peculiarb's reviews
477 reviews

Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco

adventurous emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

3.5

 

Wicked As You Wish brings fairy tales to life in the most chaotic way you could imagine: worldwide folklore is real and has shaped the world. I found this fascinating as Chupeco weaves fairy tales into our own familiar history to give us a world that mirrors our own in many ways. One example I found amusing was the USA becoming the Royal States of America, while still maintaining an overzealous border protection policy and a need to be superior technologically as well as magically. Personally, I was sucked in by the geo-political state of this world. While certain aspects and subtleties took some getting used to, Chupeco does their world-building gradually enough that I had a rough idea of how everything worked by the end of the book. 

As for the characters, while there's a lively cast, the story focuses the most on Tala. She's a firecracker of a character and incredibly impulsive. Her being a teenager doesn't help things, as her strong emotions raise obstacles in her quest; ones that she spends the book overcoming. I thought her flaws only added to her depth and really how she handled her dilemma regarding her father's past. 

Alex, on the other hand, was a mystery. The first few chapters he's everything I expected, but once in Avalon he isolates himself from the others more and more. His grief over the state of his kingdom is apparent in most interactions, which are curt at best and explosive at worst. Tala manages to get through owing to their close friendship, but other than that we get few glimpses into his true state of mind for most of the novel. 

The rest of the Banders were an interesting and diverse bunch. I enjoyed their interactions, especially how real their history felt when they came into the book as a group. Even Cole added to the story, though his arc was the most predictable. My favourite of the bunch was Loki, whose family backstory I hope to see explored in the sequel. I was delighted to see the LGBTQ+ representation come in the form of a non-binary character. Loki's identity isn't the focus of their character, rather something that's mentioned once and then universally accepted. 

As for the adults, it's obvious they hold a special place for Chupeco. Despite being trained soldiers, they welcome Alex like a son. Their presence infuses a warmth into the story that is largely due to how openly and proudly Filipino they are, and it's something that is likely to resonate with readers. 

My one complaint is that Wicked As You Wish was confusing. There are aspects of the plot that I still have questions about, as well as many on the characters themselves. The worldbuilding was the clearest aspect and even there, it could have been done better. 

However, neither of these are enough to detract me from the series! Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco is a refreshing kind of fairy tale retelling, with strong characters and enough intrigue to keep anyone hooked. 

A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown

adventurous emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

5.0

 

The book picks up soon after A Song of Wraiths and Ruin ended. Karina is on the run, Hanane is adjusting to her new circumstances, Farid rules in her stead with Malik as his apprentice. 

After what happened, Karina's grown more insecure. Lacking a solid support system for the beginning of the book, she lets her failures get the best of her at times and acts impulsively at others. It's only once her every hope is dashed that she embraces those failures and allows herself to be vulnerable around others again, growing into the strong princess she only pretended to be in the first book. 

Malik's character also takes a turn for the worse before he works towards redemption. Farid represents everything Malik ever wanted in a father figure, so he becomes increasingly desperate to please him, even enduring violent abuse for it. This need to please also leads him to commit increasingly questionable acts on Farid's behalf, especially once he learns to better harness his powers. His constant struggle not to give into to the lure of power leads him to use self-inflicted pain to ground him because he, too, doesn't believe he is allowed to be vulnerable around others. 

Because of all these factors, Karina's and Malik's relationship becomes a mess. Despite being enemies, they are still connecting and appear in each other's dreams, which gives some amusing results. Malik only keeps her at a distance because of Farid, with a weakening resolve, but it takes a lot for Karina to look past his betrayal. A lot of factors go into them coming together again in one of the more interesting romances I've come across in YA. The end of their love story was well worth everything they went through for each other. 

The character that surprised me the most was Hanane. What I thought would be the big villain turned into a loveable, compassionate character despite the darkness lurking within her. The more Malik's sisters brought her out of her shell, the more she grew on me. I also found her character arc to be the best, as she had to learn to recognise the signs of grooming and abuse before she could grow beyond them. 

A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown is not a gentle book. A trigger warning at the beginning summarises the heavy topics Brown explores in her work because it's ultimately about the characters recognising, understanding, and facing past abuse. Malik's anxiety from the last book spirals out of control as he is put under further pressure, while Karina and Hanane must face the ugly truth of their childhood. While it's not pleasant to read through, Brown does justice to each character without rushing the process. 

