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kaitie_reads's reviews
193 reviews
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
I devoured this book and honestly couldn't put it down.
A story with a cult-like religious village rooted in patriarchal ideals, a spooky forest with ancient witches raging for retribution and intertwined elements of horror and fantasy? Amazing.
I enjoyed the message and the anti-sexism and anti-racism undertones. There is a constant eerie atmospheric quality to the storytelling and some unsettling horror elements throughout. Henderson paints a vivid picture with her descriptive prose and gives us a book that feels almost like a more extreme version - in ways - of The Handmaid's Tale.
I'm a huge fan of female rage and stories with outcasts that rise to the top. This story delivers on both fronts. I'm also fascinated by cults and extreme religion, which are prevalent in this story. The cult-like village of Bethel paints a very authentic image of how people can abuse others under the pretense of sacrifice, love, and the "greater good" in their quest for power. I also liked how this story portrayed how some can be blinded in their quest for retribution and lose their morality in the process.
There are some pretty dark themes, but it's very well done (I'd look up triggers if you're squeamish). I do wish we had a bit more closure on some of the characters and storylines. This story could've been longer because I was so interested in all of the "why," but it is quite detailed as is. I'm hoping that one day we will get a sequel.
"𝓣𝓻𝓾𝓮 𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓵, 𝓘𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓾𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓲𝔃𝓮𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝔀, 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓴𝓲𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓶𝓮𝓷. 𝓘𝓽 𝓾𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓹𝓻𝓪𝔂𝓮𝓻𝓼, 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓼. 𝓘𝓽 𝓯𝓮𝓲𝓰𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓶𝓮𝓻𝓬𝔂 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓶𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓬𝓮. 𝓘𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓾𝓭𝓲𝓮𝓭 𝓢𝓬𝓻𝓲𝓹𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮𝓼 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓽 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓼."
A story with a cult-like religious village rooted in patriarchal ideals, a spooky forest with ancient witches raging for retribution and intertwined elements of horror and fantasy? Amazing.
I enjoyed the message and the anti-sexism and anti-racism undertones. There is a constant eerie atmospheric quality to the storytelling and some unsettling horror elements throughout. Henderson paints a vivid picture with her descriptive prose and gives us a book that feels almost like a more extreme version - in ways - of The Handmaid's Tale.
I'm a huge fan of female rage and stories with outcasts that rise to the top. This story delivers on both fronts. I'm also fascinated by cults and extreme religion, which are prevalent in this story. The cult-like village of Bethel paints a very authentic image of how people can abuse others under the pretense of sacrifice, love, and the "greater good" in their quest for power. I also liked how this story portrayed how some can be blinded in their quest for retribution and lose their morality in the process.
There are some pretty dark themes, but it's very well done (I'd look up triggers if you're squeamish). I do wish we had a bit more closure on some of the characters and storylines. This story could've been longer because I was so interested in all of the "why," but it is quite detailed as is. I'm hoping that one day we will get a sequel.
"𝓣𝓻𝓾𝓮 𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓵, 𝓘𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓾𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓵𝓲𝔃𝓮𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝔀, 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓴𝓲𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓰𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓶𝓮𝓷. 𝓘𝓽 𝓾𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓹𝓻𝓪𝔂𝓮𝓻𝓼, 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓼. 𝓘𝓽 𝓯𝓮𝓲𝓰𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓶𝓮𝓻𝓬𝔂 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓶𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓬𝓮. 𝓘𝓽 𝓼𝓽𝓾𝓭𝓲𝓮𝓭 𝓢𝓬𝓻𝓲𝓹𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮𝓼 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓽 𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓼."
A Fate of Wrath & Flame by K.A. Tucker
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Updated Review. Audiobook reread. (Oct. 2024)
Omg! I forgot how much I love this story. Also, I'm adding a star. I've thought about this series so much since I read the first 3 books, and I'm excited to dive into the final book once I finish rereading the first 3.
