Gail

While you slept, the world changed.

I've been a long time fan of the X-Men movies, but I'd never REALLY cracked open an X-Men comic until this August (unless you count the giant-size compendium I bought in high school and never read). House of X/Powers of X is a good jumping in point for readers that already have a cursory knowledge of major characters, but I think it would be a bit disorienting for someone completely unfamiliar. There was plenty of cool worldbuilding and dramatic moments to keep me engaged, and I'm interested to follow these character's stories throughout the Krakoan era.

Thrum is very plot forward, which made it fast-paced and entertaining but didn't leave much space for Ami to become a fully developed, memorable character. Her role on the ship and her backstory on Earth are both vague, just the bare-bones information needed to propel us through the story. I feel an extra 50 pages split between the beginning and end would have allowed for more of a character arc.

This book had me theorizing from the first page and delivers on some of its big mysteries, but I felt it ended with a few too many unanswered questions for me. Genuinely, I think another 50 pages to build the characters and answer some questions would take this book to a five star for me.

I have a bad habit of guessing plot-twists/big reveals the second the set-up is introduced, which makes it difficult for me to write reviews. The reveals were still satisfying for me, but I guessed a lot of the twists and think loyal sci-fi fans might see things coming a mile away.

This doesn't affect my rating, but I'd like to talk about the marketing/genre situation. I feel the book was intentionally marketed as a certain genre to get readers interested and maybe even distract them from what was, for me, a very obvious set up. I understand why the book was promoted the way it was, and I don't even necessarily disagree with it — but I was surprised to see readers tag it as things like “spicy” or “age-gap-romance.” While those labels are true in a way, I feel like it fails to acknowledge the insidious nature of this relationship and, in a way, romanticizes it. But I also see that the romance, for better or for worse, is a driving element of the plot, and that it's promotion as a romance was effective in getting readers interested. I'm interested to see more people weigh in, and I'd love to hear what y'all think.

It seems like I have a lot of negatives to say, but I really did enjoy this book. It was tense, gorey, fast-paced and wholly entertaining. If the premise has you interested, I'd say it's definitely worth the read. I'd recommend this book to fans of weird sci-fi films, Alex-Garland types.

Grace Hughes, an Australian swimmer, transfers to an American college and finds herself in the middle of a bet between rival sports captains. While I had fun reading What Are the Odds, I felt it really stuck to genre conventions and tropes: the playboy jock prone to one-night-stands, the FMC who is unphased by his popularity and drives him crazy, the background entourage of puck bunnies that let us know the FMC is not like other girls.

I don't want this review to come across as overly critical because it really was a fun read and I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it. That being said, I have a lot to say and a lot of it is negative.
Cheers~!

❤︎ What happened to their group project? What was anybody's major?

❤︎ I didn't really get the bet. In the beginning, these two teams hate each other so much that they can't even share a gym and apparently the only way to settle this is by... seeing who can bone the exchange student first?? Then the competition element of the bet is abandoned when they sort of just anticlimactically decide to call a truce? The team rivalry fades into the background along with the bet, players from both teams throwing parties together and coexisting. Why did we even need a bet? Why did they decide that was the best course of action? Why did they pick poor Grace?

❤︎ I enjoyed the background cast of characters (though it was maybe too many people to keep track of). I like that Grace has genuine friendships with Levi's teammates... and sometimes I liked those teammates more than Levi. Specifically, the part when Tripp glares at Levi and basically warns him off from hurting Grace. He doesn't even know about the bet, he can just sense that fuckboy Levi is up to some bullshit.

❤︎ There were a lot of sports to keep track of, which may sound like a silly criticism for a sports romance — but if I have to read about the rules to MULTIPLE sports and read scenes of games/meets in MULTIPLE sports, that's maybe a bit much for my sports illiterate brain.

❤︎ The more I explore the hockey romance genre, the more I realize that I'm not into the alpha male shtick. For me, Levi often comes across as jealous, immature and insecure at the slightest threat to his claim over Grace — despite the fact that he is apparently so hot and manly and good at sports that every woman within spitting distance is trying to get into his pants.

I tried to gauge whether she was being flirtatious or not. Usually with girls it was easy to tell. Maybe that was because, more often than not, it was. As egotistical as it sounded, I'd always been able to get any girl I wanted. Put it down to being six-foot-three and good at sport. Dumb, I know. But a reality, nonetheless.