While the story may be largely character driven, this book's plot was even more engaging than the first. Karina's journey was the most plot-heavy, as she frees prospective slaves only to get captured by a deserter and his peculiar friend which leads her to set off on a search for a lost, mythical city to save Sonande. Malik's journey is far more political as he glimpses Farid's increasing machinations. They balance each other well, giving the book an excellent pace before the action takes off in the last third. 

Being her second book, Brown's writing has only gotten better. Her descriptions pulled me in and brought Sonande's different regions to life. Now that Karina can travel, Brown's world becomes all the more expansive. We travel through canyons, mountains and jungles throughout the story and meet the diverse groups of people that make up the continent. Through Malik, Brown builds on the place's history, how two headstrong women's impact is still felt thousands of years later. She builds a fascinating story where betrayal and sacrifice echo through its history in a cyclical fashion. 

I flew through A Psalm of Storms and Silence. This sequel took an interesting story to new heights giving it a dynamic, fascinating conclusion that examines the consequences of a never ending cycle of violence and encourages the participants to break it. While I liked the first book, I loved this one and I recommend it wholeheartedly. 

Crossbones by Kimberly Vale

fast-paced

3.0

 Crossbones by Kimberly Vale reads like a quintessential Wattpad pirate adventure. It's fast with a loveable ensemble of characters, and a dash of romance and betrayal to spice things up. 

 

The book opens with Csilla walking towards her execution. What starts out as an emotional scene heavy with description as Csilla delays thinking about the inevitable, quickly picks up the pace when her crew swoops in to save her in a spectacular fashion. 

Once rescued, we don't linger long on Csilla. The first half of the book is concentrated on bringing the main characters together from their scattered locations. The next player we meet is Kane who learns the Trials will be held, then to Lorelei whose world is about to be turned upside down. This allows for a deeper exploration of each character. 

Kane is plagued by guilt over unresolved feelings towards his father, Csilla is terrified of appearing weak and losing her position as captain, Rove is the story's unrepentant villain, and Lorelei is out for revenge. Despite the book's short length, Vale explores their motivations at length with each character having their own arc. The frequent introspection makes this book incredibly character driven, though the plot doesn't fall far behind. 

Once the gang gathers for The Trials, Crossbones follows a fairly formulaic treasure hunt plot. I was happily surprised by some of the deviations, but I felt the subplots were what brought originality to the book. Csilla's journey to understand a betrayal and Lorelei's quest for revenge were my favourites. Vale does leave some subplots unresolved or brushes them off completely, which took away from the book's complexity. 

As there are so many characters, the arcs felt rushed at times, a feeling that comes back in other parts of the book. Vale spends a lot of time bringing the main characters together, which means the Trials are much shorter than what I expected for something that's so prominent in the book. The worldbuilding also felt too big for the book as there were a number of info-dumps to catch the reader up. 

However, Vale still manages to do a lot with her worldbuilding. Set in a world where four nations each worship a different element associated with a deity, the story focuses on the clash between water and fire through the pirates versus the looming empire. There is a lot to absorb in a short time which left me somewhat confused as well as wanting more. There could have been more done in this regard. 

Other than this rushed aspect, I thought Vale's writing was pretty good. Her pacing was good while the writing was a breeze to read. While some aspects of the book were formulaic, Vale used certain tropes in very fun ways. The one that stood out was the "lost heir to the kingdom" trope which hides more than one surprise before its subplot is resolved. 

Despite its flaws, I found Crossbones by Kimberly Vale a fun read. Her characters are what shine in this story, but it's the whole that makes her an author to look out for. 

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson thrusts its readers into a world where the dead can rise at any time, and do in the first scene of the book. Within a few pages I found myself rooting for Artemisia and intrigued by the little lore Rogerson had already brought up. 

 

Artemisia was a very particular character. She had a very difficult childhood in terms of how her parents treated her and that impacts her character throughout the book. Disabled as a child because of a fire, and having formed bad habits because of her upbringing, she finds herself an outcast among her peers in the monastery. When she bonds with St Eugenia's relic, the demon becomes her first true companion despite their differences. As the book progressed, I found Artemisia an inspiring character, though headstrong and very impulsive. The demon becomes a good influence on her as it tames those impulses, however heroic they may be, and gets her out of sticky situations alive. 

