daniobsessivelyreads's reviews
781 reviews

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Go to review page

emotional

3.0

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘พ๐’‚๐’•๐’†๐’“ ๐‘ด๐’๐’๐’ ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘บ๐’‚๐’Ž๐’‚๐’๐’•๐’‰๐’‚ ๐‘บ๐’๐’•๐’•๐’ ๐’€๐’‚๐’Ž๐’ƒ๐’‚๐’

Release Date: January 14, 2025

3โญ๏ธ

This book is not for me, so I DNFed it. There are people out there that love the "what if" books where you go down a rabbit hole of "what if" I never got on that bus (or whatever it is), then the MC wakes up at the end of the book and realizes none of it was real. 

I feel like that's where this book is going. There is a Pawn Shop in Tokyo where anyone who has made a choice in the past that they regret and cannot get past it, they can come to this Pawn Shop and "trade their choice away." So, they essentially forget they ever made that choice and they can move on with their lives. The FMC is inheriting the pawn shop from her elderly father, who has mostly lived inside a Sake bottle since his wife left. 

Themes/Tropes:
๐Ÿ"what if" rabbit hole
๐ŸBlack Box Magic


TW:
โœจAlcohol Abuse
Work in Progress by Kat Mackenzie

Go to review page

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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

4.5

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘พ๐’๐’“๐’Œ ๐’Š๐’ ๐‘ท๐’“๐’๐’ˆ๐’“๐’†๐’”๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ฒ๐’‚๐’• ๐‘ด๐’‚๐’„๐’Œ๐’†๐’๐’›๐’Š๐’†

Release Date: January 14, 2025

4.5โญ๏ธ2.5๐ŸŒถ

This book is so heartwarming and real! It was exactly what I needed this week to lift my spirits! I have to thank Kat Mackenzie for making me want to go on a bus tour of Scotland....right now! This book was so magical and whimsical with its adorable little bus full of adorable older ladies. This book gave me all the wanderlust for a country that I've always longed to see. I think I'm going to have to move Scotland up on my bucket list!

Alice is nearing 30 and has just lost her job and her fiancรฉ. What better time to travel to Scotland? She books a super affordable last minute flight to Edinburgh and signs up for a Literary Bus Tour of Scotland (specifically for female tourists). Except go off the rails, starting with her flight to Edinburgh. At the end of the harrowing 36 hour flight, she meets a man at the baggage claim counter that will do nothing but get in her way, who later turns out to be the one and only tour guide for her 3 week long trip.

Alice slowly warms to the bus full of older ladies, and the handsome tour guide also starts to grow on her. From sharing her story with a group of experience women, she realizes that no ones life is perfect and many things happen for the better. While her ex was very good on paper, she comes to realize that she didn't have any real passion with him. But she may have found real passion with the Scottish, worldly tour guide.

I ate this book up, and left no crumbs!


Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸRom Com
๐ŸContemporary Romance
๐ŸTraveling to find yourself
๐ŸScotland
๐ŸTrip of your dreams
๐ŸEnemies-to-lovers
๐ŸFinding your passion

TW:
โœจCheating
โœจLoss (past)
The Empress: a Towerfall novel by Kristin Cast

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional 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

4.0

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ฌ๐’Ž๐’‘๐’“๐’†๐’”๐’” (๐‘ป๐’๐’˜๐’†๐’“๐’‡๐’‚๐’๐’ #1) ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ฒ๐’“๐’Š๐’”๐’•๐’Š๐’ ๐‘ช๐’‚๐’”๐’•

Release Date: January 7, 2025

4โญ๏ธ4๐ŸŒถ

Hannah is just a normal girl trying to make it in the cut throat world of fashion and publishing world. However, she's not assertive enough to beat out her co-workers. She's made a list for herself to try and spice up her life. Including visiting a tarot card reader, as "doing something spontaneous." The tarot card reader goes into a trance and forces her to take a blank tarot card. That doesn't stay blank forever...

She loses a big deal with a client, and then has a very unpleasant encounter with her current boyfriend, when she slips on the ice at a bus stop and smacks her head. When she wakes up, she seems to be in a full scale medieval village like from a movie set...except it isn't a movie set. A dark hooded figure whisks her away to safety when the villagers proclaim her as a "WITCH!". 

