arc review provided in exchange for an honest review.
“they were two snakes with fangs drawn, the poison turning them mad with the need for release.arc review provided in exchange for an honest review.
“they were two snakes with fangs drawn, the poison turning them mad with the need for release.”
this book… oh my. this was STUNNING. so dark and brutal, honestly i’m not even sure i’d call it young adult because it was TWISTED and i ADORED IT.
“he was all her fury, all her hatred and violence, made manifest – and how decadently, how divinely, they fit him, better than the clothes he wouldn’t gift her. now they were even.”
if you ever think you’ve read an enemies-to-lovers book before – you haven’t. this rivals “the cruel prince” and “violet made of thorns” in pure hatred and the absolutely foul things that these characters would do to one another – they were NOT PLAYING. kidan and susenyos are evil to their core – oh ho ho they truly have changed my life. every time i thought they’d done their worst, then managed to surprise me yet again and pull something truly malicious – it was beautiful (terrifying).
“perhaps their souls were made to be in eternal company. in devotion, in worship, in lust of brutality.”
are our favourite toxic? absolutely! but i will eat up a million books of their toxic selves betraying one another over and over again in a horrifying, ouroboros-like cycle – this book was so well-written and unique, and it never failed to hit me with some insane and sadistic plot twist.
“the world loves to punish girls who dream in the dark. i plan to worship them.”
all of tigest’s characters were incredibly well written – they had such strong personalities, and i was instantly able to identify them and separate them from one another – no common feat with the number of books i read. kidan was tragic, broken, but so so committed to her sister – she had this brutal, concerning loyalty to her friends and family, and would do anything and everything for them. i loved her.
and susenyos… oh he was wicked indeed. mind like a steel trap, and the entirety of that mind devoted to one goal. he let nothing stand in his way… and he was also hot as hell (i just know it).
“dark skin and silver. they were forsaken gods who’d stolen the teeth of the devil. and hell if they weren’t breathtaking.”
the book was also so so unique, i loved it. vampires sharing unique memories with their victim upon biting different sections of the body?? a house where each room pushes a different emotion onto any who dares to inhabit it? a magical university where death is common, and the power of each house depends on the number of vampires sworn to the house? give me more right now. nothing was typical, every second chapter had me shocked to my core – this was truly a fascinating, striking story.
thank you so much to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the arc copy – this was phenomenal. give me book 2 stat, please!!...more
"You are the most powerful woman I've ever met, my sunshine. But not even your prowess is enough to fARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
"You are the most powerful woman I've ever met, my sunshine. But not even your prowess is enough to force me away from you. Nothing ever will be."
STOP this series is everything to me!! And this addition was just too enjoyable - I’ve been looking forward to this book for months and months, counting down the days, and it did not let me down. My favourite characters came back in full force, the plot line was exciting and captivating, and my loves were beyond romantic!! I swooned for like half the book, honestly.
"You are the brightest light in the gathering darkness, Yvaine. No one blames you for the monsters that come from it. We'd sooner scorn the sun for shining."
Now where can I get a Cyfrin. My man pulled out in FULL force in this book - and I was so so happy to see where Yvaine and his relationship led. The THREE BOOK SLOWBURN has been extremely fun to read, but it has been killing me, and this book really brought these two to a gorgeous collision! Cannot wait to get even more of them. And they were not the only couple to finally come together, which made me beyond happy!!
"She is worth more than every life in the Zenafrost to me. She is more beautiful than every star in the fucking cosmos. My soul screams for her, and I cannot bear to look."
But the romance wasn't the only brilliant part of this story. I adored the actual plotline of the book, with the fascinating (and vaguely terrifying) tower of time, which majority of this novel centered around. The concept of a series of challenges that must be completed to gain power is not necessarily a new one, but it's always a fun one, and I loved I.A. Takerian's interpretation of it! While not too much happened with the overall series plotline in this book, it still didn't feel like a filler book, which was wonderful.
Such a satisfying read, so much came together and it all just leaves me even more excited for the final book! I need it yesterday, please ...more
This was a really captivating read!! I’ll never turn down a book about serial killers who kill ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
This was a really captivating read!! I’ll never turn down a book about serial killers who kill bad people, because doesn’t everyone dream of a world where that can happen??
