shelves_by_sim's reviews
506 reviews

A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

 If I could give this book a million stars, I would absolutely do it. I think this one is probably my most favorite read this year (so far) and I literally never want to stop thinking about it. This was nothing like I expected and everything I didn't know I needed. Liang has such an exquisite way of writing, creating beautiful worldbuilding to fit a stunning story. This read was a literal modern-day fantastical take on a Shakespearean tragedy and it absolutely shattered me.

I love the concept of the plot. The hatred Xishi feels towards the Wu Kingdom and the history surrounding it made this read feel powerful. I loved the "undercover in enemy territory" aspect of it and honestly, I loved getting to know the Wu Kingdom and see the difference between them and the Yue. I also really enjoyed that fact that throughout this read you know something is off, you know that neither the Wu nor the Yue can be trusted and that very clearly outlines the fact that sometimes both sides of the coin can be bad.

What I loved most was how this story depicted the fact that nothing is ever really black and white. In any normal story, Fanli would be the the perfect love interest and Fuschai would be the villain but the way Liang told this story shows that everyone has good and bad qualities to them. The final battle absolutely broke me, it ripped me to shreds, it tore my heart out and I don't think I'll ever recover. Because of Fuschai, because of Xishi, because of everything Fanli had to feel and experience in the aftermath. I also really loved how this entire story was told by Xishi even in then end, it gave it a magical feel and made the tragic ending do beautiful.

Thank you, @panmacmillansa, for sending me this stunning book! I cannot wait to get my hands on more of this author's work!! ✨ 

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

 I absolutely loved this story so much!! The world building gives Starling House Meets The Cruel Prince but with a unique storyline and I absolutely soaked it up. And the world itself is even called Elphame!! I loved the small town beginning it had and oh my soul, the whimsical feel of the folk in Faerie was just perfection - I love when we get the whole experience of unseelie and seelie fae, I love how different they can look, from normal to hooves and horns and skin like bark!

I also loved that we got multiple POVs in this one. Especially that of Bristol's and Tyghan's. The pull they have towards each other is so exciting and Britol's family history makes this even more nail-biting (even though when the truth finally came out it didn't actually blow up the way I thought it would - which I actually liked). The relationship development is perfection and I was absolutely here for it.

The history of Elphame and the pending war were all good aspects in the story and I actually really enjoyed the magic system. I do wish that there was a little more action in book one, I think it would have mage a huge difference in this story if there were a few battle scenes. But the ending of this book did lead up to what comes next and I think we will definitely get this in book 2 which I cannot wait for!

Thank you, @panmacmillansa, for this gorgeous copy - especially seeing as this book was one of my most anticipateds for 2025!🌸 

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

 This is my second dive into The Mortal Instruments world and I'm loving the nostalgia it all comes with! Clary and Jace and their extremely mortifying predicament. All the longing and the glances and gahhhh, it's anxiety-inducing but it's also just so good. I'm surprised at how well the story flows with what I know about this world, it seems that even though the show itself changed quite a bit, the main plot sort of stays the same.

We get the introduction of Maia in this book, who I totally forgot about, and I quite like her and the dynamic she has with Luke. We also get our first glimpse of Meliorn and I love that man so so so much, almost as much as I love Raphael. I love that we are getting more and more scenes with Raphael and he's slowly becoming more relevant in the story! As for Simon, argh, I cannot with this guy. I really do not like him or his friendship/relationship with Clary and I really hope we get some character development there because that's just not it lol.

The plot was good, kind of standard. I didn't think anything really mind blowing happened but that's probably because of how well I know the show? There was nothing inherently bad about it, I think I just expected more. Valentine is a really good villain, he is so manipulative and it's actually quite scary how you can feel just how good he is at charming people. I love Magnus Bane (of course) and I love how his and Alec's relationship is already front and center - I thought we might have to wait for that!
 