Another character that experiences mental difficulties is the demon. It found itself isolated for centuries which had a deep impact on its psyche. As such, the demon and Artemisia counter-balance each other with some profound scenes shared between the two of them. I thought the way Rogerson brought up the mental health aspect was respectful. While they were hard passages to get through they contributed to the understanding of both characters rather than being there to add some spice. I particularly appreciated the stance both Artemisia and the demon took when it came to each other in that aspect. 

To reach this point the two had to obviously trust each other, and Margaret Rogerson does a wonderful job developing their relationship. What started out as a Hail Mary grows into a partnership and eventually a friendship with great sacrifices from both sides. To make things even better, the banter doesn't stop once they do become friends; instead it loses some of its meaner edge. 

While the other relationships don't take center stage, they are no less important. The friends Artemisia makes throughout her journey are each special in their own regard and that comes through particularly at the end. It takes all of them to defeat the villain and Rogerson made sure to build every character up for their moment, as small as it was. 

Plot wise, the narrative was coherent without the subplots crowding it. It takes a while to understand the overarching plot because some of the key elements aren't revealed until the very end. That meant I was just as in the dark as Artemisia was without finding it off-putting. As far as how it develops, in retrospect I can see the pieces Rogerson laid out but in the moment I only suspected a couple of the twists. The pace was good while the dynamic opening scene really did a lot to suck me in. I could barely put the book down in the three days it took to read. 

The worldbuilding is something else in this novel. Rogerson's worlds were always fantastical to me, and this one is no exception. Loosely inspired by Catholicism and the French enlightenment era, there's an importance to this central religion that is inescapable as it’s the only protection the people have against the dead. Following an unspecified event centuries ago, a class of saints wielded magic to vanquish the rising dead which then went on to give the rigid religious structure encountered in Vespertine. As the book progressed and Rogerson revealed other aspects of the world, it became so much more expansive despite the story only being set in two cities. Rogerson's prose is beautiful and that extends to her worldbuilding as I could very easily imagine every scene. 

Overall Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson stunned me. I was sucked in by the action and stayed for the friendships made along the way. I am very excited by the fact that this is going to be a series because, while the ending is closed enough that this could have been a standalone, I just need more of Artemisia and her demon buddy. 

The Girl Who Belonged to the Sea by Katherine Quinn

4.5

A dynamic beginning to the series.

The Girl Who Belonged To The Sea intrigued me when I read the blurb, but the story pulled me in almost immediately. An evil sea captain? A feisty protagonist with a big heart? An unwanted wedding interrupted by a handsome pirate? I needed no more to devour this book.

When Margrette is taken by a pirate on her wedding day, she doesn't expect to find strength, love, and a home on the mythical island she's taken to, yet she does. Her tale is full of adventure, emotion, and a deep need to find the independence she was denied her entire life. I really don't want to give too much away so I'll end this review here. If the blurb intrigued you even a little, don't hesitate to pick it up! 

The Half-Class by Kayvion Lewis

adventurous challenging dark 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

3.0

 

Ever since King Dreux invaded her home, Evie has had to grow up an outcast, stuck between the world's two classes. It was only natural she joined the rebellion. 

Evie is such a headstrong character. The book is upfront about this and it only grows as the book progresses. I found her stubbornness admirable, even if it got her into trouble in certain situations. It fit well with her drive to be better, to be free of the class constraints. While she has moments of growth throughout the book, her character arc remains unfinished as the book ends on a cliffhanger. I am very interested in seeing how it will progress in the rest of the series. 

As far as Cass is concerned, I found him endearing. He's a good match for Evie, though he never manages to temper her in any way. Lewis did some really interesting things with his character when it came to how he presents himself inside and outside of the palace as well as during visits to his father. I thought their relationship was sweet. Their dialogue is fun with plenty of banter, and Evie's feelings for him become the biggest part of her character arc, as well as how she fits those feelings into her mission for the rebels. 