This is a high fantasy slow burn romance in a medieval-type setting with a lot of politics, elemental magic, a kind of fake dating and marriage of convenience hybrid, and incredible banter. It's been just over a year since I read this book for the first time, and I loved it even more this time around.
Romeria, our FMC, wakes up as a princess who has committed murder and treason in a foreign world. As she tries to grapple with this, she also tries to prevent herself from being executed for her crimes. Enter Zander, our MMC, the new king of Islor where Romeria has landed... and the betrothed of the previous "evil Romeria." Zander is 🔥.
The banter is amazing. The secrets. The betrayals. While some parts of the plot are a little bit predictable, there are so many twists and turns that you never see coming. I think K.A. Tucker has done a fantastic creating this world and its magic systems. There are also some absolutely fantastic side characters, and while the story can be complex, it's never too much to try to follow. There's just a bit of spice that wraps it up nicely (but it's pretty low-spice romantasy, IMO).
I'm so looking forward to continuing on this reread. The narrator also did a fantastic job on the audio version.
Omg! I forgot how much I love this story. Also, I'm adding a star. I've thought about this series so much since I read the first 3 books, and I'm excited to dive into the final book once I finish rereading the first 3.
This is a high fantasy slow burn romance in a medieval-type setting with a lot of politics, elemental magic, a kind of fake dating and marriage of convenience hybrid, and incredible banter. It's been just over a year since I read this book for the first time, and I loved it even more this time around.
Romeria, our FMC, wakes up as a princess who has committed murder and treason in a foreign world. As she tries to grapple with this, she also tries to prevent herself from being executed for her crimes. Enter Zander, our MMC, the new king of Islor where Romeria has landed... and the betrothed of the previous "evil Romeria." Zander is 🔥.
The banter is amazing. The secrets. The betrayals. While some parts of the plot are a little bit predictable, there are so many twists and turns that you never see coming. I think K.A. Tucker has done a fantastic creating this world and its magic systems. There are also some absolutely fantastic side characters, and while the story can be complex, it's never too much to try to follow. There's just a bit of spice that wraps it up nicely (but it's pretty low-spice romantasy, IMO).
I'm so looking forward to continuing on this reread. The narrator also did a fantastic job on the audio version.
For She is Wrath by Emily Varga
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
This was such a beautifully written and well-told story.
The characters are loveable, the world-building feels well-developed, and the magic system is fascinating. It has just the slightest pinch of romance, which I thought, adds a little sweetness.
Dania's (our FMC) wrath knows no bounds. She has been imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit and betrayed by the boy she thought she loved. Enter Noor, a soft-tempered and kind-hearted friend, who helps Dani escape her imprisonment and harness the djinn magic required to enact their shared quest for revenge.
What stands out most for me in this story is the scene-setting, I think the author does a fabulous job of invoking the senses with her descriptive writing. There's also fairly strong character development, and I could've never anticipated how the plot would unfold.
I did find myself wishing for just a little bit more of an emotional impact. I loved the story, and I was rooting for Dania and Noor throughout, but I feel like I could've been more attached to the plot and characters. The ending also felt a little bit rushed to me after some slower development in the middle of the story.
Overall, it is an excellent standalone YA fantasy that is true to the category and a unique female-centric retelling. I'd highly recommend checking this one out.
𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓢𝓽. 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓲𝓷'𝓼 𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓪𝓷 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀.
The characters are loveable, the world-building feels well-developed, and the magic system is fascinating. It has just the slightest pinch of romance, which I thought, adds a little sweetness.
Dania's (our FMC) wrath knows no bounds. She has been imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit and betrayed by the boy she thought she loved. Enter Noor, a soft-tempered and kind-hearted friend, who helps Dani escape her imprisonment and harness the djinn magic required to enact their shared quest for revenge.
What stands out most for me in this story is the scene-setting, I think the author does a fabulous job of invoking the senses with her descriptive writing. There's also fairly strong character development, and I could've never anticipated how the plot would unfold.