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted 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? N/A

4.5

This story was absolutely so beautiful, I loved the cozy fantasy feels it gave and it just felt so wholesome in the end. I loved the concept of this world, a magical pawn shop that deals in choices and opens up to a whole new world filled with it's own weird and wonderful anomalies! I found the worldbuilding to be quite easy too, even though it relied heavily on Japanese lore. The writing was easy to understand and made the read feel light! 

Samantha also has a nonlinear style if writing, a back and forth between different characters and the past and present - which I really enjoyed because I feel like this brings new information and reveals more of the plot in a way that is not just straightforward. I really enjoyed getting to know Hana and all the strange things about her world, what the choices are used for and even how "fate" arranges their marriages. It was all so interesting! And then meeting Kei, who is the embodiment of Roman from Divine Rivals. Supportive and amazing and I just loved him.

Their journey was a hard one, both of them on the run in search of Hana's parents with soulless creatures after them and I enjoyed every second. I loved that Hana's character had so much depth and I am so proud of who she became. Her feelings for Kei are something very hard, and even quite impossible, to navigate in her world but the choices she made determined the end of her story. I love how choices were such a huge theme in this book because it such a relatable topic. I loved the ending, Kei found some very much deserved peace before they got their happily ever after and it was so beautiful! 🌺

Echoes of Nethorveil by Yaga Ahn

adventurous challenging hopeful 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? It's complicated

3.0

 The cover of this book absolutely gripped me and what a lovely debut this was! This book has such a cool world, I think the worldbuilding was done really well and I loved how heavily it leans into Irish folklore and mixes it with a world of fae. I really enjoyed all the weird and wonderful creatures and how this author took something we're all obsessed with (shadows, of course) and gave it a whole new meaning. I love that our MMC is a Wraith, literally so awesome!

I enjoyed how the book started, first with a glimpse into Ciaran's mother's origins and then with her and Ardan meeting which led to the conception of Ciaran and the entire reason for Ciaran'a story! It was pretty cool going on a walk through time like that. I loved how the setting is modern day and how we move from Boston back to Ireland. I loved all the mystery and secrets and how Ciaran really didn't know much about any of the people in his life! That was a shocker for him and made the plot interesting for us!

I loved the introduction of certain side characters like Izel and Alistair (and a few others I cannot divulge yet, seeing as it would give away the plot!). There were a few plot twists in this story that I absolutely did not see coming and the ending left me so excited! I cannot wait to enter Nethorveil and see what Yaga Ahn has in store for us!
 

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

fast-paced

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

3.0

 I had such high hopes for this one and unfortunately, I just didn't love it as must as I loved Fan Girl Down and The Au Pair Affair (which were both 5 star reads for me). I loved Sig as a side character in book two, his very obvious over-protectiveness towards his "step-sister" was obviously intriguing and I really thought this book was going to blow me away.

As someone who doesn't really have a problem with insta love, I found this trope to be a bit overwhelming in this story. It felt like nothing was natural, like there was no relationship development throughout this entire book and it was a little cringey. Sure, the spice was INSANE, if there is one thing about Tessa, it's that she really knows how to pull off a sexy scene! Sig in general kind of just oozes sex appeal, the way he speaks and carries himself is utter perfection.

I couldn't stand Chloe though, I honestly do not know what sort of rich, spoiled person you have to be to not know boundaries. If someone is paying your rent because you've never worked a day in your life, please, for the love of all things good, do not use that money for something else. She's just a solid NOPE from me. And I hated how Sig enabled this, even though his character is not well off. The plot also fell flat for me, the whole point actually seemed really pointless and I think that she could have done something much better with this story. I enjoyed the rookies the most out of this entire story, they are the BEST side characters ever and I really hope we get books for both of them!

Closer by Iris Kayan

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

This was such a fun little short story. I loved the mystery part of it and the ending was so sweet and wholesome, I cannot wait for more of this story! 