She finds out that she's been transported to a parallel world and landed in the Kingdom of Pentacles. Where she's needed to overcome the evil in order to be transported back to her own world, with the help of her broody male sidekick who seems to know way to much about magick.

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸAlice in Wonderland
๐ŸTime Travel
๐ŸModern Girl in Medival Times
๐ŸGrumpy-Sunshine
๐ŸFake dating/marriage
๐ŸShadow Daddy
๐ŸDark Broody MMC

TW:
โœจCheating
โœจMurder
โœจFighting with swords/knives
โœจBetrayal
A Sky of Emerald Stars by A.K. Mulford

Go to review page

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

5.0

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘จ ๐‘บ๐’Œ๐’š ๐’๐’‡ ๐‘ฌ๐’Ž๐’†๐’“๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘บ๐’•๐’‚๐’“๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘จ. ๐‘ฒ. ๐‘ด๐’–๐’๐’‡๐’๐’“๐’…

Release Date: December 24, 2024

5โญ๏ธ3๐ŸŒถ

Ms. Mulford continues to deliver with this second installment in the Golden Court series. This book picks up right where A River of Golden Bones left off, and Calla and Grae have plenty on their plate. Calla is now responsible for the Golden Kingdom, and must try and right the wrongs that the previous Evil Queen has done to her people. In addition, she must find allies to support her claim to the Golden Throne. Grae's father hasn't lost his ambition to hold Calla's Kingdom as his own. He plans to overthrow her and place one of his own puppets on her throne.

Sadie Rauxtide is still reeling from Navin's betrayal during the battle for Calla's throne. She doesn't understand why he would choose his traitor of a brother over her IN BATTLE. Come to find out, he has quite a few secrets that Sadie and Queen Calla don't know about. When Ora is captured by Grae's father, Sadie and Navin must find a way to work together again for the good of the Golden Court.

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸFriends-Enemies-to-lovers
๐ŸWarrior Shifter BA FMC
๐ŸSoft MMC
๐ŸWolf Shifter Pack meets Princess Story
๐ŸFairy Godmother
๐ŸShifters-humans-sorcerers

TW:
โœจFight Scenes
โœจBig Monsters
โœจAbusive Father
โœจChild Abuse (past)
โœจMurder
โœจBetrayal

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

**๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘จ ๐‘น๐’Š๐’—๐’†๐’“ ๐’๐’‡ ๐‘ฎ๐’๐’๐’…๐’†๐’ ๐‘ฉ๐’๐’๐’†๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘จ. ๐‘ฒ. ๐‘ด๐’–๐’๐’‡๐’๐’“๐’…

Release Date: December 5, 2023

5โญ๏ธ4๐ŸŒถ

I absolutely fell head over heals in love with this book. As usual, I'm not even a little bit disappointed with A. K. Mulford. She DELIVERED! This spin on the Sleeping Beauty story had me eating every little crumb and then begging for more!

Calla and her twin sister, Briar, where born under a full moon to the King and Queen of the Golden Wolves. Shortly after Calla's birth, their mother died from complications, but not before she made a wish with a Fairy. Her wish was for her daughter to be taken care of until her 20th birthday, when she was to be married to the Crown Prince of the Silver Wolves. 

Vellia, the Fairy who granted the wish, took this to mean both of her daughters, since the wish was made prior to Calla's birth. So, she secreted them away in a corner of the Silver Wolves forest. Never to be seen or heard from until their 20th birthday. The only Wolves that knew of their existance being the Crown Prince Grae and King of the Silver Wolves.

Calla has been in love with Grae ever since they were pups; however, he's been betrothed to her gloriously beautiful older sister Briar since before they were born.

This book is so action packed and filled with emotionally dynamic characters. I can't wait to recommend this to EVERYONE!

