Mercer

I learned a ton from this book! It was really interesting hearing stories from this time which was so formative for me.

For people that enjoyed Meet Me In the Bathroom or Please Kill Me, this will be a hit.

This book was meant to be an “all new series” separate from darker shade of magic, yet there was so much that I didn't understand or grasp the weight of because I have only read the first in that series.

I felt like I lacked all context needed to enjoy this book, and so only enjoyed one specific character's story. That part was very invigorating, but the left felt me feeling like “yeah? So what?”

I gave it 3 instead of two because I could have stopped and just gone back to read the darker shade series, but it's the principle of the thing. Also, Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere did the “magic london” concept better, and the Six of Crows series did heists AND a new series in the same universe better.

Aw, this was sweet. Outside of the fact that the author referred to the ENTIRE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND as if it were just one small town, this was very enjoyable and sweet. I love these “rom com” type of books rather than anything raunchy. I enjoyed this and didn't want to stop reading it!

This was between a 4 and a 5 for me. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone because the content is deeply challenging and potentially triggering, but I do think that anyone who parents children should read it, whether they are fat or not.

This definitely shook my perspectives on some things and challenged what I think “effective” parenting is.

This was such a quick read I was surprised by how emotionally resonant it was. Masquerading as a group of misfit kids chasing down old town ghost stories, there's actually a much deeper, more tender plot at the heart. Very very sweet and sad.

Read this with my kiddo and, like a lot of older fiction, there was some things that we needed to discuss and clarify. But, overall, it was delightful and he really enjoyed it.

God. This series was perfect and this ending was so dang good. Full of hope and sadness.

Very sweet. I didn't appreciate this one as much as the authors other work, but it was a lovely, sweet, sentimental book.

Very interesting premise. Not a very interesting book. I wish more of the characters had time to shine and be a bit more fleshed out. Ironically everything felt very two dimensional.

I really wanted to like this. It was recommended to me alongside books I loved like Circe and Clytemnestra, but setting was all that the three had in common. I ended up DNFing it at around 65% when I realized that was the case.

I gave it three stars because perhaps I would have liked it if this brand of historical fiction was up my alley, but it's not and that's on me, not the author.

I will say the plot was essentially nonexistent with nothing keeping it together but the characters. This was essentially just a very long series of vignettes into what life as a concubine in Pompeii would have been like, but there was no advancement of plot or story. So, interesting but not compelling for the length.

Very good AND deeply triggering. A great read for childbearing parents and people that know them.

I like the world that this is set in. I think the magic etc is interesting. However, nothing happened in this book except for realllllly bad dialogue and exposition. I think the whole 400 pages took place over a week? Two weeks? I'm not sure.

I will likely read this whole series in a similar way that I read 50 shades. Which is to say with equal horror and enjoyment.

Soooooo funny and sweet. Much more funny than typical romance novels. I appreciated it even more Because of the self-sabotage of the main character.

I love these books and wish I could live inside of them!!

I love this so much. I was surprised, actually, by how tender it was. A cross between Christopher Moore and Douglas Adams, I think, and tackling the tough topic of reaching “human perfection.” So, so good.

Misdirection on misdirection. Truly so so good. Love the sociopolitical commentary as well.

This book was pretty whack! Torn between three stars and two, but honestly I don't think I would ever do anything besides tell someone not to read this.

I read a review that called the love interest “discount Rhysand” and tbh, cannot unsee.

This book was trite, predictable and poorly written. The characters were one dimensional, and the romance was uninspired. The way that death was dealt with was shocking—very little energy or attention given to it despite the fact that it was EVERYWHERE in this book.

Beyond that, there was zero “show don't tell” in this text. All exposition happened in conversation, nothing left to be inferred. The twist at the end was equally predictable and telegraphed.

As a YA/academia novel: the setting lacks exploration. As a romance novel, it lacks good romance, or well-written meaningful scenes. Truly it delivers on nothing. Read dragon riders of pern instead. :)

So glad that I read this prior to watching the show (which I still haven't watched) Becayse this is easily a new favorite.

This is a prime example of how SF should be written. I loved that I discovered and learned about the world as the characters did. I loved the tension and pressure and relief I felt when the characters felt it.

I went in totally unawares to this book and couldn't be more delighted. Anyone who is a fan of SF set in “our” world should read this.

This book left me feeling tender and hopeful. Much more literary than romance and all heart.

This was good. There was a lot happening: commentary on blackness, queerness, family dynamics, and, of course, folklore. I think Becayse there was so much happening I didn't get everything and maybe it was because of that that I gave it a three. I may revisit someday, but I don't know that I enjoyed it enough to do so.

Malcolm really enjoys these books! When I finished he said “is there a third one? Can we go get it?” And when I said no, he said “there's no third one, but there is a fifth one?! You talk about fifth edition all the time.”

Oh MY GOD THIS BOOK DEVASTATED ME. So much interpersonal drama. Really appreciated how the cast of characters was slimmed down and we were able to focus on the motivations and exploration of good and evil for each.

Appreciated this and a deeper dive into nesta's psyche. Loved the feminine power throughout. Was pretty turned off by how explicit the book was—felt like it really ramped up for this one. Perhaps it's because I listened to the audiobook this time around but...dang. Just a lot of content where I was like

Love that SJM was like “you know what doesn't exist in books, and what we need more of? Christmas specials.” And then she just went and wrote it.

This was so sweet. I love a happily ever after that is nontraditional, and I loved the setting—references to OOB always win.