Tag Archives: Review

Review: The Ballad of Falling Dragons by Sarah A. Parker

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This one is very much like the other but with a little bit more spice. Pretty much starting right where we left it. Raeve is getting her revenge, only to have her “other” take over. I have long suspected who her “Other” is, and it was confirmed for me. Word has gone around that there will be many moon falls happening soon, so Kaan has to prepare his kingdom for that, while also keeping his loved ones out of danger. The Princess has gone missing and is in the clutches of a psychopath. Raeve still denies who she is but also accepts she is in love with Kaan. A lot is going on in this book. Almost too much. It was at times hard to remember all of the characters and all of their storylines and how they connected. Two characters who were believed to be dead have come back to life. This is after Raeve herself was thought to be dead. Kinda makes the death of a character irrelevant if they can just come back to life later in the series. Like most second books in a trilogy, it had a lot to cover to fill in from the first book and set up the ending in the next book. It was still good but didn’t quite have the same pacing or punch as the first. Raeve is still as sassy as ever. Kaan is still as sexy as ever. I can’t complain about that. It did end on an interesting cliffhanger, so I am looking forward to the next book.

Quick Review: The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

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Six is a dreamer. One of six who have the power to read omens in their dreams. The six of them are about to finish their 10 years, and then they will be able to be free, but one by one, they all start to disappear. Six has only one choice: to team up with a Rogue Knight and the King to find out what happened to her fellow dreamers and bring down the omens. It was a fun story, and I like the dynamic between the characters. Six is a smart and brave heroine. All of her life, she has dedicated herself to her craft to find out it’s all been a lie. It was a bit of a slow read to start because it took a bit to get into the world-building, but once I did, it started to pick up. I was pretty surprised by the ending. It was one of those endings that, in retrospect, should have been seen coming. It definitely did its job because I bought the sequel. Now that I know the world, I am sure the next one will be a faster read.

Review: The Children by Melissa Albert

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When I read the synopsis of this book, it reminded me of another book about a child of an author, who wrote them in their book. It took me a moment to realize that book was also written by Melissa Albert. She has a niche. This book was different. Guinevere and Ennis’ mother was a famous author who used their names and likeness as inspiration. The world started to know them as their characters. Over the years, Guin leaned into it, but Ennis didn’t. As idyllic their life seemed from the outside, it was anything but in reality. They lived in a farmhouse in Vermont. Their mom was mostly absent even though she was there, and their father was more visible but also an alcoholic and adulterer. The story goes back and forth between the present, where Guin is releasing a memoir, and Ennis decides to have a surprise art exhibition, and the past during their childhood. In the present, the siblings haven’t seen each other for over a decade, and Guin is starting to remember things about her childhood that she has forgotten or had blocked out. When she was 11 and Ennis was 13, both of their parents died in a house fire. Just weeks before their mother was to publish the fifth book in the six-book series. So how did these two become estranged? It’s not a simple story. I really liked how the story is set up. I felt like I could see the farmhouse and the freedom they felt, especially in the early years. It was disheartening watching Guin lose her innocence and her brother being more of a parent to her than her actual parents were. It does have a magical element, but most of the book is very rooted in reality. I don’t know how I feel about the ending, though. I will have to sit on it a bit longer, but all in all, it was a good book and worth giving it a shot.

Review: When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

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Raeve is my kind of psycho killer. Okay, she’s not psycho, but also not fully sane either. She definitely is feisty, which is always a good trait in a heroine. She is a paid killer for a rebellion group in the Fade. She does her job well. Until a truly heinous man kills her friend, and she goes on a killing spree, gets caught, and is sentenced to death. Enter Kaan. The King of the Burn. He rescues her because, you wouldn’t you know, she’s his long-lost love thought to be dead. Yes. That is kind of a spoiler but also pretty obvious from the get-go. They do have a lot of fun banter between the two of them. You can see how, in a different time, they would be drawn to each other. This book has a lot of world-building. So much that it comes with a glossary and cast of characters at the very beginning of the book. It does take a few chapters to figure out the world, but once things all fall into place, it’s a very quick read. It’s an almost 700-page book that I read in less than a week. I am very interested to find out how Raeve became Raeve because it is very far from where she began. The ending introduces a new villain that I am not sure was needed, as there were already some pretty good bad guys, but hey, what do I know. I will just have to wait until the next book.