“And I want every guy in this college and country and world to know that you're mine and they're not allowed to look at you. Or touch you. Or think about you. Or fucking take you into their room to talk.”

apologize and get put in time out over winter break. Plus the weird last-minute hide and seek competition that I totally thought was going to end in a wild plot-twist threesome with Ryker.

What Are the Odds

“There was something disconcerting about opening your eyes first thing in the morning and seeing a thick trail of red oozing down your nice wallpaper, pointing straight at your head. It really set a mood for the remainder of the day.”

Margaret finds her dream home and refuses to give it up even after a series of increasingly dangerous hauntings drive her and her husband to the brink. When her husband leaves town and their daughter insists on finding him, Margaret is more concerned about her daughter discovering the truth than the blood pouring down the wall — that, after all, happens every September.

✩ Concept With a pitch like “woman moves into haunted house and is too stubborn to leave,” The September House was guaranteed to draw me in. Carissa Orlando absolutely delivered on this concept and leaned into every gory detail. It felt referential to classic horror media while also taking a fresh approach.

✩ Pacing What I love most about horror is its capacity to explore social commentary and push a hypothetical to its extreme — this book spent a lot of time making sure you understood what the commentary/message was here. That is central to the book, that is the book, but for me the plot seemed to lag under the weight of that message. Genuinely, I'd say the first 70% of the book is pretty slow and more exposition than plot progression. It's not until that last act that things get really interesting. The payoff is great, in my opinion, but it took me a while to read this book.

✩ Character I loved Margaret as a character. Without getting into too many personal details, I definitely saw a lot of Margaret in people I know in my own life. I connected with her character immediately, which kept me engaged while she struggled with the terrors of her house. I kept imagining her as a Winona Ryder type, with that same frantic and determined energy she embodies as Joyce Byers.

✩ Cinematic I often read books and think about how they might be adapted into other media — blockbuster movies, video games, HBO miniseries, etc. This book really felt so cinematic. The way the author moved me through action scenes, through rooms of the house, through time itself, felt like something out of a screenplay. I think she balanced description and action in a way that was both bloody and beautiful. I saw some reviews refer to this book as a dark comedy, and I honestly did not get the humor at all. Not in a bad way, I just didn't pick up on it. I think if it were adapted or I listened to it on audio-book, I would have picked up on the dark humor more.

✩ Psychological I love a haunted house story a la The Conjuring or The Haunting of Hill House. Those are pretty paranormal in nature, but I love it when a storyteller brings in a psychological thriller element. Margaret is an unreliable narrator — and the first unreliable narrator I've loved this much. I found out after reading that the author has a background in Psychology, and you can see threads of that in the book.

In Conclusion

If you love character driven slow-burns where you don't feel the tension creeping up your neck until it's got you in a choke hold — I'd say push through those slow parts and enjoy the payoff.

“You can pay me back later,” I said, inserting my credit card into the machine. “With your gold doubloons.”

When Cassie Greenberg, the quintessential post-grad starving artist, finds a craigslist-ad for a spare bedroom in Chicago, it seems too good to be true. $200 a month for a brownstone in Lincoln Park can't come without a catch, but Cassie is charmed by her old-fashioned and devastatingly handsome new roommate, Frederick J. Fitzwilliam — who also happens to be a vampire.

I would like to begin by saying I had no idea this was a reworked Reylo fanfic from 2019. I went through an intense stormpilot phase in my younger years and have stayed firmly away from any Reylo-adjacent publications. I honestly couldn't tell this book was inspired by their dynamic, and truthfully I would have read something else to scratch my rom-com itch if I'd known. That being said, I truly enjoyed this book.

It's like when you go to a unassuming shop, eat some bomb-ass rice pudding, then find out it's a front for an illegal gambling ring. If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone in, but God am I glad I ate that rice pudding.

The Good

I only have a baseline knowledge of Poison Ivy, so while this comic was gorgeous and had an interesting concept, I didn't fully connect with it the way a long-time fan might. Still a fun, solid read with heartfelt moments between the eco-gore.

When I first started reading horror novels, I was looking for the same feeling I get from horror movies and couldn't find it anywhere. The Haar was the first time I've literally had to put a hand over my mouth to process the image a book just put in my mind. The gore was so nasty and vibrant and fantastic, and then it's balanced with this heartfelt story of grief and love. A story this outrageous has to be executed just right, and David Sodergren makes it look easy.

