Jordan

First, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to keep this review brief because I'm going to post a more detailed review on my my YouTube channel. This book follows the heirs of the Four Realms: Life, Death, Light and Darkness. These heirs all have the power of their god in their veins, which gives them powers. However, a long time ago, the gods cut this city off, and their city is dying because of it. These 4 heirs must work together to save everyone living here.

I really enjoyed this book. I will say, one thing that really confused me is why these people's parents weren't who this story followed. But that's neither here nor there. I thought the characters were all incredibly thought out. We have 4 very different personalities with very different motivations, but all ultimately wanting the same thing. I loved that some of the characters did bad things and made the hard decisions. I really felt like the stakes were high in this book. The plot was fast paced, if not a little confusing at times, but by the end I felt like I was fully in the loop and understanding.

I will get more in depth in my YouTube review! I would definitely recommend fantasy readers preorder this book, though.

TW: abusive relationship, alcohol, animal abuse, attempted murder, blood, bones, bullying, death, demons, emotional abuse, famine, fire, gore, hospitalization, murder, occult, racism (fantasy), skeletons, snakes, spiders, cannibalism, terminal illness, violence

Dang, every addition to this series just gets better and better. I love all of these characters so much, and this book ripped my heart out at the end. We keep expanding this world and learning more about the political machinations at work and it's all so fascinating. The plot was slower in the beginning, and then really picked up as the war started. I felt the desperation and the helplessness that so many of these characters felt. All of the character development that we got was so well formulated by Sullivan. I truly felt that all of the character arc were superb, and their emotions and decisions they made during these tough times all felt very realistic and devastating. I would recommend this series to all fantasy fans. Sullivan gets how to make you care about a character.

TW: ableism, amputation, anxiety, attempted murder, blood, bones, death, gore, misogyny, racism (fantasy), violence, war

Roxane Dunbar-Ortiz does it again. In this book, she explores the myth of America being a “nation of immigrants” and debunks it. She does this by showing the history of America and all of the racist/xenophobic ways in which it has dealt with immigration. She does a masterful job of presenting this information. She presents the facts, with laws and direct quotes from America's past that really show how they have only ever wanted European immigrants, and have done their best to limit all other immigrants. She also discusses the ways they have dealt with Native Americans that were/are living here since before Europeans ever showed up and forcefully took their land.

All in all, Dunbar-Ortiz is incredibly knowledgeable about American history and her books really highlight that. I would recommend this book and all of her others to anyone. These should be read in schools.

Guys, I don't even know if I'll be able to gather my thoughts on this one. I'll keep this kind of brief because I plan to go more in depth on my YouTube channel. I will skip a plot recap since this is a sequel.

First and foremost, this book could have been shorter. It was too long. Second, we followed way too many POVs. Not all of them really added to the story. I like that we got this crew together and created this fun camaraderie; however, we really didn't need separate POVs for all of them. I don't think it added to the story. I think that the plot dragged for the first half of the book, but the last 1/3 of the book really picked up and got interesting. There was some queer rep in this book, so maybe SJM is listening to some of the criticisms she's had for her previous books. There is a lot more mature content in this book for sure, and I'm not entirely sure if all of it was necessary. Some of it I do think added to the story, but some felt like it was just there to be there.

SJM also I think tried to fix some of the criticisms she got from her other series in terms of colonialism. She tries to address this head on in this book and really show the inequalities and privilege's that her characters face. They try to fight back against the powers that are holding everyone down. Was she successful? I'm not sure. I think someone smarter than me would have to say.

She still heavily leans on her tropes of “mates” and “alphaholes”, but I didn't think that was going anywhere.

The ending threw me. I honestly cannot decide how I feel. I'll leave it there for now to avoid spoilers, but was it necessary? I don't know yet.

Overall, do I recommend this book? I guess yeah, if you've read her other books and enjoyed them. I don't think this was her strongest work. However, I will say that Bryce and Hunt's relationship is probably the healthiest out of all of her main ships. And the book was entertaining for the latter half.

