I picked this up on the recommendation of a friend and wasn't sure exactly what to expect from it. I'm glad to say that I actually reUnexpectedly fun!
I picked this up on the recommendation of a friend and wasn't sure exactly what to expect from it. I'm glad to say that I actually really enjoyed this - not least because I somehow missed the brief that this is a sapphic Beauty & the Beast retelling, and who doesn't love that?! What an excellent surprise that was for me.
Things really take a turn (in a good and exciting way) after about the 30% mark - up until then this was a historical romance-ish book, with a free-spirited young lady doing her best to make her mark in a man's world. But once you hit that point in the story, all bets are off and the plot rapidly reforms into something far more feminist, far more intriguing and much more mysterious.
I'm a sucker for a Beauty & the Beast retelling, and I'd definitely rate it up there for me. It's the first sapphic retelling of this tale I've read, and my favourite part of the whole story was the strong, female empowerment vibes (particularly from Eloise and Bridgette's story) and how refreshing that felt. Up until now, I've most read retellings that simply make the 'Belle' of the story badass and good at using weapons. So this, as I said, was refreshing.
Hats off to Langley for producing a really well-rounded and pacy book, as doing so as an independent author makes this accomplishment that much more impressive.
Merged review:
Unexpectedly fun!
I picked this up on the recommendation of a friend and wasn't sure exactly what to expect from it. I'm glad to say that I actually really enjoyed this - not least because I somehow missed the brief that this is a sapphic Beauty & the Beast retelling, and who doesn't love that?! What an excellent surprise that was for me.
Things really take a turn (in a good and exciting way) after about the 30% mark - up until then this was a historical romance-ish book, with a free-spirited young lady doing her best to make her mark in a man's world. But once you hit that point in the story, all bets are off and the plot rapidly reforms into something far more feminist, far more intriguing and much more mysterious.
I'm a sucker for a Beauty & the Beast retelling, and I'd definitely rate it up there for me. It's the first sapphic retelling of this tale I've read, and my favourite part of the whole story was the strong, female empowerment vibes (particularly from Eloise and Bridgette's story) and how refreshing that felt. Up until now, I've most read retellings that simply make the 'Belle' of the story badass and good at using weapons. So this, as I said, was refreshing.
Hats off to Langley for producing a really well-rounded and pacy book, as doing so as an independent author makes this accomplishment that much more impressive....more
This is another really cute novella from Ahdieh that is painfully teasing of what is to come. It's a great little snippet into events that I assume arThis is another really cute novella from Ahdieh that is painfully teasing of what is to come. It's a great little snippet into events that I assume are going to fill a couple of gaps in regards to what Khalid is doing at least during the beginning of The Rose and the Dagger. I'm hoping that I'll be able to pick up book two ASAP but as I write this I'm waiting for my copy to arrive - THE WAIT, IT KILLS ME.
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This is currently free on iBooks to download and is very short so well worth setting aside a few minutes to read and put another piece of the puzzle together. Why 4/5? This was much better than the other super short novella, The Crown and the Arrow, which I found overwhelmingly pointless. But at the same time this pales again in comparison to the toe-curling events of The Moth and the Flame. NONETHELESS. It's safe to say I'll will read everything and anything that Ahdieh writes from now on. Count. Me. In.
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Happy reading!
Merged review:
This is another really cute novella from Ahdieh that is painfully teasing of what is to come. It's a great little snippet into events that I assume are going to fill a couple of gaps in regards to what Khalid is doing at least during the beginning of The Rose and the Dagger. I'm hoping that I'll be able to pick up book two ASAP but as I write this I'm waiting for my copy to arrive - THE WAIT, IT KILLS ME.
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This is currently free on iBooks to download and is very short so well worth setting aside a few minutes to read and put another piece of the puzzle together. Why 4/5? This was much better than the other super short novella, The Crown and the Arrow, which I found overwhelmingly pointless. But at the same time this pales again in comparison to the toe-curling events of The Moth and the Flame. NONETHELESS. It's safe to say I'll will read everything and anything that Ahdieh writes from now on. Count. Me. In.
This was unexpectedly complex and amazing – questioning why more people aren't talking about it!
I did the audiobook version of We Are the Dead so I'llThis was unexpectedly complex and amazing – questioning why more people aren't talking about it!
I did the audiobook version of We Are the Dead so I'll start by saying the narration is awesome and I really enjoyed it. Just one narrator, but she manages to bring all the characters to life (and there are so many) in a way that made me forget I was listening to just one person tell me this story.
This is a grim, dark fantasy set in a fantastical world where there is some magic, but sword fighting and badassery are the main heroes. We follow a huge cast of characters, so it is a baptism of fire trying to keep up with who's who to begin with, but dang, it comes together nicely.
The whole story revolves around one race of people invading and taking over another. Most of the perspectives are from the invaded and their strugglesome attempts to push back against the new horror of their everyday lives.
There are many dark, dark moments – trigger warnings are needed for up-close and personal torture scenes, as well as so many people losing family members; grief is abound. If that's not your cup of tea, maybe think twice about diving into this world.
Overall, I found this to have an excellent payoff and some really fantastic character arcs. I'm looking forward to continuing the series via audiobook to see where this goes next. I certainly feel like this is the beginning of a spectacular series/characters that I'm ready to be immersed in....more
I loved every page of this and I can't wait for book two.
I had high expectations going into this and yet it surpassed even those. The Jasad Heir is trI loved every page of this and I can't wait for book two.
I had high expectations going into this and yet it surpassed even those. The Jasad Heir is truly an excellent read that is not to be missed for YA fantasy readers.
The world is rich in character and the author has done an amazing job weaving a political stage that isn't overwhelming or difficult to follow. The cast of characters is to die for and a sizzling love-to-hate romance will keep you on edge with your toes curled in anticipation. The dark, complicated past of the main character adds great levels of depth to the plot and made the stakes so much higher.
There are friendships in all shapes and forms to get behind, challenges that are like gauntlets to take your breath away, and sass in bagfuls to keep you laughing.
Not to mention the wonderful, Egyptian-inspired setting of the book that draws on the author's heritage and offers a world that feels so real you could touch it. This book, along with the likes of Spice Road and The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, is part of what I hope continues to be an emerging and epic sub-genre of YA fantasy that taps into the lore and myth of Arabian folklore and storytelling.
This was different to the first but still as wonderful. Mostly the setting is different so the pirate vibes are less, yet somehow the lack Loveeed it!
This was different to the first but still as wonderful. Mostly the setting is different so the pirate vibes are less, yet somehow the lack of that didn't take away from my enjoyment at all.
I actually thought this was wonderfully profound and a great example of character development. The journey that each POV goes on was so different and deep - I was really impressed!
Certainly recommend continuing if you've read and enjoyed the first book....more
I wanted to like this so badly, but I had to pass at nearly the halfway mark after absolutely nothing happened.
I've previously really enjoyeDNF at 40%
I wanted to like this so badly, but I had to pass at nearly the halfway mark after absolutely nothing happened.
I've previously really enjoyed Lam's books and enjoy the way gender and other social issues are represented in their books. But I think for this one, by pushing the characters to be something unique and cool, it did the opposite and only took away from the plot, and made them quite two dimensional in fact.
I found both of the main perspectives (there was a third that popped up twice, no idea where that was going) to be almost identical. I struggled to remember who's POV we were in without checking. And I couldn't muster up the energy to care. Despite one being a dragon and the other a non-binary thief with an orphan backstory, they just felt flat and meh and the same. Even writing this, I'm finding it hard to accept what I'm saying (so much potential, wah!)
I just couldn't connect with either of them and the beginnings of what is promised to be an enemies to lovers romance felt forced (and weird...he's a dragon!)
I'm cutting my losses and declaring this to not be my cup of tea. If a book hasn't had a plot development in 200 pages then I simply have to admit defeat and part ways. ...more
This was a lovely story, and the acknowledgements are deeply sad and beautiful.
This was also my first Kendare Blake book, so I was very excited to reaThis was a lovely story, and the acknowledgements are deeply sad and beautiful.
This was also my first Kendare Blake book, so I was very excited to read something by her! I'm pleased to say it was well worth it.
I would classify this as leaning more towards the atmospheric type of book, where the world and the characters come a step before the plot itself. But nonetheless, I thought this was fun, original and I didn't want it to end.
Reed was a great main character; a no-nonsense sort of girl who's doing her best to meet expectations and prove herself worthy. The concept of the Aristene was wonderfully interesting, and I loved have complex their role it and how Blake developed that. The idealisation of glory in war was surprisingly refreshing – usually I like fantasy stories where war is tragic and horrid, but there was something fun about the pursuit of glory in this book that was both palatable and intriguing. You'll have to read it to really understand what I'm trying to say.
I can't wait to read about more of Reed's adventures – and I certainly can't wait to read more of Blake's books....more
I'm surprised that I didn't completely love this more - but while I found this 10 levels of hilarious, and could read an infinite number more books feI'm surprised that I didn't completely love this more - but while I found this 10 levels of hilarious, and could read an infinite number more books featuring Nurse Ratched and Rambo, there were a few things that I was less a fan of.
So all in all, this balances at a 3/5 for me.
This is my first TJ Klune book - and the writing was chirpy and funny in a way that still has me looking forward to trying more of their books. I certainly found this to be wonderfully creative in the way the OG story of Pinocchio is retold without it being too close to the nose, and I admit I'm a real sucker for Pinocchio retellings because they're far less common.
