hailslynn's reviews
235 reviews

Foxglove by Adalyn Grace

dark emotional mysterious relaxing sad 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? Yes

4.75

Dare I say... anti second book syndrome?

Foxglove does not necessarily feel like a better book, but it definitely does not deteriorate the love and adoration I have for the Belladonna universe. I found myself enjoying the plot more than I normally do for a second book in a trilogy, but I did find it quite predictable. However, Adalyn Grace does a great job of keeping you entertained and interested in what's going to happen next despite pretty obvious foreshadowing. I found myself wondering how and when these big reveals and twists are going to come into play, and that is a great testament to how strong Adalyn is as a writer.

And oh boy, nothing can compare to the romance between Signa and Death. Their love feels like Anthony and Kate in season 3 of Bridgerton, and it always had me kicking my feet and blushing. The forced "love" triangle from our new antagonist does not subtract their yearning, and it's so beautiful. And I love seeing Adalyn set up the enemies-to-lovers romance we'll be seeing in the next book.

Thank god Wisteria comes out today because I'm so excited to start it next!

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

4.75

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

5.0

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Saying this as someone who absolutely loves Shakespeare, I think this is a fantastic retelling. Ava Reid perfectly blends the original trilogy play with her own fantastical elements to modernize the story and introduce a Macbeth to new readers and people who may not have as deep as a love for Shakespeare. I found a few choices to be quite odd, but I nonetheless enjoyed them and was extremely happy to see more fantasy elements incorporated into a story that already screamed a fantasy. 

However, I did find the character of Lady Macbeth very flat, and this is often an issue I have with retellings. I don't expect authors to completely reimagine a character back to life, but I find that authors have difficulty keeping the characters as interesting as the original source material which is the issue I have here. Lady Macbeth is still extremely clever and a wonderful villainess in Reid portrayal, and I love the backstory she gave her. However, she lacks urgency for a majority of the book and almost seems content with her situation instead of trying to progress the story. Yes, much of the "action" happens off page, but it's difficult to root for a character when most of the time you spend with them is them laying in wait. 

Definitely not my favorite of Ava Reid's work (that spot is reserved for A Study in Drowning my dark academia love), but it has secured the spot as my favorite modern Shaekespeare retelling (cough*Olivie Blake*cough)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Abortion, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.

I'm genuinely shocked I made it this far because these characters are ATROCIOUS. My final straw was one of them being upset she lost all of her belongings after fleeing a ship being raided by pirates, and then on the same page getting hot and bothered over the sword for hire she hired to protect her because JESUS FUCK WHAT???

Reckless by Lauren Roberts

adventurous emotional relaxing sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I didn't say it was good, I said that I liked it.

Sometimes you just need a book that you know is going to entertain you, and that is perfectly fine. Definitely a case of second book syndrome, but honestly the romance feels more prominent in this book if that's what you liked the most from the first. Wondering how she's going to weasel her way out of that cliffhanger I saw halfway through. 

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

adventurous dark reflective sad 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

Wow. Wow. Wow. WOW!!!

This duology is breathtaking, and I had so much fun with it. I loved how the second book felt so much different than the first while still maintaining the core themes, spooky vibes, and plot points. I will say that I found myself enjoying book one more than book two as the middle seemed to drag a bit for the second book. If you're looking for a great series to read this upcoming spooky season, I definitely recommend this series!

Funny Story by Emily Henry

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing 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

4.0

You can definitely tell Emily is in love with Northern Michigan, and she should be because it's amazing.

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.

Saving for later. Feel like it's just not a vibe right now

The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde

adventurous dark mysterious relaxing medium-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? Yes

2.75

I didn't hate it. The world building was pretty surface level but the story and the romance made the book entertaining enough for me to enjoy it to finish. This type of writing is something I usually associate with fanfic which is kind of how I've been expecting for all of Red Tower's releases. Probably won't read again but I might be interested in a sequel.