TW: alcohol, blood, child abuse (mentioned), death, death camps (briefly visited), decapitation, demons, drugs, emesis, gun violence, murder, profanity, sexual assault, sexually explicit scenes, skeletons, terrorism, violence

In this continuation of The Legends of the First Empire series, we continue the story of the preparations for the war between human and Fhrey. I won't get more into it to avoid spoilers of the first book.

I am really loving this series. The pacing in the middle chunk of this book was pretty slow, but the beginning and end really made up for it. The main winner of this series so far is the characters. I love every character in these stories. They're all so well thought out, and their relationships are spectacular. The main group of women that goes on the expedition for weaponry are all so unique and strong. The themes throughout are so well presented, and I found myself rooting for every one of these characters. We get to learn more about the magic in this book as well, and it is so interesting. The side plot of the Mirror Leaf politics was a little more boring in my opinion, however it has been set up to seem like it will be important later. I'm hoping that story line pays off.

Overall, this series has been a joy to read. It is an expert blend of traditional fantasy mixed with modern themes that really leaves me feeling great after each book.

TW: ableism, amputation, animal death, blood, death, demons, attempted murder, misogyny, violence, war

This book follows Isolde, a Princess to a throne in a world where vampires are conquering everyone's lands, and Adrian, the vampire doing the conquering. When Adrian comes to discuss terms with Isolde's father, he says he wants to marry Isolde. She agrees to save her kingdom. Romance follows.

This book wasn't good. The plot was nothing unique; I've read this same premise before. I felt like the big reveal at the end ruined any of the romance that happened previously because Isolde wasn't told. The steamy scenes weren't that great to make up for the bad plot. Adrian and Isolde weren't interesting characters. Isolde does a whole 180 on her views on the conquest? I only gave it 2 stars because it was interesting enough that I finished it in one sitting. But it still wasn't good, just entertaining mindless reading.

TW: sexual content, blood, violence, murder, death, gore, death of parent, fire, war, grief, misogyny, colonization, slavery

OOF this one was kind of a miss for me. I won't get too far into the plot to avoid spoilers for the previous books.

I was so bored through the majority of this book. I did not understand why it was so long. The entire book felt like it was just the characters all travelling to Tear. While this allowed Jordan to dial into some of the dream magic found in this world, I didn't feel like it needed to be as long as it was. I also felt like maybe the reader shouldn't follow so many POVs. Knowing that everyone was going to Tear but didn't know the rest were felt more annoying than fun. Also, we hardly got any of Rand's POV, which I'm a little more conflicted on. For most of the book, I was incredibly annoyed by this. However by the end, I kind of understood more while this happened.

This book is getting 3 stars instead of 2 solely because of the last chunk. I felt like the ending kind of redeemed itself. The action ramped up and we got to see some pretty cool magic. I really hope the next book is faster paced.

TW: animal abuse, animal death, anxiety, assault, attempted murder, blood, death, emesis, fire, hallucinations, hostages, kidnapping, murder, torture (mentioned), violence, war (mentioned)

In a future America that has been overcome by climate change and greed, we follow a band of people just trying to survive. Our main character, Lauren, starts the book as a teen. As a way to cope with the world around her, she starts a journal, where she writes down information about her days, as well as her ideas for a new religion. This world is desolate. Every man is for themselves. There is legalized slavery, corruption, and violence happening all around. Can Lauren and her family survive in this world? Can her religion help the people around her?

This book was harrowing. It felt all too real. This was written in 1993, and the book starts in 2025. The dystopian setting created a brutal, disgusting world almost not worth living in. I think the strongest point of this book for me was Lauren's character growth. She is a teen in this book, but as a narrator seems so much older and mature due to her life experiences. However, she shows some naivete at certain points in the book that really hammer home to the reader that while she is mature for her age, she is still just a girl. Butler does a deep dive into what the human psyche would be like in a world like this. She also shows how thin the veil is between our current world and this world. We could be a few missteps away from living in a world like this, and it made this book very hard to read at times.

