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irl_bookworms's reviews
1485 reviews
I Want to Love You Till Your Dying Day 1 by Nachi Aono
dark
emotional
reflective
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? N/A
3.0
Sapphic orphan mages being trained for war? The promise caught my attention immediately but the set up in this first volume was a bit weak. We have a mix of a girl school feel, exchanging mana via kissing (convenient), but what was really interesting was Sheena our MC trying to unpack her trauma of losing her roommate to the battlefield while the world around her goes on as if her roommate’s lift had not truly mattered. Then all of a sudden we are introduced to Mimi, who promises much darker storylines to come, even with the budding attraction between her and Sheena. However I was honestly much more interested in the already established romantic relationship between Ari and Seiran. I wanted to see more of that but based on the amount we saw in volume one, I think we can reasonably hope to see more of them in upcoming volumes.
I’m intrigued, but not enough to continue right away. I might return to this series once more volumes are out.
Of note, there is one potentially trans character and there is some transphobic language used against her, but she is a solid character on her own though unfortunately is given the title “pervert teacher” so this could have been removed. Pervert teacher is tired and done, we don’t need it anymore.
*I received an eARC from Kodansha Comics & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*
Married to the Devil by Lillian Lark
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I’ll be honest and say that I was not sure how this throuple was going to work out when Married to the Devil was first announced, but if there’s anyone I trusted to be able to pull it off - it’s Lillian Lark - and boy did she ever!
Stella and Remy have a tenuous connection at best by their wedding night and we still have the lingering effects of Stella and Ben’s barely blossoming relationship from previous books. And for a hot moment, during the wedding night, we think - oh, this is going pretty well - Remy pulls out one of the meanest manipulations one could imagine and straight up abandons Stella for the night. Remy and Stella, while still married, are emotionally ripped apart and while it’s painful to read, this is what sets the stage for the healing together to begin.
Stella, Remy, and Ben’s relationship is very messy but it just works so well and the way Lark approached it made it so deliciously readable that I devoured this book in days.
Ahh, I just love how Lark can make me hate a character and then slowly grow and show the deepest parts to make me love them again.
This book will take you on an emotional journey and I think it’s one of the heaviest ones so far, but it is so very worth it.
So frickin good.
*I received an eARC from the author. All opinions are my own*
Breath of the Dragon by Shannon Lee, Fonda Lee
adventurous
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
From the moment I saw the premise and the authors of this book I was hooked. Breath of the Dragon brings a solid installment in YA fantasy, though it doesn’t reinvent the wheel - it doesn’t have to. We have a classic underdog hero, an unexpected mentor (always appreciate that trope), a set of deadly trials, and some growing political tensions that clash at the climax of the book.
I still prefer Fonda Lee’s previous work, but regardless Fonda Lee is spectacular at setting up political issues in the background and having them slowly unravel to the forefront and I think that’s the stand out moment in this book. Otherwise, the actual plot elements revolving around our character are standard for the genre. You won’t be gutted by any reveals, but you’ll appreciate the story elements for what they present.
Eric Yang was also a great narrator for this story told in Jun’s POV. I think he voiced this character excellently and really brought out the mix of will and naivete that make up the essence of Jun at the beginning of the story - only for the real world and the politics involved to become slowly revealed to him. I believed that Eric Yang was Lee Jun the entire length of the story.
So while, Breath of the Dragon doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but damn if it’s not a really solid wheel at the end of the day.
*I received an audio ARC from Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners. All opinions are my own*