Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

And the trilogy is complete! WOW! I'm certain I must have said this in my review of Book 2 last summer but I desperately require a complex time-travelling universe-bending diagram of this plot to refer back to when I inevitably return to reread.
The way Lawrence opened this book was just so smart. After two mammoth books of timeline hopping and infinite reality theories, I felt like this book finally put everything we'd learnt into practise. As soon as I started the first chapter and realised we were on Earth - OUR Earth! - I knew we were going to be pushing the boundaries of what you can do with a plot and where you can send your characters. It's so refreshing to be reminded that when you write a book you can quite literally do whatever you want.
Last year, I spent a lot of time talking about books about books. Book 2 of this trilogy played a big part in that: an infinite library that is constantly being destroyed and rebuilt depending on where you are in history. I found the ethical debate on the sharing of knowledge fascinating and I honestly couldn't decide what side to root for after backing Livira for so long.
A fantastic piece of work of huge proportions, I'm quite sure I will need physical copies of all three books to really appreciate the full scale of it!

 

 Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I saw some fantastic reviews for this before I even picked it up and it did not disappoint. This is a sweeping fantasy that manages to establish a whole world of empires, governments, monarchies, and complex families just within the first 100 pages. I would expect this rate of worldbuilding to leave me a little bemused and following along hoping it all made sense later, but with this book I was entirely gripped and doing my best to follow each detail to see how they would play out. And truly I never guessed correctly where the plot would go next.
Who was I supposed to be rooting for? Is this a romance? Are they betraying each other? I spent a wonderful few days completely immersed in this world and I'm already eager for Book 2 of the trilogy.
A vicious, violent book that I thoroughly enjoyed 

 Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I had this on my TBR for a little while before I received an ARC because I love the medieval era of history so this weird little fantasy book sounded right up my street. And I was partly right! Once-was-Willem is a fascinating character with an unusual style of narration. I loved the characters at the Keep and in the Village, which combined almost felt like reading a play or a farce of some kind. And then it wrapped many plot threads into a kind of moral about protecting children which made it feel almost like a very strange fairy tale.
Unfortunately, my piqued curiosity was never quite satisfied and I would've loved a bit more in terms of plot tension - I never felt particularly pulled along by a high stakes moment, only that I was slowly working my way through a regular-paced unfolding narrative. Not unpleasant, but not riveting either. 

 

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I don't think I spent a moment of this book not stressed - the stakes felt so high all the time and I was forever on the edge of my seat. I was fascinated by how this novel took the Arthurian stories that I'm quite familiar with and wove something completely new and so unsettling. So many plot points in this seemed to be built around ethical conundrums and the push and pull effects of secrets vs shame. Definitely enjoyed following each thread and seeing how all the prophecy pieces (doomed narrative anyone?) came together. As a whole, I was reminded of Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keech which I read last year, only with more of a romantic relationship focus taking place in this one.

And right at the end of the book I have to admit the author's apology to BBC merlin fans really did make me laugh. But Menzies is so right, not every Arthurian retelling is going to be sunshine and roses!

 

 Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Think this one will be one of my best books of this year and have therefore put it pre-emptively in my top 10 list because wow did I have so much fun with this.
I went it to it knowing absolutely nothing, only that I must have liked the look of the NetGalley blurb enough to request it in the first place. I started the first chapter and fell in love with our mmc straight away (paladin ! of a dead saint ! who knits socks !). I'm a huge fan of religious plotlines and imagery so the dramatic opening hook had me SAT and ready for a fantasy adventure.
And then I started chapter 2 and was introduced to Grace, the fmc (cool name if i say so myself). I practically levitated off my bed with delight - not only do I get a fantasy story with fascinating characters but it's also a ROMANCE.
I know some people aren't into overdone romance tropes but that couldn't be me, so their first scene meeting an alley with "quick hide me" and then a FAINTING SCENE. Guys I felt spoilt honestly.
I couldn't tell if it was because I'd read so recently or not, but there was a similar fun bouncy tone to this romance like I felt in Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon. I also wondered a couple of times whether any parts of this world also had little DnD influences scattered throughout? Might have to check that. Either way I loved it.
Oh and then the creepy aspects?? 10/10 can't wait to see where that freaky ending goes - assuming it will become more central to the plot as the books go on. Excited to see!
I was surprised to see this on NetGalley since this came out in 2020 but not complaining because since then this series has gained three other books which I need so badly because this one was everything.
Also is this cover not stunningly beautiful? I need a physical copy immediately 

 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

When I tell you this was my number 1 anticipated book for this year so it was so exciting to receive an advance edition (which I promptly inhaled in the following two days). I think this month alone I've listened to more than 3000 minutes of Critical Role, and I'm a big Hurricane Wars fan (pls Thea Guanzon go on tour with this book so I can get a copy of this signed to go with my Hurricane Wars copy I beg).