Please read the CW carefully. This book is graphic and brutal. I would recommend this to people, but please check those.

CW: animal killing, cannibalism, drug use, gang violence, incest, murder, mutilation, pedophilia, racism, rape, sexism, torture, violence

Humans have long worshipped the Fhrey, a race a people that are superior in every way. However, when one of them is killed by a human, word quickly spreads that the Fhrey may not be as invincible as they seem. In one of these communities, Persephone has just lost her son and her husband to a bear in their woods. When her path crosses with a young mystic and the god-killer, they must all work together to protect their communities from the Fhrey and from the human-killing bear.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I believe I'm reading Sullivan's books in a different order than most, but I decided to read this one first so I could understand all of the references in the later books. I went into this book knowing next to nothing about what to expect. I thought the strongest part of this book is the characters. The banter was all funny and personal, and they all created such touching relationships. The plot was also incredible. I didn't see any of the plot twists coming. Sullivan did a great job of not giving many hints and then just dropping a huge plot twist. I thought the last 25% of the book was so fast paced and wild and I couldn't stop listening.

All in all, I am very excited to continue with this series and Sullivan's other series. I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers everywhere.

TW: ableism, amputation, animal death, assault, attempted murder, blood, bones, cannibalism (mentioned), cheating, child abandonment, death, demons, famine, fire, gore, miscarriage, misogyny, slavery, starvation, violence

I enjoyed this addition, but there were some drawbacks in my reading experience. I think some of it is just me being an adult reading a middle grade book. Most of these are not knocks on the book, just subjective opinions I had while reading.

First, I really enjoyed the character dynamics throughout this book. All of the character and relationship development that happened felt very rewarding as a reader. The plot was interesting, but I think there wasn't enough stakes in the Labyrinth. The way it was described, it was this terrifying, ever changing place that was near impossible to traverse. One camper went mad from being in there. However, Percy and co. all got through basically unscathed. While they faced challenges, they all seemed easily bested. I know this may be a product of the genre, but I feel like with Percy getting older, the stakes should also get higher. They felt pretty high in the last book. Maybe I'm just being picky.

I also find the narrator of the audiobook frustrating. Now this I know is a product of the target age group. The villains all just have very stereotypical voices and it makes them seem way less scary and evil and they just sound comical. Again, this is just me reading as an adult. I understand why this would appeal to a younger age range.

Overall, I did actually enjoy this book. I liked the character progression and I think the plot is going in an interesting direction. There were just some things that annoyed me within.

TW: abelism, death, depression, fire, grief, loss of loved ones, manipulation, PTSD, sexism, skeletons, suicide (mentioned), torture, violence, war

In this expansive (pun intended) space 0pera, we follow 2 main POVs: Holden, who is on the crew of a large ice hauling ship, and Miller, a cop in the Belt. When Holden's ship is shot down during a distress signal rescue mission, he broadcasts to the universe that he found a Mars-built item on the ship, starting off an interplanetary war. Miller is assigned to a mission to find a wealthy family's daughter. During these 2 characters story arcs, we get to see all of the politics that go on, with Mars and Earth always at each others' necks to be the better planet, and the Belters treated as expendable. All of this tension builds up into a full-fledged war. But what Holden, Miller, and the crew discover is bigger than anyone could have predicted.

I enjoyed this book. The disease was the most exciting plot point of the book. It created this really tense, honestly terrifying story of these people trying to survive. The whole arc of Eros had my heart pounding. One of the main reasons I'm giving this 3 stars is that I really did not enjoy reading from Miller's perspective, which was about half of the book. I understand why his character is necessary to the story, I've just never been a big fan of reading books about cops. However, Holden and his crew are great, and the last quarter of the book really redeems Miller for me. The politics took me a while to get the hang of. I could not keep up with what was going on for a while. Also, the ship-to-ship combat was confusing to me. All of the science involved with the ship combat, however, was fascinating and kept me intrigued during these scenes.

