Reviews by unsuccessfulbookclub

916 reviews by:

unsuccessfulbookclub

Blood Moon

Jillian Graves

4.5

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

Moth

Lily Mayne

5.0

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

When Moth came out last year, I saw so many rave reviews for it and then noticed I was going to have to read five books to get to this story and folks, I didn’t think I had it in me but OMG - this book is worth every moment of every other book in this series up to it. I kinda don’t even know where to start I love this book so much.

Moth is a beautiful loner with a secret about his identity that he hides from the world. He has a past and is well known at the raider camp, but he has never fit in with monsters or humans. So he spends A LOT of time alone. Moth is that person who seems mean but is really just super sad and afraid of being scorned. Plus he carries a sword which really works for him. 😂

Charlie is Hunter’s best friend and plot device from Edin who also appears briefly in Gloam, so he too is a relatively known quantity. Gang - Charlie is THE SWEETEST SWEETHEART OF A MAN ever to grace the page. The utter care with which he approaches Moth and their relationship is blisteringly poignant. Basically, my wish for everyone is that they have a Charlie in their life. I cannot understate how good and pure and loving Charlie is and how he deserves everything good in the world.

The relationship that (slowly) develops between Moth and Charlie is just…ARGH it’s so moving. It’s epic. It’s quiet and sweet. It’s the slow unfurling of a once-in-a-lifetime love. It’s romance at its finest.

Through this book we also get to see yet another part of this world Lily has dropped us in, and we visit a couple of cities as well as a marketplace. Additionally, we get to see the Herald again (bombastic side eye). We are still in dystopian horror town so PLEASE mind the CW.

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻RECOMMENDED! If this is the book that gets you to pick up the other five books in this series up to it? So be it.

Content Warnings

Gloam

Lily Mayne

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is maybe the sweetest but also scariest in the series yet. I enjoyed the mix of raider camp and journey story lines and I loved how Rig and Gloam worked together to face all of the obstacles they encountered together. Gloam is the sweetest smartest boi and Rig is so happy and dedicated to him. Love love love.

The dystopian hellscape vibe is super strong in this and there are a lot of really gory scenes so just be ready. Lily doesn’t pull any punches with this installment. The body horror and blood/trauma is especially graphic.

Content Warnings

Hotel of Secrets

Diana Biller

5.0

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

Villain I'd Like to F...

Adriana Herrera, Joanna Shupe, Nicola Davidson, Eva Leigh, Sierra Simone

4.0

adventurous emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A mixed bag. Highlights were Davidson’s and Simone’s contributions. In particular Sierra Simone’s abbess + soldier FF set in the early 11th century was superb.

Content Warnings

The Priory of the Orange Tree

Samantha Shannon

4.0

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I’m going to do my best to condense this absolute unit of a book into a succinct review. Here goes -

Likes:

All my favorite fantasy tropes: magical weapons, quests, DRAGONS, political intrigue, royals, spies, mages, witches, religion and myth. It’s all there. It’s also queer-normative with a gorgeous sapphic romance subplot and other world…EVEN WITH pressure to continue a bloodline happening in several ways.

The depth of portrayal around how religion and myths get told and perpetuated was excellent. No one point of view was fully accurate in portraying the world these characters were functioning in and also none of the points of view were portrayed as morally superior to any other. It is clear where each of these societies gets their dominant views and the shortcomings of each come through, yet the ending is hopeful and ultimately collaborative.

The prose is beautiful. Some lines struck right to my heart. I’ve included a few in the slides for your enjoyment.

There’s a plague!

Dislikes:

This story would have hit harder as a trilogy. I was desperate for more details of particular parts of this narrative: Tane training with her dragon, the Unending Emperor, Niclays and Jannart’s backstory.

Because it’s all in one book, some of the parts of the story felt a little rushed or too tidy. I suppose if your biggest gripe is that you wanted more, that’s a good thing!

Content Warnings

Wyn

Lily Mayne

4.5

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is such a sweet and funny look at the monster world. I loved getting Wyn’s POV and seeing just how sweeeeet he is with Danny. I also really enjoyed the additional details of the monster world and some sneak peeks at characters to come.

Content Warnings

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail

Ashley Herring Blake

4.75

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

Taken to Heimo

Elizabeth Stephens

3.75

adventurous challenging lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

Delilah Green Doesn't Care

Ashley Herring Blake

4.75

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I am late to the Delilah Green Doesn’t Care party, but I’m so glad I am here!

There’s a lot to love about this book but these were the highlights for me:

MC named Claire who owns a bookstore (?!) okay she has my name and my dream job?!
Artist and talk of art throughout the book. Delilah is a photographer and I loved the various “art moments”
Deeply detailed family and side character relationships.
LONGING and belonging. Delilah is tough and “bitchy” but deep down she’s so wounded and it’s sad but amazing to see her find that belonging.
Truly sizzling chemistry between the MCs
Sense of place. Bright Falls and the characters here felt so real! It was like watching a movie!
A realistic kid. Claire has an 11 year old daughter named Ruby and Ruby was very much a thing in this book. She was around, she was a priority. Not some random plot device.
Roller skating date complete with falling down!
Just general real-life mess. That relationship between the Parker-Greens is one a therapist could retire on. WHEW.

So yeah. I will definitely be reading Astrid’s book and am now hotly anticipating Iris’s!

👍🏻Recommended!! Fans of Casey McQuiston or Talia Hibbert will enjoy this. If you’re looking for a sapphic rom com with highly relatable characters and depth of feeling? This is the book for you.

Content Warnings

More...