babsreads18's reviews
779 reviews

Queen of Shadows and Ruin by Nisha J. Tuli

4.0

I was not prepared for this series to end. I have absolutely loved getting lost in the magical world! This installment was a little bit slower at the beginning, but picked up the pace. Rabin and Zarya continued to be absolutely perfect together despite so many forces trying to keep them apart. I loved getting to see more of some of my favorite side characters like Yasen, Miraan, and Row. There were some very well done plot twists and I wasn't sure if we would get a happy ending or not at a few points. It feels bittersweet that this amazing series has come to a conclusion, but it ended perfectly. 

Thank you to Second Sky and NetGalley for the ARC!

Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

This book jumps right into the action-packed and dangerous world of phoenix racing. Kel and her team, the Crimson Howlers, are forced to join forces with her rival, Coup, after tragedy strikes their team. Soon, the team decides to start working for NAME, who has an unsettling interest in Kel's phoenix, Savita. 

It took a tiny bit to get my bearings since this book dove right into the action, but once I did, I was absolutely invested. There are tons of high-stakes, and lots of action and danger that had me on the edge of my seat. Kel was a bold and strong FMC who fiercely loves her friends and phoenix. Coup was arrogant, frustrating, and absolutely the perfect love interest for Kel. I also found myself immersed in the political scheming. The actual phoenix racing wasn't the only danger faced by Kel and her crew, and it was so dramatic and engaging. This was an fantastic debut and I was so iimpressed by the world building, perfectly timed twists, and complexity of the plot and characters. 

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC! 

The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country by Amanda Gorman

5.0

This poem was incredibly powerful the first time that I heard it. Now, several years later, it feels just as powerful. It carries a careful balance of hope and recognition of historical wrongs. It's beautifully done. 

Tusks, Tails & Teacakes by T.L. Stone

lighthearted mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

 Lira is a half-elf who has returned to her small village after years of adventuring with her crew. Now, she finds herself sprucing up the Tusk & Tail Tavern with Sass, a dwarf and unexpected friend. As they breathe life back into the tavern with baked goods and chai, new danger arrives. Lira has to trust and rely on her friends, both old and new…and she even finds some romance along the way.

This was such a cozy read, filled with friendship, wonderful characters, and magic. I loved the found family aspect as well as the fun mythical creatures that made appearances! There is some slow-burn romance, but no spice. One of my favorite parts of the book was the descriptions of Lira’s baked goods. They all sound absolutely delicious! The author did include some recipes at the end and I’m excited to try them out!

Thank you to Nerd Fam and the author for the ARC! 

 

The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare

4.0

Thank you to Tandem Collective Global for the physical copy and Penguin Random House Audio for the gifted audiobook.

The Ragpicker King is book two in The Chronicles of Castellane series, and the follow-up to Sword Catcher. I paired the audio with the physical copy which made for a really fun reading experience! I continued to love Conor's character and his relationship with Kel. This book dove deer into the politics of the kingdom and was full of romance, angst, and betrayals. There were so many plot twists and even some secret identities that were uncovered. So much happened and I was totally invested in the storyline. I'm still wrapping my head around the last few chapters and can't wait to read the next installment in this series. 

Malinalli by Veronica Chapa

4.0

This was a gorgeously written retelling about Malinalli, the Nahua interpreter who worked with Cortés. I loved the lyrical writing style of this book and vivid imagery created from the descriptions of the culture. The combination historical fiction and fantasy was really interesting. Malinalli was a strong and resilient character. I loved that magic was incorporated into her story, but wish the magic was explained a bit better. There were some pacing issues throughout the book, and a lot of complexities, but I found this really enjoyable overall. I listened to the audio while reading the ebook and was grateful to be able to hear the correct pronunciations of names. The narrator was great and really helped bring the emotions of the story to life. 

Thank you to Simon Audio and Atria Books for the advance copies! 

The Thrashers by Julie Soto

dark mysterious fast-paced

5.0

The Thrashers are the "it" group at their high school - rich, super popular, and the kids everyone wants to be friends with. All of that starts changing when the journal of Emily Mills, a girl who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, emerges depicting them as bullies. Suddenly, the group finds themselves under the scrutiny of their peers and the police, with their futures in jeopardy. Jodi, the misfit of the group, starts unraveling the mystery...and creepy things start happening that lead the Thrashers to think they are being haunted by Emily. 

I don't typically read thrillers or mysteries, but this book had me hooked from the very beginning. It was dark and full of perfectly timed plot twists and so much drama. The cast of characters was fascinating. They were flawed and morally grey. I loved that each character had their own distinct personality with layers of complexity and secrets that were revealed throughout the book. I also adored the romantic subplot and was rooting for those characters so hard. This book was intriguing, thought provoking, and immersive.

I listened to the audio and loved the narrator who did a fantastic job portraying the FMC's emotions throughout the book. 

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy! 

His Mortal Demise by Vanessa Le

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

This was a stunning conclusion to The Last Bloodcarver duology. Kochin is determined to bring Nhika back to life by using his heartsoothing abilities. In another timeline, Nhika wakes up and is determined to find Kochin. I loved getting both Kochin and Nhika's POVs in this book, and felt like it really helped me understand Kochin's backstory a lot more. The POVs were told on different timelines which just made me root for the main characters to be back together. This book had plenty of suspense, some plot twists, and absolutely gorgeous writing. I listened to the audio while reading along and loved the duet narration. Jason Vu and VyVy Nguyen were both fantastic and brought the characters and their emotions to life in a really immersive manner.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's and Macmillan Audio for the advance copies!

Go Luck Yourself by Sara Raasch

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Trouble is brewing when Christmas discovers that someone has been stealing their joy. The only clue is a single shamrock left at the scene, and since Coal is busy running Christmas, its up to Kris to investigate. Unfortunately, the Prince of St. Patrick's Day also happens to be the same person Kris has been battling for a study room at college. Now, they are forced to play nice for the cameras, but they keep driving each other crazy.

I absolutely devoured this book. It gave me SO many feelings! Kris and Loch were perfection together. The enemies to lovers trope was so well done and the vulnerabilities that they both had made their romance so much sweeter. They also had fantastic tension and chemistry that was swoon-worthy! It wasn't all holidays and fun though. Both Kris and Loch both had experiences with family trauma and Kris struggled with his mental health as a result. I thought that this part was handled with care, and we saw boundary setting as well as support from other characters occur. I really loved the sibling relationship between Coal and Kris too. Coal was so supportive of Kris and encouraged him in so many ways. I'm so excited for the next book in this incredible series! 

I read and listened to the audio. The narrator, Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick was amazing and gave Kris and Loch their own unique voices. Loch's voice in particular was incredible. He really brought the characters and their emotions to life. 

Thank you to Bramble Romance and Macmillan Audio for the advance copies!

Pucked by Helena Hunting

3.5

 Violet's stepbrother, Buck, is an NHL player. After attending one of his games, she quickly becomes acquainted with one of his teammates, Alex. What was supposed to be one night of fun between Alex and Violet suddenly turns into more...until Alex tells the media they are just friends.

Pucked was a quick and fun read that was both hilarious and ridiculous. Violet was a very quirky FMC, while Alex was sweet but made a big mistake. Their relationship was fast-moving and cute. Alex was SO head over heels for Violet, which was adorable. There was plenty of spice and lots of silly language associated with it that had me laughing out loud.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the physical copy!