Review: I, Medusa by Ayanna Gray

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The myth of Medusa has been having a moment lately. I have seen a lot of discourse about how Medusa wasn’t the monster that she is portrayed as in the original stories but a victim. Even reframing her as a feminist heroine. This book takes on her myth from Medusa’s point of view. From her childhood as the only mortal child of minor Gods to priestess to monster. It was a tough read to be sure. Medusa is a very sheltered young woman. Her family is trapped on their island, and they cannot leave. What she knows of the outside world is what washes up on the shores. Things start to change when she accidentally kills the fiancé of her sister. This interaction introduces her to the Goddess, Athena, who is impressed with her honesty and gives her an opportunity to train as one of her priestesses in Athens. She moves to Athens and falls in love with the city but is also overwhelmed by so much of the injustice. In her time, she learns to navigate the politics of the temple and, in her naivety, makes some pretty terrible mistakes. During a festival, she leaves her friend to go to the restroom. She falls asleep and is rescued by a young man who escorts her home, but she left her friend behind. I’m sure you can guess as to what happens, and in the first moment of how cruel Athena can be, her friend is dismissed because she is no longer “pure,” even though she is the victim. Medusa will find herself in the same situation when Poseidon becomes interested in her. You know the story. Poseidon rapes her; Athena, who can’t punish Poseidon, punishes Medusa. Giving her hair of snakes and can turn anyone into stone. Her sisters stand up to Athena, and they are also turned into the same monsters. They soon take their revenge on any man that comes to their island, but Medusa is never really much into it. When her friend from Athens comes ashore, she realizes she wants more. They leave the island and start a new life, but Medusa realizes she cannot give up her rage and how it will get her friend and lover in trouble, so she leaves and goes back to the island, where she will live until she is murdered by a male “hero.” This really is a good illustration of how rape culture continues to endure over millennials. As an adult reading, I can see all the mistakes she makes and know instantly what terrible thing is going to happen because of it, because I have grown up being taught how to avoid these exact situations. This is a really harrowing book to read but I do feel it necessary.

Review: All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan

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Chaos indeed. I really enjoy Sarah Rees Brennan. She has written so many different kinds of books, and yet they are all well thought out and well crafted. I always get lost in the world. Much like Rae, who is actually lost in the world. Okay, she isn’t lost. She knows where she is, but she failed to get out of the book when she had the chance and now the narrative of the story is out of order. Rae tries to make the most of the situation. If she can get the story back on track. Make the Key the hero, she can get back home, but the thing the story wants what it wants, and the more she tries to change it, the more it fights back. I do love the exploration of Villain vs. Hero. Rae’s character is written to be a villain because she is seen to be promiscuous and manipulative, but the King in the previous book was just the same way, and he was considered a hero to many. Key has done some pretty inexcusable things, but he is also a man that poor and told his whole life he was bad and wouldn’t amount to anything, so is it really shocking that now he is living up to it? It goes deeper than that, but I hope you get the gist. The two books together are just a fun story of people trying to navigate complicated circumstances and trying to make it better. It’s well written, and the world-building is so on point. That even though I have never read the book she is lost in, I feel as though I have. And that ending! I do love a good cliffhanger, but damn girl. The game has really changed and sets up a pretty exciting finale.

