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queenofswordsandwords's reviews
761 reviews
Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 22 by Mizuho Kusanagi
5.0
reread
we're going to Xing!! my favorite setting.
Algira is my favorite kitten-loving disaster. Calling everone theirname-kitty is hilarious and the amount of on page cats he brings is delightful.
Princess Tao is the cutie pie that believes in peace and wants her nation to avoid battle and suffering. We stan an adorable leader, too bad that she has an older sister hellbent on war with Kouka.
we're going to Xing!! my favorite setting.
Algira is my favorite kitten-loving disaster. Calling everone theirname-kitty is hilarious and the amount of on page cats he brings is delightful.
Princess Tao is the cutie pie that believes in peace and wants her nation to avoid battle and suffering. We stan an adorable leader, too bad that she has an older sister hellbent on war with Kouka.
Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 21 by Mizuho Kusanagi
5.0
reread
Lili has mastered the fiery death stare. That's all there is to know.
and the wind tribe crossing path with Hak mid-battle is everything my heart needed. I love them all so much and I will never have enough page time with them.
I didn't realise the first time I read this arc how it ties into the bigger plot but man, everything happens for a reason.
Lili has mastered the fiery death stare. That's all there is to know.
and the wind tribe crossing path with Hak mid-battle is everything my heart needed. I love them all so much and I will never have enough page time with them.
I didn't realise the first time I read this arc how it ties into the bigger plot but man, everything happens for a reason.
Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 20 by Mizuho Kusanagi
5.0
reread
Yona and Lili (I refuse to call her Riri, the manga translation should have used the same translated names as the anime, my brain does not accept this different name) are being sold as slaves and as always, Yona is being smart and Lili is starting to become a badass in her own right.
Hak and the dragons are going after her and Hak gets his priorities straight. His love for Yona is stronger that his hate for Su-Won. Character growth, love to see it.
CW : Slavery, Addiction, Spiked drinks, Violence, Blood.
Yona and Lili (I refuse to call her Riri, the manga translation should have used the same translated names as the anime, my brain does not accept this different name) are being sold as slaves and as always, Yona is being smart and Lili is starting to become a badass in her own right.
Hak and the dragons are going after her and Hak gets his priorities straight. His love for Yona is stronger that his hate for Su-Won. Character growth, love to see it.
CW : Slavery, Addiction, Spiked drinks, Violence, Blood.
Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 19 by Mizuho Kusanagi
5.0
reread
it's always a joy to get more Shin-Ah. He's my favorite dragon and this one volume arc was a great exploration of the blue dragon's legacy.
also, Yona finding him has a beautiful full-page art that takes my breath away everytime. and quality Ao content. I need a folder of Ao reaction images.
it's always a joy to get more Shin-Ah. He's my favorite dragon and this one volume arc was a great exploration of the blue dragon's legacy.
also, Yona finding him has a beautiful full-page art that takes my breath away everytime. and quality Ao content. I need a folder of Ao reaction images.
The Hidden Moon by Jeannie Lin
Well, this was fantastic. It's been a while since I've read a book where I was so convinced the main characters belonged together and deserved each other and that there could be no other one for them. And it's also been a while since I've read a book where I couldn't see how they could make it work. There is so much in their way starting with their class difference to the expectations of Wei-Wei's family and Gao's situation.
I highly recommend to read The liar's dice (prequel novella) before reading this book as it provides much context and setting and it includes Gao and Wei-Wei's meeting.
" Their family was held together by silence so she’d become adept at working in those pockets of silence. Of dealing with the unspoken. "
Wei-Wei is the daughter of family of noble scholars. She has been educated with her older brother and could have surpassed him had it been a time where women were allowed to be scholars. But she's been devoting her life to educating her younger so he can also become a scholar. She's twenty five, past prime marriage age and has been doing her best to be the demure, invisible and dedicated daughter as to not be noticed.
" This was the longest period of time they’d ever spent together. That made it a good day, all death and conspiracy aside. "
She meets once more Gao, a street thug, informant, with a mysterious connexion to her brother, on the eve of another murder. They both get tangled in the dangerous investigations, having to navigate the limitations of his station and her being a woman. But every moment spent together just solidifies that connexion between them.
" Gao knew all her secrets. With him, she couldn’t hide. She didn’t have to. "
They met as she was going to the tea house in the middle of the night, dressed in her brother's clothes. Wei-Wei is strongminded and clever. And the dilemma she's facing where she has to choose between her duty and something that never could be. This whole story had layered characters and a rich mystery. One of my all-time favorite historical romance.
" She’d always known she didn’t quite fit in her surroundings. He didn’t quite fit in his either, but that didn’t mean they fit together. "
and I will leave you on this gem from the author's note :
" I wanted to write the story of a woman who dared and wasn’t punished for it. "
5.0
Well, this was fantastic. It's been a while since I've read a book where I was so convinced the main characters belonged together and deserved each other and that there could be no other one for them. And it's also been a while since I've read a book where I couldn't see how they could make it work. There is so much in their way starting with their class difference to the expectations of Wei-Wei's family and Gao's situation.
I highly recommend to read The liar's dice (prequel novella) before reading this book as it provides much context and setting and it includes Gao and Wei-Wei's meeting.
