tonyaf's reviews
378 reviews

Cursebound by Saara El-Arifi

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adventurous 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? Yes

4.0

 I enjoyed Faebound, so I've been looking forward to the next book in the series. I was excited to get a chance to read Cursebound early and I'm happy to report that the follow-up is just as much fun as the first book! 

Like with the first book in the trilogy, many twists and turns make this book feel exciting and fast-paced. The plot moves quickly which makes it so easy to get absorbed in. 

Cursebound also introduces new characters to the series. One of the most important new characters is Adler, a great addition to the story who plays a pivotal role in one ongoing plot. Familiar characters get some interesting development too, of course. 
 
While the two main pairings spend small portions of the book apart, there's still lots of love and focus on each relationship. Yeeran/Furi and Rayan/Lettle have big highs and lows in this installment! There is also a new relationship involving a supporting character and Adler that I adore! It doesn't get as much focus as the other two couples but the time we spend with them is lovely. I hope we see more of their burgeoning romance in the next book. 

Cursebound ends with several issues looming and many characters unsettled. It sets up what is sure to be an exciting conclusion for this series. Book #3 can't come soon enough for me! 
My Accidental Valentine: MM Short Story Romance by Gaia Tate

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funny lighthearted 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? No

4.0

This is so much fun!

Sam is so funny and the romance is cute and spicy. This is a perfect, quick read for Valentine's Day.
The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow

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dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

 I love Alix E. Harrow's writing. I adore both her full-length stories and her short stories. One of her short stories, The Six Deaths of the Saint, remains one of my favorite things I've ever read. So, I was excited to dive into her latest short story which will be released in March. 

The Knight and the Butcherbird is a post-apocalyptic and Dystopian story about a knight who is hunting a demon and a girl who wishes to protect the demon. Alix E. Harrow always manages to pack so much into her short stories. This story is less than 40 pages but still has so much heart, worldbuilding, and messages to absorb. The world it is set in is grim but the two romances (one queer!) at the center are the heart of the story. It reads like a dark and futuristic fairytale with mild horror elements. Mostly, it is a story about love, loss, changing to cope with difficult circumstances, and the power of stories. 

This is a wonderful and quick read that will leave you thinking about it long after finishing. 
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When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

When the Tides Held the Moon has been one of my most anticipated books since I first heard about it in mid-2024. I've been looking forward to reading it for so long and been so excited about it that I actually got nervous when I sat down to finally start reading. What if my expectations were too high? Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about because this exceeded even my sky-high hopes. 

When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley starts in 1911 with Benny, an immigrant from Puerto Rico, being offered a job to build a unique tank for a Coney Island businessman. He meets the performers of Luna Park and begins to find a place in the unique family of outcasts. Soon, he begins to befriend the merman, Rio, who is to be Luna Park's newest attraction. That new relationship soon leads to feelings and decisions that could turn Benny's and his new friends' lives upside down. 

The characters in this are loveable and layered. Benny and Rio are obvious highlights, but all of Luna Park's stage performers are diverse and endearing with interesting backstories. Their found family was one of the many highlights of the book. I loved all the characters in this so much that it hurt to finish the book! I wasn't ready to leave these characters that I grew to adore so much! 

The relationship between Benny and Rio is beautifully romantic and emotional. Benny feels guilt about his role in Rio's imprisonment and wants to make that right. Rio is angry and grieving, but sees how kind Benny is and grows to care about him. Benny is a queer man of color in an incredibly racist and homophobic era. He feels caged by the world he is forced to live in and Rio, who is actually caged, sees the similarities in their circumstances. Their love story is incredible and had me crying many times. Some of the lines they say to and about each other are so incredibly romantic that they took my breath away! These two captured my heart so completely that felt every emotion they went through in this story. 

The whole book is beautifully crafted and uses language skillfully. It captivated me so immensely that I purposely slowed down reading it to savor every line and chapter. I don't want to give too much away, but this is a heartfelt story about society's outcasts that feels especially powerful in the time we are currently living in. This story truly moved me and won't be one I ever forget. 

The book is also full of gorgeous art. The digital ARC that I have access to includes early sketches of the art, so I am very excited to see the full art when I get my hardcover edition. The art helped bring this story and the characters to life. Though it may be tempting, I would recommend not flipping through the pages to look at the art before you read the story. Some of the best pieces of art are of pivotal moments in the book and may spoil big moments. 

When the Tides Held the Moon will 100% be on my list of the best books of 2025 list. It may even be #1! I've read some very good books so far this year but nothing I've read in a very long time has come close to how much this moved me. I laughed out loud, cried my eyes out, and highlighted so many lines in this book. I can't recommend this and praise this enough. It's a new all-time favorite for me. 
A Restless Truth by Freya Marske

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adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

5.0

 "Mrs. Sinclair says you look at the world and decide you can live with it or decide you can't. And if you can't, you decide what you're prepared to do about it." 