I did find myself wishing for just a little bit more of an emotional impact. I loved the story, and I was rooting for Dania and Noor throughout, but I feel like I could've been more attached to the plot and characters. The ending also felt a little bit rushed to me after some slower development in the middle of the story.
Overall, it is an excellent standalone YA fantasy that is true to the category and a unique female-centric retelling. I'd highly recommend checking this one out.
𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓢𝓽. 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓲𝓷'𝓼 𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓪𝓷 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀.
Grave Matter by Karina Halle
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
This book had me SWEATING for more reasons than one. 🔥
This was such a wonderful mash-up of genres. It's a creepy, atmospheric - and at times downright weird - blend of sci-fi, horror, thriller, and romance... that is also unmistakably hot.
Sydney arrives on Vancouver Island at Madrona Lodge with pretty much nowhere else to go. As a poor student with no remaining family, she's seized what seems like a lifetime opportunity to study at the tight-lipped research facility.
Early on, you can tell that our FMC is a bit of an unreliable narrator. She's a little bit in the dark, but what she does know is that she has an intense and insatiable desire for Professor Kincaid... the hot neurosurgeon and resident psychologist.
Professor Kincaid is just *fans self*.... Karina Halle sure can write a MMC. The steamy scenes are perfect and throughout the entire book, there are no dull moments.
Some of the happenings are a little bit far-fetched, but the author writes it in a way that you don't question what is happening (although I had a lot of OMG & WTF moments). I would've finished this one sooner if I wasn't too scared to read it after dark.
Overall I thought this story felt reminiscent of "What Moves The Dead" by T. Kingfisher but with a sexy student × professor trope and set in the modern day on Vancouver Island. Also - fungal Horror is quickly becoming one of my favourite story elements.
𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓚𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓪 𝓗𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓪𝓷 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀.
This was such a wonderful mash-up of genres. It's a creepy, atmospheric - and at times downright weird - blend of sci-fi, horror, thriller, and romance... that is also unmistakably hot.
Sydney arrives on Vancouver Island at Madrona Lodge with pretty much nowhere else to go. As a poor student with no remaining family, she's seized what seems like a lifetime opportunity to study at the tight-lipped research facility.
Early on, you can tell that our FMC is a bit of an unreliable narrator. She's a little bit in the dark, but what she does know is that she has an intense and insatiable desire for Professor Kincaid... the hot neurosurgeon and resident psychologist.
Professor Kincaid is just *fans self*.... Karina Halle sure can write a MMC. The steamy scenes are perfect and throughout the entire book, there are no dull moments.
Some of the happenings are a little bit far-fetched, but the author writes it in a way that you don't question what is happening (although I had a lot of OMG & WTF moments). I would've finished this one sooner if I wasn't too scared to read it after dark.
Overall I thought this story felt reminiscent of "What Moves The Dead" by T. Kingfisher but with a sexy student × professor trope and set in the modern day on Vancouver Island. Also - fungal Horror is quickly becoming one of my favourite story elements.
𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓚𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓪 𝓗𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓪𝓷 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
So I've mentioned before that I don't traditionally review or star-rate classics ~ but I still want to yap about them.
I read this via audio, the Duke Classics edition narrated by Tavia Gilbert.
I'm glad I finally read this classic horror that has influenced so many of our stories today. Bram Stoker's Dracula was definitely more unsettling than I had anticipated. I think I was most intrigued by the first part of the story where Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania and becomes a guest of Dracula at his castle. I loved learning about the vampire in his twisted ways and had such an appreciation for the fear Jonathan would've felt in that position, which is made clear by his journal entries.
I wasn't familiar with the development of the story going in. I love how Van Helsing comes in as this eccentric yet intelligent old man and takes control of the situation. He is compassionate and yet devoted to his cause of destroying Dracula for the greater good.
