keepcalmblogon's reviews
177 reviews

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Most of you must know by now that I’m a huge fan of Ava Reid! I was so stoked I got approved for Lady Macbeth on Netgalley & even more excited to read it of course!

Needless to say, this book did not disappoint! I read Macbeth in college, & while I didn’t recall the nuances, I didn’t think I needed to. I did remember that Lady Macbeth’s character is often considered a villain, though, & that was definitely an important aspect to remember while reading Lady Macbeth. This book gives Lady Macbeth more context to her actions. She is considered “hagseed” by most, & a witch by the rest, simply because of the accident of her birth & her genetic predisposition to ethereal beauty. She is then married off (read traded for an alliance) to a foreign clan chief in a country quite dissimilar to her own (she is from Brittany, a Celtic region of North-Western France), & therefore she is as foreign to, & thus alienated from, them. She is further alienated by the sexist (even more so than the usual of that time!) tradition of separating women servants from castle life—immediately upon arrival Roscille’s handmaiden is removed.

Focusing on Lady Macbeth’s name is also quite an important nuance. In the original text, the character lacks a first name & is only referred to by her relationship with a man––thusly she is defined only by the men around her. Reid gives Lady Macbeth the name Roscille, which is changed upon her arrival to Scotland to the more Scottish Roscilla (another act of alienation & attempt of definition by the men around her). Throughout Roscille’s mistreatments by the men in her life (historical context: women were property & childbearers at that time), she learned from a young age that while her body may be owned by men, her mind could be free. So she sharpened her wit & attempted at every turn to use her wiles to keep herself as safe as possible from the men in her life. Unfortunately, that did not go very well for her, & she was often reduced to using her cunning in service to her husband, et al, to save her own life, the last thing she had besides her mind. Each time she was forced to choose between autonomy & breathing another day, she hated herself & resented even more the men around her. She recognized that the women of her time had very little to barter with, & even being a noble woman seemed to afford her less freedom, for she was expected only to produce male children, or else. 

In the end, there is so much more I can say, like the pan-Celtic symbolism of the animals of Scotland, Brittany, England, & even Wales Reid uses throughout the text, or further examples of the sexism of the time, the plight of the prisoner witches in the dungeon, or the small ways Roscille fights for feminism. But a good summation is a quote from the text: “Let them call you witch, as they do any woman who professes strength.” Five stars. Period.

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

When I opened The Shadows Between Us and saw it’s dedicated as a Slytherin Romance, I was immediately intrigued! Right off the bat, the dedication helped me to understand Alessandra’s attitude, goals, and drive. While I wouldn’t describe her as a relatable, or even necessarily likable, character, she was quite intriguing. I enjoyed watching her discover love and companionship while not compromising on her principles or ambition.

While I felt some aspects of this plot confused me in that they seemed to require a bit of editing—for instance, a woman who claims to want to become the ruler of her empire, and therefore kill the current ruler, didn’t seem to know much about the monarchy (her king’s name, the fact his elder brother died, or the last king’s name, who only died a year ago). While some of these things might have been believable if the FMC had been a peasant, Allessandra is part of the nobility class and it seems as if none of the above was kept secret by the monarchy, so it was kind of odd. Especially in regards to the Shadow King’s name: when Alessandra first learns it, she acts as if she’s been let in on a secret, but following that it turns out that all of the nobility know his name, so that was a silly kind of continuity error. I also was very confused about Kallias’ shadow abilities being essentially an open secret. While he says no one really knows how it works, it would appear that enough people know how it works to leak the information to his enemies, at which point I would assume his enemies would widely share and it would cease to be a secret—which kind of happens and yet…doesn’t. In the end, I will give this 3 stars for having a strong romance plot with a badass FMC!

Let the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

inspiring 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? No

5.0

Let the Games Begin was my first sports romance book! To me it felt like contemporary YA romance, & not in a bad way! What I mean by that is that though the characters are adults, 23, Olivia is on a journey through her career path to her ideal job, & Zeke is at the zenith of his athletic career & experiencing the anxieties that come with not knowing for how much longer he’ll be able to keep winning races, These two plot lines therefore felt like that middle ground between ending high school & beginning adulthood. Olivia & Zeke are also dealing with coming to terms with the concessions & compromises they’ve made to get where they are as well as discovering exactly who they are when it comes to love & friendship—all themes of contemporary YA romance, & reasons why I love that genre & greatly enjoyed this book! 

