Jordan

This book follows a set of sisters, Veronyka and Val. They are animages who are living day to day after a bloody revolution ripped their country apart. At the opening of the book, they are incubating 2 phoenix eggs they found. When one hatches for Veronyka but not for Val, Val's brutal personality is fully exposed. Veronyka runs off in search of the Phoenix Riders. What follows is a story of heartbreak, deceptions, and love.

This is the first book in a while that I have wanted to stay up all night reading. I didn't want to put it down. I was enthralled. I read a lot of reviews saying the pacing was off, but I didn't really have a problem with it. I love Veronyka as a protagonist. She is fierce, but very kind. Sev was such a great side character. His arc was so unique from what you find in most YA books, but I was rooting for him and Kade from the outset. All of the revelations in the last quarter of the book had me squealing out loud. I didn't guess any of them. I like that a lot of the tropes were twisted a little to be unique. Also, who WOULDN'T want to read about people that can connect magically to animals and RIDE PHOENIXES? Like, what more do you need to know going into this story?

Nicki Pau Preto has done an excellent job creating unique characters, an enthralling setting, and a captivating plot line. I have already requested the next two books from my library because I just cannot wait to read the rest of this series, and anything else this author releases.

TW: animal death, death, emotional abuse, gaslighting, mind control, slavery, war

I went into this so hesitantly because I was so disappointed in Electric Idol. But Katee Robert redeemed herself with this installment.

This book follows a romantic relationship between Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen. It is a super steamy, and super sweet, story. There is more political maneuvering like in the previous books, but all of it is secondary to the romance. This isn't a detraction, though. That's why I read these books. :)

I highly recommend if you're interested in this series to just skip Electric Idol. It doesn't even compare to this book and Neon Gods.

3.5

This book should be a required read for every single person on this planet. I learned so much from Ijeoma Oluo. She breaks down difficult concepts for the reader, while showing you how to combat these concepts. She gives the reader tips and advice for talking with others about race, and when it is appropriate. She also gives you ways to fight racism with more than just words. She shows you how small changes in your life will help combat systemic racism. Please, please, please read this book.

3.5

Woah

First, thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows a young woman named Hirka. She has grown up her whole life believing her tail was taken by wolves when she was a baby. One day, her father reveals that her life is not as it seems. In a world run by a Council who work for the Seer, and where ravens are holy symbols, Hirka must discover who she is and what she can do to stop the coming war.

The premise of this book was unique and interesting. It set a very dark tone from the beginning. However, I think the pacing was off throughout a lot of the book. There were multiple times where I would get confused about what was going on because I felt like we had time jumped without any preamble or explanation. I am still confused on a lot of the magic system. It's never fully explained what the Might is or how it's used. I was waiting for something to happen that would make it make sense, but it never came. I'm not sure if these problems are because this book wasn't originally written in English, so things might have been lost in translation, but it made some of my reading experience jarring at times. This made the middle of the book feel very boring at times. The beginning drew me in, and then it felt like it took a long time for me to get interested again.

I really enjoy Hirka and Rime as characters. I especially enjoyed their character development throughout the novel. They both started as naïve children who were forced to grow up pretty quickly. Their ending was a HUGE cliffhanger, and this alone is making me want to read the sequel.

Overall, the premise of this book is strong, and the characters are complex and interesting. However, the pacing is very weird and can definitely draw you out of the story for a bit.

TW: sexual assault, sexual harassment, violence, drug use, suicide

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

This book was a blast to read. I have recently been really into learning about space, and this book gave a perfect, condensed history of humanities explorations into space without being overwhelming. The book didn't get bogged down by hard to understand concepts. It was easily digestible and informative. I would recommend this to people just starting to learn about space to get a real understanding of the specific parts of space your interested in. I will say, this is definitely more of a history book than a science book. You do get some basic science explanations throughout, but I felt like I learned more about rocket science and less about astrophysics and astronomy. Otherwise, it was a fun, easy read.

Romy Silvers was born in space. Her parents were part of a long voyage to a new planet that is suspected to be habitable by humans. On this voyage, they had Romy. After an unfortunate turn of events, Romy ends up alone as captain of the ship at age 11. She has been alone ever since. When she learns of a ship on it's way to join her that she is able to communicate with, she becomes ecstatic. She finally won't be alone. But with a war on Earth affecting how she runs her ship, Romy isn't sure what the future holds.

This book is INCREDIBLE. It starts off kind of slow, but James leaves enough unknown that you have to keep reading. The pacing was incredible. The slow start really added to how we ramped up the pace until the end, where my heart was pounding. I felt like Romy was a very believable character. You could tell she had spent a lot of her life alone. She starts off the book full of naivete. The plot twists in this book were NOT expected AT ALL. I had no idea this book was going in the direction it did. It quickly got very dark and very suspenseful. I technically finished this 3 days ago, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. It is such an incredible story of hope, loss, love, and survival. Everyone should read it.

TW: alcohol, anxiety, anxiety attack, attempted murder, blood, bones, death, emotional abuse, manipulation, gore, hallucinations, murder, needles, gaslighting, 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

I've been very excited to read this book. I mean, look at this cover. However, this book wasn't for me. I really enjoyed A Sorcery of Thorns, so thought I would love this book. However, i found myself getting bored multiple times through this short novel.