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

challenging medium-paced

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

3.0

 Let me start by saying that Atwood's style of writing is beautiful. I love how easy it reads, how she uses a nonlinear way of writing - jumping back and forth between the present and the past - and how her descriptiveness is so unique. Instead of explaining settings, observations and/or feelings in fully detailed sentences, she states details as one-word sentences which I found to be quite entertaining.

I understand what she did with this story, I understand it's significance in the world, especially seeing as it was written in 1985. There are some very heavy topics written in this book, that gives a nod to the life a woman would most likely experience under a totalitarian rule. It is abhorrent, it is uncomfortable, it is pitiful. And I can appreciate a story with so much depth.

But it had no plot. We follow Offred (someone who has experienced the before and after of this regime, mind you) while she just goes about her life under these new laws. While she is inquisitive, I don't feel any defiance or fight in her character. And yes, I understand that this book in particular really just observes what a woman in such a situation would go through but I would have preferred to have a more feminist approach to the story. A headstrong, determined character who puts up a fight, one who doesn't care what it takes or what might happen to herself, as long as she makes what she stands for clear. This was not Offred unfortunately and therefore, I ended up not enjoying the book as much as I wish I would.

I think that, after trial and error, I shall stick to romantic classics from now on! 😂 

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

adventurous challenging mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

 This is my first V.E. Schwab book and it really did not dissapoint. This book gave me Swordcatcher by Cassandra Clare meets Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat and it was literally everything. Sure, the world is a little complicated and you really need to pay attention at first but once I grasped it I was set (I'll give you a little advice, don't start out with an audio like I did lol). It is absolutely amazing. Red, White, Grey and Black London and their respective magics or lack there of, the Antari who are able to move through each of these worlds, the entire magic system was so good.

The writing was absolutely decadent, so captivating, so encompassing. I loved the setting, the colours of the worlds Kel travels through, the danger around every corner. I loved how each world or each London had different cultures and customs and that even languages and names of surrounding areas changed so drastically. It really showed how London is the only point that connects all of these worlds. Kel is a great character, he's that sort of morally gray, he's probably good but not that good, protagonist with a good cause (in an unromantic way, sorry lol) that gives a character so much depth.

Lila is, well, she's a bit hectic but I really learned to love her. She's headstrong and argues about everything and you never know if she's about to unalive you, just because. The plot was so good, the stone from Black London and what it could do is so interesting and the villains in this story were also so freaking good. I loved the ending and I cannot wait to jump into the next book in this series!
 

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

emotional funny lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

 Ali has freaking done it again and let me say that this might just be my favorite of all of her books! First of all, like all of her FMCs, Vandy is perfect! I love her individual quirkiness, the statement inner monologue that usually comes off as a self-berating ramble, and just how overall hilarious she was. I loved the setting of this story, it's still very much STEM considering the main characters are geniuses but the athlete angle was so fresh, the pool side scenes and all the training really made this feel like a cozy college movie and I loved it.

Lukas Blomqvist (yes, he's Swedish and yes, he has the most swoon-worthy accent if you listen to the audiobook! No, seriously! I highly recommend that you experience Lukas with a voice, okay!) is an insanely controlled, sullen and super quiet hot shot. He's on track to be one of the most famous swimmers of his age and yet he is so logical, he doesnt even care - about people, about what they think, about fame. And my knees buckled!!! Because we all know I love a mysterious guy. Every. Damn. Thing. About this man has me fanning myself. Every interaction with Vandy, every dirty little thing that came out of his mouth!!! Gaaaaah!

Also, this book is insanely spicy and even though it's based around kink, it came off as this soft, sensual sort of kink in a lighthearted story and I don't know what about that drove me insane, but man, it did! I really enjoyed the story, there was one character I thought was really sus and that gave me anxiety for like 80% of the book but other than that, it was utter perfection. Not to mention, the Adam and Olive cameos literally made day! This book made me so happy while reading it, I didn't want it to end!