Fantasy

The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin

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Rating: 4/5

“You have to believe you’re worthy of the life you want. If you don’t believe that, who else will?” 

For centuries witches have maintained who have maintained their climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now, their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season. But, Clare wants nothing to do with her power, as the price for her magic means losing the ones she loves the most. In autumn, it’s wild and volitale, in winter fires burn and storms rage, in spring she finds herself falling for the witch, Sang who training here and with summer, she must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves.

This was a fun read! The story is a coming of age as Clara is struggling to figure out who she is and what she wants out of her life. In addition to that, she doesn’t have a lot of support around her as she doesn’t have any family and isolated from her peers. She carries the burden of being the one who will save everyone yet no one can tell her why she’s the one who has to carry it. I could understand her resistance to her powers and what was involved in that because that can place a lot of stress on someone so young. Plus, it can feel like not having your own agency if people are telling you who are you, what you’re meant to do or be, and not asking what you want do. So I understood her frustration with that aspect because that can be very overwhelming.

I absolutely LOVED the magical elements, I thought it was really well done and probably my favorite part of the book. The way that Griffin wrote made it feel so real and made me think about the first I read Harry Potter and fell in love with magic in books. Each season had a magical element and it was.so cool how the witches controlled the environment and it added so much mystery and intrigue to the book. I highly recommend this book! It was really great!

Am I Normal Yet? By Holly Bourne

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Rating: 5/5

“Everyone’s on the cliff edge of normal. Everyone finds life an utter nightmare sometimes, and there’s no ‘normal’ way of dealing with it… There is no normal, Evelyn.” 

For Evelyn, all she’s ever wanted to be was normal. That’s what she hopes will happen as she starts a new college while adjusting to life off her meds. She wants to start over, make new friends, and have stability and not be seen as the girl who went crazy. But, life doesn’t always work out that way as relationships are messy and what you think will make you happy doesn’t always happen in the way that you want. Evie begins to see that being normal isn’t all what it’s cracked up to be and embracing the messy side of life and stepping into who you are is a terrifying yet rewarding experience all in one.

It’s very rare for me to give a book a five star rating but this book totally went beyond my expectations and even though I may overreacting when calling this one of the best ya contemporaries I’ve read, it’s absolutely true. I laughed, cried, cheered, and went through a rollercoaster of emotions and enjoyed every minute of it. I found the mental health rep particular fantastic as some ya books can be hit and miss with mental health rep. But, I thought the way mental health was portrayed in the book was really well. The story was interesting but it was really the characters who were well-written and interesting in their own way. Evie is definitely someone that I really resonated with in particular her struggles with her mental health but I felt like she was very well. The dynamics throughout the book also added to the individual characters and it helped with the story. I am excited to read the next book and hopefully I’ll enjoy it as much as I did this one.

Fly With The Arrow by Sarah K.L. Wilson

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Rating: 3/5

“We are the story of our choices, our grim failures, our crippled successes. We are the story of our molten passions, our loves and hates, our tears in the silence. We are the story of how others touched or shunned us, of loves returned, revenges enacted. When all flesh and glory melts away and there is nothing left of us, we will be only the story going on to what comes next.”

No one told her the most important law of the court-the law of greeting. If she knew about it, maybe she wouldn’t have greeted Bluebeard who had come to claim a mortal wife. If that hadn’t happened, she wouldn’t have swept into away to the lands of the Wittenhame as his sixteenth wife. But, if none of that had happened then she wouldn’t have been such a integral part of the game that takes place every two years that will set the fate of the nations. But, as she tries to navigate her way not only as Bluebeard’s wife but her own identity, she will discover that not all is at it seems in more ways than she could imagine.

What a confusing, addictive, fun and entertaining book this was! When I was younger, I was obsessed with pirates and a huge fan of POTC but I grew out of it. I remember reading tales of Bluebeard so when I saw this pop up on my recommendations, I decided to give it a try. In this telling, Bluebeard is a misunderstood fae who is equally puzzled by Izdola, our heroine who is different from his previous fifteen wives. The enemies to lovers trope is a favorite of mine and it was done rather well throughout the book. There were a few parts where I was very confused but thankfully that didn’t last long the more that I got into the story and became very interested in what was to come.