" Their family was held together by silence so she’d become adept at working in those pockets of silence. Of dealing with the unspoken. "
Wei-Wei is the daughter of family of noble scholars. She has been educated with her older brother and could have surpassed him had it been a time where women were allowed to be scholars. But she's been devoting her life to educating her younger so he can also become a scholar. She's twenty five, past prime marriage age and has been doing her best to be the demure, invisible and dedicated daughter as to not be noticed.
" This was the longest period of time they’d ever spent together. That made it a good day, all death and conspiracy aside. "
She meets once more Gao, a street thug, informant, with a mysterious connexion to her brother, on the eve of another murder. They both get tangled in the dangerous investigations, having to navigate the limitations of his station and her being a woman. But every moment spent together just solidifies that connexion between them.
" Gao knew all her secrets. With him, she couldn’t hide. She didn’t have to. "
They met as she was going to the tea house in the middle of the night, dressed in her brother's clothes. Wei-Wei is strongminded and clever. And the dilemma she's facing where she has to choose between her duty and something that never could be. This whole story had layered characters and a rich mystery. One of my all-time favorite historical romance.
" She’d always known she didn’t quite fit in her surroundings. He didn’t quite fit in his either, but that didn’t mean they fit together. "
and I will leave you on this gem from the author's note :
" I wanted to write the story of a woman who dared and wasn’t punished for it. "
The Liar's Dice by Jeannie Lin
4.0
I almost didn't read this book bc my brain refuses to read books out of order in a series and I didn't have the previous books. That would have been such a loss.
This is a prequel to The hidden moon by I really suggest reading it as it sets everything and you would miss the MCs meeting by skipping this novella. There is a character list that recaps the big lines from the previous books so I was never lost and I got the important background information for the side characters.
" That was what Gao was to me. Someone completely unexpected. "
Wei-Wei is sneaking out of her family's residence at night dressed like her brother. That's where she meets Gao, and they stumble upon a murdered men. That starts a quest for answers and the opportunity to see Gao again. Gao is a dangerous person but Wei-Wei still feels safe with him.
They're drawn to each other but this novella only sets the scene for the events of the full novel. We get adorable moments, banter, and Wei-Wei being smart but unprepared for the challenges she faces in the underground. A good mystery with romance undertones.
" His mouth quirked. “And see? It didn’t cost you anything.” I thought of the touch of his hand on my cheek and the missed moment between us. There had been a price. "
This is a prequel to The hidden moon by I really suggest reading it as it sets everything and you would miss the MCs meeting by skipping this novella. There is a character list that recaps the big lines from the previous books so I was never lost and I got the important background information for the side characters.
" That was what Gao was to me. Someone completely unexpected. "
Wei-Wei is sneaking out of her family's residence at night dressed like her brother. That's where she meets Gao, and they stumble upon a murdered men. That starts a quest for answers and the opportunity to see Gao again. Gao is a dangerous person but Wei-Wei still feels safe with him.
They're drawn to each other but this novella only sets the scene for the events of the full novel. We get adorable moments, banter, and Wei-Wei being smart but unprepared for the challenges she faces in the underground. A good mystery with romance undertones.
" His mouth quirked. “And see? It didn’t cost you anything.” I thought of the touch of his hand on my cheek and the missed moment between us. There had been a price. "
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
4.0
the audiobook for this one is the way to go. there is a beautiful flow to this novel written in verse that really shines in that format.
the hard hitting subjects from purity culture, to religion, to complicated familial relationships, to first love, to the sexualisation of young women of color.
there is a lot going on in this book and i went through a whole spectrum of emotions, from happiness, hope, to rage and hurt. this was my first book by this author but not my last.
the hard hitting subjects from purity culture, to religion, to complicated familial relationships, to first love, to the sexualisation of young women of color.
there is a lot going on in this book and i went through a whole spectrum of emotions, from happiness, hope, to rage and hurt. this was my first book by this author but not my last.
Love Kills Twice by Rien Gray
4.0
well, a woman planning to have her trash husband murdered and falling in love with the assassin she hired is the best premise so far this year.
Campbell the mysterious enby assassin with a secret past and I love everything about them. The parts where they recon and plan the murder were beautifully crafted.
" Some people want vengeance more than they want peace. "
Justine is the gallery manager with a cheating and abusive husband. It's easy to justify her actions and to feel why she would fall so easily for Campbell.
It gets a little too insta-lovey for me by the end. I feel like it would have been worth the wait for some things to happen later in what is an ongoing series. But I have no regrets about buying the first three books.
Campbell the mysterious enby assassin with a secret past and I love everything about them. The parts where they recon and plan the murder were beautifully crafted.
" Some people want vengeance more than they want peace. "
Justine is the gallery manager with a cheating and abusive husband. It's easy to justify her actions and to feel why she would fall so easily for Campbell.
It gets a little too insta-lovey for me by the end. I feel like it would have been worth the wait for some things to happen later in what is an ongoing series. But I have no regrets about buying the first three books.
Aru Shah and the Song of Death by Roshani Chokshi
4.0
a solid sequel. Aru is going on another quest. With new friends, more creatures and gods, travelling through worlds and collecting legends and stories from everyone we meet. Aru is not perfect, she's lashing out in fear, she's mistrustful of new people, she learns, she appologizes and this was such a fun time. Also, a group of 3 girls and 1 boy, in a middle grade ? I love that girls will have this book full of friendships and girls having each other's backs. (when I was young, if there was one girl character in a whole goup, it was a win.) so I just love to see it.
CW : so much hp references.
CW : so much hp references.