PS — I never would have guessed Bianca Del Rio would be mentioned in this book but I appreciate it nonetheless.

He has asked me before how the world can be so heartless. It is this dastardly need to remain calm and composed and polite that has left us all feeling so alone.

There's a lot to love about Half a Soul, but what made this book so special for me was its exploration of the cruelties of the world. What do you do when the world is apathetic to the suffering of those around you? Olivia Atwater offers her answer in the form of a fairytale that is sweet but not shallow, bingeable but memorable.

Perhaps there were things you could only learn about yourself when you shared them with someone else.

A Lady for a Duke had all the makings of a perfect book for me:

★ Queer Representation
★ Regency Era Historical Fiction
★ She Fell First, But He Fell Harder

There's so much to love about this book, and I wanted it to be a 4 or 5 star read so badly — but there were a few too many ways that it fell short for me.

The Good

★ Major props to the voice actress in the audio book, Kay Eluvian, who gave each character a truly unique voice. I would pay for her to narrate my grocery list.
★ Fantastic representation! Viola being a trans woman was a big draw for me to read this book, but I was so pleasantly surprised by Gracewood! So often we read books with brooding protagonists who are Tragic and Misunderstood, but with no explanation for why. Seeing Gracewood struggle with war-time PTSD, an opium addiction, and toxic masculinity was so refreshing and well done. One of my favorite moments in the book was when he has a flashback from the fireworks and is finally able to cry without opium/alcohol in Viola's arms.
★ Sometimes in books it's not clear WHY they like each other/belong together, but there were so many parallels between their character arcs that it felt natural. They're both defying what society believes they were born to be and learning to fearlessly embrace themselves — and each other. What would you give up to be yourself?
★ Just so many sweet moments between Viola and Gracewood that had me kicking my feet. Gracewood is always

With all the flag-waving and cavorting, you might forget they was monsters. But I hunt monsters. And I know them when I see them.

I've been on a quest to find a horror novel that has all the elements I love in a horror movie, and this book's characters and dialogue jumped off the page and into my mind like a film projector on a mountainside. Disturbing but beautiful, heartfelt yet brutal, Ring Shout is a study in contrast. The elements of diasporic folklore, the historical setting, and the break-neck pacing all grabbed my attention and refused to let me go for 185 pages.

For how short it was, this book packed a sucker punch. Ring Shout is just the right length — long enough to explore its ideas and build a solid plot, but short enough to leave readers desperate for more. P Djèlí Clark books will be instant purchases for me from here on out thanks to the candid voices of his characters and gorgeous, gorey descriptions. Five stars.

Watching Deadpool & Wolverine fully reignited my love for X-Men and comic books in general, and it also introduced me to Gambit. I had no idea that Rogue & Gambit are one of the most iconic X-Men couples, and this volume was an adorable peak into their relationship. Sometimes it's difficult to know where to jump in on a story, and this volume definitely felt accessible as a casual fan. It recaps a lot of their history, but I don't think it would feel redundant for longtime fans. Their dynamic was so entertaining that I think I'll go back and read some of the run leading up to this, but I definitely understood it without the context.

I like that we get all the action, all the cool mutant powers, but also an intimate and grounded examination of love and trust. For me, what has always made X-Men stand out in the genre is its ability to tackle social commentary and the depth of its characters/relationships — Rogue & Gambit captures that depth and wraps it up in gorgeous artwork.

PS As an avid romance reader, I love that this is basically a second-chance romance / fake-dating trope.

I love the idea of a robot designed for violence being socially awkward and obsessed with trashy TV. This novella felt like a solid first episode in a great sci-fi TV series — action packed, a memorable protagonist, and a relatively small scope. It was refreshing that rather than being a super skilled Terminator type, that Murderbot's combat method is essentially cannon fodder. For me, the plot itself wasn't the most original story line, but the concept of SecUnits and the internal monologue of Murderbot kept the pages flying.

I'm curious to see Murderbot's journey with his identity throughout the series, and hopefully learn more about how SecUnits work — from what I understood, all SecUnits have human consciousness, just not human will due to the commands of their system. This definitely has me interested in reading the sequel, Artificial Condition.

It was probably irrational for me to think Amelia might want to be with me beyond what we'd already agreed to. But I was nothing if not irrational. I was greedy and selfish, too. I'd take any amount of time Amelia was willing to give me and be grateful for it.

