arecordofki's reviews
188 reviews

Fate of the Five: Veil of Vasara by Niamh Rose

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Thank you to Niamh for giving me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! 

Please look into the trigger warnings for this book before starting it! 
Fate of the Five was honestly a bit slow in terms of plot progression. There was a lot happening and at some points it felt a little tedious to read, however I did enjoy the fact that we had a large cast of characters (9 POVs!) and that they all had really distinct voices throughout the story. It really picked up for me around the 50% mark, and I found myself really invested in
Nathon and Hestan, Nemina and the Healer, and Shadae and Elias
(I might be a little delusional here but can you blame me)

The plot twists were actually insane and that ending was downright diabolical !! That being said, the world Niamh has crafted is complex and full of political intrigue, and the romance for the characters were truly the most delicious slow burn ever! 
I guess I'm forced to wait until book two comes out, but I've never had a more physical reaction to an ending until today....I need answers PLEASE 

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This Time It's Real by Ann Liang

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challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The fact that Ann Liang was able to instantly capture the pain of having to move away and lose friendships in the process so accurately made me instantly give this a 5 star, because I've genuinely never felt so seen before. The most important part of this story to me wasn't the romance Eliza had with Caz but the decline of her friendship with Zoe, who she grew slowly distant with. Its definitely a more personal reason for me to love this book, but I have always liked each Ann Liang book for the secondary purpose of the plot, such as friendships, academics and family, as the experiences she conveys somehow strike bulls-eye with me and I get a chance to reflect and heal slowly through her stories.
Mixed Signals by B.K. Borison

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lighthearted relaxing 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? Yes

3.0

Amongst the Lovelight Farms series, I had this book hyped up the most for me. It was exactly what I loved from Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams: guy has loved girl for ages, and these two decide to try fake dating to teach each other how to date. And I was super excited to go into it. Unfortunately I found myself falling asleep while reading it because it was a little too relaxing. I wished there was more intense yearning between the two, it felt like something was missing that would make me obsessed, not sure what it could've been, but the instant action did make me kinda meh about it. I do still think that Caleb is absolutely sweet, him turning into a blushing mess and being a golden retriever sort of lover was refreshing and my favourite part of the book. I still enjoyed some scenes, but I don't think it's a great favourite. 
Although I am now curious about Stella and Luka's relationship so now I'm tempted to try and read that one to see if this was a case of me preferring other books in the series (which happens more often)
Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce

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hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was a cutesy fun read! The storyline is pretty fast paced but it's adorable and I loved it!
You learn a bit more about Dungeons and Dragons in this, and I also really liked their friend group as well as the relationship that develops between Quinn and her family. 
Logan my boy is whipped for her from the start and we love to see it, but I loved how he even starts forming a friendship with Quinn's grandmother too!
I also liked that there was a gender neutral character and that the author made a point to highlight things like touch sensitivity (preferring no physical contact) and characters respecting their boundaries, it's subtle but it's a beautiful touch and we love the representation!
A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon

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adventurous funny tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I LOVE THIS !!!
The yearning just ramped up and the progression of their relationship was so incredible and gorgeous and just PERFECT to read!!
The cave scene? The CLOSET SCENE??? 

I love that Alaric and Talasyn are finally slowly accepting their feelings and acting on it and silently vowing that they’d make an exception to the rule for each other! ALSO the cliffhanger at this book was perfect. I was so anxious the entire book thinking that it’d end with either one of them betraying the other and leaving them to deal with the ashes of their kingdoms each and that would be the end of the book, but A THIRD PARTY BEING THE CONFLICT AT THE END??? ITS SUCH A PLEASANT SURPRISE BECAUSE YES MY BABIES WILL STILL LOVE EACH OTHER DEEPLY but also I STILL NEED ANSWERS WHERE IS BOOK 3
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Instant 5 stars. I don't know who was calling this book a bad read but are we reading the same thing 🥲 the romance in this was unmatched, the bantering the yearning the EVERYTHING!! 
The way they go from physically fighting to romantically fighting (iykyk) made me giggle and kick my feet.
Also, is this a spoiler? I didn't know they had the
marriage of convenience
trope AT ALL!! I feel like this was so good too read because I wasn't sure of the plot and went in blind and thus everything was a pleasant surprise and I adored it 🙂‍↕️
My favourite scene: the hug, the way that
Alaric is alway following her in every kiss and is never the first to pull away like...YESSS
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

My brain is quite literally swimming because what just happened?
Katherine Arden's writing always makes me feel like I'm in some kind of fever dream and its so masterfully done as well. The story was definitely atmospheric and cozy at times, but it was hauntingly beautiful and in more cases than not, made my blood pressure SPIKE because dear God did I not like anyone very much in this book (Alyosha and Vasya you are the only exceptions 💗)
The storyline travelled from when Vasya's mother was pregnant with her , following to her childhood and adolescence before speeding up with her adulthood. The ending was also so unexpected and honestly im  starting to think
maybe I have daddy issues or something because omg I sobbed


I'm curious where the story will go because there's 2 more books in this series? What more adventures will Vasya have? Otherwise, this ended pretty solidly for anyone that is looking to just pick up the first book and call it a day.
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

5.0

This was so so so good!!
I loved how this story had supernatural creatures involved and overall still managed to drive home the point that not all monsters have pointy teeth and can in fact be closer than we think.
I learnt more about the American and Mexican history which I didn't know about until reading this book.
The banter between Nestor and Nena was amazing and I loved their relationship. Nena frustrates me with how meek she is in the face of her parents, but I understood her feelings and that's what made it frustrating and hard to dislike her for it. 
This was such a great read!
The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

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adventurous dark funny slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko

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challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was amazing! I loved this story so so much, and it was a very unique storytelling as well!
The Crocodile and Sade was my entire world, the way he made sure that he adhered to all her needs, and tried to uplift her into a better situation (in his own little messed up way, but means well) has me in love with him
I haven't read the Raybearer duology yet and some might say that ruins the experience but I think it's still perfect to pick up regardless, because now I'm more enticed to start the duology after reading! The fact that the Maid and the Crocodile not only covers events after the original storyline, but also serves to point out flaws in society after it has been "fixed" was beautiful. It was really two sets of stories that told each perspective: the rich and the poor, and I love it 💗