All in all, I liked this book and am excited to continue with the series. I'm hoping now that I have a better understanding of how this world works and who the key players are, I'll have a better time with the next book.

TW: body horror, gore, death, violence, gun violence, alcoholism, mental illness, suicidal thoughts, vomit, suicide, blood, police butality, murder, war, drug use, chronic illness, genocide

I really enjoyed this addition to the Percy Jackson series. This felt like the first point in the story where these teens face real consequences and stakes. The tone felt much more serious in this one. The plot was interesting and fast paced, while the world expansion was well thought out. I really enjoyed the different ways the characters' relationships developed and matured. Rick Riordan did a great job of make these teens feel like teens, with all of the awkward social interactions and everything. However, they still did awesome magic and saved the world, which is the marker of a great middle grade/ya fantasy book. My biggest gripe so far with the series is the stereotypical fatphobia found in a lot of fantasy, where every bad/evil person is fat and ugly. It's just lazy story telling.

I'm really loving this series so far, otherwise!

TW: animal death (mentioned), anxiety, attempted murder, child death, death, hostages, skeletons, stalking, violence, war, fatphobia

In this book, we follow the adventures of Percy, Annabeth, and Grover as they try to find the Golden Fleece to save Camp Halfblood.

This book was a fun installment in the Percy Jackson stories. We get to meet more gods, as well as see Percy's powers grow. As this world expands and the politics between the gods gets more complex, Percy and his friends are also growing and maturing, and it's very fun to read about. While I don't think that the dynamics and themes are particularly groundbreaking for middle grade reading them now, I can respect that this might be where some of these themes began for the genre. I think the setting is really what sells these books for me. I love that all of these Greek myths are part of this world, and we get to learn more about them in each book.

Overall, a fun addition to the series! Excited to see Percy and his friends grow.

TW: ableism, animal attack, blood, bullying, cannibalism (mentioned), drowning (mentioned), homelessness, illness (serious, loved one), imprisonment (mentioned), parental abandonment, violence, war themes

I'm not going to get into the plot of this because at this point everyone knows the general premise of this book through societal osmosis.

I have never read this series. Growing up, I was a huge fan of another mg/ya magical school story. But lately, my love for said other series is waning due to the author's hateful views. I've been eyeing this series as a possible series to fall in love with that has a similar vibe. I won't be able to recreate the nostalgia, but maybe I can find something to read to my kids one day. When I heard about the tv show on Disney+ that was announced, I decided now was the time.

I'm glad I finally did! This book was so fun. The characters are all so endearing, and the lore and plot are so interesting. The Greek mythology basis set in the modern world is very fun. It also allowed for a certain familiarity with the mythological creatures and beings, which made the story that much more cool. I have heard from friends and reviewers that these books mature as Percy gets older, and I'm very excited for that. While there were serious stakes in this book, the characters are only 11, so everything was a little whimsical and reads very young. I knew this going in, so it didn't bother me. I can't wait to watch these characters grow!

TW: abusive parent, death, murder

In this Indian-inspired story, we follow a set of four siblings. Their lives have all split in very different ways, and they all have different goals. However, their paths all merge when they each get tasked with a common goal: find the Ivory Key that will restore magic. While they all have different motives for getting this key, they all decide to band together and use their unique talents to get this key back and protect the people they love.

I enjoyed this book. I felt like the characters and setting were all unique and fun to read about. The plot, while predictable, was still fast paced and enjoyable. I was engaged throughout. I think the setting is really the winner of the story. This world feels so rich and well thought out. Throughout their explorations, I was just so excited to see what they found next. The big plot twist at the end I saw coming from near the beginning of the book, so I didn't feel as shocked by it, but I do think it adds a whole new layer of intrigue to explore in the next book.