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸFriends-to-lovers
๐ŸArranged Marriage
๐ŸSleeping Beauty Retelling/Spin
๐ŸWolf Shifter Pack meets Princess Story
๐ŸWarrior Princess
๐ŸHidden Princess
๐ŸFairy Godmother

TW:
โœจFight Scenes
โœจBig Monsters
โœจAbusive Father
โœจChild Abuse (past)
โœจMurder

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon

Go to review page

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

5.0

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘จ ๐‘ด๐’๐’๐’”๐’๐’๐’ ๐‘น๐’Š๐’”๐’Š๐’๐’ˆ ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ป๐’‰๐’†๐’‚ ๐‘ฎ๐’–๐’‚๐’๐’›๐’๐’ (๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ฏ๐’–๐’“๐’“๐’Š๐’„๐’‚๐’๐’† ๐‘พ๐’‚๐’“๐’” #2)

Release Date: December 10, 2024

5โญ๏ธ3๐ŸŒถ

The slow burn in this book is BURNING! The arranged marriage between Talasyn and Alaric are now married; however, it is in name only. Or is it? Their kingdoms have been on opposing sides of the war for too many years, but they've joined forces in order to fight the ever expanding power of the Shadow Gate. 

Alaric's Father has only ever ruled through fear and violence. However, Alaric doesn't seem to want to rule that way. Talasyn sees a softer side to him, but she's planning on usurping his rule all the same.

Alaric has been told by his father that his marriage is only a way for Alaric to get close enough to steal and or stop Talasyn's magic. Once they stop her magic, there will be no one to oppose their rule with Shadow Magic.

The slow-burn in this book is delicious! While I struggled to get into this series in the first book, the second book is definately making up for it in spades!

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸEnemies-to-lovers
๐ŸArranged marriage
๐ŸLight vs. Dark Magic
๐ŸSlow Burn
๐ŸGrumpy-grumpy
๐ŸStar wars inspired
๐ŸReylo inspired

TW:
โœจChild abandonment (past)
โœจDeath of parent (past)
โœจDeath
โœจParental abuse
โœจViolence
โœจBattle scenes

Thank you to @netgalley for this ARC read!
Bold by Hope E. Davis

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional

4.0

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘ฉ๐’๐’๐’… ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ฏ๐’๐’‘๐’† ๐‘ฌ. ๐‘ซ๐’‚๐’—๐’Š๐’” (๐‘ด๐’๐’…๐’†๐’“๐’ ๐‘ณ๐’†๐’ˆ๐’†๐’๐’…๐’” ๐’๐’‡ ๐‘บ๐’Š๐’…๐’‰๐’† #2)

Release Date: December 16, 2024

4โญ๏ธ3๐ŸŒถ

This book is just the right amount of cozy fantasy with a good dose of darkness and spice. I loved following Sierra, Aodhan, and their found family through the magical forests, castles, dungeons, and treetop houses.

Sierra and Aodhan's story continues in this second and final installment in the Modern Legends of Sidhe Duology. In the first book, Sierra is a graduate student in Ireland, when all of her plans change when she meets Aodhan via a dating app. They do the opposite of hit it off on their Tinder date, and then Aodhan seems to find Sierra wherever she goes just to annoy her.

Their hate/annoyance turns into something more, and Aodhan has to save Sierra when his father steals her away to the hidden world of Sidhe, where he was born and raised. 

In this second installment, Sierra and Aodhan are both in Sidhe, but separated against their will. They must overcome the politics and other challenges in Sidhe in order to find their way back to each other, and save the Fae from continuing on with little to no magic. A, they must find a way to stop Aodhan's father from kidnapping women from the human world and torturing them in the name of science/magic.

A Few Themes:
-Found Family
-Enemies to Lovers
-Alice in Wonderland
-Touch her and you die
-Magic systems
-Fantasy world
-Fae, humans, and other
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

3.5

**๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘ฏ๐’–๐’“๐’“๐’Š๐’„๐’‚๐’๐’† ๐‘พ๐’‚๐’“๐’” ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ป๐’‰๐’†๐’‚ ๐‘ฎ๐’–๐’‚๐’๐’›๐’๐’

Release Date: October 3, 2023

3.5โญ๏ธ3๐ŸŒถ

It took me a minute to get into this book. I rarely read sci fi, and the beginning of this book is very battle heavy with a lot of Asianic and Star Wars inspiration. But once I got through those initial battles, the enemies-to-lovers really kicked in, and it had me by the throat (in a good way ;)  ).

Talasyn has only ever been a soldier in the Hurricane Wars fighting against the ruthless Night Emperor. She grew up in an orphanage not knowing who her family is until she found a family among the soldiers. She's been hiding a secret her entire life, that she has light magic to wield against the Night Empire. However, she's only ever had minimal training to use her light magic, and she's been told to keep it a secret from everyone including the enemy.