I read A Marvellous Light back in 2023 and absolutely loved it. I truly have no idea why it took me so long to continue this series but I'm very glad I finally did. 

I love Maud and Violet so much. Freya Marske always manages to get me so invested in her characters. I love all of her main characters, and I always get so invested in their relationships. 

I adore her plots and world-building, too. I really liked the closed-circle mystery aspect of this one. I almost always enjoy this trope in mysteries, and it was even more fun in this historical fantasy setting. 

Hawthorne and Ross are also great characters, and I enjoyed their dynamic so much. I was thrilled to learn that the next book is about them. I'm excited to start reading A Power Unbound very soon. 

I loved this just as much as I did A Marvellous Light. This is my third Freya Marske book and the third book of her's that I've given 5 stars. I hope A Power Unbound continues this trend. Either way, I'm looking forward to everything she writes in the future because she has been solidified as one of my favorite authors! 
Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

4.75

Strange Bedfellows is a new queer graphic novel with fantasy and science fiction elements. It's beautifully written and illustrated and I can't recommend it enough.

The story follows Oberon, who has recently had a very public panic attack that led to him dropping out of college. He's feeling lost when he suddenly gains the ability to bring his dreams into reality. His new power manifests a dream version of his high school crush, Kon, who decides to help him understand his new powers.

The plot is surprisingly layered. It gracefully melds a touching story about recovering from mental health struggles, a mystery, a family story, and a sweet romance. The result is a beautiful, hopeful, funny, and emotional story that I found surprisingly complex. I think many people with anxiety will identify strongly with Oberon's story. I certainly did!

This is all set in a lush and diverse sci-fi world. The technology is more advanced than ours but still recognizable enough to avoid confusion The world-building is incredibly well done. In just under 300 pages, Meridian feels like a fully realized place. We get glimpses of the politics, wildlife, weather, and problems that former Earthlings (and their children) encounter on their new home planet.

The artwork here is stunning. The colors and style strike me as truly unique. Normally, I rush through graphic novels, but this one made me want to linger and really appreciate the art.

I highly recommend Strange Bedfellows to any fan of inclusive stories, stories about making it through tough times, or character-centric sci-fi/fantasy. It is genuinely one of my favorite graphic novels that I have read to date!
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Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

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adventurous hopeful 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? No

4.25

This is so sweet and wholesome. I loved all the representation and the characters. Tam/Nova are so cute!

The art is beautiful too! 
The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre by Darcy Ash

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challenging emotional hopeful 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

3.75

The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre is a new queer romantasy that deals with some heavy topics. It might not be a good fit for everyone (please read the content warnings before starting) but I enjoyed it and thought the romance was sweet. 

The world-building is sprinkled slowly throughout the book. This helped make the pacing feel quick even without an action-filled plot. The novel is set in Eilean-òir, a queer normative realm that doesn't have magic and is based loosely on historical Scotland. 

The story begins with Fierre, on the verge of officially becoming the Prince Regent due to his father's worsening health. Their kingdom places extremely high beauty expectations on its royals. The pressure to conform to those standards and stay unreasonably thin is clearly on Fierre's mind at all times and causes a lot of insecurity and body dysmorphia. He's essentially being forced to starve by his realm's religious and political elites who command what someone in his position should look like. 

The second POV we get is Fierre's most loyal friend, Aiven. Aiven sees the pressure that their society is putting on Fierre and tries his best to support his beloved friend. 

Fierre and Aiven have a tender relationship that I became enamored with very quickly. They grew up as childhood best friends and have remained close despite their class differences (Aiven is the son of farmers). They have so many touching moments. The book was at its best when it focused on these two! If you love a romance filled with oodles of yearning and healthy doses of jealousy, hurt/comfort, and angst, then you may love this. As someone who loves the "angst with a happy ending" and "mutual pining" tropes, I was enthralled! 

Their relationship doesn't come easy though. Fierre uses casual sex with other men as a distraction from his hunger. There is no romance or any feelings between Fierre and these other men. These sexual relationships are political and also a tradition among high society men in their kingdom. They are also acts of self-destruction for Fierre, who uses these experiences to punish himself for - what he sees as - failures to live up to his kingdom's expectations. 

I want to be clear: This book is largely about the main character's eating disorder. It is not a subplot or something that can be quickly skipped over. It is the focus of much of the book. If this could be triggering to you, you should skip this book. 

The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre is about the dangers of unrealistic beauty standards and the harm that they cause. It's also about healing, finding strength in love, and challenging harmful beliefs and practices. I enjoyed reading this and I think that others who love character-focused romantasy may too. 
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The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

"The past is not so far away as you might think. Nor the future, for that matter. No man lives free from history." 

This was such a unique and beautifully written book. The characters, settings, and themes were all done incredibly well. I got fully swept up in the story and did not want it to end. 

I think this is a book that I will be thinking about for months or even years to come. I was truly floored by how much I ended up liking this and how emotional I got at the end. 
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The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag

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adventurous hopeful 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

4.0

A beautiful story with a beautiful message!