Meanwhile, this book takes place during The 2024 Summer Olympics & features beautiful athletes in top form! Yet, my impression is that a sports romance is meant to have the sport featuring into the story of the romance, while Let the Games Begin felt more like sports was the setting rather than a plot point. This wasn’t a bad thing, just a way this book broke all of my expectations (& also, I could be wrong, because it was my first sports romance book!).

I loved that the meet-cute in this book was immediately angsty & gave enemies-to-lovers vibes! The banter was absolutely on fire between Zeke & Olivia. On a deeper level, I so appreciated the gray areas that Olivia & Zeke had to navigate as Zimbabwean citizens of the UK—the complex nuances of their desires to stand up for what’s right versus surviving & ultimately succeeding in their dreams. Watching Zeke & Olivia find the middle ground that worked for them, & also serving a bit of comeuppance to those who deserved it, felt so visceral! Zeke’s storyline also features mental health awareness, acceptance, resources, & healing, & I loved that that was included during a time in our history that mental health is becoming a recognized aspect of athleticism.

This was a Macmillan Audio pick & was narrated by Shaniqua Okwok, who I’d previously seen in It’s a Sin, & I absolutely loved her voice!

The Darkness Within Us by Tricia Levenseller

mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

I got approved for The Darkness Within Us on NetGalley and was pleasantly surprised by how much I immediately enjoyed it a little more than The Shadows Between Us. Personally, Chrysantha was a more relatable and likable character than her sister—her desire to be free in the countryside with her books hit home more so than Alessandra’s thirst for power. Although, a favorite subplot of this book was the sisters making amends with each other; I thought that was so lovely and such an important theme for the modern world.

Chrysantha may desire different things from her sister, but she is still a force to be reckoned with! She is about as cutthroat and will do anything to achieve her goals. Watching her reckon with the plight of women in her society, while also learning it doesn’t have to be that way and benefitting from her sister’s law changes, was probably my favorite character development of the story. I did also enjoy seeing Chrysantha discover her own physical tastes and desires and come into her sexuality that way.

Eryx’s character was exciting to learn about, and I liked the mystery subplot of his identity. I’m forever an enemies-to-lovers stan, as well! In the end, this book was 4 stars!

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

adventurous lighthearted reflective 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? No

5.0

The Spellshop is a cozy fantasy that ends up with some high stakes at the end, which I was actually really happy with because I’m new to cozy fantasy and I enjoy higher stakes fantasy! The beginning of the book is an ease into a post-revolutionary empire, which sounds exciting, but the lens is narrowed on Kiela and her sentient spider plant assistant, Caz. This narrow lens in a chaotic setting was actually really interesting to me because Kiela has emotionally and physically removed herself from society as a librarian, who seems even less sociable than the other librarians around her, and we find later on that she has already experienced the trauma of loss in her life, which makes her reaction to her government’s overthrow and subsequent executions make a little more sense—essentially Kiela remains numb throughout the fighting until her library is burned, and despite that resulting in her escape, she has an odd calm during the flight. All that is to say that throughout the book Kiela comes to terms with her trauma and PTSD-seeming symptoms as soon as she is safely ensconced in her childhood home. This type of character study may not sound very cozy, but the way it’s written by Sarah Beth Durst is calm and unobtrusive. The political upheaval in the far background of the setting and the focused lens on Kiela and her small island village act as foils in this book and made this cozy fantasy so much deeper than a simple comfort read—truly my type of story!

My favorite part of the story was watching Kiela develop relationships with the other villagers. Like the plants she and Caz cultivate in their garden, Kiela sprouted and bloomed in the safe space she found among new friends and old acquaintances in her childhood cottage—and of course she finds romance!

The Spellshop was a Macmillan Audio pick and is narrated by Caitlin Davies, and it was a cute coincidence I had just listened to another audiobook she narrated—I think she does a great job!

Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi

tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Masquerade was a Macmillan audio pick, and I was so excited to read a historical fiction set in West Africa! This book had me so surprised at every turn. I did not know what to expect from Òdòdó, but immediately was taken with her drive to survive. Watching her grow a thirst for power and freedom was like a villain-era story, but there is nothing villainous about a woman’s quest for autonomy! Òdòdó begins with the expected naivety of a girl who has been sheltered by her elders, but her natural intelligence is fed by her experiences, and she grows to outwit those who would keep her down or harm her. She has become a favorite FMC of mine; I would love to know what she is doing after the events of the book!