This book is a campy vampire romp that doesn't take itself too seriously. Jenna Levine's vampires are less brooding and more goofy (but just as sexy?) than your typical vamp, and our heroine is the one doing all the rescuing. Yes, this book suffers from an excess of pop culture references and a mild case of instalove, but it's done in a way that is sweet and self-indulgent. If you're looking for a bite of paranormal escapism where the only stakes are wooden, this series is for you.

“Yeah,” Gretchen said. “If it's right, you just know. You know?”

He peered down at me, his eyes giving nothing away. “Actually, Gretchen—it's possible that maybe I do.”

Truth be told, I'm happy things turned out as they did. Because it means I'm here with you now, sharing a campfire and talking about ale and life and dragons. How could anything be better than that?

Brewed in Magic carries the same sweet, cozy energy of Forged by Magic, but in a winter yuletide setting. I bookmarked so many sections that I definitely need to reread this in December — and if you can, I'd recommend waiting til the cooler months (unlike me) to get the full experience. Here are my thoughts:

♡ The Love Interest My favorite hyper-specific trope is “man with a violent past turning to a simpler life” and this book delivered. Ragnar was flirty and charismatic, sarcastic and sweet. He goes out of his way to help others without expecting thanks, but he's also petty enough to go out of his way just to annoy someone. He had so many great one-liners and quotes that I highlighted, like ““You're the one gaping at me, darling,” or “You liked that? Hard to tell.”

♡ Cute Ass Dragons The dragons continue to be cute every book. I don't have to explain it, you get it. Just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the giant bat puppies.

♡ Scope + Stakes My big complaint last book was that the scope was too large and the stakes too serious for it to be a cozy fantasy (according to my understanding of what cozy fantasy is). This book, the scope was much smaller (a single town on the island) and the stakes were much lower. So low. Maybe too low? Lilia's worst case scenario is that she has to go stay with her brother for a few months while she saves up. Obviously that would be horrible for a wandering, free spirit like Lilia, but she's not going to die like Daella could have in the last book. I like that this book felt more zoomed in and didn't try to tackle these big consequences — but I also think that lower stakes make it harder to build tension, which is why folks are saying they didn't feel chemistry/didn't get invested enough. It's a tough balance to strike.

♡ Get Your Pitchforks In both books, the plot tends to move forward through miscommunication and jumping to conclusions. For such a utopian village, there sure are a lot of angry mobs making decisions. I got it in the first book, but seeing this same plot device in the second book was too repetitive for me. Another element that carried over from the first book was the enemies/rivals to lovers — I know the trope is super popular right now, so maybe this wouldn't bother everybody, but I'd prefer more variety. I've peaked at the next book, and it's another rival/enemy situation.

It's messed up how much I'm enjoying this. Just hanging out with a girl without worrying about how I'm going to get rid of her or that she's going to start making demands on me.

Garret, that is like the least messed up part of this whole book.

I wanted to try my first hockey romance this year, and for some reason I chose The Deal by Elle Kennedy. I can't remember what or who initially drew me into this book, but I ended up loving the way the author incorporated so many fun tropes — bad boy with a soft spot, forced to share a bed, fake dating, etc. The bickering between characters and the melodrama of the plot made this the perfectly quick read to get me out of my latest reading slump and I devoured it in a day or two.

That being said, this book was also kind of terrible. In fact, I'd like to give a bombastic side-eye to the following:

✦ The part where Garret or Gavin or Graham calls her playlist “wicked eclectic” and it's literally Etta James, Adele, Queen, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha, and the Beatles. I love those musicians, but I wouldn't call that an eclectic range.

✦ The part where Garret flashes a boyish grin and Hannah thinks to herself,

He really has mastered that little boy look. Except he's not a little boy. He's a man with a big, strong body and a chin that lifts in determination.

I hope the answer to that is yes and that they anal-probed you for ten hours straight, because you deserve it for ignoring me for more than a week

Maybe because I know what a slut Logan can be. I can't even count the number of times I've seen a chick do a walk of shame out of his bedroom.

should

why

The Deal

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book is feminist smut about feminists writing smut, and I loved it.

But then again, this was exactly what she wanted Belvoir's to be: an attainable resource for women who would not otherwise have access to knowledge that could change their lives for the better.

I know this isn't funny. But only you would turn up your nose at embroidery and resolve to overturn society in its stead.

“No,” I lie again. I don't know why I don't just come out and tell them.

I don't know why either, girlypop.