This Girl’s a Killer was a really strong debut! I loved Cordelia’s character - she was strong, determined, and unapologetic. I did find myself getting irritated when she’d make mistakes or start getting sloppy, but no one is perfect! I thought she was powerful and I really appreciated her relationship with her best friend and god-daughter, they were such an adorable trio, and I would’ve loved more Sugar content.
The overarching story was really easy to become invested in - I kept turning the pages, determined to know what would happen next, and I really appreciated the ending. I did think there were a couple of loose ends that could’ve been tied up, but overall I was happy with the plot of the novel - it was lots of fun.
I do have to say that I wasn’t surprised by majority of the plot twists - they were a bit basic and easy to guess, but nonetheless I enjoyed. Overall, a captivating read! ...more
“He loved her dangerously, viciously, and beautifully.”
Oh this was just too much fun. Such an enjoyaARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
“He loved her dangerously, viciously, and beautifully.”
Oh this was just too much fun. Such an enjoyable, lighthearted, quick read - I loved every page, and was truly swept up into this fast paced adventure full of loveable characters (loveable enough I’m actually planning to read the spinoffs ?!), men who are absolute simps, happy endings and a bit of spice. For my girlies who need a break from angst!! And this is a bold claim, but I truly believe that this Flynn lived up to the Flynn name - he gave off enough Flynn Rider vibes to really hit the spot. And that is a high, high compliment.
“What kind of pirate would I be if I let somebody steal what is mine?”
Our fmc was a cutie patootie indeed - ready to do what she had to to protect her family, but dreaming of adventure and escapes from 1800s London. I thought she was such a bright, easy to enjoy protagonist, and humorous too. Her banter with our mmc was just too cute - they had such a fun vibe going with so much chemistry, they constantly made me giggle.
“You are mine, Princess. Mine to heal, mine to serve, mine to protect, and above all else, mine to love. Whatever you ask, it will never be too much.”
Our mmc was the perfect book boyfriend for an easy read like this one - protective, funny, trying-to-overthrow-the-monarchy-and-save-the-peoples-Robin-Hood-style, plus a massive simp! We always love a dark haired pirate who’s fully obsessed and devoted to our fmc without any drama. The dream!
“She was his own constellation. She was his way home. She was home. Perhaps it was him that had fallen prey to her. Because whether she knew it or not, she was his to protect, but he belonged to her entirely.”
Overall, this was just pure pleasure and fun. I truly had the time of my life, and I need more of these low-stress romantic adventures!! Thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for the ARC copy!...more
this book was crazy!! our fmc was so different to the usual romantasy heroine (no hate though bearc provided in exchange for an honest review
3.5 stars
this book was crazy!! our fmc was so different to the usual romantasy heroine (no hate though because god knows i eat up the traditional heroines too) - she was centuries old, she was queer as hell, and she was kickass af but it made sense because she'd actually been training for 100+ years. i loved her!!
“a broken heart is easier to mend than a destroyed kingdom. if sinead wasn’t prepared to lose me, she would’ve given me an easier job.”
our mmcs were equally unique - i truly didn't know what to think about cas for the first 70%-ish of the book, but he was definitely fascinating. and rane ranged between scary and hot - i cannot wait to see him form an even closer relationship with tenele. and the plot-twist switch up between these three... craziness, and made me adore this book so much more.
“she tasted familiar. it was as if he’d had her a million times before. she tasted like moonlight and madness and… divinity. like holy water without the agonizing burn, and he wanted more.”
the plot was also quite strong - i will admit that there was one section where i didn't really know what was going on, but that was probably on me for reading while exhausted. once the plot really started coming together, it was unique and had so many working parts and sides to the story - i didn't know who to trust or support!! which is just how i like it.
overall, this was such a strong debut, with fascinating and well-written characters, gorgeous queer rep, plot-twists, and crazy shenanigans - so addictive!! thank you so much to the author, publisher, and netgalley for the arc copy....more
this book absolutely hit the spot for a light, easy, low-stakes romcom!! it was so much fun – the characarc provided in exchange for an honest review.
this book absolutely hit the spot for a light, easy, low-stakes romcom!! it was so much fun – the characters had the best banter and such a gorgeous development from rivals to almost-friends to absolutely in love. i loved the soft fantasy, with fae with fascinating unseelie forms, and unique magic. for once, the mmc didn’t have lightning or killing powers of anything – my baby had the cutest, unexpected power!
and while the plotline did have the underlying ridiculous plot of a battle to see who’s better at seducing (and when both characters are fully obsessed with one another), i didn’t mind it at all, and had a lot of fun with the low-stakes but nonetheless exciting adventures. the characters were utterly loveable, and overall this was just pure fun, swoonworthy pleasure. thank you to the author, publisher, netgalley for the arc!