The story does have a lot of good vs. evil plotlines and is very much rooted in Christian ethics, i.e., God vs. Devil, Angels vs. Demons, Sin vs. virtue. I did find that difficult sometimes, and so did I find the character of Mina, who is the perfect Victorian Era lady: noble and educated, yet devoted, meek, yet surprisingly strong-willed. I think the story was quite feminist at the time in the way Mina is central to the plot of destroying the monster, Dracula, and the men are quickly absolved of their desire to leave her out of the conflict once it starts to arise. Although, as a modern reader, I also couldn't help but wish for more for her.
For a story written in the Victorian era, there's a surprising amount of sexual tension and desire. A polyamorous non-monogamous vampire (with an unclear sexual orientation) and his wives trying to seduce men and women, drinking their blood... whew, boy. Scandalous.
"𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖆𝖘𝖙 𝕴 𝖘𝖆𝖜 𝖔𝖋 𝕮𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙 𝕯𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖚𝖑𝖆 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖐𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖊, 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖚𝖒𝖕𝖍 𝖎𝖓 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖊𝖞𝖊𝖘, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖘𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝕵𝖚𝖉𝖆𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖇𝖊 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖉 𝖔𝖋."
I read this via audio, the Duke Classics edition narrated by Tavia Gilbert.
I'm glad I finally read this classic horror that has influenced so many of our stories today. Bram Stoker's Dracula was definitely more unsettling than I had anticipated. I think I was most intrigued by the first part of the story where Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania and becomes a guest of Dracula at his castle. I loved learning about the vampire in his twisted ways and had such an appreciation for the fear Jonathan would've felt in that position, which is made clear by his journal entries.
I wasn't familiar with the development of the story going in. I love how Van Helsing comes in as this eccentric yet intelligent old man and takes control of the situation. He is compassionate and yet devoted to his cause of destroying Dracula for the greater good.
The story does have a lot of good vs. evil plotlines and is very much rooted in Christian ethics, i.e., God vs. Devil, Angels vs. Demons, Sin vs. virtue. I did find that difficult sometimes, and so did I find the character of Mina, who is the perfect Victorian Era lady: noble and educated, yet devoted, meek, yet surprisingly strong-willed. I think the story was quite feminist at the time in the way Mina is central to the plot of destroying the monster, Dracula, and the men are quickly absolved of their desire to leave her out of the conflict once it starts to arise. Although, as a modern reader, I also couldn't help but wish for more for her.
For a story written in the Victorian era, there's a surprising amount of sexual tension and desire. A polyamorous non-monogamous vampire (with an unclear sexual orientation) and his wives trying to seduce men and women, drinking their blood... whew, boy. Scandalous.
"𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖑𝖆𝖘𝖙 𝕴 𝖘𝖆𝖜 𝖔𝖋 𝕮𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙 𝕯𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖚𝖑𝖆 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖐𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖔 𝖒𝖊, 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖑𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖚𝖒𝖕𝖍 𝖎𝖓 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖊𝖞𝖊𝖘, 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖘𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝕵𝖚𝖉𝖆𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖍𝖊𝖑𝖑 𝖒𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖇𝖊 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖚𝖉 𝖔𝖋."
Mother of Death and Dawn by Carissa Broadbent
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Audiobook Review.
(No series spoilers).
I'm devastated that this is over.... this was such a fantastic story and conclusion to a wonderful trilogy.
In these books, you will find layered and complex worldbuilding, multi-faceted characters, and just so much emotion. During my listen to this final installment, I had to physically pause the audiobook multiple times to reflect, to collect myself, or just to let myself sob for a minute.
I find that the pacing for each book was slower in the beginning (even if there are a lot of events that happen throughout the books), but that slow build feels so intentional for overall impact.
The ending of this book was heartbreaking and bittersweet. I love how much insight the author gives to "life after" the events of the story, and it broke my heart all over again.
One more thing I'll mention is just how well the author wrote the villains of the story, they aren't just "bad" for the sake of being bad, they're misguided and broken apart by expectation and duty. It was really interesting exploring the depths of these characters, and in certain cases, we were given very thought-provoking glimpses into their inner workings and their strong belief in the greater good. Similarly, the *good* characters aren't morally pure or exceptional, and they grapple a lot with their integrity.