Overall, this book was fun and engaging. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good YA fantasy.

TW: graphic descriptions of dead bodies, high volume of discussion of grief and loss, death of family members, recovering from trauma, blood, violence, emotional manipulation, alcohol, discussion of identity policing/microaggressions directed toward a biracial character, allusions to human experimentation, discussions of war/an invading country

In this addition to the Dark Olympus series, we follow Persephone's sister, Psyche. In a wild twist of events, she is forced to enter into a marriage of convenience with Eros, a ruthless fixer for his mother, Aphrodite. What follows is them exploring their relationship while trying to navigate the political maneuverings of Olympus.

I was really disappointed with this book, and it looks like I'm in the minority that felt that. The first book, Neon Gods, was so good. This one just fell short for me. There are some of my least favorite tropes in this book, including insta-love. This book only takes place over like a week or a two. This made the relationship feel disingenuous. I felt like both characters did so many things that were so out of character. I understand having a false outer persona, but this felt like more than that. I felt like this marriage of convenience was not the only option they had out of their situation, and it felt utterly absurd that that's what the plan was from the start. In a romance book, I can look past some bad plot points if the steamy scenes are good, but these felt so vanilla and boring compared to the first book.

All-in-all, this felt very boring and contrived. It appears most people are loving this though, so I would recommend this to people that liked the first book.

TW: abuse (emotional, financial), body shaming, murder (off-page), guns, explicit sex

In this story we follow Vanja, a girl given up by her mother to Death and Fortune when she was young. She becomes a maid to a princess in the land, where she is mistreated throughout her childhood. Her “mothers” offer her to work for them, but she doesn't want another person she is being controlled by. She becomes an accomplished thief, saving her money to escape. She is able to steal the magical necklace of the princess, allowing her to take her place. What follows is a story of Vanja learning trust and acceptance, as well as fighting the mysterious evil afoot.

I enjoyed this book. The story felt unique, and I really like Vanja as an MC. She was flawed and interesting to follow. The side characters aso all felt complex and fully fleshed out. The action was exciting and fun. While I did enjoy listening to this book, I ultimately think I'm outgrowing YA some. This book is targeted for an age group younger than my own, so I didn't relate to the characters as much. This doesn't mean the book is bad by any means. The 3 star rating is purely subjective based on my reading experience.

I would recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy!

TW: child abuse and neglect, abusive relationships, trauma from past assault

Six candidates are chosen to test for a year in a secret, magical society. At the end of that year, 5 of the candidates are chosen to be inducted. They all are extremely powerful magic users, each with their own specialty. They are tasked with working together to solve a problem. What follows is a story of manipulation, deception, and magic.

I am now officially fully on the bandwagon for this book. My sole task on this earth is to get everyone to read it. It was incredible. The prose, the characters, the plot; everything came together to make an incredible story.

The prose in this story is very high brow and almost pretentious, which works so well in this dark academia setting. All of these characters are the best at what they do, and they know it. The prose highlights this throughout, really helping the characterization advance. There were some lines where I was just gushing at how beautifully written it was.

The characters are all so incredible. I think that some were explored more than others, but that didn't bother me too much. I do wish we had gotten a little more of Reina. I think the complex dynamics that exist between everyone is so engaging.

The plot is fast paced and twisted. I had no idea what was coming around every turn. I thought that the entire concept of the society is fascinating, and some of the discoveries these 6 people made literally made me get up off my couch and pace around. My husband thought I was losing it.

All in all, this book was a masterpiece. I am dying for the second book. This is now my whole personality.

TW: alcohol, blood, death, degenerative disease, guns/gunshot wound, manipulation, murder, sex scenes (not explicit), suicide

First, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this book, we follow a cast of characters living in Kithamar, a city with an ancient, bloody history. To get by, our characters have become proficient thieves. However, after the death of her brother, Alys is set on revenge. She follows in his footsteps, trying to complete his work while looking for his murderer.