“You are beautiful. Your words are beautiful.”...more
this was so easy to fall into, and so enjoyable! very minimal angst, loveable characters, quickarc provided in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
this was so easy to fall into, and so enjoyable! very minimal angst, loveable characters, quick and simple. not a heap of expanding on our fmc's character - but it is a short novella so that was understandable, and i did adore the little development we got.
if a monster romance poly book (mmf) sounds up your alley, definitely check it out! easy fun.
"it was the first breath taken after ages of suffocation, the first step in a dance with a partner who knew me better than herself."...more
honestly skim read the last 20% of it, i just wasn’t captivated. arc copy provided in exchange for honest review.
this didn’t hit as hard as i thought…
honestly skim read the last 20% of it, i just wasn’t captivated. the mmc was less flynn-rider-cocky (which i love) and more smarmy, and i DESPISE smarminess. his ego needed a serious blow.
and i know it was a novella, but the actual enemies-to-lovers progression seemed so rushed?? even though their enemies phase was so unrealistic and mild??
overall i just didn’t love this one :// though the retelling aspect was interesting, and the actual plot was decent. thanks to netgalley anyway!...more
Firstly – this wasn’t a standalone? And no one told me? Insanely unresolved ending took me by surprise,ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Firstly – this wasn’t a standalone? And no one told me? Insanely unresolved ending took me by surprise, but honestly I’m not mad, because I would absolutely read another book about this chaotic, highly amusing, beyond adorable trio.
“So, between delicious mouthfuls of dumplings, she told him… About the row houses painted in pastel colors and the witches who caught falling stars and brewed cocktails in teapots. About the gruesome sacrifices the queen made to keep the city from sinking and the great stone pillar engraves with the words “our love keeps us from drowning”.
This book was gorgeous!! I adore Slavic folklore and this absolutely hit the spot – it was filled with mischievous water nymphs, drowners, goblins, house spirits, DEMONS – it had it all, and I loved every bit of the worldbuilding and subsequent magical creatures. It was definitely a character-driven novel, but I didn’t mind at all, because I adored the characters!
“He knew, deep down, that there was nothing wrong or shameful about having many or multiple partners so long as everyone involved was happy. There wasn’t a right or a wrong way to love.”
Our rusalki protagonist, Gisela, was pure humour and trickery, and I was obsessed with her from page 1. Her banter-filled relationship with the local exorcist was actually beyond entertaining, they always had the best interactions and the messiest conversations – it was brilliant!! I love a flirty protagonist, and Gisela did NOT let me down.
“There was a particular twist to Kazik’s mouth. A scrunch to his nose. It was like learning the words of a secret language. She liked that she was getting to know a side of Kazik that very few people knew.”
Speaking of our resident exorcist – Kazik was the light of my life. Overly stubborn, slightly secluded, minimal social skills – oh he just made my year. Watching him be torn from his comfort zone (aggressively. By Gisela and her flirtations. Against his will) always made me laugh – and also made me swoon, because these two were such adorable rivals. Kazik was honestly a soft little sweetheart on the inside, and deserves the whole world and more!!
“He was trapped between them, with Gisela’s hands on his shoulders and Aleksey’s hands gripping his waist. The way they moved together made him ache for more. It kindled a hundred thousand wants he wasn’t supposed to have.”
And the third member of our messy, glorious little polyamorous trio – Aleksey. He had secrets upon secrets, but he truly rounded out the other two so well. A flirtatious, persistent, tricksy little menace – I thought he fit in so well with the other two, and I really adored the formation of their polyamorous relationship.
I honestly wish we’d gotten a little more of the other rusalki, and definitely of the big boss water goblin, because the relationship between Gisela and the water goblin king was so so precious. Truly a father-daughter bond that made me feel all warm and squishy inside. Plus Gisela’s sisterhood and friendship with her fellow water nymphs – I needed more of them all, and definitely of their (slightly terrifying) fascinating powers. Please show me a little more of those carved hair combs and what they can do! Each of the rusalki were so interesting, and while the stories of how they became water nymphs were absolutely devastating, I thought they were each really well written.
