Here for the vibes and the cuteness. When will we get a Jeff short on Disney+???

I wanted this to be amazing, and while the context and concept was incredible, the writing was not. While the flow improved in the second half of the book, I never felt a true depth in any of the 3 heroines. Any distinguishing character traits were very circumstantial rather than fully developed. 
This book did, however, peak my interest in learning more about black women who served in the world wars. Again, I loved the concept and the history. I wish I had loved the prose.  
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing! 

Reread Jan 2025: Good reread - same reviews. 

Reread November 2023: Glad I reread before Iron Flame. Even a few months later there was a lot I forgot! 

August 2023: This is the most thrilling book I have read in ages. It took me right back to the excitement I felt reading Divergent or The Hunger Games for the first time. The story is non-stop action and fun, with a genuinely unique storyline, setting, magic system, and world building. I loved the little nuances that spoke to the way a world could be, and the 'modern' dialogue didn't bother me in the slightest. 
I cannot wait for book 2 and I'm so glad it's coming this year!!!

I’m the problem, it’s me. 
This book came to me at the wrong time in my life. If i had read it 10 years ago or maybe 10 years from now, I think I would love it. I also think the hype over this book ruined it a bit for me, because I was not emotionally prepared for how heartbreaking much of this story is. 
Zevin’s writing is beautiful, and her prose should absolutely be studied. 
I wasn’t a fan of the shifting timelines, and the sad moments were just too sad for me. But the storytelling was immaculate, and the characters were more complex than nearly anything else I’ve ever read. 
I do recommend, but don’t go in expecting the lighthearted book about friendship and video games that I was. 

2.5 stars. Weakest in the series. Frustrating lack of plot. I take pretty big issue with the climax of a book getting resolved by someone thinking really hard about a problem for dozens of pages until they realize the error of their ways. 

This was the most daunting book I have read in a long, long time and I am really proud of myself for pushing through and finishing this masterpiece of a trilogy. 
The entire story is really expertly done, and my one big critique is that the final book could have been split into 2 or even 3 smaller books to make it less intimidating. Overall I highly recommend this series if you like high fantasy, want to read more books from the Middle East/North Africa, or like intricate, complex storylines. 

 A romance book that felt very haphazardly put together. As if all of the pieces were plugged in that should together make a whole book, but nobody stood back at the end and said, ‘hmm maybe these pieces come from different puzzles.’ 
At the end of the day, Bailey writes excellent spice and fun characters, but I was very frustrated but the mental health representation (or lack thereof) in this book. Just read it so I can read book 2 which is supposed to be fantastic. 

I wanted to be more interested in this story and I wasn't. It was quirky and fun but I didn't feel much investment until the last couple of issues when we started to get a glimpse of the 4th wall breaking that has become She-Hulk's token. 

Very cool vibe in this beautifully illustrated graphic novel. I'm not super familiar with the Hades/Persephone story (mostly only know peripheral info from Hadestown/Percy Jackson) so I'm excited to have this be sort of an introduction for me. 
Moments of lighthearted silliness, juxtaposed with some surprisingly dark, heavy moments. I'm excited to continue this series! 

This section of Brand New Day is dragging. Uninteresting villains, seemingly low stakes. The new goblin reveal was meh. Only really loved the issue with Spider-Man in the subway with JJJ Senior.