It was a great read up until the last act which I felt like was a little rushed and a bit predictable. On top of that, it ended in a cliffhanger and we don’t know what happens until the second book comes out in September. I felt a little disappointed in the ending, I would’ve liked the book to be a bit longer and not end as a cliffhanger. It’s a fun and interesting story with a great dynamic between Bluebeard and Izdola but I felt like the last part of the book fell flat for me.

But if you’re looking for a fun and adventurous book, this is right up your alley!

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anne-Marie McLemore

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Rating: 4/5

“And it’s not the perfect moment. It’s not even one of the six movie moments we’ve had in the past week. But it’s the moment. It’s our moment. Something in me just knows.”

The Miss Meteor pageant hasn’t any a winner like Chicky Quintanilla and Lita Perez in all it’s history. But that’s not why Lita and Chicky want to enter the competition as Miss Meteor isn’t about being perfect but sharing who you are to the world and loving the parts of yourself. So to pull off the biggest underdog in Miss Meteor’s pageant history Lita and her ex-best friend Chicky are going to try and put the past behind them and imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough, they are everything.

I love a good underdog story and this book was a real treat. Anne-Marie McLemore is one of my favorite authors so when I saw this book on goodreads, I decided to check it out. It was such a fun, witty, heartfelt, endearing story with magical elements that kept you glued to the page. While it took awhile to get used to the writing style as I’m used to McLemore’s flowery style but there’s a lot more to focus on than that. Miss Meteor is a story of self-empowerment and stepping into yourself accepting your imperfections and owning who you are. I think that was my favorite aspect of the story with the characters reclaiming what they were shamed for and it’s so relevant especially in today’s world.

The dynamics between Lita and Chicky were great, I enjoyed reading about their friendship and with what happened in the past I hoped they would find their back to each other. Not only do they have a great bond but their friendship felt very real and I enjoyed it. I would also say that for the rest of the characters throughout the book as there was a lot of love from sisters, families, and other characters that was very heartwarming and wonderful to see.

Overall, a very endearing story about self-empowerment and being proud of you are flaws and all.

This Poison Heart by Kaylnn Bayron

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Rating: 3/5

Brisesis has a strange yet fascinating gift where she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. But, when her aunt dies and gives her dilapidated estate to Bri and her parents decide to leave rural Brooklyn for the summer in hopes that Bri can hone her magically gift in the open space that surrounds her aunt’s estate. At first, things are perfect but looks can be deceiving and Bri and her family don’t have any idea of what sinister awaits for them. Soon, strangers start coming to the door wanting elixer’s and when Bri learns that she can make them, she decides to use her talent and things couldn’t be better. Until, Bri meets a woman named Maria and the two become friends until Bri finds out that Maria is keeping secrets of her own and soon Bri finds herself with more than she bargained for and she must not only save herself but her family.

This is the second book that I’ve read from Bayron and I actually prefer Cinderella is Dead to this one because the pacing for this book was awful imo. The character didn’t even arrive in the setting until 25% into the book and while there parts where I felt like things were picking up, the poor pacing continued throughout the book and it made me a bit disappointed. Briesis is very relatable character and I do think she was well-written and I liked her personality but I just felt like the pacing of the book really impacted my enjoyment of it. Another part that irked me a bit was the immortal love interested who was in the body of a seventeen year old. The main character, Breisis is barely seventeen yet her love interest some hundred years her senior? That might not bother some people but that felt weird to me.

But, there a few things that I enjoyed and in particular the relationship between Bri and her mother, I felt like it was a very well written and there is so much love between the two of them and that’s always nice to see. I also enjoyed learning about the magic system and I thought that it was explained very well and made it interesting. I wish I could’ve enjoyed this book as much as others did but I couldn’t due to the issues that I mentioned but if you feel like this sounds up your alley, check it out for yourself!

Neon Gods by Katee Robert

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Rating: 4/5

“If we were different people in different circumstances, I would get down on my knees and beg you to stay at the end of the winter. I would move heaven and earth and the Underworld itself to keep you with me.” 

A retelling of a very old tale between Persephone and Hades and one that will leave you begging for more. Society darling, Persephone Dimitriou is ready to leave the ultra modern city of Olympus and start over from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses but when her mother throws her into an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind the city’s dark facade, she is desperate for a way out. She flees to the forbidden city, where she makes a devil bargain and is thrust into a world that she never knew existed along with a man she believed to be a myth.