Overall, this was such a gorgeous read, with stunning folklore, fascinating (and loveable) characters, and a flirtation-filled, perfectly-chaotic poly trio. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC copy provided!...more
arc copy provided in exchange for an honest review
this was so gorgeous!! i cannot emphasise enough the beauty of allison saft's writing (though that sarc copy provided in exchange for an honest review
this was so gorgeous!! i cannot emphasise enough the beauty of allison saft's writing (though that surprises no one, she's never let us down). this was such a stunning fairytale type story, with a really unique mythology and magic, and the most insane academic rivals to lovers sapphic relationship.
"back in the days when wishes still held power..."
i really enjoyed this world with all its heavy folklore aspects - it was well formed, interesting, and such fun to read. the plethora of fascinating creatures and clever little stories were so well interwoven into the novel, and i honestly wanted to know more about all the unique beasts and critters. please write a little compendium, allison saft!
"this place had made lorelei into a viper, and if she should go down, she would go down hissing like one."
i also adored these characters. lorelei was angry and sometimes rude, she was brusque and trusted no one, but she had so many reasons to be that way. it broke my heart to see her and her people beaten down time and time again, and i thought her character was really well-written. i loved seeing lorelei slowly open up and begin to trust people (sylvia) more, she deserves the world!
and sylvia... my little angel. just a ball of happiness and fluff - sylvia always looked on the bright side, and trusted in everyone, to almost a concerning level. get this girl some street smarts! some suspicion! she always tried to treat lorelei with kindness, despite sometimes receiving... not kindness. and honestly, i loved her full obsession with lorelei. their obsession with each other, really! their rivals to lovers relationship was so gorgeous and all-consuming, and i want more of it!!
"that night, as she did every night, she dreamed of drowning. only that time, in the exquisite and unbearable sweetness of sylvia von wolff's eyes."
thank you so much to netgalley, and the author and publisher for the arc copy!
~~~
pre-read review: I GOT THE ARC RAHHHH i’m unstoppable now. i am SO excited, sapphic academic rivals to lovers by allison saft??? INSANE...more
ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
This was the exact type of entertainment that I needed. Light, readable, not too angsty, swoonworthARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
This was the exact type of entertainment that I needed. Light, readable, not too angsty, swoonworthy – this was so much fun. I also ADORED the mythology, the scatterings of Greek mythology woven into this fascinating fantasy world was so gorgeous to read.
“The low, lamenting peal of a ram’s horn climbs through the valley and kicks my pulse into a perilous spring. The sky foretold a coming tragedy, and it was right. The North Wind has come.”
Our protagonists were so loveable – Wren was bold, brash, and so fun. I loved her commitment to, firstly, saving her sister, then to drawing our frosty little North Wind out of his shell. I felt that every decision Wren made was so understandable – she made mistakes, but I simply can’t imagine any other realistic choice that she could’ve made. She was such an enjoyable protagonist to read about.
“If I am going to die, it will be on my terms. On my feet, not on my knees.”
Boreas was a cutie – he started off as a rude, vaguely terrifying, not-at-all-loveable mmc, but the more we got to see his character and the more he opened up for Wren, the more I grew to love him. He ended up being a major simp, which I loved. And I was so happy by the length of this book – the perfect standalone really, it encompassed all the character and relationship developed that I needed, without dragging on too long or including unnecessary angst.
“My captor, my husband, my enemy, my lover, my friend. A dream I did not dare to dream. Mine.”
Overall, so enjoyable. Easy breezy romantasy, a quick and entertaining read, beautiful relationship with a simp of a mmc. Loved the ending, plus the little epilogue (he made her a cake !!!). Romantasy standalones are just so fun! Thank you so much to the author, publisher, NetGalley for the ARC copy :).
“Man and woman, god and mortal, we stare at one another, bound by duty, obligation, and deceit.”...more
"queen of shifting sands" was such a unique fantasy adventure! the desert setting was ripe with beautifuarc provided in exchange for an honest review.
"queen of shifting sands" was such a unique fantasy adventure! the desert setting was ripe with beautiful culture and fascinating creatures, and the political and romance aspects were a fun addition. i did find that the story dragged at some parts – especially in the middle – and the plot-twists weren’t particularly shocking, but it was a fun read.
