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aliciasrealm's reviews
431 reviews
The Hero's Equinox by Antoine Bandele
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I loved the whole heist premise and the introduction of Greek gods and other deities into the storyline! I highly recommend reading "An Axe for a Hammer" prior to diving into The Hero's Equinox, as the prequel novella provides additional context that will enrich your reading experience.
The Hero's Equinox is full of action and adventure, magical battles with real stakes. I loved how the heist team introduces new allies and brings back characters from the previous novels, creating tension as they try to work together. The inclusion of Asgardian gods and other deities further fleshed out the magical world beyond the Diviner community. TJ's unique abilities, while necessary for the success of the mission, continue to challenge him as he attends Ifa Academy.
We get to see even more of Manny and Ayo, and I love how the teens continue to grow and change throughout the story. While the characters all deal with loss and grief in some way, the story is well balanced with humor and moments of joy. This book was an excellent addition to the TJ Young series and the ending left me reeling!! I'm beyond excited to see what's next for the trio!
I received a free copy of this book from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Hero's Equinox is full of action and adventure, magical battles with real stakes. I loved how the heist team introduces new allies and brings back characters from the previous novels, creating tension as they try to work together. The inclusion of Asgardian gods and other deities further fleshed out the magical world beyond the Diviner community. TJ's unique abilities, while necessary for the success of the mission, continue to challenge him as he attends Ifa Academy.
We get to see even more of Manny and Ayo, and I love how the teens continue to grow and change throughout the story. While the characters all deal with loss and grief in some way, the story is well balanced with humor and moments of joy. This book was an excellent addition to the TJ Young series and the ending left me reeling!! I'm beyond excited to see what's next for the trio!
I received a free copy of this book from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston
3.0
When I read that this book was a reimagining of Anastasia I had certain expectations, namely in the relationship between the Anastasia inspired character and the Dimitri inspired character, and in that respect this book was a major disappointment. I was hoping for a relationship that evolved from "can't stand each other" to "friends" to "lovers", but casting the Dimitri character as an AI robot resulted in an entirely different (and subpar) dynamic. Adding an insta-love romance between two other characters did not help this book.
The world building was lacking and overall there were too many POVs for the length, and the short chapters/constantly shifting POV did not help. The relationships and character development could have been so much better. If you've seen the animated Anastasia movie then major plot revelations may be too predictable. It's cool that two of the main characters are POC though it was more window dressing than substantive representation.
I loved Poston's Geekerella series and enjoyed her adult romance novels, but this sci-fi / romantasy story just didn't work for me. I'm not sure whether I want to read the sequel yet.
All Better Now by Neal Shusterman
2.5
Despite my apprehensive about the pandemic aspect, I found myself quickly intriged by the story. The exploration of this concept through the eyes of three very different people—Rón, Mariel, and Morgan—provided a thoughtful analysis of the pandemic's impact on society. While recovery offers positive changes in humanity, there are pitfalls to limitless altruism, and is this "enlightenment" worth killing one in twenty-five people? The moral examination of the premise provides much to consider.
The speculative nature of the story was what kept me reading more so than the characters, who often felt flat and weren't very likeable either. While their background and motives should have fleshed them out, what was happening to them felt more interesting than the characters themselves. The trio did not live up to my expectations after reading the Scythe series, instead serving as bland vessels for different viewpoints.
While the concept had potential, the premise itself wasn't strong enough for five hundred pages. The length could have worked if the characters were more interesting, but the story started to drag about halfway through the book. I already knew where the story was going and it felt dragged out for no good reason. Overall, I felt that this story was not at the same level as the Scythe series.
Thank you to the publishers for the advanced review copy.
The speculative nature of the story was what kept me reading more so than the characters, who often felt flat and weren't very likeable either. While their background and motives should have fleshed them out, what was happening to them felt more interesting than the characters themselves. The trio did not live up to my expectations after reading the Scythe series, instead serving as bland vessels for different viewpoints.
While the concept had potential, the premise itself wasn't strong enough for five hundred pages. The length could have worked if the characters were more interesting, but the story started to drag about halfway through the book. I already knew where the story was going and it felt dragged out for no good reason. Overall, I felt that this story was not at the same level as the Scythe series.
Thank you to the publishers for the advanced review copy.
Tideborn by Eliza Chan
5.0
Tideborn begins several weeks after the events of Fathomfolk, the aftermath amplifying social and political unrest in the community.
