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ankonyx's reviews
753 reviews
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.75
“You read our lives because you want to be entertained. But it’s the same story. Of death, and tyranny, and the banality of it all.”
Cry, Voidbringer weaves together three perspectives, that of Hammer, Viridian and Naias to tell a story of anger, loneliness, anti-colonialism and found family.
Hammer was wretched from her home and culture as a child to serve as a Faceless, a second-class citizen soldier (little more than a slave) in Ashvi. Her years as a Faceless and the seeming endlessness of the war against Tevu has hardened her heart.
Viridian is a child that Hammer accidentally saves during a mission. She was predicted by Tevu’s prophet queen to have a power that could change the fate of the war and the world.
Naias is the commander of the Faceless, having been raised from the same fate by becoming the lover of the queen, Khall. Khall is a nervous and new queen, not yet sure of how to operate the throne with the fresh memory of her father’s death on her mind. Perhaps it’s thankful then that Naias can be such a helping hand.
~*~*~
4.75/5 stars
I absolutely ate this and up. This was absolute excellence.
This is a dark story, and the characters don’t always make the “right” choice. They are complex and grey, but the author does a good job of establishing their characters so it could not have gone any other way.
It should be noted that you are dropped right into the world - it is expected of the reader to pick up the world as you go, since they don’t stop and explain anything. This is my preferred style of world building, so I really appreciated this. On the topic of world building, I really enjoyed it. Even if we didn’t see the entirety of the world, I liked the bits we did. It felt solid and realistic. I liked the different gods/religion and how the magic system was divine in nature (a particular favourite of main as a cleric main <3).
I found the entire really engaging and provoking, though it did drag at some points (though this was purposeful. It is hard to explain without spoiling, but I promise it was a creative choice. While I agree with the choice, it didn’t stop me from getting through that section much slower than the rest).
There were some choice use of second person narration, and I felt they really added to the story. I enjoyed the choice of which characters to follow - it would’ve been a different story if we followed other ones, and I don’t think the message would have been as impactful.
The world was queernormative, and a large majority of the characters were casually queer, which I deeply appreciate. There is a prominent f/f relationship, a bisexual main character and an important non binary side character, none of which is challenged (ie: homophobia or transphobia) by the narrative.
All in all, a fantastic story that I highly recommend you pick up when it comes out in October (2025), especially if you’re a fan of Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse and The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco.
~*~*~
Content warnings: Gore/descriptions of violence, genocide, drug use (opium), slavery, child abuse and death, colonisation
Disclaimer: I received this as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books (via Left Unread).
Cry, Voidbringer weaves together three perspectives, that of Hammer, Viridian and Naias to tell a story of anger, loneliness, anti-colonialism and found family.
Hammer was wretched from her home and culture as a child to serve as a Faceless, a second-class citizen soldier (little more than a slave) in Ashvi. Her years as a Faceless and the seeming endlessness of the war against Tevu has hardened her heart.
Viridian is a child that Hammer accidentally saves during a mission. She was predicted by Tevu’s prophet queen to have a power that could change the fate of the war and the world.
Naias is the commander of the Faceless, having been raised from the same fate by becoming the lover of the queen, Khall. Khall is a nervous and new queen, not yet sure of how to operate the throne with the fresh memory of her father’s death on her mind. Perhaps it’s thankful then that Naias can be such a helping hand.
~*~*~
4.75/5 stars
I absolutely ate this and up. This was absolute excellence.
This is a dark story, and the characters don’t always make the “right” choice. They are complex and grey, but the author does a good job of establishing their characters so it could not have gone any other way.
It should be noted that you are dropped right into the world - it is expected of the reader to pick up the world as you go, since they don’t stop and explain anything. This is my preferred style of world building, so I really appreciated this. On the topic of world building, I really enjoyed it. Even if we didn’t see the entirety of the world, I liked the bits we did. It felt solid and realistic. I liked the different gods/religion and how the magic system was divine in nature (a particular favourite of main as a cleric main <3).
I found the entire really engaging and provoking, though it did drag at some points (though this was purposeful. It is hard to explain without spoiling, but I promise it was a creative choice. While I agree with the choice, it didn’t stop me from getting through that section much slower than the rest).