“up above, the stars he loved so dearly danced in all their might, singing ancient proverbs. In a glorious exchange, the sky turned orange and the sand turned pale blue.”
the worldbuilding was the strongest aspect of the novel – bold, creative, and so fun to read. massive lizard-ish creatures that people raced and rode to battle, long gorgeous draping fabrics, battles with both magic and weapon. i thought the magic was really well woven into the story, and the entire concept of curses – especially the central curse – was really unique and interesting to read about.
“with this crown, i crown you, lystra, daughter of house arghan, queen of instanolde. may you reign with grace, honor, and a strength as sure as the dancing stars above.”
lystra was also such a cool fmc, though i have to admit that i wasn’t allll that invested in her story. she was strong and perseverant, which i admired, but i just couldn’t connect with her at times… but i found that i felt the same way about most of the characters.
“tragic, and yet noble. unbroken despite a world that had waged its worst. a man who both lived and died in the same cursed breath.”
i did really like certain parts of our mmc’s character – he was caring and he really thought things through, which is always a good character trait for kings. plus i loved the rep of him being in a wheelchair! i thought that was really well done (though i wouldn’t know personally), and i thought it blended well with his character. however he had this portrayal of being socially awkward and abrupt, which i just didn’t really see? like we kept getting told that he wasn’t great at socialising, but i could never see it… anyway, he was a cutie.
“despite their differences, the divides between them, and the distance the curse required, perhaps they could do this, accomplish the impossible.”
the romance was… mixed. i don’t know, i got invested at some stages, and then un-invested again. i thought the pacing was a bit off – it was like they were both grieving and barely had genial feelings for each other, and then instead of a slow build up, they were just kinda in love? like i swear they didn’t even have that many convos. also the slight love triangle with another character was a little odd.
nonetheless, overall this was a really interesting read! great adventure and political intrigue, stunning worldbuilding. thank you so much to the author, publisher and netgalley for the arc copy!...more
This book was devastating but so interesting and easy to get swept up in!
“The nights have been longerARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
This book was devastating but so interesting and easy to get swept up in!
“The nights have been longer and more beautiful since their world began to bleed into ours.”
As always, Zhao’s writing was spectacular. Her world-building with demons (beautiful, terrifying demons – the best kind), a magical school (that was also a brutal competition for immortality), and unique magic was so, so captivating. There was never a boring page, and I felt really immersed in the world.
The storyline was also fascinating – a life-or-death competition may not be a unique plot, but the concept of fighting for that pill of immortality through dangerous, magical trials is always such fun to read! I honestly wanted many more trials and magic. Add in the threat of demons invading, and I was intrigued!
“I have known how our story would end since the very beginning. I have resisted, but I no longer wish to.”
It helps that Zhao’s writing style is so lyrical and beautiful. I’m tempted to highlight every second line – she almost writes fairytales, they’re so poetic and enchanting. But with this lyrical writing comes the most devastating romances – Zhao just will not let a couple live peacefully! However, this is only book 1 of 2, so I hold out hope for a happy ending…
“But meeting the right person at the wrong time, the right love in the wrong life, is a tragedy written from the start.”
My god, these characters. Our fmc was courageous and angry and vicious, and I loved witnessing her growth as she made friends, learnt about power, and fell in love. She had the burdens of every Asian eldest daughter x 100, and she was so realistic that I couldn’t help but love her. And our main mmc… he had me giggling and kicking my feet. Always watching over her, helping out, THE SEWING KIT?!?! No spoilers, but I almost screamed.
My only complaint – the dreaded love triangle. I spent 99% of this book attempting to convince myself that no, there’s no way there’s another love interest, he can be her platonic brother-friend-tutor… but I fear my gaslighting only got me so far, and there’s definitely a love triangle. Ah well, I hold out hope, and we all know who I’m picking out of the funny, dangerous guy and sweet, wholesome one…
“You have poisoned me, little scorpion, and I would gladly let you do it over and over and over again.”
All in all, such a gorgeous, captivating, devastating story. Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and TBR & Beyond Tours for the ARC copy provided!
~~~
pre-read review: dark chinese romantasy involving rivals to lovers… i’m seated!...more
this was so, so good!! this duology absolutely needs more hype, because it's one of the most well-writtearc provided in exchange for an honest review.
this was so, so good!! this duology absolutely needs more hype, because it's one of the most well-written, unique, fascinating series to be released in recent years. honestly everything about this is revolutionary - the magical system is a beautiful combo of dark and miraculous, the (vietnam inspired !!) worldbuilding is gorgeous and captivating, and i'm insanely obsessed with the characters. i bow down to this author - vanessa le, please keep writing more books!! also the covers?? stunning.
his mortal demise did not disappoint. a good portion of the book had us flipping back and forth between the two protagonists perspectives on different timelines, which frustrated me slightly because i just wanted them reunited, but it did really draw out the suspense and let me have access to both of their stunning povs. and i'm truly obsessed with all the heartsoothing - words cannot emphasise my adoration for the slightly macabre, slightly scientific, fully magical craft that vanessa le has created!
nhika was persistent, determined, and strong as always - i loved her constant headstrong attitude and deep loyalty for her loved ones, and i'm never not on nhika's side. kochin is my precious mixed boy - he learnt more about himself in this book, and i loved being alongside him while he came to terms with who he is. he had such a deep seated love for nhika that i truly adored - this may be YA, but they were so perfect together, and their relationship growth was immaculate.
the only reason this didn't get 5 stars is because i wanted a little more of our heroes together - book #1 truly did set the bar sky high in terms of relationship bonding + action + fascinating magic!! but this was still such a marvelous book, and i'm so thankful to the author and publisher for the arc copy.
~~~
pre-read review: I GOT AN ARC I GOT AN ARC YESSSSS !!!!!!!!!!!
crazy creepy blood and bone magic, vietnam inspired, mmc so in love he’s bringing her back to life… oh i’m ready ...more
this book wasn't really my cup of tea. let's start off with the good!! the characters were alright - i did like our two female protagonists most of the time, i thought they were interesting and both were incredibly persistent and never gave up, which is always admirable. plus they were extremely dedicated to each other, but i'll get more into that later...
"come kings and queens, shamans and gods, witches and wolves, siiri and aina will always find their way back to each other."
the world building was nice. the finnish mythology was intriguing and atmospheric, and i liked the majority of the magic and the snowy, dark, winter vibes. plus i did really like the platonic father-daughter bond, i love grumpy-old-man-and-young-annoying-girl dynamic - i will always eat it up, be it "the last of us", "the witcher", anything. those two were cutie patooties, and i kinda wish the book had centered around them!
"he sighs, shoulders sagging in defeat. "to know you is to love you, siiri jarintyttar." i smile. "i love you, too, old man."
now we have the not so good. the "romance". *cue the eye twitching* i didn't know all that much going in - i requested this book from netgalley months ago and then preceded to ignore it for another 4 months after i received a copy. but my god, no one has ever been more confused than me trying to work out whether these girls were in love or just really good friends. and you'd think that's easy to divine - but no. one sec they were sisters, the next they were in love, the next one of them was in love with some other guy - i truly truly could not keep up. and i wasn't really feeling it, to be so honest. i feel either the author should've gone hard with the sapphic vibe and i would've eaten it up, or should've just taken it out, because it felt a bit like a little extra something thrown in at the end, instead of woven into the story.
and i'm not sure it can be called romance - but i wasn't loving whatever was happening between aina and the king of the underworld. it felt very manipulative, very power-imbalance type of relationship. they did not seem healthy, or make much sense at all. i wasn't a fan.
also the plotline. please choose a plot and stick to it - i could not keep up with everything going on, and i fear this book mostly felt like a prequel for book 2, because there were 7 different storylines beginning. there were the evil christians (honestly an interesting plot point for sure - but naturally the least developed), aina being dragged to the underworld, siiri going on a little march north and befriending this old shaman, then a bunch more spoilery plot points but damn... i kinda couldn't keep up. that could be because of my skimming though - so take this criticism with a grain of salt.
"because our lives are measured by the risks we take to help those in need when their need is greatest."
overall, this one was a bit disappointing. thank you nonetheless to the author, publisher and netgalley for the arc copy provided!...more
ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
This book was BRILLIANT. The fact that this is a debut author stuns me, because the woARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
This book was BRILLIANT. The fact that this is a debut author stuns me, because the worldbuilding was immaculate, the fantasy system so unique and well developed. I loved the concept of bloodcarving/heartsoothing, it was so well described and different, and much darker to most YA fantasy worlds. And this book certainly leant into the dark aspects more than I expected, which I really, really appreciated – I will always eat up a dark fantasy, and this one was scrumptious.