However, the romantic storyline of this totally ruined it for me. It felt both ick and unnecessary. I get that overall, the themes were super wholesome - but without ruining the specifics for people who haven't read it yet - let's just say the way the age gap came across to me (even though that probably was not a thing) made me go eurgh. It just wasn't a pairing I could really get behind, nor one I wanted to.
And unfortunately for me, that tinted the rest of the book once it really took off. I felt that the interesting and unique plot got a bit lost to the romantic plot from the mid-to-halfway mark onwards, which was a great shame. Because the romantic plot doesn't really have the guts to it to call it a 'plot'. It made me feel that I could've stopped reading around page 100 or 150 and I would've got the gist of the story just the same as reading it through to the end.
Negativity aside, this was enjoyable because the humour was laugh-out-loud funny and Rambo was the best thing to happen to the literary world ever - seriously, he's hilarious. I'll never look at a vacuum the same way. So 3 stars from me for a good read overshadowed by an ick romance. ...more
I'm a happy camper - this was exactly the stabby, feisty, scheme-y story I was after.
This was simply fun. Nothing new nor groundbreaking, but just whaI'm a happy camper - this was exactly the stabby, feisty, scheme-y story I was after.
This was simply fun. Nothing new nor groundbreaking, but just what it says on the packet.
Following the story of an orphan girl who grew up in slavery, this is a retribution story with enemies to lovers, monsters of all kinds, and magic.
It's easy reading and plenty entertaining. I'm looking forward to continuing the series to see how these characters grow and how the world develops.
This is certainly the kind of book to reach for if you want some good escapism that's only a stone's throw away from Throne of Glass - and everything else like that.
In particular, to me, this felt like the result of a Poison Study/Throne of Glass mashup....more
Very much a slow burn (but fast-paced) when it comes to working out what is going on, The Bone Shard Daughter is tThis was fabulous, and so different!
Very much a slow burn (but fast-paced) when it comes to working out what is going on, The Bone Shard Daughter is ten levels of intriguing and totally absorbing. There are about four POVs the book cycles through (one less so than the others) and to begin with, you've no idea how they're all related.
Be rest assured that things will come together, and in a delightfully fun way.
I really enjoyed the world-building of this book and the magic system was so freaky and cool. The moral conflict that comes with magic-wielding by using bone shards really felt creative and unlike anything I've read before in YA fantasy.
I also thoroughly enjoyed all the twists and turns in this book. Once things start to come together and you get an inkling of where things are going, there are a few jaw-dropping revelations that happen in succession towards the very end that are sure to delight.
This definitely feels like a great set-up for the rest of the series, and I can see the plot thickening and becoming absolutely epic over the next two instalments.
Not to mention Mephi and how much I love him! He was the real highlight of this story....more
Okay, either I've been listening to the audiobook performance for long enough that I'm desensitised or miracles do happen, because this audiobook perfOkay, either I've been listening to the audiobook performance for long enough that I'm desensitised or miracles do happen, because this audiobook performance was so much better than for the first book.
What a cracking sequel! I'm really enjoying reading through this series back-to-back and letting the story roll on as one great, big saga. It's crazy, it's intense, it's angsty and there's plenty of magic to go around.
Generally, the story took a step up in terms of maturity for this instalment. Our beloved characters only become more complex and the plot seems to constrict ever tighter around them. I'm really, really curious as to what the final outcome will be of this story because there are so many driven agendas coming in at all angles, and all working against each other.
The only other thing I could say, is make sure you have book three to hand. This ends with one of the cruellest cliff-hangers I've ever read ......more
I am such a great admirer for the way Albertalli writes such complicated nuances of life in what is ultimateEntirely amazing and stressful as always.
I am such a great admirer for the way Albertalli writes such complicated nuances of life in what is ultimately a light-hearted romance novel. So impressive!
This was possibly my favourite of hers to date. Such a unique perspective from what I've read in queer fiction until now - celebrating and centring the process and identity of questioning. All wrapped up in complex friendships and spiced with the steep learning curve of identifying toxicity.
I picked this up out of sheer curiosity over its immense popularity – and wow, I'm so glad I did. This actually lives up to the hypeIncendiarily good.
I picked this up out of sheer curiosity over its immense popularity – and wow, I'm so glad I did. This actually lives up to the hype and I will start by simply stating that this is worth it, and you should read it.
The hype around the 'spiciness' of the book put me off a little, and I will say that this is not first and foremost a spicy book (people are getting too excited about sex being present in YA stories). I have no issue with spice, I'm just finding the online devotion to its presence in books tedious. There is romance and explicit sexy scenes; if you've read Outlander, though, this has nothing on that.
Would I give it to a 12 year old? Hmm, no. Fourteen? Well, parents that's up to you.