I honestly did not enjoy this book but by the time I realized it wasn't for me, I was too far in to quit and decided to just power through. I'm new to mystery/thrillers in general and I don't usually enjoy “unlikeable characters” so please take my review with a grain of salt — you may love this book, as the majority of the reviewers seemed to love it. But for me, this was a miss.

Home Is Where the Bodies Are is about three miserable siblings discovering their parents were also miserable and half-heartedly investigating a string of disappearances.

THE GOOD

★ I always appreciate a book set in the rural midwest, and I can see this setting really working for people that enjoy the trope of “small town struck by the horrors of a murder in their own backyard realize their tight-knit community isn't as trustworthy as they once imagined.”

★ How could you not be drawn to a book with that cover?

THE BAD

★ The writing often drifted into this cheesy “chicken noodle soup for the soul” style that felt like it was trying too hard to create a quotable moment, but without the atmosphere and tension required to make it hit home.

”The moments that change us forever always feel recent, because we carry them with us whether we want to or not.”

this book could have ended at 20% if Beth had just opened the lockbox and read the letter that explained, quite literally, every detail of the mystery.

she overcomes adversity by realizing how precious life is — while I'm glad she gets her happy ending, I wish it was less straightforward. Addiction is a disease and healing is not linear, so this ending was overly simplistic for me.

Re: the Ending

I'm glad that everyone got their happily ever after, but I don't love that the big moral of the story is that their parents weren't bad people, they were just trying to protect the ones they love (according to Beth, at least). To me, the moral of the story is that if your child commits a horrible crime, you should get them the psychiatric help they need instead of hiding the body and rewarding them with a computer— but hey, that's just me.

Who's the real anyone? When does who you're pretending to be stop being a pretense and turns into who you really are?

When an incel wizard gets amnesia and forgets why he's evil in the first place, it's all hands on deck to teach this spineless, incompetent buffoon to be a good person. This book is about as subtle in its messaging as a moat squid to the face, but it's also genuine and heartfelt.
The side characters truly steal the show in the best way, particularly the goblins. This would be a good pick if you're in a reading slump where you just need something light-hearted and goofy.

Why must he make her miserable when he wished to make her happy?

The ton is shocked when a lieutenant presumed dead in a shipwreck returns to London alive and well. No one is more surprised than Jane Bishop, his lifelong friend and the cousin of his former fiancee. Jane, who spent the last two years mourning his loss (and running a ladies gambling club).

If you want a regency romance that will have you kicking your feet and giggling, please look no further. This book takes mutual pining to a new level with just the right amount of steam to fog up your glasses. For how sexy it is, The Lady He Lost doesn't shy away from heartfelt messages, either. This is a story about the risks we take for love and the power of having someone believe you. With a strong cast of characters, plenty of drama and toe-curling spice, you'll find yourself flying through the pages.

That being said, I feel a bit torn about the pacing in this book. The reader often finds themselves moving from moment to moment with no time to spare, and even the characters remark how quickly things seem to progress. Because the author included several intertwining plots but only gave herself 336 pages to wrap everything up, The Lady He Lost honestly felt rushed. I absolutely enjoyed how complex this story was, but when each piece is woven together as tightly as a corset, it can be hard to breathe.

On the other hand, the fast paced nature was engaging and made me feel caught up in the whirlwind of Jane and Eli's romance. I think if you normally find historical fiction to be slow or boring, this book would be a perfect introduction into what makes the genre so powerful. In the end, I believe The Lady He Lost would have benefited from another 50 to 100 pages, which would not only give the story room to breathe but also suit the genre.

Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely. The pacing is keeping me from giving it a higher rating, but I'm definitely looking forward to the next books in the series (which will hopefully be about Eli's younger sister)!

QUESTION: Sharing its title with the 1993 hit by Haddaway, this book begins each chapter with a trivia question.

ANSWER: What is What Is Love?

”He thinks he's playing 4D chess, but joke's on him because I only play checkers.”

leans into it.

”Tis merely a flesh wound.”

CW: dementia/memory loss, domestic violence (off screen)

THE GOOD

♡ The author has a way of making the brushing of hands or exposure of an ankle feel intimate and steamy, which makes for a delightful build!

♡ My favorite aspect of the book was watching Olive and Clementine's relationship build — I never had a sister, but I gained a sister-in-law in my 20's, so it's sweet seeing women my age build that sisterly relationship~!

