Sahi

Wow this book has everything I can ask for... A sweet and adorable couple Aaron and Giles, both music majors.. Everytime someone mentioned Aaron's beautiful voice, I really wanted to hear him sing 😍😍 The A capella groups Ambassadors and Salvo were a joy to read about - all of them are amazing musicians and a great group of friends. I really loved how well they supported each other irrespective of the situation.
We also see a diverse group of parents here - extremely caring ones on one side and obsessively controlling and murderous on the other. The ending twist related to Elijah and Baz was so unexpected, that it just shook me shudders.
The message I took from this book is of love and acceptance - accept and care for your loved ones for who they are and not what you want them to be. Also, support anyone whom you are in a position to - any little thing might just be what they need.
I didn't think I could love Walter and Kelly more but they are just awesome. Walter really is a true friend to Aaron. Giles's parents are sweethearts. All of the friends are amazing and I can't even choose between Mina, Damien, Marius, Baz, Drs Nussy, Dr. Allison , Pastor Schulz and his wife.. It's such a joy to read about so many wonderful characters. Can't wait to read the next one about Elijah and Baz !!!

When I read Milo, I hated the character of Gideon and I wasn't sure I was gonna read this book. But some of my trusted reviewers mentioned that this was good and I also can never resist a Lily Morton book, so I decided to pick and I'm so happy that it didn't disappoint.

Gideon is a 39 year old popular actor who is on a self destructive path, probably because he feels very lonely and due to the distress of being so long in the closet. He is grumpy, unwilling to let anyone help him, and has a very toxic relationship with his manager Frankie. Despite believing that he is unlovable, he actually wants a relationship with his brother Milo and I loved seeing them together. Milo has also changed so much and his love and worry for his brother, the way he decided to take matters into his own hands managed to melt even the cranky heart of Gideon. Eli on the other hand is a private nurse, who is used to snarky privileged clients and knows exactly how to put them in place. He is also sweet, charming and very optimistic in nature - basically a complete opposite of Gideon.

The first half of the book is hilarious. Gideon hates being on a senior cruise without drugs or alcohol while Eli is very strict about what his client can and cannot do. And this means we get a lot of Lily Morton's usual snarky banter. They go back and forth teasing each other and I had such fun reading it. The attraction is kinda inevitable but I loved how Eli was very principled and wanted to make sure that they acted on it only when both were very sure. The second half of the book is very very sweet but I enjoyed that part of their relationship development too. They really are very good for each other.

The best part of Lily's books are meeting the other characters again and I was so happy to see all of them. Milo is such an awesome brother and exactly what Gideon needed. Niall is funny as usual and it was nice to see him on better terms with one of his oldest best friends. Silas, Oz and Cora make an appearance too and the whole gang together was just delightful. When there seems to be an issue towards the end, I loved how they all stuck by both Gideon and Eli and encouraged them to be true to themselves. This really is an awesome friend group. We've never had a real negative character in this series before but Frankie is one and I hated him from page 1. I cringed every time he came on page and hated how much he was able to manipulate Gideon. But I'm glad how he was handled towards the end and wouldn't have minded something more punishing either.

What can I say about Lily's writing that I haven't already. Her books always manage to bring a huge smile on my face and this book was no different. The banter is the best and the friendship and found family dynamics are absolutely amazing. I really didn't think I could like Gideon but the author manages to give him a good and believable redemption arc and I appreciate it. As the story progresses, it turns from snarky to sugary sweet but I've come to expect it and like it that way. But the best part of this series has been the setting and it's still the case. I've no clue where Cornwall is or what kind of region it is, but the author brings it to life in such a beautiful way that I feel transported there and just want to visit the place. I've never felt connected so much to a fictional home before but Chi An Mor is the best and I want to live there 😂😂

Overall, this book was a lot of fun - full of banter, sweet and sexy moments, beautiful settings and even more wonderful group of characters. If you have enjoyed the previous books in the series, you should definitely pick this up. If you haven't read Lily Morton before but love reading books featuring sassy characters, pick up any book of hers and you won't be disappointed - but I would definitely recommend starting with Rule Breaker. Reading this book made my day better and I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

I've loved Steve Berry's Cotton Malone series for years now, but have always been fascinated by Cassiopeia as a character, always wishing that she play major roles in Malone's stories. So, it's been wonderful to see the author give her a series of her own.

While The Museum of Mysteries (my last encounter with Cassiopeia) was an okay read, I still wanted more adventures with her and this book didn't disappoint. I'm always interested to know which historical aspect Berry would decide to dive into, so I was not surprised to be immersed into a new religion, the Cathars, which I knew nothing about. While it's not possible for a newbie reader like me to discern fact from fiction in the story, I'm amazed by how seamless the incorporation of historical elements was in this book. And I was definitely intrigued by this religion which believed in duality (which is also the basis for the Dvaita school of thought in Hindu philosophy though a bit different) because it feels like such an antithesis to the beliefs of Christianity. Reading about the crusades is always painful, but getting to know that people of the same religion fought and slaughtered because of differences in the way they practiced it was even more horrifying. And as informative as the whole thing was, I also thought it worked wonderfully as the backdrop for this novel, and was exactly what I would usually expect from a full length Malone book.

I think the medieval religious historical find worked perfectly for Cassiopeia as well because of her intense respect for historical preservation. This was an adventure that I completely believed she would embark on and I enjoyed following her. She is also a very cool thinker and doesn't go headlong into confrontations, unlike the heroes we read about in similar spy thrillers. She kept her wits about in every situation and acted at the right moment, only doing what was necessary. I also really liked seeing her as the owner of her family enterprise and how she handles the business, because that's not a side of her we usually get to see when she is hanging out with Malone. I was also pretty amused by her thoughts about him, remembering his words when finding herself in a bit of a trouble, because he hardly seems to follow those words himself.

In the end, this is a short novella which thoroughly entertained me and I didn't want it to be over. It also had a pretty abrupt ending and could have done with an epilogue or another chapter. If you have enjoyed the Cotton Malone series by Berry and always wanted to know more about Cassiopeia, then this series is perfect for you. It's also perfect for fans of books which utilize the trope of archeological/historical mysteries being solved in contemporary settings. It is also possible to be read as a standalone, but I don't know if the emotional connect will be the same as those of us who have known these characters for many books now. Now my only wish is that the author duo decide to make the next book a bit longer.

This book is beautiful and full of feeling and love. It broke my heart several times and I was a sobbing mess for most of it but it ends on a hopeful note.
I want to write a more coherent review for this amazing book, but I'm too overwhelmed and don't have enough words to describe how I felt.

This book is just adorable... The feels 😍😍😍😍
The author does a great job writing about a group of young boys, their developing friendship and their struggles with handling the popularity and media circus at such a young age.
But the best part of the book is the story of Elliot and Danny.. their friendship, their love... it's just written so beautifully.. El is such a sweet precious baby and Danny is so selfless in his love - it got hard to see them struggle at times but there was never a point where it felt like they couldn't be together... Once you read this book, you will realize what “Made for each other” feels like..
Love this book and the boy band... Reminded me of my younger days when I was in love with BSB and Westlife..
#DellyForever

After the wonderful book that was The Start of Me and You, I had to go and read all the other books by the author. And this one didn't disapoint. It's beautiful, vulnerable and realistic with an interesting trio of characters you can't help but love.

Reagan is not your typical protagonist. She is an infamous party girl, drinking, smoking, just all out rebelling until a bad breakup (and a very literal one) finally forces her to revaluate her choices. She is prone to temper, doesn't trust anyone easily and is fiercely protective of her best friend. She is also very intelligent, gets excellent grades, has an ambitious plan for college and has decided to use her summer on the road with Dee to shore up her applications for her photojournalism major – not that anyone knows this about her. She is sassy, gives back as good as she gets, but has a vulnerable side to her that no one gets to see except Dee. She has always given into her bad instincts but is now trying very hard to listen to her therapist and think before acting out on her impulses.

Lilah Montgomery or Dee may be a teenage country music star who has to work hard everyday to live up to her image as a role model for young girls; but she is just a young one herself who has to constantly deal with intrusion into every aspect of her life by the paparazzi and slut shaming of all kinds by the gossip rags despite being untrue. She is very mature and strong willed most of the time, in spite of being heartbroken over her breakup with her high school swetheart. She is focused on her goal to become a successful songwriter even if that means she might not get to be with the love of her life, but she does burst into tears and outbursts sometimes when everything becomes too much to handle.