This book was super steamy and I loved every minute of it. This book wasn’t originally on my tbr at all until I started hearing the buzz about it and decided to check it out and I am so glad that I did. Not only did I love the smut but I loved everything about the retelling of Persephone and Hades. I am fickle on retellings of this tale because it’s been done so many times so I was a little skeptical but the characters, the world-buidling, the writing, and of course the smut drew me in. I liked how the author was still able to weave in the gods aspect because the way it was done in this retelling added to the story in my perspective. I could actually see this world existing in my head and wondered what it would be like to experience it.

I can’t wait for more!!

Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson

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Rating: 3.5/5

“If they want me to be a nightmare, then a nightmare I shall be.” 

Outside of the walls of opulent opera house, Isda doesn’t exist. She is one of the few people who can manipulate people’s memories when people sing. Saved by Cyril, the owner of the opera house, she is given a chance to survive but only on the condition that she keep tickets sales alive and stays out of sight. It seems that is all is going well until Isda breaks Cyril’s golden rule and finds herself battling between what she knows and what she truly desires. 

While it was confusing during some parts, I found this book enjoyable and not only because it was a retelling of The Phantom Of The Opera but because of the two main characters and their dynamic. I love that it was gender-switched as it was a little more interesting to see how the relationship and plot would play out throughout the book. I found Isda relatable and real as she is working through so many different emotions and struggles due to being kept hidden. I love her relationship with Emeric as it felt very real and the two had sweet moments as well as conflict which is inevitable and any relationship. Her father figure, Cyril was interesting as it was hard to tell his motives and there were times where I felt like he was being manipulative and controlling to Isda so I felt for her. I wanted her to finally break from him as that’s what she truly wanted and to be with Emeric. 

I don’t wanna spoil it so you’ll have to check it out if you want to know more! It’s a stellar read from beginning to end. 

Promised Neverland by Kaui Shirai

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Rating: 4/5

Emma and her fellow friends, Norman and Ray, who are the brightest orphans feel like nothing could bring them down and they have everything they could’ve wanted. Clean clothes, great food, and a environment that helps the children feel loved and cared for. What more could they want? That bliss and happiness is shattered when the orphans come up the dark forest that they have been forbidden to see.

YES! I absolutely loved this, I binged the first season awhile back and loved it so I was delighted to find the manga for a readathon that I’m in for. A peter pan retelling and an amazing one at that! It was a short read so that’s another plus but I loved the characters, the dynamics between them, and of course the amazing plot which totally tricked me from the moment I started. I thought I was going into this wholesome and sweet story about these three orphans and it turned out to be a retelling of Peter Pan and an amazing one at that! Finding out that their mother isn’t all saintlike as they have been led believe and the plots twists and turns that left me reeling. I wish I could go into more of it but I don’t want to spoil it so if you’re looking for a fun and short read that will leaving you gasping for air, this is it!

Witchshadow by Susan Dennard

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Rating: 4/5

“One man’s loneliness is another man’s freedom.”

Witchshadow follows the journey of Iseult, a threadwitch who has the ability to see the ties that bind the lives of the people around her has found her heartsister Safi but their reunion is short lived. Iseult has formed an unlikely bond with Safi, a truthwitch who has ability to discern truth from a lie and in order to save her friend, she will be taken on a journey that is more dangerous than any journey she’s ever been on. Meanwhile, the bloodwitch Audean is beset by forces that he doesn’t understand and Vivia, the rightful queen of Nubreva is without a crown or home. Iseult is faced with a dilemma of being able to embrace her power and heal the land but she must make a choice for which of the shadows of her destiny lie.

I was so excited to finally get this book in my hands as I have been waiting on it since bloodwitch. This series is so underrated and I have been telling so many people about the series. I actually forgot the book came out this month until I found it while looking for other books for my July TBR. I first found the series last year when I was asking for book recommendations and Truthwitch kept coming up so I decided to check it out. I am so glad that I did because it’s such a good story with two great protagonists, Safi and Iseult and their friendship is my favorite thing of the series. They are so different yet care for each other so much and would do anything to help each other out. Seeing Iseult’s growth throughout the series has been wonderful especially in her own book. There was so much character and plot development that really helped with telling Iseult’s story and I nearly finished the book in the one night. So, I don’t really have any complaints except for more Audean and Iseult but hopefully there will be more of them in the future.

If you’re looking for a medium paced fantasy with two great protagonists, a well-written and engaging plot, and interesting characters, then I would check this series out. It’s so good and it needs more love!