It was interesting to watch Òdòdó fall for a man who loves her but was so clearly sexist and power-hungry. Every aspect of her relationship with Àrẹ̀mọ had me on my toes; I never knew if things would get darker or lighter between them. Meanwhile, Òdòdó’s relationships with other characters, like Rótìmí, Kọ̀lọ̀, and Ọmóṣẹwà, were so fascinatingly nuanced, and I found it exemplary writing when Òdòdó would have “silent conversations” with such characters; Sangoyomi’s ability to write interactions between characters that had little to no dialogue and consisted mostly of body language is truly a skill of great talent!

In the end, Òdòdó’s actions did not surprise me, I only found myself cheering for her, and, as I mentioned, wanting to see what she’d do next and after, so her story wouldn’t end! This book was definitely five stars for me, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in women taking hold of their power (which should be everyone!)!

As for the audiobook aspect, the narrator Ariel Blake has so many books under her belt, but this was my first by her, and I’ll definitely be looking out for her from now on!

Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle

adventurous mysterious 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? No

5.0

Curious Tides drew me in from a Barnes & Noble email, actually.  I was very happy to have found the Barnes & Noble book club edition still in stock–it has a bonus story!  Of course, I actually listened to the audiobook and then read the bonus story in the physical book and I loved the audio!

Immediately this book started off with a tragedy and a mystery, and while I don’t enjoy mystery books, I do like a mystery with my fantasy.  Emory is the only survivor of a secret initiation gone wrong and ends up with special powers.  Kieran tries to help her, but can she trust him?  Baz is so clearly in love with her, but does she feel the same?  And all the while, flashbacks and memories of Baz’s sister and Emory’s best friend Romie thread through the story.

Furthermore, to anyone familiar with The Magicians, there’s an element in Curious Tides of a book which may or may not be fiction and has important implications, downright plot points!, to the story.  I love a magical book and otherworldly travel along with secret societies and a corrupt government!

The only thing that was a little hard to follow in this book was the magic system and the history of the magic system, but I did enjoy that it wasn’t info-dumped!

I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Ninth House, Atlas Six, or The Magicians.  Five stars!

Our Immortal Hearts by Lara Buckheit

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I’m so lucky to call Lara my friend and further spoiled by having been gifted an ARC!  This book is full of badass FMCs, creatures, sexy MMCs, smut, fated mates, found family, and action!  Lara is so skilled at writing confident, sex-positive women and that’s one of my favorite aspects of her writing, so Rory right off the bat is a good time!  Quill is the vampire every Buffy girly wants to…you know lol.  If you’re a fan of Matthew Clairmont, or the All Souls Trilogy, Our Immortal Hearts is for you!  If you enjoy plot twists and smut, read this book!  If you love overcoming pain and finding your family, buy Our Immortal Hearts RIGHT NOW!

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun

emotional funny hopeful sad 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

I was granted Here We Go Again on Edelweiss, and while it may not have been a book I would have picked for myself, it was actually a book I didn’t know I needed.  Here We Go Again is a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance that shares its plot with the terminal illness of a mentor and grief.  On the outside, these two plots may not seem to go together, but Alison Cochrun weaved together the intricacies of young queerness, finding a queer mentor, dealing with various losses of a parent, adult relationship issues, neurodivergence, and slowly losing said mentor to cancer in a seamless story of loss, love, and perseverance.  

This book had me connecting so much with the ADHD of both FMCs and the grief of slowly losing a beloved elder.  It portrayed beautiful scenery throughout the Pacific Northwest and western and southern USA.  It also had poignant reconciliations for so many characters throughout.  As I said, I didn’t know I needed this book, but I’m so happy I read it. Five stars.

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

For all that I read the synopsis of The Familiar, I truly had no idea what I was getting myself into!  I saw Leigh’s name, historical fantasy, and magic and knew I wanted in.  I didn’t know that my heart would reside firmly in my throat until the very last two pages of the book finally released me like ash on a breeze.  I was so lucky to have won an ARC on Goodreads!  This book hooked me from line one and it was hard not to pick it up when I had other things I had to do!  

I wasn’t quite sure what Luzia and Santángel would be to each other upon their first meeting, but their dynamic and relationship develops magically.  As for Valentina, her character arc from antagonist to sympathetic is one of my favorite types of character growth.

The torneo is one of my favorite magic plots, and this one is higher stakes and more dangerous than most.  After the final challenge, I had absolutely no idea if and how the tragedy of this story could possibly be turned around.  I wallowed with Luzia and Teoda and wondered what was the point of Valentina’s change in tune?  The final chapters took me on a whirlwind dash through the ugliness of the Spanish Inquisition and a milagrera and familiar attempting one last milagro.

This book is 5 stars and definitely a favorite of the year!