Dee and Reagan's friendship is the best part of this book. They are very opposite in personalities and its hard to believe that they could really be friends. But they've also know each other since they were eight, have seen each others' bests and worsts, shared their heartbreaks and drunken bouts, but always been there for each other. Reagan's sees past Dee's celebrity status and recognizes the teenager within. Dee can see through the tough rebellious facade that Reag puts up and wants the vulnerable girl within to find her happiness. They poke and prod each other, laugh and cry together, and fight and shout and say mean things, but its such a realistic portrayal of teenage friendship, that it made me remember all the best times with my BFF.

Matt Finch is the cute, sweet, boy next door type. He is effortlessly charming and swoony, making all his female fans go crazy, but Reagan likes the man underneath – the one who misses his mom and is very unsure of his future. He tries every trick to tease Reagan out of the walls she has put up around her heart. Their attraction is instant, but they hold back, unsure and uncertain, develop a friendship based on trust and slowly ease into their relationship. Drama obviously ensues and misunderstandings force them apart but the ending is very interesting. They are definitely not the cute, adorable couple but the stubborn, passionate one who will fight with each other about everything, but will also fight hard and dirty for each other, and there will never be a dull moment when they are together.

Though this book is set on the road, it doesn't have that spontaneous adventure vibe that we generally expect. But I enjoyed the metaphorical journey of each of them finding what they want and where they want to be in their lives. The writing is easy flowing, very conversational and raw and realistic and you will not want to put it down once you start. I especially loved the song lyrics, they are so poetic and emotional and full of feelings and I kept wishing I could hear them as a song.

This book is amazing in its portrayal of teenage friendships, love and heartbreaks, very authentic, showing it in all its true and ugly glory. Definitely recommend to anyone who loves YA contemporaries.

It's definitely more of a 4.5.

CW: Very graphic descriptions of rape and torture during Operation Condor in Chile under the Pinochet regime and the effects of PTSD on the survivors; the MC is the victim of a hate crime

I have waited for this book for almost an year now, so ofcourse I had very high expectations from it. But after the beautiful experiences I had reading Larks and Finches, I was confident that the author would mesmerize me again with her words and I'm so glad she managed to do just that.

I have very vivid memories of crying buckets while reading the previous two books in this series, so I was very much prepared to do the same this time around. But maybe I have changed in the past year and a half, because while this book is still a tough, emotional, beautiful read, I ended up crying only at a few moments. But that doesn't take away from the fact that there was not a single moment in the book where I wanted to put it down. Once I started reading, I knew I had to go on and I ended up staying up very very late in the night (or morning) to finish it. It horrified me, broke my heart, and then mended it with care and I can't really ask anything more from a novel.

The author's writing is mesmerizing and poetic as always, bringing to life the deep emotions being felt by the characters and making us feel connected to them. The author is absolutely wonderful in making us believe the love that characters feel for each other, and the impact they leave on us is very long lasting. But she is also brutal in describing the atrocities that were committed during the Pinochet regime in Chile and how this trauma has affected the survivors for decades after and through generations. It's this narrative of beautiful relationships in a world that is oppressive and torturous, and how characters manage to find a way forward in their lives that makes this book (and this series) so affecting.

One thing you can be sure of in Suanne's books, you will feel deeply for every single character, and it's no different here. The Tholet's are a family who have survived unbelievable atrocities which makes them very close to each other in their own ways and I absolutely adored the dynamic between them. They bickered, they argued, they broke down and shut off but when it mattered, they all had each other's backs. Cleon and Penny suffer so much, leaving behind their homes and lives when their community turns against them on multiple occasions, but they always support and believe in each other and the family they nurture is just beautiful.

I can't even describe what I felt about Jude. So much of his life is defined by what happened to his parents and then what happened to him, that it was a wonder how he was able to survive. And then life throws him another curve ball and I wasn't sure how adversely he would be affected. But then comes Tej into his life like a whirlwind and I was again captivated by the development of their romance. As another child survivor of war, Tej and Jude complement each other perfectly and it was a joy watching them open up and fall in love. Jude's sardonic wit and Tej's eternal charm make for some lovely moments within a very tough tale full of uncertainty, loss and grief.

There are also some fun side characters who bring levity to the story, like Jude's sister Serena and her Italian boyfriend or Jude's best friend Hewan and her partner. Even Tej's sister Mirelle's dog is absolutely adorable. But it's the resolution of one of the most intense arcs in the story which brings in cameos from the previous books in the series that completely blew me away and reminded me again why I love these books and characters so much.

To conclude, I firstly apologize for not saying anything coherent in my review because I just don't have words. I'm completely in love with the story and characters and writing and I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys family sagas and romance for the ages. However, make sure you are prepared for some very very tough subjects that the author tackles sensitively but they will probably wreck you emotionally and leave you a sobbing mess. But I promise they are worth experiencing.

Maybe more of a 3.5.

This was a good finale with lots of drama and angst but it was also pretty predictable (not that I minded it much). I raced through it in just a few hours and had fun.

I have somehow never felt very connected to these characters like I did with the characters from the Irish and Whiskey or Trouble Brewing trilogies by this author. So, the best part in this book was seeing my favorites from those older series showing up for little cameos or just being mentioned. Totally made me wanna reread them.

Also couldn't stop laughing at the dedication page of this book. I love my lovable assassin Ethan too

I don't follow the author on social media and this is also not a very popular series, so as usual I didn't even know until a month ago that the final book in this beloved series of mine was coming out in the new year. I was so so excited and immediately preordered it because there was no way I was gonna wait to read it. And wow am I happy that I did on release day itself.

One of the signature writing style of the author has been the then/now multiple timeline alternate chapters, with almost every chapter ending on a cliffhanger making my blood pressure high and just at the edge of my seat right from page 1. Thankfully, the author takes a bit of a step back from that - mind you, we still have multiple timelines and many cliffhangers but it's a tad bit less anxiety inducing this time around and I actually enjoyed it. We also get both Ethan and Jack's POVs in the same book and that was a riveting experience. As a finale, I would have expected this book to be more action packed and exciting, and while it had its fair share of thrills, this was a very introspective book in some ways and I thought that was a brilliant choice. But that never affects the pacing of the book, with something unexpected happening all the time and me left wondering who is gonna survive and who is the traitor. If I had to nitpick, my only complaint would be that quite a few things happened outside of the pages and we are told after the fact, and I thought I would have enjoyed reading about them while they happened.

But the best part for me was finally seeing a good portion of the story take place in India and watching Jack navigate this side of his heritage. I also particularly loved the chases through the streets of Mumbai, the descriptions of Dharavi, the road trip to Goa and the nostalgia inducing overnight train ride to Kerala. Though the author decided not to include the actual words, even knowing that Jack was communicating in both Hindi and Malayalam delighted me a lot.

As I mentioned before, we get both POVs here and it was awesome. Just reading about Jack and Ethan being vulnerable towards each other, fighting through their intense traumatic pasts (particularly horrifying in Ethan's case) and just doing whatever they can to protect each other - it was beautiful to watch. They have changed so much over the course of three books, becoming more trusting, open and loving, and Ethan particularly trying his best to live a normal healthy life is such great character development and kudos to the author for making us care for them so much. And just like their first kiss, the first time the “three magic words” are said between them was a special moment and made me all kinds of emotional.

We got to know many side characters more personally in this book and I thoroughly loved that. Getting to finally see Jack with his family, Ethan becoming friendlier with their neighbors and also Jack's best friend and family, and even exploring his unique but frustrating dynamic with his remaining siblings and the Doctor was fascinating to read about.

To conclude, this book was everything I wanted it to be and more. It's full of action packed thrills, car chases and helicopter crashes, great character development and lots of love. If you've already read the previous books in the series, then what are you waiting for....??? And if you've never read this series but love spy thrillers with an epic romance which will make your heart race and terrify you with cliffhangers, then this series is perfect for you. I was actually hedging on giving this book a 4 or 4.5 star but then the author gave me that amazing epilogue with a killer last line and I just had to make it a 5. I'm just sad thinking this is the end, and hoping that maybe the author will gift us with a short story in the future. I'm gonna miss you Jack and Ethan.

Average Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.9

I'm always looking for anthologies, particularly fantasy ones because I find it to be an excellent opportunity to discover new authors. So, when I happened upon this one during my endless browsing on goodreads, I knew I had to read it. I was also impressed when I saw that it was a collection of mythology retellings, which reminded me a lot of another anthology A Thousand Beginnings and Endings (also happens to be my favorite).

This one has more stories inspired by Greek/Roman mythologies with a touch of Norse, Irish, Chinese and Indian in between, but I didn't find that my unfamiliarity really hindered my reading experience. And while it has hits and misses like any other collection, it does have a few standouts and I'm definitely gonna be checking out the full length novels by some of these authors. I also liked the lgbt+ rep across multiple stories and the group of authors was equally diverse. I'm not sure exactly who would be the right audience for this but if you are a fan of mythological stories, then you'll probably enjoy this more. And if you love reading stories by Hugo/Nebula and other award winning or nominated authors, then you'll find a lot of them in this collection.

Phantoms of the Midway by Seanan McGuire

With a very weird setting of a moving carnival and elements of magical realism, this is an f/f retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth. I can't say I was able to guess the mythology behind it while reading the story itself but it does explore the relationship between an extremely over protective mother and her very sheltered daughter.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Justified by Ann Leckie

While I can't say I understood on what kind of fantasy world this took place or what type of advanced creatures these were, I liked the idea of a noble warrior being fed up of killing and wanting to live alone, and another trying to checkmate the extremely narcissistic ruler of this world. There was also another certain creature which reminded of a talking BB-8 and I thought that was cool.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Fisher-Bird by T. Kingfisher

This was a fun entertaining story, akin to a children's fable and I didn't understand any underlying message behind it until I read what myth this was based on - then it all clicked. Can't say the main character in the story felt a lot like Hercules though.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

A Brief Lesson in Native American Astronomy by Rebecca Roanhorse

In a technologically advanced society where humans can prolong their life with digital means, this is the story of an obsessive lover who can't let go and whose whole life revolves around his dead lover. Definitely creepy but quite well written.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bridge of Crows by JY Yang

Even without any knowledge of the underlying myth, I thought this was a very well written story about what true love is, does it make a difference when there is a power imbalance in a relationship, and how sometimes it's important to take down a whole corrupt system than just righting one wrong. Beautiful story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Labbatu Takes Command of the Flagship Heaven Dwells Within by Arkady Martine

Retelling of two epic Sumerian poems, this story of a fierce, arrogant and deadly pirate captain of a starship was very entertaining but also emotional, showing that sometimes found family is more important than blood. I can't wait to read the author's full length novels.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Wild to Covet by Sarah Gailey

Wow.. this was just stunning. A retelling of Achilles's story told through the POV of Thetis, this is about how we force woman to lose themselves in the name of motherhood, whether it is their choice or not. It's really a chilling tale and I absolutely loved the themes explored in it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

¡CUIDADO! ¡QUE VIENE EL COCO! By Carlos Hernandez

Based on the legends of El Coco, this story about a father suffering from mental illness who just wants his little girl to be happy is sweet in some ways but extremely creepy and horrifying in others. I still can't tell what I'm feeling after finishing it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

He Fell Howling by Stephen Graham Jones

A story of what happens to Lycaon after Zeus curses, this is more like an origin tale of werewolves and while it was a fascinating read, the amount of feeding/eating children really grossed me out. It was really well written though.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Curses like Words, like Feathers, like Stories by Kat Howard

Based on an Irish myth, this was about incomplete stories and curses and how sometimes a decision taken in anger can have unintended consequences. Beautifully written.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Across the River by Leah Cypess

I know nothing about the Jewish legend this story is based on, and my knowledge about the exile of the ten tribes is also limited but I still liked this story about a young man who is learning to be a cantor but feels there's something missing in his music and yearns to unite all the twelve tribes. I admired his conviction and bravery and faith a lot.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sisyphus in Elysium by Jeffrey Ford

A reimagining of the story of Sisyphus, this tale is about what would happen if you are punished for eternity, how much would that incessant work implore you to introspect and look back at the many wrong decisions you made. It's a fascinating concept and while I enjoyed the story itself, I writing felt a little too metaphorical for my taste.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Kali_Na by Indrapramit Das

This was fascinating and weird, familiar as well as new and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The transformation of the more divine and generous Goddess Durga to that of Goddess Kali who is hell bent on destroying her enemies is used as a metaphor for a near future India where even praying to the gods is done through AI and cryptocurrency but the issue of trolls on the internet and caste discrimination irl is still very very prominent. I was more surprised by how unfortunate but realistic this story felt.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Live Stream by Alyssa Wong

CW: revenge porn, sexual assault and harassment

A retelling of one of Artemis's story, this is about targeted harassment that popular women are subjected to online, especially in traditionally male centric spaces like gaming - but the author focuses on how the young woman works through her fears and anxiety after everything happens, finds a community of other supportive women and works to get the perpetrator punished. A very empowering story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Close Enough for Jazz by John Chu

Borrowing from Norse Mythology, this story is about a young female startup founder trying to find angel investors for her body transformation technology. It shows the kind of rampant sexism that exists in the industry and how important it is for the women to be comfortable in their own body, own their work with confidence and never let anyone take advantage of them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Buried Deep by Naomi Novik

I liked this retelling of Minotaur's story told through Ariadne's POV about how much she loved her brother, I truly didn't understand the whole point of it. It was a bit too long and I felt it dragged a little but it was still quite enjoyable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The Things Eric Eats before He Eats Himself by Carmen Maria Machado

CW: body horror, cannibalism

This is a story about entitlement and how many privileged people do things without thinking about consequences, not realizing until too late that they have been consumed by their bad deeds. I was actually feeling a bit sick while I was reading and I can't deny that it made me feel worse with it's overt gory descriptions.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Florilegia or Some Lies about Flowers by Amal El-Mohtar

I have no clue about the original myth behind this story but it's a wonderful tale about a woman realizing that her worth is not tied to her husband, she is not his wife, and she contains multitudes and can be whatever she wants to be. Wonderfully written with a touch of romance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I remember really enjoying the first two books in this series because I'm usually very biased towards well written Mahabharata retellings but I don't actually remember a lot of the story. But having no time to reread them, I proceeded with this third book and as I'm familiar with the source material, I found it quite easy to follow.

I have developed a lot of interest in reading our epics told through the women's POVs, so reading this one through the eyes of Ganga, Gandhari and Pritha was a revelation. It's a tale of destiny and fate, of what happens when celestials meddle in the lives of men, and how long term consequences are written into existence when women take charge of their own desires and fight for what they want. This is a story of motherhood, kingship, ambition and the lust for power - and ultimately what it leads to.

I think the author does a great job giving an interesting spin to the story, especially in portraying the queen mothers as more significant in the events that shaped the Hastinapur empire and I loved getting to know more about these women. They are shown as quite a bit ruthless and power hungry and while it's something of a new portrayal and might offend some readers, I thought it was written quite well. The next two books seem to concentrate on Krishna's side of the story but I hope we do get to read about the Pandavas exploits as well. Definitely excited to continue the series.

It's probably more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

I really enjoyed this series when I read the books in the past couple of years but the last installment really disappointed me. But when I saw the release date for this 9th book of the series, there was no way I could abandon it because I still had fond memories of the main character. And I'm happy that I decided to stick with it and also got the opportunity to review it in advance.

While the previous book had a bit of a boring narrative, I loved that the author decided to go back to telling a murder mystery story because I feel it's her strength. This time we have one serial killer waiting for his execution and a new one who has emerged and is trying to one up the other - I've definitely seen this kinda story before in police procedurals on TV, so while it felt like a predictable story, I liked the execution of it and also being set in a historical time during a war. The writing itself wasn't too fast paced but it was steady, with a few tense moments and lot of introspection but I can't say it felt like an intense thriller. This was a much more subdued kind of mystery despite the high body count. I can't say I guessed ending perfectly before it was revealed, but I had an inkling and it was a lot of fun to be proven right.

Maggie has been a character I've admired since the beginning and my main point of contention in the previous book was that she had no growth. I have absolutely no complaints in that regard here because this book gives us a much more vulnerable version of her. She has been through hell, both while working as a spy and her time in Scotland and watching the trial of the serial killer from book 6 only brings back all the trauma to the forefront. For the most part she tries to be nonchalant, maintaining the stiff upper lip attitude, drowning herself in smoking, drinking and all other adrenaline inducing activities just so that she can keep the nightmares away. It was so painful to see her this way but the author gives her space to work through all her feelings as the book goes on and I thought it was very realistically done. But whatever may have happened, she is still the same smart, intuitive, kind and strong woman and it was lovely to see her stand by her convictions and values.

Detective Durgin is a capable investigator but he is also a divorced workaholic set in his ways, and it was sad to see them try to build a relationship when they really couldn't give much to each other. Maggie's friends Chuck and Sarah are also dealing with the effects of war and loss in their own ways and while they all couldn't always open up to each other, it was lovely to see them still try to support as much as they could. David is still a delight, bringing some humor to the proceedings while also being very frank and insightful in providing advice to Maggie. There were also other POVs we get to follow which help us readers in trying to unravel the mystery and I thought they were quite interesting too.

As the execution of a serial killer who murdered and mutilated many young women looms around the corner in the story, Maggie as well as many other characters try to contemplate the morality of capital punishment - how it feels more like revenge rather than justice, will it really give any sense of peace to the survivors or victim's families, how is the state any different from these killers if it gets into the business of killing for punishment. There is also a bit of discussion about nature vs nurture, how the cycle of abuse might be a pertinent factor in one becoming a deranged killer and the importance of considering it as a mental illness and studying it. As all of this is happening during WWII and the Jewish massacres by Hitler are just coming to light, it gives more weight to these discussions and I thought it was all quite thought provoking and profound without being too preachy.

Another theme which I resonated with the most was that of Maggie realizing the futility of bottling up her emotions, how we women are unfairly expected to never show anger or rage which results in affecting our own mental health. Her deciding that she will express her rage and channel it in better ways was a great moment in the book and I thought it was all wonderfully written.

At the end, all I can say is that I was glad to be back in this world following the admirable Maggie Hope and while I can't really call this a “fun” read, it was nevertheless quite engaging. There is lot of character development and an interesting mystery, and if you've ever read the previous books in this series, I think you'll really like this one. If you are unfamiliar with this series but enjoy a WWII era setting, a tenacious and smart heroine and a different fascinating mystery in every book, you should totally give this series a chance. The author hints at the proceedings moving to America again in the next installment and I'm totally here for it.

CW: past sexual assault, human trafficking, parental abandonment

This book was on my TBR for 2019 and now it's also on my 20 books to read in 2020 list, so I knew I wanted to read it soon. After almost languishing on my couch for four days without reading anything, I finally decided to pick this up. And I don't know if it was the right pick at the moment, I can't deny that it was a very profound read.

The one thing I can tell you about the author's writing is that it's very engaging from the first page, with the right amount of pacing that makes you wanna breeze through it without taking any break - which is exactly what I ended up doing. The actual issues that are dealt within the book can be a bit tough to read, and the author never shies away from confronting us in a very straightforward way which can force us to think, but it still works well with her choice of using a dual POV as well as short chapters. The writing is very hard hitting and we feel deeply all the emotions that the characters are feeling, and I couldn't have asked for anything less. The story takes place a bit in Boston and a lot of it in Kolkata, and I thought the author did a brilliant job bringing both the cities to life, and I almost felt transported there through her words. I also like the choices that the author made in the story - keeping things more realistic, not neatly tying up everything in a bow and leaving us with a sense that this is just the beginning, not the end.

There are so many important themes explored in the story but the author never lets them overwhelm the readers. Human trafficking is the major underlying theme here but the author doesn't focus on why it happens, but more on what can be done to help the survivors, the kind of support and resources they need and how difficult it maybe to help them thrive in the outside world. Religion and church is also a major foundation of this book, with service and volunteering forming the major way through which our characters find their way forward and purpose in life. The aftermath of sexual assault and the grief of abandonment/ the uncertainty of being an adopted child also are other major issues that the characters face and I thought the author handled them with a lot of thought and sensitivity.

Kat is a fierce, confident, ambitious and determined high school girl who's life in thrown into disarray when she is assaulted. As a jiu-jitsu belt holder, she manages to defend herself but it still leaves a mark and it was tough watching her deal with panic attacks, nightmares and just complete discomfort about being in the space with a group of men. But through meeting an old grandmotherly teacher, a new group of church friends and working with the trafficking survivors, she learns that there are more ways of being empowered than just self defense, and she also understands the different ways in which she can help those in need.

Robin/Ravi has grown up with privilege in a wealthy family but being a brown adopted child of two white parents has always left him feeling conflicted, and he has never had the opportunity to explore or identify his feelings about this. But when he gets an opportunity to go to Kolkata, he finally decides to look for his birth mother. He has lots of hopes and dreams about his reunion and going to back to India really brings out a lot of feelings in him - unimaginable grief and anger and a deep desire to help the survivors; he also finds himself becoming more confident, assertive, finally trying to love himself and also accept the love that he has received from his parents without feeling guilty.

There are also some wonderful side characters we meet like the church group who are exactly the kind of supportive friends both Kat and Ravi need, Grandma Vee who makes such a positive impact on Kat letting go of her anger and helplessness, Ravi's parents who are so compassionate and loving, Banto who is the most adorable friend they make in India and the amazing group of people working for the emancipation of trafficked children and the brave group of survivors. Every relationship written in this story is very meaningful, with each person helping the other grow in some way or the other and I just loved reading about all of them.

To conclude, the issues that this book talks about maybe tough but it is a beautifully written and emotionally engaging book. It has a great ensemble of characters who are all faithful and compassionate and just want to do good. If you like reading about complicated youngsters and books that fall between contemporary and literary fiction, you should totally check this out. As religion plays a very important part in this story, the writing did feel didactic at times but never overly preachy and it didn't affect my reading experience much. I really loved being with these characters and I can't wait to read the author's next works.

I was very excited to know about the release of this book when I think I first saw Hillary and Chelsea on Stephen Colbert's show and have been waiting to read it since then. Obviously it had a bit of a waitlist at my library(why am I surprised), so it took me this long to get to it.

As someone who doesn't know much about American history (because I never studied it), the only knowledge I have gained is through TV shows, documentaries, articles and maybe a few books, in the past 5-6 years. And it's not a surprise that when I am exposed to history through pop culture, I tend to learn more about men than the women. So this book is very helpful to someone like me who wants to know more about women who have made remarkable impact on the country or the world.

I don't want to take any specific names because this book talks about 105 brilliant and gutsy women, but I appreciated getting to know their stories. These are women who refused to go along with the status quo, challenged the established norms, fought battles every step of the way to make sure their voices are heard (either with or without the support of their families) and never stopped fighting till they could. These are trailblazers who never cared about whether they got recognition for the work they were doing, they just wanted the work to be done and leave the world a better and more equitable place for the future generations of women. Some of them are still fighting and and I hope they inspire more women leaders to fight for their causes.

While most of the stories are historical accounts, some from just a couple of decades ago, the ones that resonated with me and affected me the most were the stories of the mothers and young women fighting for gun control. As someone who comes from a country where getting a gun license as a private citizen is literally impossible, I never understood the reasoning behind having guns in homes but just dismissed it as a quirk of America. But as I have watched school shootings, and other gun related violent incidents increase in the past 8 years while I've lived here, it has only made me more scared for my future hypothetical kid. So I will always be grateful to the activists who are fighting everyday against a behemoth that is the NRA and the politicians in its pocket who deploy the second amendment as a weapon against those who are fighting just to ensure that our children get to live long lives.

To conclude, I just want to say that this is an important book to read, especially to realize that despite having so many fearless women fight for our rights for decades, the fight is not yet over and there is a lot to be done. You will get to know little glimpses of women from all walks of life spanning centuries and across the globe who stood up for their convictions and brought us a bit closer to the goal of equality which still eludes us. I think every reader will find something in this book that speaks to them. You can read it all at once or just in small doses, whenever you need a bit of courage - but I promise it will make you feel empowered to know these great and gutsy women.

CW: torture, violence and deaths

When I started reading this trilogy in part due to our Stars and Sorcery book club, I never thought I would be binge reading the whole thing in the same month. But once I began, I really wanted to know what was going to happen next and couldn't help but stay up late nights to finish it all. And wow was that an intense finale.

As far as final books in a fantasy series go, we all have a few standard expectations - lots of tense moments, action sequences, major revelations and realistic consequences - and this book delivered them all and how. I can't believe that this is the same story that took place in a small town in Timekeeper because of the way this world has expanded, and the unbelievable implications of clock towers and time on innocent people. The author just ramps up the pacing and action many notches here, with the story spanning rebels fighting for freedom, terrorists seeking destruction and control, desperate youngsters fighting for family and love, gods fighting gods for supremacy, and an extremely intelligent megalomaniac villain pulling the strings behind it all. The story and writing was equal parts exciting, horrifying and heartbreaking and I just couldn't put it down. There were parts where I thought it dragged a little or instances where I thought it was all too convenient, but it was great writing overall.

I don't know how the author manages to make me care about Danny so much, even when I'm infuriated with him. There is an inherent loneliness in him that I relate to so much, and he cares a lot about his friends and family which all make him a great protagonist to root for. But his single minded obsession with Colton unnerved me at times, especially when he wouldn't let Colton grieve or feel anger properly for what was done to him, and felt jealous Colton's feelings about the people from his past. But he also suffers greatly throughout the book, both mentally and physically and considering his already traumatic history, I couldn't hold any grudge against him for too long. He is really put through the wringer this time but when it's really necessary, he puts out all the stops to do what's important for the greater good and I just kept wishing that things turn out better for him towards the end.

But it was definitely Colton and Daphne who stole the show for me. Colton's trauma is truly unimaginable and I was in awe of the way he tried to process it all while also struggling with the intense situations he is put in constantly and having to make choices with high a price. His journey from being a happy positive clock spirit to someone who can feel the full rage of human emotions and care for so many people, and then make more sacrifices though he has already done so much - he has a great character arc and I really loved reading about him. Daphne on the other hand has a different kind of evolution, understanding to let go of the past and finding a new home and future for herself, while also doing whatever she can for the greater good.

I really don't want to talk more about these three or the remaining wonderful cast of side characters who all have their own unique journeys and leave a memorable impression on the reader, because the author doesn't shy away from making them all suffer and also killing some of them. It's been quite a while since I've seen so many significant character deaths and other consequences in a YA fantasy and I have to hand it to the author for making such bold choices.

In the end, all I want to say is that this was an intense finale to a fun and interesting fantasy series and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it. It's a great feeling when you discover a wonderful new author (to me) in the first month of the new year. And if you are someone who likes the idea of an alternate Victorian England, time controlling clock towers and spirits, lots of Greek mythology influences, an angsty forbidden love story and lots of POC and queer characters - then you should totally checkout this series. And now that I've finished the author's entire backlist in a month, I guess I have no choice but to find another wonderful author!!

Average Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I was very much looking forward to reading this collection during Pride month but it took me a while to finish, both because I've been in a truly terrible reading slump and also this collection didn't always manage to keep my interest. There are some amazing stories here, especially in the first half but once the book took a turn from contemporary to a bit more fantastical in the second half of it, I feel it lost a bit of its charm and I also wasn't always able to understand what was happening. But the representation includes a spectrum of gender identities and sexualities and I thought it was all done with a lot of respect (though I won't vouch for the authenticity because I'm not an ownvoices reviewer for any).

If you wanna read a variety of short stories from high school kids worrying about prom to vampires and gods and sacrifices, then this is a good collection and I hope you'll find your favorite stories in it.

Below are my individual reviews for the stories:

Kick. Push. Coast by Candice Montgomery

This is the story about a young person who is questioning their gender, sexuality, pronouns.. everything.. while also trying to navigate their attraction for a girl they see from afar everyday. I could feel the pain the character is feeling because the confusion is palpable in their words, but I loved the turn the story took and ended up being so sweet.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What happens in the Closet by Caleb Roehrig

This was mostly a cute story of a young gay boy at prom trying to flirt with his frenemy while also fighting off vampires. It's definitely cool to see the undead creatures make a comeback in interesting ways.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Player One Fight! by Eliot Schrefer

Story of a gamer boy who wants to be with another, but the other one can't seem to make up his mind. The writing in this felt felt a bit erratic though.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5

Lumber Me Mine by C. B. Lee

This was a very cute story of high school senior dealing with her breakup with her childhood friend as well as feeling the initial attraction to someone new. I really enjoyed the beginning of this new relationship and the ace rep was so casually mentioned and not made a bid deal out of, it was cool.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Follower by Will Kostakis

A chance encounter between an online influencer and one of his followers on a beach turns into a fascinating conversation about love. This was a bit boring at times but overall pretty cute.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Refresh by Mark Oshiro

Two guys who aren't confident in their bodies just trying to connect irl after meeting up online, this was a funny meet cute but also profound in its own way shedding a light on body image issues.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Victory Lap by Julian Winters

A young boy who wants a date for his school's winter formal - this should have been a very predictable story. But the friendship, the bond between a father and son, the importance of having a supportive parent when you are scared to come out - all of this is depicted beautifully and the story turned out to be absolutely adorable. Not for nothing that I love Julian's writing so much.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Road of One's Own by Kate Hart

A camping trip; a young woman trying to figure out her recently broken up relationship, a newfound attraction for a girl and what she wants her future to look like; and a bit of commentary on the whitewashing of Native American history as well as all the microaggressions they face on the daily - this story was both fun and contemplative with so much to look forward to.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Seditious Teapots by Katherine Locke

I love the idea of the teapot metaphors to describe Rory's extreme anxiety about how to label themselves and even wondering why it's necessary to have a label. I also liked the conversations they had with some new found queer friends who help them resolve their doubts a little.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Star-crossed in DC by Jessica Verdi

Definitely surprised to read a story about the queer daughters of two presidential candidates on the opposite side of LGBTQ rights. It was still well written and interesting, though I would have liked it to have been longer and given more closure.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Floating by Tanya Boteju

The main character seemed like she had OCD or maybe ADHD but I really didn't understand much of the story. Maybe I'm not the right audience for it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

The Soft Place by Hillary Monahan

The main character is completely high in this story and the writing reflects that mood, which means I really didn't get what was happening.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️

A Pound of Flesh by Kosoko Jackson

Greeks curses, a human and a god in love, then endless conflict between Athena and Ares as a backdrop for police brutality and resulting protests in America - this was timely in a sense but some points that were made felt very tone deaf too. But the love story itself seemed very tragic but fascinating.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

One Spell Too Many by Tara Sim

Baked goods, witches, love spells baked into yummy pastries - this was both highly entertaining and an interesting lesson in good intentions leading to not so good consequences. Very well written and I loved the beginnings of a new relationship.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Far from Home by Saundra Mitchell

A space boy and his human boyfriend trying to run from federal agents trying to capture him, this was quite thrilling and adrenaline inducing.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The Coronation by Meredith Russo

I liked the trans representation in the story and a bit of what happened, but I can't say I truly understood the story or the world as a whole.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Once Upon a Seastorm by Fox Benwell

I loved the idea of the main character struggling to find his roots and going on a journey to find them, and the author also manages to integrate a great mother-son relationship that is resilient even during tough times.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

It's probably more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

I didn't even know about this book until a few weeks ago but when I saw the author tweet about the kind of themes he was talking about in it, I wanted to give it a try. And I've previously read an anthology edited by Lamar Giles called Fresh Ink which was amazing, so I was expecting this to be equally compelling.

It's actually been a while since I've read a YA contemporary because I've started feeling a bit too old for them, so I'm trying not to project my adult perceptions onto the book. The book was very easy to read, engaging in a way that made me not want to put it down more than a couple of times. I thought the conversation style between the teenagers was realistic but I truly don't have any experience to compare it to. The author also manages to keep the fun going while interspersing the narrative with some serious discussions and introspection and I thought that was done real well.

Religion plays a major role in the storyline here and while it's another experience that I can't comment about its authenticity, I thought the importance of being a part of the church and adhering to its teachings among the characters was depicted very realistically. And I liked the message that though some in the leadership and elderly congregants might stick to old school principles, it's the young people with their new ideas and new perspectives that can make the church and religion itself much more progressive and inclusive.

The other major theme throughout the book is male entitlement and how men (and young boys) dismiss the opinions or just about any assertion by a woman, assume that they themselves are always right, consider themselves entitled to women's time and space and bodies, and then lash out when their so-called feelings aren't reciprocated. Obviously toxic masculinity can't be eradicated by reading one book but the author definitely tries to talk about how young boys can be taught to recognize such behavior within themselves and try to change.

The author also tries to talk about the dichotomy of a church preaching abstinence and purity pledges, trying to prevent the school from following a comprehensive sex ed program despite an increasing rate of teen pregnancies and how this adversely affects the young women who do end up getting pregnant and then slut shamed, but no one even cares who the responsible father was. The undue burden put on women in every aspect of their lives is shown extremely realistically in a couple of chapters which hit very close to my heart and those few chapters are definitely what make me want to recommend this book to everyone.

Del is like any teenager who has a crush on a girl and finally thinks it's his time because she has broken up with her boyfriend. He is also reluctant to go the church but finding Kiera at the same place gives him an opportunity to impress her and that's how he gets involved in the activities. On one hand he makes some lasting friendships in the church group, realizes the importance of the community and how it can be a force of good and change; but on the other hand, he never deviates from his almost obsession with Kiera and neglects many other important tasks in his life. He is obviously encouraged by his other friends which just shows how much peers influence the behavior and how much more parents have to be in communication with their kids. I thought the author did a great job making Del sympathetic enough that we find him a relatable teenager but also are able to recognize his faults - I just wanted to give him a good shake sometimes and make him see how wrong he was.

The whole friend group is very diverse with very distinct personalities, their own unique relationship with faith and the church and with each other. There are conflicts and difficulties but they also resolve in their own ways and I enjoyed the varied dynamics between each of them. Del's sister Cressie plays a very small but one of the most important parts in the story and I loved the transcripts of her YouTube videos. While I didn't like that the author uses the concept of men learning to respect women's boundaries when something happens to a woman in their family, I think the change has to start somewhere and this is as good a reason as any. I also found Del's parents dynamic very interesting - they are so much in sync in many ways but still there's an element of dismissal of a woman's beliefs and fears and I thought that was so realistic as well.

To conclude, this is a great teen contemporary that gives a very unique perspective on religion, toxic masculinity, and female agency without beating down its message or portraying anyone as the villain. It's charming, relatable, with a great cast of characters and a very important message that I think deserves a read. I would definitely recommend it to any teenage readers or parents of young kids, as well as anyone who enjoys reading contemporary stories rooted in reality.

I was obviously eagerly awaiting for this sequel because Price of Killers had a monster cliffhanger and I just had to know what happened next. And it was (and wasn't) what I was expecting.

It was both exciting and very different to completely shift to Dante's (Chris's) POV in this novel and it finally gave me the chance to get to know him better. He has lost a lot in life and is single minded in his dedication to find justice for his partner. I could totally empathize with his struggle to keep his feelings for Hawes in check while also being able to do his job. Hawes on other hand seemed to handle it all reasonably well. The chemistry and angst between them was scorching hot. But the story also quickly moved into a bit of instalove territory - which was a little unrealistic but also kinda understandable because of all the high stakes and adrenaline fueled situations they find themselves in.

The writing is fast paced and full of evolving situations where we can't guess what's gonna happen next and that was a lot of fun. There's not much action this time around though and I really wanted some of that. We also hardly got to know the Madigan siblings more and I thought that was a missed opportunity. The main suspense throughout the two books has been about finding out who is the person ultimately pulling the strings and I think it was pretty easy to guess this time around and I think I'm right, which was actually disappointing because I wanted to be devastated by the revelation. The ending was kinda unexpected but cool and I can't even guess what's gonna happen next.

Overall, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I did the first book but it was still fun and interesting and I'm very much looking forward to more explosive shenanigans in the finale.

CW: depictions of sexual assault and child abuse, domestic violence, references to suicide, and depictions of eating disorders and substance abuse. For more detailed information, please see the author's website: http://victorialeewrites.com.

As soon as I finished The Fever King, I knew I had to read this sequel because that was a great ending. Even though I've gotten used to waiting an year for every sequel, I won't deny that binging a series is always more fun. And this one was both fun and intense af, and I really wasn't expecting it.

I thought I knew where the author was going to take this story but wow was I wrong. They managed to surprise me at every turn, both with an interesting plot that kept me engaged and with the sheer brutality of everything. The world is expanded upon a little, and we get to know more about life outside Carolinia, but I kept wanting more - not that it in anyway lessened my enjoyment of the story itself. We also get two POVs this time, so it was finally good to be in Dara's head. There are also many instances in the story where the author makes us question if there are any good sides in this conflict, forcing us to realize that war and conflict is usually much more messy and even people with good intentions end up having to do destructive things. However, it was their decision to end the story in the way they did that really surprised me but upon reflection, I think it was just the right choice.

But it was the depiction of abuse and domestic violence, the perpetrators and the survivors that was most impactful about this book. I don't think I can talk more about it and do justice, but the author's note about how this book is for survivors who have been gaslighted incessantly into believing that somehow it's their fault, and that there's a right and wrong way for “victims” to act, really felt right. We get to read about different kinds of survivors, how they cope and behave and just try to get through one day after another - and it's a lesson to us all to not judge anyone in real life for doing the best they can.

Noam... I really don't know what to say about him. He is still brave and strong but he is also stubborn in a way that prevents him from realizing how much of a deep shit he is in. But being in an abusive environment, trying to play both sides, figuring out constantly what is true and what is manipulated takes a lot of toll on him and I frankly kept waiting for the book to be over so that he could get some reprieve. He suffers a lot throughout the book and it just pained me that he was going on a path that he might come back from.

Dara on the other hand is the clear headed one this time around, constrained by other factors but more or less in control of his thoughts and actions. Distance has given him a new perspective on the kind of abuse he has suffered and how he was a destructive path using his addiction and eating disorder as coping mechanism, but he is trying to be better now and I admired him.

Noam and Dara's relationship is very fraught in this book - Dara pleading Noam to open his eyes and see the truth about his abusive situation, while Noam insisting that he had everything under control. Even when they couldn't see eye to eye, it was obvious that they were agonizing over each other's safety, and it really pained me to see them be so painfully in love but unable to truly articulate their feelings. This is a couple who've been through immense suffering and all I wanted was for them to finally be able to escape it all.

We also get to meet some new and old characters and I enjoyed all of them, though my slight complaint from book one remains that we don't get to know most of them that well. It's Lehrer instead who gets more time, both on the page as well as in the characters' heads and I think the author's depiction of this highly intelligent, charismatic, powerful and manipulative abuser was just perfect and maybe a cautionary tale to all of us that unfortunately many such people exist in real life.

In the end, all I have to say is that I'm very impressed sans affected by this story. It's a dark and brutal but ultimately hopeful story of survival, fighting back and reclaiming your life. If you enjoyed The Fever King, I promise this will impress you even more. And if you haven't read this series but enjoy YA sci-fi stories about young people fighting back against systems of oppression, charismatic villains as well as the demons in their heads, this is the perfect choice for you. This book really is for survivors and I hope, just like the author, that someone out there feels seen and understood within these pages.

My most highly anticipated YA fantasy finale of the year is here and there was never any doubt that I would read it on the release day itself. And now I'm a sobbing mess and I don't know what to do. Why did you do this to me Julie

This is more of a 4.5 and I really can't articulate why I'm not giving it a full 5 stars.

As someone who reads adult fantasy very rarely, I usually only pick up books which my friends have already loved and are sure I would too. But this is a book I didn't see anyone within my small group talk about but since the first time I saw it mentioned in a booktube video, I was totally fascinated and I knew I had to take a chance. And I'm so so happy that I stuck to my instincts because I was completely engrossed from start to finish.

The world building in this book is just perfect. As you can guess from the series title (Dragons of Terra), this is a world which has lots and lots of dragons, all different kinds with their own characteristics and habits and strengths. Almira is the main kingdom we follow which is bogged down by its issues like infighting between the various lords for more power, people who are very superstitious and would rather depend on their totems and prayers than go to an alchemist who can solve their problems, and there are multiple areas in the kingdom which are affected by some sort of plague for which no solution has been found. On the other hand, Balaria is the enemy kingdom which has made a fortune by killing off most of its dragons and using the oil to build a technologically advanced city. I loved this dichotomy of a medieval and steampunk like kingdoms existing in the same world. And the travel between these two kingdoms takes us through various kinds of landscapes and I loved the descriptions of the mountains, rivers, barges, dragon warrens etc.

The best part of the world for me was how the environment and ecology was described. Through discussions between characters ( and not info dumps), we come to realize how important each living creature is to the overall health of the land, including the super predators like the dragons. And while killing dragons for oil can provide for short term prosperity, it's long term consequences like drought and famine and other devastation to the ecology is never considered except by few people who care but are dismissed. I think this is a great parallel to our world and how we exploit the nature and resources we have in the name of capitalism and development without realizing what we are doing to our future.

I'm always scared when I start an adult fantasy that it might be too complicated, or the language very lyrical/metaphorical for me. I like my books to be straightforward which is what I love the most about YA fantasy novels. Thankfully, this book was exactly how I wanted it to be. The third person multiple POV writing style was very easy to follow, and the author did such a brilliant job of being able to distinguish between the characters' voices that I never got confused who we were following. It did get gory at times which I'm not used to, and some scenes were just brutal to get through. The feeling of dread when a dragon attacks or the adrenaline pumping action sequences are written excellently as well and I really enjoyed reading them.

Among all these action sequences, we also get a journey and this whole year has been me discovering my love for fictional journeys, and this was no different. The author uses the journey and the conversations that happen during it to develop the relationships between the characters and give us more insight into their motivations, and that was amazing. However, this also leads to the pace of the story being a bit on the slower side, which didn't affect my enjoyment at all. This is also not a very twists and turns kinda book, but does have a few mysteries and betrayals that the characters are trying to unravel, and I had so much fun figuring them out correctly just before the actual revelation happened. But there was one thing which I didn't see coming at all and that left me very bereft and in tears. The author also ends the book in such a way that there are enough plotlines resolved to work as a standalone, while also leaving us with so many exciting possibilities in a sequel.

While I keep harping on about the excellent world and writing, it's still the characters who are the strength of this book. Silas Bershad, the Flawless and the acclaimed dragon slayer of the land is an exile who is just going through his life with lots of regrets, always prepared to die. Fourteen years of slaughtering has changed him a lot and he doesn't think he deserves any good things, but deep down he is so compassionate and will do anything for the ones he loves (who are very very few). His shield is Rowan who has followed him since the beginning and their loyalty to each other is just beautiful. They may bicker and admonish each other, but ultimately it's a deep friendship and I was so glad they had each other. But the third entity in their trio is their donkey Alfonso, and I promise you I don't remember ever seeing a donkey in a book before but I loved him. These three are just awesome and the way Silas and Rowan care for Alfonso is heartwarming.

Felgor the thief, and Vera the bodyguard who lost her charge are the other two people who make up the group which goes on the journey from Almira to Balaria for their task. They are all basically outlaws who have nobody, and there is a lot of friction initially, but as they face dangerous situations and fight them together, they all form a bond and I was thoroughly impressed by the way the author developed these relationships in a believable manner. It's very hard not to get attached to them all.

Ashelyn is the princess crowned Queen of Almira and I thought it was so refreshing to see a very scientific ruler on the throne, who loves conducting her research into how everything is connected in nature and take steps to ensure that her world is not destroyed due to poor short term decisions. We also have an assassin who is hell bent on creating chaos in her kingdom, an apprentice alchemist who just wants to conduct his experiments and many others who will do anything to harness the power in this world.

To conclude, I just want to say that if you love to read about a world full of dragons, you should totally pick this book up. If you enjoy books with equal parts extensive world building and excellent plotting, this is perfect. And if like me, you are a fan of a very unlikely group of flawed people coming together for a quest and start caring for each other, I highly recommend this book. The author has written a great debut fantasy balancing all the elements perfectly, full of thrilling and emotional moments and characters you can't help but fall in love; and in the process setup a great sequel which promises to be full of more dragons and definitely a lot more magic. I already can't wait for Sorcery of a Queen.

Trigger Warnings: As a book about the #meToo movement, this deals with themes from catcalling or verbal abuse to rape and incest and everything in between. So, please take care and decide if you are in the right headspace to handle this book.

I've read quite a few books in past couple months that dealt with sexual harassment in the workplace and the rise of the #meToo movement. So, when I saw the announcement of this book in which many YA authors are sharing their own stories and letting young women know that they aren't alone, I was very excited to read this book. And I really am honored to be a part of this blog tour.

This is a painful and difficult read, partly because of the experiences of the authors and how they are still common after all these years, partly also because they brought up many of my own memories which I may have tried to forget. It's also a very diverse collection of experiences and each author talks about their own way of dealing with their trauma, and that's definitely an important message for young women that there is no single right way to react or respond.

It took me a while to read it completely because I could only handle it in small doses, but nevertheless, it's a very important book and I would love to give this to any young woman I know. But I also think it's important for adult readers like me to read because we all have had these experiences and it's good to know we are not alone.

I'm not going to rate any of the individual stories, just share my thoughts on each of them below:

It's our Secret by Patty Blount

As a survivor of child molestation, the author asks a very timely question - when her parents asked her to keep it a secret about what happened to her, were they sparing her the ordeal of being dismissed, or were they just sparing themselves?

Wishing on Silver Dollars by Jennifer Brown

This was painful to read because it's so relatable and common. The author delves into all the ways girls are sexualized since puberty (which is worse for the curvy girls) and how we are so used to verbal comments and leering and groping that by the time we are ready to start our careers, we just consider this harassment part of our lives. But what hit me most was the author talking about how we feel shame for being harassed when it's the other person's fault. This is definitely a lesson that every young woman needs to be told - it's not your fault.

This is How it Ends by Tiffany Brownlee

As a young black girl with a sheltered upbringing, the author experienced both racial and sexual harassment and I really felt for her because she too concluded at that young age that it must be her fault. But as an educator currently, she emphasizes that such harassing conduct arises from ignorance or lack of empathy, and it's necessary to teach kids to respect themselves and others, and exercise self-control.

Sugar, Spice and Not so Nice by Jess Capelle

The author's harassment experiences and the way they are dismissed by the adults through the years are all too familiar, and she stresses that despite being taught from childhood that we girls should keep quiet and not make waves and just be nice, we really shouldn't do that. We have a voice and we should use it to stand up for ourselves and not let anyone get away with harassing us.

Bus Stop Witchcraft by Kenna Clifford

As a young bisexual woman, the author talks about being a bit luckier to be able to grow up in the generation where #meToo movement is prominent and atleast some women are able to speak about their experiences. And she also talks about the need to speak our stories and make our voices heard.

Young but Not Powerless by Eva Darrows

The author talks about her experiences with harassment in school from teachers and how much worse it is than if the perpetrators were boys her own age, because these teachers had power over the students. And her mentioning that many girls knew about it and just warned younger girls to be safe, rather than reporting the issues just underlines the harsh reality that sometimes it's easier to keep ourselves safe than try to get a harasser punished.

It Was Me Too by Dana L. Davis

As a survivor of childhood sexual assault, the author talks about how she internalized the shame that it was all her fault, and how it completely changed her as a person well into adulthood, how she learnt to just be aloof and hide and never put herself in a vulnerable position. This is another reality for so many women and it was heartbreaking to read about.

Anything but Ordinary by Ronni Davis

The author talks about the shame in wondering what she might have done and how her not acting her “color” had contributed to her being assaulted, and later on feeling anger and shame for all the instances when she didn't speak up. There is also the feeling that she can't use #meToo because what happened to her wasn't too bad. But ultimately it's about the fact that every single instance matters and we are not alone.

Not that Kind of Girl by Natasha Deen

The author talks about boundaries and emotional violence in her teenage years, and how traumatic it can feel when the whole school judges you for something you haven't done. But she is also very graceful in her message that sometimes restraint is important, we should speak up for ourselves but never say anything in anger that we wouldn't say in normal situations.

How do I look ? By Nicolas DiDomizio

As a young gay man in the closet, the author talks about how his shame about his body and weight made him accept the things that were done to him even when he knew they were wrong. And he makes a great point that self worth doesn't and shouldn't depend on how you look and I think it's something we can all keep in mind.

Gray Lines by Namina Forna

As an African immigrant and also a child survivor of war, the author talks about not understanding the concept of personal space and just not making a fuss when a teacher violated it because she didn't want to be a problem. But I'm glad that she was quick to recognize grooming and make herself safe after that, so I completely agree with her message that make a fuss and say no whenever anyone disrespects your personal boundaries, and do whatever you need to keep yourself safe.

No, Not Me! By Jenna Glass

This was definitely an eye opening read because the author talks about how we normalize so many harassing behaviors like flashing or groping or unwanted touching, never realizing that these are also forms of sexual assault. She talks about the importance of talking about these issues and not letting anyone get away with these kinds of actions without consequences.

Before Starbucks or Cell Phones by Janet Gurtler

The author's experience was tough to read about, but I was also glad that she had atleast one teacher who listened. But the common theme of shame still comes through, with young girls always wondering if they did something that made the boys or men behave so badly. And I think that's why the author's message is important that we shouldn't keep these things to ourselves, we should talk to and support each other, so that we may one day get to a world where a girl can say it has never happened to me.

The One we don't Talk about by Teri Hall

This was absolutely horrific to read about and I don't have words to describe the strength it must have taken for the author as a young girl to finally tell someone about all the abuse that was happening in her house. As the author says, believe in yourself and never let your abuser convince you that you don't matter because you do.

A Long Overdue Confession by Ellen Hopkins

This is mostly the author introspecting her decisions when she was eighteen to have an affair with a married man and how she was taken advantage of due to her naïveté. She also wants to share the story to prevent if possible other younger girls from succumbing to older men's attention and flattery, particularly those girls who already have body image issues.

Bathsheba by Mackenzi Lee

Through the Bible story of David and Bathsheba, the author tries to make the point that despite what we've been told since childhood, we are not responsible for making men comfortable or for their violent actions; none of our dressing or talking or anything is a reason for men to violate us and we should always remember that.

Burn by Saundra Mitchell

The author lists instances after instances where she was violated but couldn't do anything because she felt trapped but her realization after she turned seventeen is something we can all hope for - to start believing in ourselves and finding our voice and never stopping ourselves from expressing our anger.

Just Smile by Ali Novak

The author's story highlights the fact that even if we haven't been physically assaulted, words flung against us can cause equal emotional trauma, and that's why we should use our own words to tell our stories and never minimize what we've been through.

Boys Will be Boys By Eve Porinchak

Another experience where the boys' actions are blamed on the girl's clothes, but I was very glad to know the author had a supportive family and learnt to stand up for herself at a very young age. We all definitely need that conviction.

There is Strength in our Voices by Cheryl Rainfield

I can't even begin to understand the strength it must have taken for the author to run away and survive her whole childhood where she was part of a cult and her own family raped and tortured her, but I tip my hat off to her for finding the resilience and the queer community that helped her. And that's why she insists that it's important to listen and talk to other survivors, so that we may help others while also helping ourselves and not feeling we're alone in our ordeal.

Pretty Enough by Beth Revis

This is a story of the author's realization that how wrong it was of her to internalize the feelings that only beautiful girls got harassed and because she wasn't, it meant she wasn't worth it. She talks about how harmful this divide is and basing self worth on looks is, and asks us all to understand that there is only one side - all of us women who have to stick up for each other and not let anyone else make us feel powerless with their words or actions.

My Oklahoma History by Andrea L. Rogers

As a Cherokee citizen from Oklahoma, the author uses her tribe's history as a parallel to how indigenous women are treated - both have a right to their sovereignty but it's always threatened. And she makes a wonderful point that women don't need to forgive anyone for the purpose of moving on - forgiveness can be a consideration if someone is making amends but it means nothing if the violator has no regrets.

Class Valedictorian by Lulabel Seitz

As a young Asian woman who was assaulted by a rich white classmate in high school, the author talks about the ways in which she was silenced and disbelieved by those in power because they didn't want to discomfort the perpetrator. When she says that money and holding onto old white power structures matter more, I don't see anything wrong about it because that's still the world we live in. But I admire her for speaking up even when she was forced not to, and trying to keep doing it for other people even at such a young age.

No Right Way to be Wronged by Mischa Thrace

This is a different take on all the above experiences but it's not wrong in anyway. The author talks about how no one is owed our secrets or the details of what happened to us, and it's totally our choice. It's ok to not want to be a spokesperson for the cause or tweet about our issues. After her own assault, the author found it easier to deal with it by expressing her anger through learning Muay Thai and just like her, everyone has the right to find their own way of dealing with the trauma, even if it is silence.

Notes on Girlhood by Amy Zhang

The author talks about all the overwhelming feelings that one is bombarded with after a sexual assault happens, because we aren't sure how to process the trauma; and navigating it becomes a big part of our life. She talks about being fortunate enough to have a friend group as well as a therapist who helped her untangle all her feelings and feel like herself again a little bit, and that it's enough for now.

Probably more of a 3.5 but definitely not what I'd call a favorite.

CW: talk of racism and sexism in Hollywood, sexual harassment at workplace, verbally abusive and homophobic parent

It's either my bad luck or maybe I'm just not in the right mood that I've not really enjoyed the last three books I've read. And I'm quite sad this book is also getting relegated to that list. I was very excited to read a mainstream f/f romance and the Hollywood setting fascinated me, but unfortunately I was a bit bored.

My problem with this book is that I don't have a lot of complaints. The writing is easy to read, the Hollywood setting feels both realistic as well as like a fantasy that we would love to explore, and the characters are sweet and likable. There is also a small #metoo plot line as well as talk about racism in the industry, which is a good addition to the story to make it feel more deep, but ultimately it wasn't that significant in the larger picture. I also really enjoyed the depiction of friendship and sibling relationships in the story. And I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of the MCs is Chinese-American while the other is Jewish, because none of these aspects were highlighted anywhere in the book promotions.

But ultimately where the book faltered for me was the execution of the romance. It's always tricky when it's a boss/employee romance and I thought the author did an excellent job addressing the power imbalance. But due to this aspect, we get a slow burn romance which is way too slow for my taste. While the romantic feelings Jo and Emma had for each other was quite evident to us, there is not a lot of interaction between them and it felt to me like half the story was told just through internal monologues. I can handle angst and also a bit of miscommunication as the conflict, but both the characters just assumed things about the other and took a long time to have actual conversations. I think I just like it when characters get together a bit earlier than the end of the book.

To conclude, I probably had wrong expectations from the book (again.. duh

More of a 3.5.

It's my favorite best friends to lovers trope combined with Lily's signature snark and banter, so I had a lot of fun reading this book. And Charlie's rants about the importance of libraries were perfect too. I guess I just don't feel that much of an attachment to this series as much as to the author's previous series which are my absolute favorites. It's still quite sweet and entertaining and I'll obviously be reading the next book too.

Like many essay collections, this one has some excellent ones and some that didn't work for me. But one thing I can't deny is that the author is absolutely hilarious and sarcastic and I had many laugh out loud moments. It's even more fun if you listen to the audiobook.

However, the fun nature of the writing doesn't take away from the seriousness of the topics he is discussing - crippling student debt, making not so happy career choices to keep paying the bills, having to choose between eating a meal or paying the next installment, dealing with bill collectors all the time, probably not going to the doctor in lieu of not being able to afford insurance, believing oneself not worthy of love or happiness or any good thing because being in debt is considered a moral failure, trying to drown the sorrows through other vices - every issue that author talks about and the situations that he has experienced tugs at your heartstrings. He is also rightfully critical of the political and capitalist systems that are responsible for the insurmountable debt that students find themselves in with no silver lining in sight.

His essay that he dedicates to his mother and says how he can never repay her for all that she has done for him really touched me, and also made me realize my own extreme privilege in graduating without any student loans and how I can't truly understand the despair he talks about. And I'm still amazed at the irreverent tone he manages to maintain throughout.

But if there's one thing that he wishes everyone takes from his book and one advise that I truly believe we all can use - it's that learn to forgive yourself and make time for your own happiness. Whatever problem we have isn't going anywhere, but that doesn't mean we should deprive ourselves of the little things that give us joy.