My general take-away from this book was if you're a big Critical Role fan then there are a whole load of little name drops and I loved that the landscape all felt familiar. The fight scenes also felt D&D styled, although no dice rolling or stats involved. Guanzon being a DM herself has a thorough understanding of the turn taking, story-telling rhythms that make the game (and the book!) so much fun.

And for those who have no idea who Critical Role are, or what D&D is, I think this book still succeeds in being a light-hearted romantasy that wraps the reader up in fighting mercenaries and falling in love with your accidental bodyguard. Super fun characters, absolutely recommend! 

 Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I picked this one up as a quick non-fiction read and it caught my eye with the word 'community' - a couple of the books I've read this year and last year have involved aspects of community building so I was hoping for a look at the practical side of things.
This guy definitely knows what he's talking about, and I don't doubt the amazing work his organization has done, I would have however enjoyed some concrete examples to go along side his theoretical field notes. I am sure there are probably some difficulties there with not openly sharing specific case notes - but also he kept referring to "the work in Reading" but I feel like I have no idea what actually went on there. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I inhaled this book and had such a fun time, feeling very grateful to be getting approved for NetGalley books that I had already added to my TBR!
The only thing I knew going into this was 'enemies-to-lovers ancient Rome inspired'. I was curious to see how the ancient Rome setting would play out, but actually it ended up influencing more of the legal/political set up of the story than the day-to-day of the characters. I also saw the expression 'spicy romantasy' floating around: personally I would call this a Fantasy Romance, and there is a one page spicy scene - nothing too scandalous imo. 
The build up of the plot throughout this novel was delicious truly. The hook on the first page was STRONG and the twist part way through had my jaw on the floor - I hadn't even slightly guessed at what the reveal was going to be. 
I noticed that the author used to work in the law field and this really comes through in the book's showdown. Despite violence playing a large role in this book, some of the major conflicts here are fought with words and politics and the wording of the law which I loved. 
If I was still regularly rating books I think this would be a 4.5 for me, because I was all-in and captivated but then at the last second a little disappointed with the set up for book 2 (which I am already determined to get an ARC for when it comes out next ye

 

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

This is a book that tells the story, unflinchingly, of Alice's suicide: the lack of support from our Health services beforehand, and the unfolding story of what happened after. It feels near impossible to write a review for something so tender and personal, but also Litman deserves such recognition for the way she has put this memoir together.
As our government and wider society continue to demonise trans people, and make it harder and harder for anyone to be seen for gender-affirming care, there are real and agonising consequences. I think this book makes it so clear that people need to be reading the news critically - what are they gaining from pushing an anti-trans (and anti-queer) narrative and are these exaggerated fear-mongering stories really reflecting the day-to-day lives of the more than 200,000 trans people living in the UK.
I could find no faults with the frank and heartfelt way that Litman wrote, and I'm left with the feeling that all of us need to be prepared to learn more and do more to support those in our communities who are vulnerable.

 

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Frankly, this was freaky as hell and I cannot recommend this to anyone who is squeamish about eyes, blood, self-harm, and did-i-mention EYES. 
However, if you're interested in Dracula by Bram Stoker, 2024 Nosferatu, or you ever studied bog bodies in your secondary school history class, you'll love this to bits. From the first line this book had my attention and I found it hard to put down - although I won't lie towards the end I had to take a few breaks for my weak constitution because, as I may have mentioned, there was some pretty yucky stuff in here (or maybe I just haven't picked up a horror in a while? Hard to tell tbh). The pacing in this was fantastic and there wasn't a single moment that I wasn't either horrified at the situation the characters were in, or more often horrified at the characters themselves. A wild ride from start to finish, definitely interested in reading more of van Veen!