There were some choice use of second person narration, and I felt they really added to the story. I enjoyed the choice of which characters to follow - it would’ve been a different story if we followed other ones, and I don’t think the message would have been as impactful.
The world was queernormative, and a large majority of the characters were casually queer, which I deeply appreciate. There is a prominent f/f relationship, a bisexual main character and an important non binary side character, none of which is challenged (ie: homophobia or transphobia) by the narrative.
All in all, a fantastic story that I highly recommend you pick up when it comes out in October (2025), especially if you’re a fan of Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse and The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco.
~*~*~
Content warnings: Gore/descriptions of violence, genocide, drug use (opium), slavery, child abuse and death, colonisation
Disclaimer: I received this as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books (via Left Unread).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Colonisation
I'll Be the One by Lyla Lee
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.25
Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars
This was fun! The characters weren’t always the most loveable but I was engaged the whole time. The ending felt a bit flat to me but it was still cute none the less.
This was fun! The characters weren’t always the most loveable but I was engaged the whole time. The ending felt a bit flat to me but it was still cute none the less.
Pucking Around (includes That One Night) by Emily Rath
2.0
Why did I read this. Why did I *keep* reading this
Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5/5
I’m going to intersperse this review with quotes I enjoyed. If you don’t want spoilers of any kind, I would skip this review, but I did try to pick ones that didn’t reveal anything specific! The review itself will be spoiler free.
“You all belong to each other, with it without me, I think. But I want someone to belong to me again, too. I wish it were still you. I hate that I wish it were still you.”
I really enjoyed this one. I really should read second chance romance more often, as it really is up my alley. The mutual “unrequited” yearning of the sub genre is so delicious. This book is rightfully hyped in my opinion, even if it’s not for everyone.
Content warnings: ectopic pregnancy (to mc, past but frequently discussed); fire/fire injury (to a side character, past. M!mc is a firefighter fire destruction is discussed throughout the book); emergency c-section, teen pregnancy
“We’re not the kids who loved each other as friends or the teenagers who were overwhelmed by want. And we’re not the bright-eyed optimists who thought we were the exception when it came to young live, who thought our love and marriage could conquer all. We’re the war-torn adults who loved each other fully and still didn’t make it together in the end.”
Synopsis: Childhood friends to lovers Wren and Ellis loved each other fiercely, but that didn’t stop time and pain to separate them. While still divorced, they maintained a distant relation but kept things polite for the sake of their son, Sam. With Sam moving out to college, Ellis proposes an extended road trip on their way back to try to give their relationship another chance.
“Sometimes I think I regret it even still but… there are different kinds of hurt. There’s the kind you inflict sharply and quickly-like emotional blunt for trauma- and then there’s the other kind, like a slow-building poison in your veins. I think it starts with withholding love, but maybe it starts with withholding hurt, too.”
Pros/things I liked:
* The yearning was masterfully done and had me absorbing this book. I stayed up far to late on the day I started it because I just wanted more. This probably serves a solid 2 of the stars given and is very much a personal taste thing.
* I think it was a really good choice of having two times to follow, even if it meant that the synopsis on the back of the cover didn’t kick in until about 40% into the book. The book started a couple months before they go on the road trip, building up their past and their current tension.
* The characters were grounded and realistic. They grew with the story and with feedback from eachother and it was really lovely to see.
* I thought it was really interesting to have protagonists in their thirties with a grown kid. It’s not frequently seen and I appreciated how it was done.
* While not the child of divorce, I have seen divorce absolutely wreck families, so I appreciated that the characters were very mature about it the whole time.
“I wanted her to go to bed, I wanted to rip down whatever walls we’d erected between us. I wanted to get her however I could again and I wanted her to let me care of her […] and for us to be happy.”
Cons/things I didn’t like:
* The ending really dragged and was much longer than it needed to be. It felt like a 50 page epilogue.
* There’s a lot missed by not having read the author’s other work, especially Savor It. Especially in the ending, it loses a lot of impact if you have no care for the side characters, which I didn’t since it was built into the story that you would have already met them. I don’t think it’s fair for them to not be considered a series.
More quotes I liked:
“My heart took shape around hers, too, and it will never go back.”