Review: This Will be Interesting by E.B. Asher

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The sequel to This Will be Fun is just as cute. This time, we are following Galwell, recently back from the dead, Queen Thessia, tired of being the damsel in distress, and River, an assassin with a moral code. The mystery starts when River is assigned to kill Galwell. The Guild she works for only supports targeting villains, but what evil deed could Galwell have committed? He is, after all, the heroic Galwell the Great. So he has to get out of town, and wouldn’t you know, Queen Thessia and her new husband, Hugh, are going across the sea on their honeymoon. So Galwell sneaks onto the boat, and Raven follows, and soon, everyone is in a new country. They meet the Princes, who both want to change their country for the better, but then one of the princes is killed by someone who looks like Galwell, and now new mystery on top of the other mystery. Galwell has no choice but momentarily stops being heroic by hiding at Mona the Merciless place. Hijinks ensue. Romance is had. The bad guys are unmasked, and the good guys win the day. Just the simple, fun book that everyone needs to read every once in a while. I particularly enjoyed the chemistry between Galwell and Mona. They were truly fun. Galwell, a man from out of time and a misunderstood villain. It just works. Thessia and Hugh are also a great couple. I enjoyed both books, and I wonder if there will be any other books in the series.

Review: Alchemised by SenLinYu

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I wished I liked this more. For one thing, it was way too long. Secondly, over the course of the novel, I started to get really annoyed with Helena. Kaine clocked her when he said that she made so many promises that she gets to pick the ones she wants to keep so she can feel better about herself. She often goes back on her word once she gets what she wants. Her hero complex of wanting to save everyone ended up barely saving anyone at all. I swear, every decision she made only made things worse, not just for her but for everyone. If she had just listened to Kaine in the first place and stayed put, they could have been spared two years of suffering and two-thirds of this book. I didn’t know this when I started reading it, but this started as a Hermione/Draco fan-fiction. As fun as that is, Hermione was ten times more clever than Helena. True Helena eventually figures out how to win the day, so many people suffered because of her and Kaine along the way. If you want to take the time to read, know that there is an upsetting subplot in The Handmaid’s Tale, and because it is about war, there are a fair number of depictions of violence. Honestly, it’s not worth the time.

Review: Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

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In the first book, Butcher and Blackbird, Sloane and Rowan are serial killers who fall in love. Leather and Lark follows Sloane’s best friend, Lark, and Rowan’s older brother, Lachlan, who is a serial killer and contract killer, respectively. Interesting group of people. I have to wonder if everyone they know is a killer. I am starting to think so. Anyhoo, Lachlan and Lark get married in an attempt to save their brother and friend. You see, Lark’s family is into organized crime, and someone is targeting their business, and they think it’s Lachlan. In true Mob fashion, they have no problem targeting his family. So they get married. Lark’s family wouldn’t dare go after her husband. Kind of slim reasoning, but however to get the plot rolling. This book was fine. Lark is a fun character. It’s not as focused on murder as the first book, but there are some fun death scenes. I liked Butcher and Blackbird better. It was just easier to get into. It wasn’t that this book was slow, but I wasn’t as interested in Lachlan and Lark as I was in Rowan and Sloane. I think it’s because I didn’t really find Lachlan all that interesting. He fits the noble hero role, who will do what it takes to protect his family, even if that means committing murder for hire. Lark is similar in that regard. It is her idea that they get married to protect Sloane and Rowan. Not a bad book by any means, but not as exciting as the first.

Review: Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

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People online were not kidding when they said the show is a pretty faithful adaptation of the book. As I was reading it, I was seeing the scene play out in the show, and it was still great. The advantage that books have over shows or movies is that they can go deeper into characters’ thoughts. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand Shane’s own personal homophobia from Hudson Williams’ performance in the show, but in the book, I truly got the depths of it and the true fear of being gay and what they would mean not just for his career but for him personally. For all the bravado and torment that Connor Storrie brought to Ilya in the show, in the book, we really see how deeply he feels unworthy of Shane’s love. There wasn’t a lot that was left out from the show, and while it would have been interesting, it didn’t take away from the story. The book was enjoyable to read. I finished it in three days. It had the same heart, yearning, and laughs I got from the show. Showrunner Jacob Tierney said that he approaches writing the show by staying true to the spirit of the books, and he did. There is a reason that people loved the books to begin with, and there was an interest to turn it into a show, so why mess with that? I am really looking forward to reading the sequel in a couple of months when it becomes available from my library. Knowing what I know so far, it isn’t going to be the light-hearted romance this one was.