Ultimately, this book was fine. I just felt like everything was a little lackluster. None of the characters gripped me and made me feel invested. The plot wasn't interesting enough to lift up the characters. It ultimately felt like a fantasy story I've read countless times, but without characters that I loved to engage with.

I think this book would definitely work for some people, just not me.

TW: death/death of a child/death of a sibling, gore, violence, suicidal thoughts, self harm, body horror

Klara, an Artificial Friend, is in her store waiting to be sold to a family. When she is chosen by a teenage girl named Josie, she is thrilled. She goes to live with them, and this is the story of Klara's life.

This book was ok. I went into it hesitant because the synopsis did not seem like something up my alley. My instincts were correct. I didn't hate this book. I enjoyed it well enough and listened to the whole thing. But I wasn't wowed by it. I found it to be anticlimactic and boring. The whole story is told from Klara's point of view. Because she is a robot, there is a naivete and matter-of-factness to her inner dialogue that, while intriguing at first, eventually became kind of boring. There were a few small twists in the book that were off-putting as intended, but it felt like nothing ever really came of them. The characters all felt pretty 2 dimensional, and ultimately I felt like this book was just a slice of life story with a robot narrator.

Again, this isn't a bad book by any means. I'm sure there are people out there who would really enjoy this book. It just wasn't for me.

TW: death, depression, child illness, neglect

Shizuka Satomi has made a deal with the devil: she must train 7 souls in the way of the violin and then sacrifice them in order to save her soul and get her music back. However, when she finds her 7th student, Katrina, she realizes that this may be harder than she imagined. Katrina, a trans woman who has run away from home, is homeless and desperate. Shizuka's offer to teach her violin while providing housing and food seems too good to be true, but she readily accepts. Lan, a woman from a different planet, has set up shop in a donut shop nearby. These 3 women's lives entangle, and they must work together to overcome their fears and live.

This book is beautiful. At the beginning, I had absolutely no idea what was going on. The story telling is a little confusing. When the POV changes in the audiobook, there is typically no pause or anything to indicate it has changed and the reader has to figure it out. At first, this made everything a little confusing, but as you get to know the characters, you can easily keep up with the changes. After I started to pick up on what this story was about, I fell in love. The characters are all so complex and damaged in a way that felt so real. They all had their own demons, literally and figuratively, that they had to deal with from their pasts and their present, and watching these characters help each other through life felt so rewarding. This book tackles very heavy themes, including racism, transphobia, queerphobia, etc., but Aoki did a great job of balancing these themes with touching moments.

I recommend this book to anyone. It was a lovely, fun, dark story about survival in a world that doesn't want you to survive.

TW: anxiety, deadnaming, domestic abuse, gun violence, homophobia, mentions of war (intergalactic), misgendering, partental physical abuse, racism, rape, self harm, sexual abuse, slut-shaming, suicidal thoughts, transphobia

What a sequel! I won't go into plot to avoid spoilers. I enjoyed this addition much better than the last book. There were definitely some faults with it, which I will get into, but for pure enjoyment factor alone, I gave this 4 stars.

This book struggled with some of the plot. I felt like Emilia got her way with these Princes more than she should have. They were made out to be these super powerful, manipulative men, but Emilia was able to get what she wanted from them multiple times. She also was able to get her way quickly with other magical beings in Hell. It all felt very convenient. I also think that some of the plot was pretty predictable. However, a lot of the ending caught me off guard and made me really hype for the next book.

The romance I felt like was great. The only downside was Emilia being pretty clueless sometimes. Some of that can be chalked up to insecurities, but she really didn't see some of the signs right in front of her face. However, the steamy scenes were great and I thought all of the arguing and tension was delectable. While there were some faults throughout with the plot, the ultimate goal for me is to enjoy a book, and this book delivered on that. I listened to the whole audiobook in a day. It was exciting and fun, which is all that matters.

