fun to meet the recurring characters again and some of the inside references were super cute. I'm glad we got more focus on the new couple though. I didn't feel like I was missing any plot points from missing out the second book.

- Miscommunication is a super common theme in romance books. It's not my favourite and it did put a bit of a downer on the book for me but was actually handled very well by the author.

- This book is spicy. I remember there being some sexy bits in Written in the Stars but probably a solid third of this book is dedicated to sex. Perfect for those wanting some steam but if you're more of a "fade to black" type, this isn't for you.

Hot, fun and ultimately quite sweet. Perfect for those wanting a spicy but enjoyable sapphic romance.