“This is the core of heartsoothing. Not to harm. To heal.”
And the characters AHH the characters!! I adored our two protagonists with every fibre of my being, Nhika is my precious love and deserved the whole world. I thought she was so well-written and realistic, with a believable outlook on the world (given the crap she’d dealt with) and a hilarious personality. I ADORED that this first book was entirely from her perspective, and wouldn’t change it for anything. For once, I didn’t want dual-POV! Nhika did what was best for HER and that’s just so believable, not everyone is a martyr ready to devote themselves to saving the world and giving everything up for others!
“She hadn’t had a moment so beautiful, so colorful, since she’d first started soothing. Just when she’d thought she’d learned all there was to know about the body, another system introduced itself to her, filled in first with color and then with blood, tissue, lymph.”
I also loved reading about the differing opinions and outlooks on heartsoothing, and the way Nhika’s love for the art grew throughout the book… her growth was wondrous. I won’t say much about Kochin to avoid spoilers, but don’t give up on him! He was truly gorgeous.
“…this longing, the loneliness of two flytraps in a garden of orchids.”
Overall, this book was truly splendid. Loveable characters, MASTERFUL worldbuilding, fascinating, dark, bloody magic – this gave me everything I needed AND THEN added a gorgeous Vietnamese inspired setting just to make every twice as good. And may I just say that I adore the cover? Look at my love’s flat nose and tanned skin – we love some SEA rep. Stunning. Thank you so much to the author, publisher & Colored Pages Book Tours for the ARC copy provided!...more
ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
“People get to change… you get to choose. Sometimes what we need is to burn who we were to the gARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
“People get to change… you get to choose. Sometimes what we need is to burn who we were to the ground and start over.”
I adored this book! I don’t think it was my absolute favourite of Mallory Dunlin’s books, just because it took me a little longer to warm up to the main character than usual, but I really grew to love the story. Dunlin’s stories are usually fairly character driven, but also have an overarching plot that’s fairly interesting, and this book was no different. I was simultaneously captivated by the political intrigue and minor murder-mystery vibes, and the flourishing relationship between our two MCs. And, as always, Dunlin put so much effort into the worldbuilding, with clothing designs that work for our darling amalgam, and fascinating magic.
“I’d make mistakes. Of course I would. But when I did, I knew a healer and an amalgam mage. Maybe they could help me put the world back together, and I could try again.”
Both our main characters had the most beautiful growth, and I loved the way Dunlin wrote the development of her characters and relationships – mistakes were made, because the characters were truly human (metaphorically ...more
fast-paced, an easy read for sure! though almost too rushed at times, i did enjoy this conclusiarc provided in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
fast-paced, an easy read for sure! though almost too rushed at times, i did enjoy this conclusion to a wonderful series. it was fun, entertaining, and kept my attention.
"i've almost lost you too many times... and each time ... i lose a piece of myself each time, arwen."
i did feel that i wasn't as connected to the characters with this book, but they were still so much fun, and i adored that arwen still had faithful and loving friends and wasn't only devoted to her love interest. and as always, kane was pathetically infatuated (in the best way possible), and continually devoted to arwen, which i always appreciate. i did miss a bit of their banter in this book, but they were still so adorable!
the world building was still so interesting (give me more mysterious beasts!! syrixes etc!), and while the conclusion to the massive battle was slightly anticlimactic, it also ended happily, and i was content enough with the conclusion. i did think some of the reveals and plot-twists were pretty easy to see coming, but they were still good fun, so i didn't mind too much.
entertaining, an easy romantasy read, fun! thank you so much to Kate for the arc copy! <3...more
arc copy provided in exchange for an honest review. this in no way changes my rating or review.
dnf @ 30%
i just could not get into thpost-read review:
arc copy provided in exchange for an honest review. this in no way changes my rating or review.
dnf @ 30%
i just could not get into this reading style :((. i've read other books by the author and i don't remember having this trouble... so either the style has changed or my taste has changed. either way, i found myself confused, bored, and very non-addicted to this one, which was disappointing. might try again one day, but not sure. either way, i've put it down for now.
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pre-read review: arc acquired woo!! this sounds too addictive, and the author marketed it as both fun & steamy, which is always a win for me. we need more fun romantasies!...more
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