Evie's relationships with the other characters are also dominated by that stubbornness. At 17, she has little time left before she must find a way to sustain herself, or work in her aunt's brothel. This puts a strain on her relationship with her aunt and colours the one she has with her cousin. Kat uses her talents as a sex worker to assist her outside her job, something that Evie is conflicted about. While they start off close, the events of the book and Evie's getting close to the royal family drives a wedge between. Despite this, I enjoyed their dynamic as it brought out both their strengths and their flaws. 

Evie's friendships with her aunt's other sex workers also serve to shine a light on how real each character seems. Their stories, their talents and ambitions all come out at some point or another during the book, giving each of them unexpected depth. 

The Half-Class by Kayvion Lewis presents a very vibrant world to its readers. All of Lewis's characters drive it forward, whether that be main, secondary or even background characters. When Evie describes patrons to Cass, she makes the world truly feel lived in which I really appreciate in any fantasy, but especially a debut. 

As for the more general worldbuilding, I found it fascinating though I wish Lewis had delved into it more. The first half of the book really concentrates on Bexbury and how the king's laws affect its people, but there's little explanation as to why. Once we get to the palace, the class system becomes more concrete but I would like to see more of the religion that led to this in future books. 

One of my biggest complaints is how Evie's relationship with Luke is handled. Even though she admits that their relationship isn't progressing the way she wants, she still gets angry when it does take a different turn and then gets over it within the span of a few pages. That whole subplot added little to the story other than drama which wasn't needed when the stakes were already this high. 

The Half-Class by Kayvion Lewis was a fresh and promising debut. She uses her own experiences to paint a stark world where race rules all which, fantasy or not, delivers a strong message. I am eager to see more from her! 

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

5.0

 A great example of the ennemies to lovers trope!

The Queen Will Betray You by Sarah Henning

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

 Just like in The Princess Will Save You, the female characters are in the spotlight here. We get to explore the motivations behind Koldo's, Ines' and Geneva's actions in depth too, as well as get some chapters from their POVs. I really appreciated the deep dive into these older female characters as that isn't something I usually come across in YA. Despite their flaws, of which there were many, they added a lot of depth to the story. 

 

As for the younger female characters, Ula continues to stand out at every turn, which is something the story heavily emphasizes. Even though she's a secondary character, I'd argue that she's as central to the plot as Amarande is. Unfortunately, we don't get to see as much of Osana as I would have liked. She often becomes lost in the plot given the number of players, making her story arc feel rushed. 

When it comes to the main characters, I didn't notice much of a change. Amarande remains as headstrong as ever. She takes every chance she can to regain what is rightfully hers despite the obstacles. While I enjoyed her character, I would have liked to see more out of her in terms of personal growth, especially in regards to her feelings towards Sendoa. Luca's character also avoids significant change. After accepting his role as the lost prince and de facto leader of the rebellion, he still risks it all for Amarande. 

Despite the backstage politics, this duology is first and foremost a love story. Henning does her best to reconcile the two, but it does fall short at times, with one obscuring the other. Then there's the feminist aspect of the book. I enjoyed that aspect of it in the first book, but it did get tedious at times in this one. Henning's readers know that Amarande and the other female characters are out to bring down the patriarchy, they don't need to be reminded every other chapter. The monologues about it dragged down the plot at times in a story where a lot centers on traveling. 

The pacing of the book could have been better. The first part details the journeys of several groups as plot lines converge, but it felt repetitive since this is how The Princess will Save You also began. The action scenes remain excellent, but I feel Henning could have tightened things up here and there. 

I also really liked what Henning did with the title of this novel. While it is still Amarande's story, the title reflects the actions of a different female character. Given the abundance of female characters in leading roles, Henning had me guessing which one would be the betrayer until the very end. 

Finally a word on Taillefer. A minor character in the first book, he gains center stage for much of this one. I, like Amarande, was surprised to see him at first but he did grow on me as the murder-prone sidekick. His actions are never justified, though some are explained, and we truly get to see an expansive character arc when it comes to him. All through to the end, he's the character that impressed me the most and the one that kept me on my toes. 

Overall I enjoyed The Queen will Betray You by Sarah Henning, as well as the duology as a whole. It was delightful to read despite the darker moments and slight flaws. If you want a book that turns well-cemented tropes on their heads, this is the one for you! 

The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

adventurous challenging dark fast-paced

4.5