TLDR: this is an exceptional fantasy trilogy, and it's been marked on my soul as a favourite.
"𝓞𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓘’𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓶 𝓸𝓯 𝓲𝓽𝓼 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓾𝓵𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓽𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼, 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓪 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓬𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓵𝔂 𝓫𝓾𝓲𝓵𝓽 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓼 𝓵𝓪𝔂𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓼. 𝓘𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓮𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓪 𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓭’𝓼 𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓼 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓽, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓪 𝓹𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼. 𝓘𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓪 𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪 𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓮. 𝓘𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓾𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓼 𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓷, 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓼 𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼 𝓲𝓽 𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓮. 𝓘𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓮𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓷𝓮, 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓼 𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼 𝓲𝓽 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮."
(No series spoilers).
I'm devastated that this is over.... this was such a fantastic story and conclusion to a wonderful trilogy.
In these books, you will find layered and complex worldbuilding, multi-faceted characters, and just so much emotion. During my listen to this final installment, I had to physically pause the audiobook multiple times to reflect, to collect myself, or just to let myself sob for a minute.
I find that the pacing for each book was slower in the beginning (even if there are a lot of events that happen throughout the books), but that slow build feels so intentional for overall impact.
The ending of this book was heartbreaking and bittersweet. I love how much insight the author gives to "life after" the events of the story, and it broke my heart all over again.
One more thing I'll mention is just how well the author wrote the villains of the story, they aren't just "bad" for the sake of being bad, they're misguided and broken apart by expectation and duty. It was really interesting exploring the depths of these characters, and in certain cases, we were given very thought-provoking glimpses into their inner workings and their strong belief in the greater good. Similarly, the *good* characters aren't morally pure or exceptional, and they grapple a lot with their integrity.
TLDR: this is an exceptional fantasy trilogy, and it's been marked on my soul as a favourite.
"𝓞𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓘’𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓾𝓶 𝓸𝓯 𝓲𝓽𝓼 𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓾𝓵𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓪 𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓽𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼, 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓪 𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓬𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓵𝔂 𝓫𝓾𝓲𝓵𝓽 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓼 𝓵𝓪𝔂𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓼. 𝓘𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽 𝓮𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓭 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓪 𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓭’𝓼 𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓬𝓴𝓼 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓽, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓷 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓪 𝓹𝓲𝓵𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼. 𝓘𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓽𝔀𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓪 𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪 𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓮. 𝓘𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓾𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓼 𝓭𝓸𝔀𝓷, 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓼 𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼 𝓲𝓽 𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓮. 𝓘𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓮𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓰𝓸𝓷𝓮, 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓼 𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼 𝓲𝓽 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮."
Children of Fallen Gods by Carissa Broadbent
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
This was such an amazing continuation of the first book, and I've done my best and wrote this review without spoiling anything for the people who haven't started the series - yet. (If you haven't, you should probably just read it, tbh)
We get some new characters and POVs, expanding on the story and worldbuilding in unexpected ways. For a lot of the book, I thought I knew where things were headed, and then it went THERE & ...WHAT. My jaw was on the floor for like 5 chapters in a row.
In this book, we see a lot more depth to the characters, we have a love story, we have yearning, we have war, we have greed for power, and we have devastating betrayal. There's so much emotion and heartache, and Carissa Broadbent does not pull her punches.
Much like the first book, this is definitely a bit of a slow burn, but there is still so much action, and it is full of sweet and tender moments, too.
Anyway, I loved it, and I'm loving this series, I'm devastated, my heart is hurting and I'm moving right onto the final book because I'm a little bit of a masochist, I guess. Also, there's a bit of a cliffhanger (but a well-written one, dare I add), and I need answers.
~
"𝓗𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓪 𝓹𝓪𝓲𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼, 𝓪𝓷 𝓪𝓬𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓿𝓸𝓲𝓬𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓼 𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮. 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓼𝓸, 𝓼𝓸 𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓼𝓲𝓬𝓴."