The writing is lovely and the world building is as strong as the first book. Tideborn further illustrates the diversity of the Fathomfolk, featuring different cultures and traditions, and continues to focus on themes of prejudice and racism. Mira, who is biracial, faces prejudice from Fathomfolk as well as racism from Tiankawians.
The exploration of complex political and social issues presents much to consider, with morally gray characters whose beliefs evolve throughout the story. Well meaning characters make decisions that harm people, anger is misguided, and there are often situations where there isn't a "right" decision. There is a spectrum of views, from Fathomfolk radicals ready to destroy the entire city to Tiankawians supremacists who intend to enslave Fathomfolk.
The believable growth and arcs of these characters is fantastic, and I loved how well developed they are. I grew to really love Nami and even gained a better understanding of Cordelia, who I despised in the prior book. And while I am adamant that this is NOT romantasy, there is a beautiful slow burn romance subplot that made me tear up.
I always appreciate a sequel that includes a recap of the previous book, so bonus points for including such a great summary to refresh my memory!
Thank you to Orbit Books for the free copy of this book.
The writing is lovely and the world building is as strong as the first book. Tideborn further illustrates the diversity of the Fathomfolk, featuring different cultures and traditions, and continues to focus on themes of prejudice and racism. Mira, who is biracial, faces prejudice from Fathomfolk as well as racism from Tiankawians.
The exploration of complex political and social issues presents much to consider, with morally gray characters whose beliefs evolve throughout the story. Well meaning characters make decisions that harm people, anger is misguided, and there are often situations where there isn't a "right" decision. There is a spectrum of views, from Fathomfolk radicals ready to destroy the entire city to Tiankawians supremacists who intend to enslave Fathomfolk.
The believable growth and arcs of these characters is fantastic, and I loved how well developed they are. I grew to really love Nami and even gained a better understanding of Cordelia, who I despised in the prior book. And while I am adamant that this is NOT romantasy, there is a beautiful slow burn romance subplot that made me tear up.
I always appreciate a sequel that includes a recap of the previous book, so bonus points for including such a great summary to refresh my memory!
Thank you to Orbit Books for the free copy of this book.
The Windweaver's Storm by Antoine Bandele
5.0
I loved the new academic setting of this book, Ifa Academy for Tomorrow’s Diviners, especially the library! This book introduces some great new characters, and the stakes are higher than ever as TJ does his best to juggle schoolwork, the promises he made to the Orishas, and his friendships.
There is plenty of action and adventure, and I loved that this series continues to keep me guessing. I had no idea who TJ could trust or who really had his best interests in mind, and I was fully invested as TJ tries to uncover the truth about his sister. The trio faces many challenges as they race against the doomsday clock and there are dire consequences for failure.
This sequel delivers on the magical school aspect, featuring magical creatures, talking books, a magical forest, and more. There's also a romantic subplot, with all the awkwardness and misunderstandings that you'd expect from teens new to the dating scene. This was a fantastic follow-up to The Gatekeeper's Staff and I'm excited for the next book!
I received a free copy of this book from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily.
There is plenty of action and adventure, and I loved that this series continues to keep me guessing. I had no idea who TJ could trust or who really had his best interests in mind, and I was fully invested as TJ tries to uncover the truth about his sister. The trio faces many challenges as they race against the doomsday clock and there are dire consequences for failure.
This sequel delivers on the magical school aspect, featuring magical creatures, talking books, a magical forest, and more. There's also a romantic subplot, with all the awkwardness and misunderstandings that you'd expect from teens new to the dating scene. This was a fantastic follow-up to The Gatekeeper's Staff and I'm excited for the next book!
I received a free copy of this book from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Gatekeeper's Staff by Antoine Bandele
5.0
This was everything I wanted in a middle grade fantasy novel, in an academic setting similar to Percy Jackson or Harry Potter but inspired by West African mythology. This story was fresh and fun, and the magic system was unique.
Unlike similar books where the protagonist is estranged from their magical background, TJ was brought up within the diviner community and knew about Orishas and magic prior to attending Camp Olosa. Despite this, there's still plenty of intrigue and discoveries to be made as the camp is TJ's first time learning magic in an academic setting.
TJ's experience of being a middle child is so relatable, especially as he deals with being a relatively average student while his two siblings are both exceptional in different ways. This story is TJ's journey to discover his own strengths while facing the loss of his sister.
The supporting characters come to life on the page, each with their own backstories and character arcs. I especially loved Manny! I appreciated how TJ's preconceptions about people are often challenged, and how it's never quite obvious who the "good guys" are.
This was a fantastic setup for the series and I'm very excited to start on the next book!