♡ This was a super fast read for me (less than 24 hours), I think because I was invested in the concept and in the mood for this type of book. I saw other reviewers saying it took them a while to get through it, and I can definitely see how if I read this at a different time, parts of it might feel slow or meandering.

♡ I loved Archie's relationship with his mother and his journey coming to terms with/managing her memory loss. It's never named explicitly, but I could relate a lot of it to my own experiences with family members experiencing early onset dementia. The author brought to light the mental and emotional load of caretakers and how hard it can be to balance your own need to recharge vs your commitment to your loved ones.

♡ Another thing that isn't explicitly named but feels very present is Archie's struggle with reading — I definitely interpreted it as dyslexia, but I would be curious to hear from folks with dyslexia/other learning disabilities what they thought of this depiction.

♡ For me, Clementine's vegetarianism was handled well — she was strong in her convictions but never pushed her beliefs onto others, instead inviting people to learn when they showed curiosity. As a former vegan, it was interesting to read about animal welfare through a regency lens.
THE BAD

♡ The plot and pacing were confusing for me — we start with a ton of action, then simmer down to a feel-good vacation with little real conflict. Most of this book felt like them just hanging out, which allows for some great character development but not a whole lot of plot. It's not a bad thing to be character driven, but I think that might be why it felt slow for a lot of readers.

♡ The marketing for this book was misleading. I picked it up initially because I saw a tagline calling it “Ted Lasso meets Bridgerton for a 19th century spin on The Hangover.” I expected tomfoolery, I expected scandal, I expected drama. Instead, for most of the book we're sitting around embroidering handkerchiefs, eating mushroom pie and entering turtle races. I still enjoyed it, but other than that initial BOOM of action in the beginning, the book is very low-key and nothing like The Hangover.

IN CONCLUSION

♡ I had a good time, but I'm left confused over the marketing and wish there was more of plot to move the characters along. I don't see myself rereading this title or picking up the subsequent books in the series, but I also wouldn't discourage anyone read this book. I think you'd enjoy Earl's Trip if you like character-driven stories, light spice, and a wide cast of characters.

With you, I would dance until the world ends.

Forged by Magic delivers on everything you'd expect from a cozy fantasy: a trope-filled romance, a high fantasy setting and a low-stakes plot. I loved getting sucked into this world, but I also had a few too many criticisms for it to land as a solid four star read.

♡ The Setting Fantasy media often leans into the brutality of their pseudo-medieval settings, so it was refreshing to read a story set somewhere that values peace and prosperity over all. There's still violence and theft, but the way its treated by the characters made for a unique dynamic. I saw someone tag this as a “small town romance,” and I couldn't agree more — Hearthaven was giving me major Stars Hollow vibes with all the little merchants and townsfolk meddling and gossiping. Jenna Wolfhart includes so many fun world building details about Hearthaven that it starts to feel like its own character in the best way.

♡ The Trials I'm usually not a big fan of the trials/competition trope because I've seen it done so much, but Jenna Wolfhart offers a unique take on it. I loved watching the townsfolk find ways to sabotage without outright breaking the rules of their community. I loved that you see the effects of past competitions in the story, both positive and negative. My one criticism is that I wish the challenges were a bit more varied — if I recall, three of the challenges asked contestants to make something out of or using a certain element. The sculpture out of fire, the cupcakes out of earth, etc. I was expecting a big twist every time they announced the next trial, but instead it felt a little repetitive.

♡ Genre I love a story that blends genres, but this book more so flip-flopped between genres. It fits a lot of conventions of both high fantasy and cozy fantasy. The story is mostly focused on a small competition in a remote village: a small scope that matches cozy fantasy. But there are moving pieces in the larger world, one that crosses oceans and divides kingdoms: a larger scope that matches high fantasy. Even though the book feels low stakes, there's actually a lot at risk in this story — Daella's safety, the future of the island, political alliances and more. So is this a low-stakes cozy mystery, or is it a high-stakes, life and death adventure? It's both. Whether or not this is a good or bad thing comes down to your personal preferences. For me, it felt like the author wasn't sure what kind of book they wanted to write, which takes me into my next point:

♡ The Ending At the end of this book, the characters still have a lot to accomplish and it seems like the book is about to become a duology. You think that Daella and Rivelin are about to sail across the sea to retrieve an ancient book, bond to a dragon and maybe even defeat an evil king while they're at it — but you soon find out that all that plot nonsense has been wrapped up off screen and we're good now~! Instead of stretching that potential plot into a sequel, the author rushes the ending and ties it up in the neatest bow you've ever seen. In my opinion, this book should have either 1) been made into a duology to fully explore the story or 2) had a smaller scale to begin with.

