A Fairy King, a rising sea, and predatory men make up the fetid water in A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid. It’s not something you would want to swim in, but it is a story you will want to read. Reid blends real life with a foreboding fairytale to showcase the difficulties women face…
My feelings about Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros are complicated. At first, I found the book incredibly entertaining, and I was really invested in the story. But the second half disappointed me, and the more I sat with this story afterward, the more I questioned my experience. As many, many people praise this book, I…
Sailing on a ship sounds awesome until I think about being in the middle of the ocean when a storm hits. It’s fun until it isn’t, and that’s exactly how I would describe my time aboard The Isles of the Gods by Amie Kaufman. With a final sacrifice, the goddess Barrica ends the war by…
Continue reading ➞ The Isles Of The Gods – Charted Trope Territory
My toxic trait is that I love cruel morally-gray characters, which is why I picked up Once Upon a Broken Heart. This story is a spin-off of Stephanie Garber’s first series Caraval, and it’s the first time we meet a man named Jacks. He was one of the few things I like about that series,…
I’m continuing my journey with Elise Kova’s Air Awakens series. After book one I was genuinely interested in Vhalla’s story and decided to pick up Fire Falling to see where it led. Book two begins after the events of Air Awakens. The violent storm at the end of book one, now dubbed the Night of…
I have been circling Legendborn by Tracy Deonn for some time now. A part of me felt that this book was going to be amazing, and I wanted to make sure I had the time and space to sit down and appreciate the story unfolding around me. Two years later and a month before the…
Violet Made Of Thorns by Gina Chen appeared delectable, but when it came time for the main course, the server dropped my plate before I could enjoy the meal. The book needed more ruthlessness, more scheming, and more stakes to make the story’s dark prophecy hit where it hurts. Unfortunately for me, it missed every…
After enduring the reading marathon that was my last read, I wanted my next book to be easy. I didn’t want to think too hard or chase down a complicated plot, but I still wanted a little bit of substance. And you know what? Elise Kova delivered that and more in Air Awakens. This book…
I was wary about starting Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor. I had a feeling it would be all enchantment upfront but wouldn't deliver on the magic that was promised. Especially after being marketed to fans of The Night Circus and Caraval, my expectations were not high per se, but I was ready for something…
Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff are back at it again with Aurora Rising, the first in a new young adult (YA) sci-fi series titled The Aurora Cycle. I’m a sucker for ragtag groups of unlikely heroes coming together, especially when it’s executed brilliantly. Most times it can be a recipe for disaster. Things can go…