We get some new characters and POVs, expanding on the story and worldbuilding in unexpected ways. For a lot of the book, I thought I knew where things were headed, and then it went THERE & ...WHAT. My jaw was on the floor for like 5 chapters in a row.
In this book, we see a lot more depth to the characters, we have a love story, we have yearning, we have war, we have greed for power, and we have devastating betrayal. There's so much emotion and heartache, and Carissa Broadbent does not pull her punches.
Much like the first book, this is definitely a bit of a slow burn, but there is still so much action, and it is full of sweet and tender moments, too.
Anyway, I loved it, and I'm loving this series, I'm devastated, my heart is hurting and I'm moving right onto the final book because I'm a little bit of a masochist, I guess. Also, there's a bit of a cliffhanger (but a well-written one, dare I add), and I need answers.
~
"𝓗𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓪 𝓹𝓪𝓲𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓭 𝓮𝔂𝓮𝓼, 𝓪𝓷 𝓪𝓬𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓿𝓸𝓲𝓬𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓽𝓫𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓼 𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮. 𝓐𝓷𝓭 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓼𝓸, 𝓼𝓸 𝓱𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓼𝓲𝓬𝓴."
Hooked by Emily McIntire
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
I listened to the audiobook for this one. The narration is excellent, and the narrator for Hook (MMC)'s POV has an amazing voice 🔥.
I'm honestly a little bit concerned about how much I loved this. It's no literary masterpiece, but I had the best time... outside of wanting to throttle Wendy at points in the story. She was a little *too* dumb.
With ample spice, a dark broody psychopathic MMC (who will burn the world for her), and fairytale references, it's a lot of fun. I semi-predicted the ending, but some twists and turns totally blindsided me, too.
Also, darling is now on my list of top pet names. I loved it in this book, where it's used as wordplay to reference the OG fairytale (and likely because of how Rupert Hawthorne says it, tbh).
~
𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓷?"
"𝓛𝓮𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝓰𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓼, 𝔂𝓸𝓾'𝓵𝓵 𝓼𝓮𝓽 𝓲𝓽 𝓸𝓷 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮?" 𝓘 𝓪𝓼𝓴.
𝓗𝓮 𝓬𝓱𝓾𝓬𝓴𝓵𝓮𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓿𝓲𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓶𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝔂 𝓫𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼.
"𝓝𝓸, 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰. 𝓘'𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴, 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓼.
I'm honestly a little bit concerned about how much I loved this. It's no literary masterpiece, but I had the best time... outside of wanting to throttle Wendy at points in the story. She was a little *too* dumb.
With ample spice, a dark broody psychopathic MMC (who will burn the world for her), and fairytale references, it's a lot of fun. I semi-predicted the ending, but some twists and turns totally blindsided me, too.
Also, darling is now on my list of top pet names. I loved it in this book, where it's used as wordplay to reference the OG fairytale (and likely because of how Rupert Hawthorne says it, tbh).
~
𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓷?"
"𝓛𝓮𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝓰𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓼, 𝔂𝓸𝓾'𝓵𝓵 𝓼𝓮𝓽 𝓲𝓽 𝓸𝓷 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮?" 𝓘 𝓪𝓼𝓴.
𝓗𝓮 𝓬𝓱𝓾𝓬𝓴𝓵𝓮𝓼, 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓿𝓲𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓶𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝔂 𝓫𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼.
"𝓝𝓸, 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰. 𝓘'𝓵𝓵 𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓫𝓪𝓬𝓴, 𝔀𝓪𝓽𝓬𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓮𝓼.
Inferno's Heir by Tiffany Wang
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
This was such a well-written, structured story (and debut!) with wonderful world-building and characters.
This story was very political. Most of the twists and turns were completely unanticipated. There is a lot of depth to the worldbuilding, and the story is complex while seamlessly fitting the YA category.