⁺˚⋆｡°✩ Overall Thoughts✩°｡⋆˚⁺

For me, a four star is a book that I'm going to revisit over time. I don't see myself revisiting Forged by Magic, but I do see myself revisiting its world through the rest of the series. I'm being picky and putting it at 3.75 stars — the book itself wasn't a four for me, but I love the world so much that I want to continue exploring the series. At the time of writing this review, I'm actually halfway through the sequel and enjoying it a lot more than the first.

If you're looking for a fantasy as cozy as a dragon snuggled by a hearth, look no further than Forged by Magic. While I have criticisms with some elements of this book, it's also a super relaxing read that I would recommend to those getting into cozy fantasy.

Burnt offerings for an invisible god, that's what nitrate was.

The plot of Silver Nitrate is a slow build that, just like its magic system, burns brighter with every page. Each puzzle piece of the mystery is revealed painstakingly slowly through long dialogue and endless research — but this pacing reflects the journeys of our characters. Their apprehension and disbelief is transformed with each close encounter with the supernatural, and their fear feeds into an ever-growing web of magic.

The first act is a bit of a slog if you're looking for a tension filled fright-fest. I went into this book expecting horror and found more of a paranormal mystery. The “horror” elements were more visual in nature than a horrifying scenario, so the scare-factor relied on the reader's imagination to conjure up images of bleeding ghosts and decaying corpses.

I predicted many of the plot points and I'm not sure how to feel about it. For me, the best part of the horror/thriller genre is that shocking moment where everything falls into place. You see the chess pieces moving across the board, but you don't recognize the strategy until your queen is already in check. But is predictability a bad thing? Maybe it means the author set up the magic system and the flow of the story well enough to be predicted.

Most of the tension in the first half of the book comes from Montserrat and Tristán's friendship — Tristán's reckless, disaster-bi personality versus Montserrat's closed off, protective nature. Tristán's grief and guilt over his late girlfriend versus Montserrat's unrequited love for Tristán.

When they watched horror movies, it was the sight of the monster, the Other, that terrified Tristán and the idea of becoming the hero that seduced him. Montserrat saw herself in the faces of monsters and did not wince.

Montserrat transforms through bravery and determination, and Tristan transforms through acceptance and selflessness

He was attuned to Montserrat's phases, like memorizing an almanac and knowing if it was a gibbous or waxing moon without having to glance at the sky.

it felt a little shoehorned in, but I can also see that their relationship progresses not because Tristán suddenly falls in love with Montserrat, but rather because Montserrat's love is something he's been trying to deny for decades. It's not a realization, it's an acceptance, which aligns with his larger character arc. That being said, I don't think the story needed the romance to bring the character arcs full circle, and it wasn't awfully romantic either.

Silver Nitrate

Both swoon-worthy and macabre, Morbidly Yours is an entertaining romance full of will-they-won't-they chemistry. I don't know if I fully connected with the characters/story, but I did have a fun time and appreciate the things this novel did well.

POSITIVES

♡ I thought this was an interesting take on grief, more focused on the guilt of moving on and the fear of hurting/getting hurt again.

♡ I liked that the diversity was not limited to the supporting cast and was treated respectfully. It was cool seeing the love interest's demisexuality play out as part of this slow burn romance, and it definitely made me root for their relationship.

♡ I enjoyed the way Gaeilge was incorporated throughout the book. I don't know if the author is Irish/has visited, but it seemed well researched to me (not an Irish person).

NEGATIVES

♡ My biggest complaint with this book is that it often felt like a chapter would end in the middle of a scene — I kept being surprised when I would turn the page to find the start of another chapter in another perspective in a completely different scene, and then never circling back around to see the actual scene. It felt abrupt to me, and I wonder if the book was meant to be longer but was edited down to this length.

♡ The central antagonist was a little over-the-top for me, and I think it could have been grounded by a deeper motivation for his actions.

♡ The story was predictable for me, but I don't think that's always necessarily a bad thing. There were just certain points where I knew what was going to happen and felt a little impatient waiting for the characters to catch up, ie. when her workplace nemesis steals her art/concept to get a leg up on the promotion.