Prince Alaric is the Night Emperor's son and has been trained from a young age to use shadow magic. During battle, Alaric finds Talasyn on the ground after her plane has been shot down. Their duel turns to magic and they find out their Shadow and Light magic combine to create something else.

Alaric and Talasyn find each other again and find that they must combine forces long enough to figure out their combined magic in order to save both of their realms.

Themes/Tropes:
๐ŸEnemies-to-lovers
๐ŸArranged Marriage
๐ŸGrumpy-grumpy
๐ŸSlow burn
๐ŸHe falls first
๐ŸStar wars inspired
๐ŸReylo inspired

TW:
โœจChild abandonment (past)
โœจDeath of parent (past)
โœจDeath
โœจParental abuse
โœจViolence
โœจBattle scenes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Fate and Fury by Emily Colin

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark fast-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

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘ญ๐’‚๐’•๐’† ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘ญ๐’–๐’“๐’š ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ฌ๐’Ž๐’Š๐’๐’š ๐‘ช๐’๐’๐’Š๐’

Release Date: December 10, 2024

5โญ๏ธ3๐ŸŒถ

This book is just amazing, and I'm not surprised because it's from the amazing Emily Colin. This is a beautiful sort of Hades and Persephone retelling as I've never seen it before. I very much enjoyed her Seven Sins series, and this is just as action packed (if not more so.) I can't wait to see where this new series takes me.

Katerina is a Dimi with unusual strength. Instead of just having magic control over one element, she has control over all four fire, wind, water, and air. She is bonded to her Shadow Niko, but romantic relationships between Dimis and their Shadows is strictly forbidden. Shadows are meant to mate with a chosen Vila to continue the line of Shadows, who can shift into animals to better protect their Dimis.

However, Katerina has been in love with Niko for years, and has hidden her feelings from everyone, including Niko. 

Dimis and Shadows have the very important job of protecting Iriska from Grigori demons, who will stop and nothing to devour human souls. Iriska exists between the world where the Grigori exist and the human world. Without Dimis and their Shadows Grigoris would proceed into the world of humans and devour human souls at their leisure.

The romantic tension and action in this book are just delicious! I devoured this book, and can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to Emily Colin @emilycolinbooks for adding me to the ARC team for Fate and Fury.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark inspiring lighthearted fast-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

**๐‘จ๐‘น๐‘ช ๐‘น๐’†๐’—๐’Š๐’†๐’˜** ๐‘พ๐’Š๐’๐’… ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘ป๐’“๐’–๐’•๐’‰ (๐‘ป๐’‰๐’† ๐‘บ๐’•๐’๐’“๐’Ž๐’๐’Š๐’ˆ๐’‰๐’• ๐‘จ๐’“๐’„๐’‰๐’Š๐’—๐’† #5) ๐’ƒ๐’š ๐‘ฉ๐’“๐’‚๐’๐’…๐’๐’ ๐‘บ๐’‚๐’๐’…๐’†๐’“๐’”๐’๐’

Release Date: December 6, 2024

5โญ๏ธ1๐ŸŒถ

As always with The Stormlight Archive, this series is deliciously complex. I haven't found any authors, barring Robert Jordan and Tolkien, that can match Sanderson's level of complexity and world building. With multiple POVs, from characters we love and know, dark and twisted "evil" characters, and characters that are not even "human". 

This epic tome starts off reiterating that Dalinar Kholin has challenged the evil god Odium to a duel between the two of them. If Dalinar wins, then Odium will leave Roshar, and the people and creatures of Roshar will be saved from the endless cycles of breaking and remaking the world. If Dalinar loses, then he must join forces with Odium in taking over Roshar and all the other lands he wishes to overtake.

The Knights Radiant, including Shallan and Kaladin are embarking on separate quests. Shallan is attempting to release an unmade in order to learn more about them, and at the same time trying to find a way to heal the broken and abandoned Shardblades in Shadesmar. Kaladin is set to travel with Szeth to release one of the Herald, Ishar. 

Wind and Truth is said to be the last book in this story arc in the Cosmere Universe. Sanderson said he plans to do five more books in the Stormlight Archive series, but they will be a "separate arc," I'm not entirely sure what that means. 

If you're looking to get into Sanderson books, I would recommend starting with Mistborn. It is an amazing book, while being much less complex that the Stormlight Archive series.