Teia, our somewhat morally grey FMC hero, is a total badass. While reading, it's easy to disagree with some of her cutthroat choices, but she's built in such a way that you understand how life has led her to who she is as a person, and you can't help but love her despite her flaws. I found myself rooting for her the entire time, even when I didn't agree with her choices. There are so many other great characters, and I particularly loved Enna, a notorious thief and somewhat confidante to our FMC.
This story is fast-paced. It has notes of found family, there is betrayal, and it is quite thrilling with loads of tension that will keep any reader on the edge of their seat.
I'm very much looking forward to where the story goes next. While some of the conflict is resolved, there's a sense of plenty more to come.
𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓑𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀
This story was very political. Most of the twists and turns were completely unanticipated. There is a lot of depth to the worldbuilding, and the story is complex while seamlessly fitting the YA category.
Teia, our somewhat morally grey FMC hero, is a total badass. While reading, it's easy to disagree with some of her cutthroat choices, but she's built in such a way that you understand how life has led her to who she is as a person, and you can't help but love her despite her flaws. I found myself rooting for her the entire time, even when I didn't agree with her choices. There are so many other great characters, and I particularly loved Enna, a notorious thief and somewhat confidante to our FMC.
This story is fast-paced. It has notes of found family, there is betrayal, and it is quite thrilling with loads of tension that will keep any reader on the edge of their seat.
I'm very much looking forward to where the story goes next. While some of the conflict is resolved, there's a sense of plenty more to come.
𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓑𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓼 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀
Shadowed Moonlight by K.C. Harper
I'm not sure how to feel about this one, because I didn't love it, but I still had a great time. I would start by noting that it feels much more like a paranormal romance than an urban romantasy.
On the one hand, it's very entertaining. It's fast-paced. I was invested and immersed in the story the entire time while reading. It has a second-chance romance. There's a murder mystery element. It has hot steamy scenes and some pretty cute moments overall. The alpha possessiveness was everything. I also liked Kane, our MMC, even though the FMC, Briar, was slightly aggravating.
On the other hand, it's a bit frustrating. The plot relies a lot on miscommunication. A lot of the happenings were just too convenient... but didn't have the backstory to support the motives. The plot just feels thin in general. The characters lack depth for the most part. And, I found the conclusion rushed and anti-climatic. I'm left with questions that have unsatisfying explanations or none at all, although I should note that this is the first in a series.
I would stress checking the content warnings. One of the occurrences discussed would be quite triggering to some readers, and it kind of comes out of left field.
Overall, it was enjoyable and captivating even though I felt that the plot lacked structure. The author did a fabulous job of keeping me engaged, and I didn't dislike the story or struggle through it, even though I had a lot of issues with the development.
𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓗𝓸𝓭𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓬𝓪𝓹𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
I'm not sure how to feel about this one, because I didn't love it, but I still had a great time. I would start by noting that it feels much more like a paranormal romance than an urban romantasy.
On the one hand, it's very entertaining. It's fast-paced. I was invested and immersed in the story the entire time while reading. It has a second-chance romance. There's a murder mystery element. It has hot steamy scenes and some pretty cute moments overall. The alpha possessiveness was everything. I also liked Kane, our MMC, even though the FMC, Briar, was slightly aggravating.
On the other hand, it's a bit frustrating. The plot relies a lot on miscommunication. A lot of the happenings were just too convenient... but didn't have the backstory to support the motives. The plot just feels thin in general. The characters lack depth for the most part. And, I found the conclusion rushed and anti-climatic. I'm left with questions that have unsatisfying explanations or none at all, although I should note that this is the first in a series.
I would stress checking the content warnings. One of the occurrences discussed would be quite triggering to some readers, and it kind of comes out of left field.
Overall, it was enjoyable and captivating even though I felt that the plot lacked structure. The author did a fabulous job of keeping me engaged, and I didn't dislike the story or struggle through it, even though I had a lot of issues with the development.
𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓝𝓮𝓽𝓰𝓪𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓗𝓸𝓭𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓬𝓪𝓹𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓲𝓷 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝔂 𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