The best thing about Fourth Wing is the action and adventure. DRAGONS, people! There is nothing that makes me more excited than an intense, dragon-packed storyline for me to sink my teeth into.
And the enemies-to-lovers trope is thriving and strong here. I am struggling to get my heartrate down after this, it's just sooo addictive.
It is impossible to put down, with have you all in a tizzy, and certainly has me desperate for the next instalment. Yarros has pulled off exactly what she set out to do in this book: write a YA fantasy novel that steps into the High and Epic zones of the fantasy genre, to introduce a new wave of readers to the more complex aspects of what this genre has to offer.
In short – if you're a newbie here toddling across from the romantasy scene – welcome to your baptism of fire for what fantasy has to offer.
But if you're a seasoned fantasy reader like me, welcome to your next best read. There is simply nothing to not enjoy about this. Perhaps I could go nitty-gritty and say character development was superficial at times, but knowing the purpose of this book, I'm more than happy to take this at face value and enjoy the wild ride that this is.
Go buy it, go read it, stop worrying about the hype, it's still worth it. ...more
I really loved how this continued the story from book one straightaway, with no delays. We dive right back into the story and the pace keeps up the whI really loved how this continued the story from book one straightaway, with no delays. We dive right back into the story and the pace keeps up the whole way through to the end.
This is fast becoming one of my favourite witch-y series at the moment. The added complications to the plot line in book 2 were a lot of fun, and the moral battle that Zera is constantly faced with between serving her witch to win her heart back and wanting to do the right things by her friends really pulls both her and the reader in two.
Naturally, this finishes on an epic cliff-hanger and I'm very glad to have book three to hand so I can start reading and find out how this big, complicated mess is going to be resolved....more
Thanks to Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy for review.
If there's one thing I like about Alexandra Christo's books, it's the creepy villains.
I wThanks to Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy for review.
If there's one thing I like about Alexandra Christo's books, it's the creepy villains.
I was so excited to hold a new Christo in my hands - I'm a big fan of To Kill A Kingdom. But I do confess that while this was enjoyable, the second half felt a bit clichéd and overly dramatic.
What I love about this was the soul-eating King who bound witches to serve him. In an annual festival, he collects souls to feed his immortality and it's all delightfully wicked.
Selestra is the heir of the current witch but pretty early on she starts to realise that she's not so keen on the idea of serving this tyrant. Alongside Nox, a solider, they start making a plan to seek some changes.
Overall this was okay. I really loved the first half and the excitement of Selestra making predictions with her magic about when Nox will die. It was fun and tense everytime you started to see reality catch up with a prediction, and not know how it would end.
But there's a tipping point where this fell hardcore into clichés and the plot drew upon numerous tropes from the YA fantasy genre. The tone and genre of the second half felt disjointed from the beginning, and I think that's a shame. For me, this dampened my excitement. It really threw me out of the story and I quickly became bored with the plot.
Selestra toed the line between being defiant/resourceful and a useless ninny, and I think that made sense for her character considering she's been shut up in a castle all her life. But I do think Nox's character was overwritten in the plain attempt to make him a loveable sassbag. Unfortunately, more often than not, I just wanted to slap him for being an ass.
Despite this, I'll still be reading whatever comes next from Christo because while this didn't hit the mark for me, I'm sure it will for many people, and I'm hopeful that it's one-off and the next thing will be better....more
I don't know if it's just me, but I'm left feeling pretty neutral about this book in the end.
I have a theory that it's the audiobook narration that isI don't know if it's just me, but I'm left feeling pretty neutral about this book in the end.
I have a theory that it's the audiobook narration that is slowly killing this series for me. I really enjoyed the concept of book one (and the whole series, really) and even found book one to be fun, cute and enjoyable.
But reading this book – or more importantly, listening to it – felt like the equivalent of clock-watching, no pun intended.
There's lots of new and exciting dramas that our main characters get involved with, but the breathy, slow (and almost lifeless, if I'm being harsh) narration just left me feeling cold. It's one of those narrations where it takes me a while to pick up on the fact that I'm not liking the narration.
But I am also notoriously picky when it comes to audiobook narrators.
That aside, I found it to be very interesting on the race front. Tara Sim herself is half-Indian and I felt like Daphne really came to life in this book, presumably the character most closely echoing Tara's own identity. It's a fascinating setting with English, Indian and people with mixed heritage of both, getting muddled into the complications of which side they're on in the midst of colonial tension in the British Raj. Truly, I loved this element about the book. Tara seemed to really enjoy repeatedly poking the question of what makes someone good or bad.
And of course it's impossible not to love Colton and Danny – not to mention the epic plot twists that happen in relation to Colton's backstory.
So I shall sit here on the fence and pick apart my feelings for some time. I think I liked this. I know I didn't like the audiobook. I'll probably read book 3 in physical format. But until I firm up my thoughts on those things, I remain in no man's land. ...more
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