“I wanted to be connected to my wife again. I want to learn about her dreams and make them come true. I want to love without restraint. I want to say the good things without reservation and not be afraid to say the bad or difficult things, too.”
“I used to keep a mental tally of the laugh lines that’d deepened around his eyes, secretly excited each time a new one would appear. I don’t think he’s gained anything new over the last few years, and it makes me unbearably sad.”
“I miss you, too sounds glib. You have been missing from me is more accurate. There’s a void where you lived in me.”
There’s even more that I highlighted in my own copy but this review is only enough, I’ll set you free now :)
Disclaimer: I received this copy via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. This did not impact my feelings in regard to the book.
I’m going to intersperse this review with quotes I enjoyed. If you don’t want spoilers of any kind, I would skip this review, but I did try to pick ones that didn’t reveal anything specific! The review itself will be spoiler free.
“You all belong to each other, with it without me, I think. But I want someone to belong to me again, too. I wish it were still you. I hate that I wish it were still you.”
I really enjoyed this one. I really should read second chance romance more often, as it really is up my alley. The mutual “unrequited” yearning of the sub genre is so delicious. This book is rightfully hyped in my opinion, even if it’s not for everyone.
Content warnings: ectopic pregnancy (to mc, past but frequently discussed); fire/fire injury (to a side character, past. M!mc is a firefighter fire destruction is discussed throughout the book); emergency c-section, teen pregnancy
“We’re not the kids who loved each other as friends or the teenagers who were overwhelmed by want. And we’re not the bright-eyed optimists who thought we were the exception when it came to young live, who thought our love and marriage could conquer all. We’re the war-torn adults who loved each other fully and still didn’t make it together in the end.”
Synopsis: Childhood friends to lovers Wren and Ellis loved each other fiercely, but that didn’t stop time and pain to separate them. While still divorced, they maintained a distant relation but kept things polite for the sake of their son, Sam. With Sam moving out to college, Ellis proposes an extended road trip on their way back to try to give their relationship another chance.
“Sometimes I think I regret it even still but… there are different kinds of hurt. There’s the kind you inflict sharply and quickly-like emotional blunt for trauma- and then there’s the other kind, like a slow-building poison in your veins. I think it starts with withholding love, but maybe it starts with withholding hurt, too.”
Pros/things I liked:
* The yearning was masterfully done and had me absorbing this book. I stayed up far to late on the day I started it because I just wanted more. This probably serves a solid 2 of the stars given and is very much a personal taste thing.
* I think it was a really good choice of having two times to follow, even if it meant that the synopsis on the back of the cover didn’t kick in until about 40% into the book. The book started a couple months before they go on the road trip, building up their past and their current tension.
* The characters were grounded and realistic. They grew with the story and with feedback from eachother and it was really lovely to see.
* I thought it was really interesting to have protagonists in their thirties with a grown kid. It’s not frequently seen and I appreciated how it was done.
* While not the child of divorce, I have seen divorce absolutely wreck families, so I appreciated that the characters were very mature about it the whole time.
“I wanted her to go to bed, I wanted to rip down whatever walls we’d erected between us. I wanted to get her however I could again and I wanted her to let me care of her […] and for us to be happy.”
Cons/things I didn’t like:
* The ending really dragged and was much longer than it needed to be. It felt like a 50 page epilogue.
* There’s a lot missed by not having read the author’s other work, especially Savor It. Especially in the ending, it loses a lot of impact if you have no care for the side characters, which I didn’t since it was built into the story that you would have already met them. I don’t think it’s fair for them to not be considered a series.
More quotes I liked:
“My heart took shape around hers, too, and it will never go back.”
“I wanted to be connected to my wife again. I want to learn about her dreams and make them come true. I want to love without restraint. I want to say the good things without reservation and not be afraid to say the bad or difficult things, too.”
“I used to keep a mental tally of the laugh lines that’d deepened around his eyes, secretly excited each time a new one would appear. I don’t think he’s gained anything new over the last few years, and it makes me unbearably sad.”
“I miss you, too sounds glib. You have been missing from me is more accurate. There’s a void where you lived in me.”
There’s even more that I highlighted in my own copy but this review is only enough, I’ll set you free now :)
Disclaimer: I received this copy via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for a fair review. This did not impact my feelings in regard to the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Pregnancy
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury