Yorha
One of my most anticipated releases for this year finally came out and I am so glad to say it absolutely delivers!
Rachel Gillig's One Dark Window was one of my favourite books of 2022, it had an amazing ending which left you wanting more. Finally, the time has come when we can read the sequel to find out what happens to our main characters and boy, was the wait worth it.
Two Twisted Crowns is as well-written as the first book with beautiful prose. It has stakes, eerie atmosphere, a lot of magic, and a lot of great character development/writing. I am happy so say that more characters get fleshed out in this book and you truly start to get to know them beyond just Elspeth and Ravyn. The bond between The Nightmare and Elspeth continues to be the best thing in the story, I can NOT get enough of them! I love them and they're easily my favourite thing about these books. I also really like the way the romance between the main leads was handled, as well. It felt more mature than what I usually experience in books that read a bit younger than adult.
I loved the revelations and the ideas Rachel Gillig had for this story and its' ending, and I am heart-broken that this is the end. I will miss those characters and the world – especially Nightmare who is the best character (objectively, ofc!). However, I can also appreciate the story was not stretched out just to make it a trilogy. It really feels so complete and there's not much filler, which just adds to the quality of the books in my opinion.
I do have one complaint though, which is the reason I can't in good conscience give this entry 5 stars. I absolutely couldn't stand the new POV for most of the book. I don't know what happened, but it reads very different from the rest of the book to me. It felt less mature in its' romance and not serious enough to match the rest of the story/atmosphere. Most of the chapters just read like your typical YA romance which just isn't my thing. In my opinion, the writing just wasn't on the same level and it was painful going through them. It felt the other chapters had stakes, and here we just followed a sad prince and his attempts at romance. The romance also started off-page so it was really hard for me to feel invested and root for them to end up together. I like seeing the journey the character take before they fall for each other, so it's definitely a personal preference.
I might sound too harsh, and i probably am, but trust me when I say I truly struggled to get through this POV. The only thing keeping me going was the fact I liked the female character in those chapters, and also faith in Rachel Gillig. As you can tell, it was so worth pulling through but I feel like this is something I ought to mention since it really made me struggle with reading the book at times. They get better closer to the end of the book though. I will say that I know I can be very nit-picky and there is a high chance it will not affect your enjoyment.
The duology was more than worth going through and the ending made me feel geniuely happy that I gave this series a try. This one is definitely staying on my shelves!
I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands is a sequel to Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, where we once again follow Emily and Wendell in exploring the fae world and its' mysteries.
Much like the previous book, the sequel is cozy, humorous, with immaculate vibes and loveable characters. Not only Emily and Wendell get to shine, we also get 2 new side characters who both have a connection to Emily, and it was endearing to see how they grow closer together despite not getting along initially. Can't of course forget about Shadow, and a mysterious fae cat that makes an appearance!
I really enjoyed seeing Emily develop in this book. She is still the no-nonsense researcher that prioritizes results over all else, but she gets confronted with some of her choices, and I love to see that. Also, seeing her open up to Wendell was very endearing and I really enjoy their relationship. Wendell, of course, is the star of the show for m. Oh what wouldn't I do for this loveable, precious man-child.
I grew to really love this series, and this book solidified it as my comfort read along Howl's Moving Castle. I can't wait to see what the gang is up to in book 3!
Thank for Netgalley & Orbit for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Wish we got to experience Cardan's POV in the actual trilogy as i've found him a more interesting character to read about.
An Education in Malice is a dark academia retelling of the classic novel Carmilla. We are following our two heroines: Laura, who is a naive girl who never steps out of her comfort zone (up till a certain point) and Carmilla, who is very competitive and strives to be the very best. We also have a teacher, De Lafontaine, who has a strange and inappropriate relationship with Carmilla
What this novel, in typical S. T. Gibson fashion, excels at is the prose. Her writing is always so beautiful, with so many hard hitting lines you want to underline while reading to come back to regularly. Gibson simply has a way with her words and I can't get enough of it. Along with the prose, I really enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere that the author created. The world was so easy to imagine and the gothic vibes were immaculate.
Sadly though, while I did enjoy An Education in Malice, it did not live up to my expectations – I thought it was a book to stay with me like A Dowry of Blood did, but sadly I don't think that will be the case. That is to say, the book is not bad by any means – it's good, just not quite as good as I had hoped.
The characters were memorable enough but nothing groundbreaking. I quite enjoyed Carmilla and her emotional reactions to things. I found that she felt quite real and I simply just wish the novel was longer to delve more into the psyche of these characters. Carmilla is a character I would simply love to have seen explored more, i wanna know everything that goes on in her head.
The romance starts out as rivals to lovers with a lot of lust and promise for a romance i could really get behind, but sadly it fell a little flat as the characters went from being rivals to being in love after a certain plot point with a sudden shift in their attitudes. The feelings between the characters just didn't develop organically, which (again) might simply be due to the length of the book. I still enjoyed the bond between the girls and many of their scenes, I just think it could've been so much more.
I think my biggest disappointment was the ending – the climax was way too convenient, resolved way too fast with minimal tension. I felt like there build-up was preparing me for something more atmospheric and cruel, but it felt very uninspired and rushed. I also disliked the fact that one of the characters did not face any consequences for all of the shit they pulled, it all just got resolved way too easily and conveniently for my taste. That is to say, I also did thing that Dowry wrapped up a little quick but overall I was way more satisfied with that ending.
I will also say that the dark academia aspect takes a back seat once vampire plot line becomes more prominent. You are still in the school setting but the academic bits and pieces take the back seat. That did not bother me personally, but i figured I will point it out.
All in all, it's a very solid read that simply could've been so much more. I see myself revisiting one day and one that i can recommend to anyone looking for a short sapphic vampire story.
Thank for Netgalley & Little Brown Book UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A sweet book that will remind you to be kind to yourself and live life at your own pace.
Will defo get back to this cause I loved what I read, I am simply slumping and not in the mood for fantasy (tragic, I know)
DNF@38%
This book wasn't bad at all but it put me in a huge slump that I've been in almost 2 months now. I keep trying to get back to it but nothing pulls me in. My friend has just finished it and based on their thoughts it seems like it's just better to let this go.
I will say that the story was interesting and I wanted to love it. Lin Chong was interesting to follow, and she was the only reason I wanted to continue. I felt like her inner conflict and having to adapt to a lifestyle and values that were the opposite of what she is used to would've made a really good read. I really enjoyed what I have read of her. On the other hand, Lu Da was absolutely annoying and I genuinely hated reading the book whenever she was on page, which might've been why I didn't feel the pull to go back to the book. The way the narrator did her voice was awful too, which didn't help.
Wanted to read it solely for the Arabian inspired story but ended up loving this book! Loved the setting, loved how the stories were implemented into the main story – they were so fun to read. But most of all, I loved the characters, their growth, their interactions, and their journey. They were so much fun to read about, felt so fleshed out and I was extremely invested throughout. Was tough to choose my faves but in the end it has to be either Mazen or Aisha (and their interactions together!!). I thought that since the book is so thick, it will surely have moments where the story will start to drag or become dull but I was not bored at any moment and was delighted to have more of the world to read about before it ends. Can't wait for the sequel, honestly don't know how i will survive the wait (i probably won't...).
Unlike her first series, I am not enjoying this very much at all. It's not bad, it just isn't doing anything for me. Although the writing does leave much to be desired...
So this book very much reads like an action cartoon/anime. It's a bit silly because it can be dramatic, and it has no nuance/politics but honestly it was a fun time? It's so easy to read and the characters are likeable enough. You even get talking dragons! I also loved the plot of tomb/temple raiders, and I really hope this concept isn't ditched in future books because it was honestly my favourite aspect.
I'd say it's perfect to read if you want a light read or are too tired for anything complex but don't except anything you haven't seen before. Also, the characters are adult (with a wide age range) but it very much reads like a simple YA novel due to its writing the lack of politics and nuance.
[3.5]
The Reappearance of Rachel Price is a new mystery novel from the author of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder with a brand new story, and a brand new heroine.
The writing was just as easy and fast to read as in AGGGTM, the mystery just making you keep going and being unable to stop. The book was a lot of fun from beginning to the end and I had a blast but sadly I do not think it quite reaches the quality of AGGGTM.
First things first, the heroine is an absolute edgelord. She constantly made me think of a 14 year old going through her emo rebel phrase (not an insult, I also went through an emo rebel phrase at that age), she's 18 though. I think Holly Jackson meant to make Bel unlikable and i both enjoyed it, and found the way it was done cringe. Bel is brash, hurts people to keep them away and is all around unpleasant. I didn't mind it (for the most part) but I know a lot of people will have less patience to a character like this than me so here's your warning. What did bother me though, is that Holly will beat you over the head with reminding you that she keeps hurting people cause of trauma so don't worry, you wont forget it. I get irked when an author doesn't trust me enough to understand what they're trying to portray after saying it once or twice. Instead, lets say it 15 times to make sure I remember. I will say however, I really did find it refreshing to have a character so different from Pip. I like Pip, but it was nice to see such a different voice with a different approach.
There was a lack of paper clippings, recordings etc. which were my favorite part of AGGTM. A bit of a bummer but I think it makes sense in the way the story was told. Bel isn't a journalist like Pip, she doesn't want to solve the murder as much as she just wants to be left alone with the people she cares about. She is more emotional and cynical, and isn't quite as experienced as Pip. She isn't going into it prepared, she just kind of does things the moment she gets an idea in her head.
The mystery was interesting and kept me going, I did guess the captor early on but there was enough twists and turns to keep me second guessing myself and overall i enjoyed that part of the book the most.
Sadly, my biggest complaint was how disappointing the ending was. The last 30% of the book are super dense, and overly dramatic, and the conclusion just left me wishing for way more. I will refrain from saying more as it's a new release, and I would hate to ruin or accidentally spoil the experience for others.
The audiobook is superb, and i highly recommend it.
[2.5]
This series felt awfully average, don't really get the hype. The world building is non-existent, the romance is way too underdeveloped and the characters outside of Jude don't really get that much focus or development. Even Cardan felt like a side character 90% of the time and we don't really see that many interactions with him. Enjoyed the first book way more than the last 2, and found Cardan so much more interesting there with a lot of room for growth. Granted, it was entertaining enough to make me want to finish the series.
This book just made me love everything about it and then shattered my heart to pieces and I loved every second of it.
A fun cozy read! I really enjoyed the neurodivergent rep in the book, Molly was such a delight
DNF@50%
I usually don't rate books i DNF'd but I feel the need to after wasting so much of my free time on this (since i barely have time to read this month).
First of all, this is yet another case of a YA book being published as an adult book. Nothing in the first 50% makes the book stand out from YA titles. It has your typical YA tropes and nothing really makes it any different from other titles in the genre. There is a focus on the politics but it's nothing complex or interesting. Same goes for the magic system which is very typical and underdeveloped. As mentioned though, i only read half of the book so maybe things change but i just was so bored I couldn't make myself continue. It feels like a book I have simply read many times before.
I think what took me out of the story the most is the romance, the obvious Reylo inspo. I didn't think it would bother me at all but as someone who is familiar with the Star Wars movies, it is really hard to disconnect the couple from the characters they were based on. Alaric basically looks identical to Adam Driver. “Waves of disheveled black hair framed pale angular features dotted with beauty marks. He had a long nose, a sharp jawline, the overall harshness alleviated by a pair of full, soft lips”. And, of course, he has very broad shoulders. They both act similar to their counter-parts (especially Alaric). At around 30-35% there was one scene that felt like it was taken out of The Last Jedi, just with a different setting.
Maybe it's just me but, while i dont mind stories inspired by ships/other things, i do not want to read about the same characters in an AU in my books. It's a personal preference though, if you are a fan of Adam, or a Reylo stan, you will probably enjoy that factor.
I wanted to force myself to finish as this was one of my most anticipated reads for this year, but I just don't think anything could make me like this book. Maybe it's about time I finally acknowledge maybe this genre just isn't for me (with a few exceptions!). If you are a big fan of the romantasy genre, don't mind the Reylo inspiration, and are okay with an instant attraction trope, don't let me dissuade you from reading the book, there's a chance you will like it. It however was just not for me.
DNF@28%
First disappointment from Abby but there were already 4 “not like other girls” lines and that's 4 too many.