First off, the writing is incredible. Rogerson does a phenomenal job of really getting you to feel like you're in this world, experiencing it for the first time.

However, the plot was unoriginal and boring at times. There is the dreaded insta-love trope. Isobel, a level headed human woman, creates amazing paintings. When she paints the high prince of Autumn with human emotion in his eyes, he comes to kidnap her and put her on trial. She's mad for about 3 seconds, and then they're kissing. There was no basis to their relationship. You hardly learn anything about Rook's personality or his backstory, besides he's loved another human girl. It just felt unjustified and made for a boring plot.

All in all, I think some people would definitely like this book. The world of the fair folk is incredibly detailed and awful, and Isobel is a likable character. It just wasn't for me.

I am broken inside.

I LOVED this book. It was super fun. The premise is so unique. Throughout the book, it felt like the book was making fun of itself while still having a really incredible story.
This boom is about a group of mercenaries, known as a band, that regroup after retirement to save one of their daughters. Bands in this world are similar to rock bands, only mercenaries. It creates some really funny scenarios. I cannot wait until the second one comes in the mail.

2.5

4.5

4.5

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 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

Besides the books of short stories, I really haven't enjoyed the Witcher novels. I kept trudging on because of my love for the game and the show. I'm glad I did. This one was far superior to any of the previous.

I will preface this review with a warning. Sapkowski's treatment of women is extremely bad in his books and this one isn't an exception. There is humiliation, mutilation, rape, harassment, assault, etc. It's awful and disgusting. One could argue that it's because this is set in the Middle Ages, but this book gets graphic at points.

Ironically, this book follows Ciri more than Geralt, showcasing how much of a badass she is. We continue where the last book left off. The story telling devices Sapkowski uses are interesting and dynamic. The pacing only felt sluggish when there was heavy exposition, but most of those points were necessary. This book didn't hold back any punches. It really made me love Ciri even more than I already did. It also made my affection for Yennefer stronger. Interestingly, I felt mostly frustrated with Geralt in this book. His chapters didn't captivate me as much.

I'm very excited to read the next book! I couldn't say that with any of the previous books, so that's definitely an improvement!

This book picks up where Incendiary leaves off, with Renata working to free her people, while also battling with all of the memories she is holding in her head.

This book didn't really do it for me. I think it may be hard for me to put into words what bored me. While the first one was full of tropes, but in a good way, this one was full of tropes that just annoyed me. There was definitely some insta-love going on, which is always hard for me to get behind. But my biggest gripe is that I was just bored. The action wasn't exciting enough to keep me interested. The romance was boring. The conclusion was predictable. Maybe I wasn't in the right head space to enjoy this book at this time, but it just wasn't for me.

TW: death, murder, torture, violence

This book was a delight and such an incredible set up. I will be posting a more detailed review on my YouTube channel in a couple of weeks.

Hadrian starts the story in the present by telling you that he ate a sun, destroying an entire alien race as well as billions of humans. He then proceeds to tell his story. With this set up, the reader is immediately aware of the tone of the story. With the first person perspective, you also are never sure whether to trust Hadrian. At times, it felt like he may be embellishing his story.

The plot was slower paced, but didn't detract. This book felt like a massive set up for an epic story. We learned a lot about the politics, Hadrian himself, and the lore of this world. It was all very interesting, and I am very excited for the next book because I've heard it goes off the rails.

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

This book was soooooo cute.

You follow office rivals both competing for a new management position. They hate each other, and constantly create tension in the office. You watch as this hate slowly dissolves and becomes something new entirely.

I really enjoyed this book. I read the first 70% via audiobook, then switched to ebook. The best part of this book is for sure the banter. Their conversations and Lucy's inner dialogue were so funny, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. Josh and Lucy's relationship is fun, snarky, and sexy. I definitely recommend this book to romance fans.

This may be a long review, because I have a lot of feelings about this book, and this series as a whole. I won't go too far into the plot because this is the last book of the series, and I don't want to spoil anything.

This series as a whole has been a mixed bag for me. I really enjoyed the short stories. Then, when we got into the full books, they were hit or miss. There were some books that I thought were really captivating, and some that were complete wastes of time to read. This one falls in the middle of that spectrum. First, there were so many potential triggers in this book. There were multiple sexual assault scenes that got graphic. Every time, I was completely pulled out of the story and disgusted. They didn't add to the plot at all. In my opinion, the detracted from it greatly. They were unnecessary.

However, there were certain parts of the book that I felt were so great. The plot was fast paced, and the characters were put in interesting situations. Then, all of a sudden, a chapter would be thrown in that completely killed the pace and was incredibly boring. Every chapter had a different “vibe” to it that could be quite jarring.

Overall, I love the story of the Geralt and Ciri and Yennefer and all of their friends. I think a lot of that stems from my love of the game, however. I don't know if these books are worth it to read. I don't think that the good parts are good enough to outweigh how much shit you have to get through to get to them. I am very excited to continue watching the show and seeing how they adapt it, and hopefully improve it.

TW (there's so many): ableism, alcohol, amputation, animal abuse, animal death, assault, attempted rape, blood, bones, child abuse, death, drugs, famine, fire, genocide, gore, hospitalization, incest, kidnapping, misogyny, murder, pedophilia, physical abuse, rape, sexually explicit scenes, skeletons, torture, violence, war, forced artificial insemination