I will add to this review that there is a scene (chapter 17) with questionable consent in regards to magical compulsion. No sex happens, but it ultimately felt unnecessary and didn't add to the plot at all. It was uncomfortable to read. Go into this chapter with caution.

I would recommend this book to people that like a good fantasy romance. Don't go into this book wanting the most riveting plot.

TW: blood, grief, gore, violence, loss of a loved one, brief mention of rape, drugging, a lot of sexual themes and scenes, questionable consent involving magical compulsion

First, thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for sending me this ARC in a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

This book, set in the near future, explores what the world would be like if humanity decided to colonize space. It explores the class and race divisions that are sure to be created. The people with the money and the means are the ones that abandon a dying Earth to go live in space with clean air and water. What's left of Earth is a radiation filled planet, where only the wealthiest of cities are able to afford a dome for protection. Many POC are left behind to live on this planet to eke out a life with little resources.

This book was a harrowing read, mostly for it's reality. A lot of this book has real life references in it, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. It talks about how these things changed society and led to space colonization. This created a book that felt like all too real of a possibility. It talks about the BLM protests, and how many white people became educated, but that didn't mean things changed. The Colonies in space learn all about white privilege, but are still the ones in space.

A lot of this book was very confusing. The story telling isn't linear, and there are many POVs. I found myself not knowing what was going on a lot of the time, and I'm sure even by the end I missed things. However, that didn't really bother me. I thought that the story telling made the reader feel how dark and chaotic this life was for these people.

All in all, I think this book is incredible. It is a beautifully crafted exploration of classism, racism, and how the two dictate the kind of life you're allowed to live.

TW: alcohol, alcoholism, amputation, assault, attempted murder, blood, bones, cancer, cannibalism, child death, death, depression, drugs, famine, fire, gore, gun violence, hallucinations, hospitalization, hostages, murder, poisoning, police brutality, racism, slavery, terminal illness, violence

Man am I so glad I picked up this series finally. I'm not going to go too far into the plot to avoid spoilers, but this picks up shortly after the last book left off. A lot of the problems with the first one were resolved in this book. My biggest gripe with the first book was that the pacing was off, but this book really improved on that. I didn't want to put the book down. The adventures had high stakes, and the reader learned so much more lore about this world and it's magic system. We learn a lot about the One Power and it's different manifestations as well.

The characters were all tested in specific ways to make their growth that much more impactful. We got some added characters that we followed, as well as explore characters we were already familiar with. One of my other gripes about the first book is that most of the book was just from Rand's perspective. However, in this book we get multiple POVs throughout the whole book, which I really appreciated. It really gave the reader that much more knowledge about the world.

The world building is chef's kiss. There is so many different types of magic, monsters, and locations we get to explore as the reader. While it can seem overwhelming at first, Jordan does a great job of making the information as digestible as possible.

I'm so excited to continue this series. I wish I had picked it up sooner.

TW: blood, violence, torture, slavery

In this novel, Tarana Burke gives the reader context for what happened in her life to lead her to founding the Me Too movement. You get to see, as the reader, a strong woman sharing her story of abuse and how she has worked through that over the years. She highlights throughout how sexual violence happens to women everyone without discrimination, but our responses vary widely and discriminately. She has focused her life on helping women and gender non-conforming people get the support they need after something heinous happens to them. It is really beautiful to see how she gets to this point. She doesn't hold back as she talks about her mistakes, her challenges, and her struggles as she gets to where she is today. So many people see activists as these all-knowing beings, but she really shows that she had to learn how to do this just like anyone else. It really made activism seem like an achievable thing instead of something that is too scary. I would ask everyone to read this book. Tarana Burke is a hero, but first she is a human, and she bares her story in this stunning memoir.

TW: sexual assault, sexual violence, rape, physical abuse, emotional abuse, drugs, alcohol