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Book Review: Once UPOn A River

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“There are stories that may be told aloud, and stories that must be told in whispers, and there are stories that are never told at all.”

On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place where the regulars tell stories to while away dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger with a lifeless body of a child in his arms. A miracle happens as hours later, the girl stirs and returns to life leaving all those around in shock wondering how she came back to life. Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their knowledge to try and solve the mystery of who this young girl is and what happened to her that would leave her for dead only to come back to life hours later. The town is full of questions and that gets deeper as three families arrive claiming that the young girl belongs to them.

I wasn’t sure what to expect but the more I got into the story, the more invested I became with how the story developed. It does cross into different genres of fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, and magical realism and I was really impressed with how it was done and how smooth the transition was. If handled wrong, I don’t know that I would’ve enjoyed it as much as I did and the addition of fairy tales was what I loved the most. What was really interesting was how the author intertwined reality and supernatural into the story and I thought it was done really well and it’s something that could’ve gone the opposite if not handled the right way. This is a fine line that I think about often and I think most people do and something that is thrilling for them. This book was magical and fun so I highly recommend it!

Book Review: The Long WAY TO A SMALL ANGry PLAneT

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“All you can do, Rosemary – all any of us can do – is work to be something positive instead. That is a choice that every sapient must make every day of their life. The universe is what we make of it. It’s up to you to decide what part you will play.”

Not expecting much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer, Rosemary Harper finds herself right at home with a chaotic and crazy life abroad the Wayfarer. The ship has seen better days but it offers a bed, a chance to explore the far off galaxies and most importantly a long distance from her past. Rosemary knows how to keep to herself and finds the crew very different from herself and it’s about to get even dangerous when the crew accepts the job of a lifetime. A job that could mean the end of her life and her crew members if they’re not careful leaving Rosemary in a position that she was trying to get away from. The young woman must learn how to put her trust in others, a team of odd balls that will teach her how to love and trust and that having a family isn’t the worst thing in the world.

There’s nothing that I love more than feel-good science fiction and this book did more than deliver. Glad there are other books in the series because i really enjoyed this one. I love it when there’s a rag tag team of odd balls who are sent on a mission to save the world, it’s so much fun. Along with the feel good vibes, I really loved learning about the world and it felt so real and how it was written really made me love it even more. The writing is what really helped it seem so real and unique so that’s a bonus when you get that in fantasy and sci-fi novels. I loved Rosemary, she was a likable and relatable protagonist and I really felt for her and how she was trying to deal with her past trauma. I think a lot of us are dealing with that right now and it can be very overwhelming to do but I did enjoy her relationships with the other crew members. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading more of the series!

Book Review: Seraphina

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“Your lies didn’t stop me loving you; your truth hasn’t stopped me either.”

Seraphina Domingus has many reasons to fear humans and dragons as they haven’t been able to make peace with one another and live in harmony. The dragons are able to shape shift into humans and lend their mathematical minds to humans in different areas of interest including music, politics, academics and so on. But, tensions are high even as the treaty’s anniversary is just around the corner. Seraphina who is an unusually gifted musician who joins the court as a member of the royal family is found murdered and she finds herself in the thick of the investigation along with Prince Lucian Keggs, the principal investigator. Seraphina’ is desperate to keep her secret safe of where she gets her musical gift from and if revealed, it could lead to deadly consequences for her.

This was such an interesting plot and something that I’d never consider unique or something that I would like since it contains Math and that was my least favorite subject in school. I wasn’t very good at it and I found it very frustrating so anytime I had to do anything with math, I hated it. But, the way the author intertwined this concept with the story and how it developed over the course of the book made it very unique and I found myself unable to put the book down. It follows Seraphina, who is conflicted as she has every right to be and scared that people will find out her secret. I found her character very relatable as the inner conflict she had is something that we all struggle with and deeper into the story, we do see a lot of growth in terms of her character and being more assertive. We get to know her and where she comes with flashbacks that were done very well and didn’t detract from the plot of the story and I liked how everything came out in the end. This was a really fun book so I highly recommend it!

Book Review: FoundrySide #1

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“Do you feel free? Or do you feel, perhaps, like you have stolen yourself?”

If there is anyone who is good at being a thief, Sancia Grado is the best and her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. But, what she doesn’t know is that she has been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The houses who control this magic have already used to transform Tevanne into a remorseless, capitalist machine but if they could unlock the artifacts secrets they will be able to rewrite the world for their aims.

This is such a fucking fantastic series, I am totally obsessed with it and I’m currently working on the third book right now. They’re so well written and the world-building is just incredible, I feel like I’m actually there and that’s always one way to get to invest in the story. If it doesn’t have good world-building then I’ll mostly like DNF it unless the characters are really well done. The first book had me hooked from the get go and I do love how Barrett made this universe so real as the people who want the artifact only want it so they can have more power and control of millions of people and that is very relevant in today’s world. It just felt so real and I loved all of the characters especially Sancia, she’s so fiery, brave, compassionate, and willing to take on the task so matter how dangerous and deadly it is. I will have a review of the second book out soon so be on the lookout!

Book review: The Sentence

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“I’d taken a pink eraser to my childhood and blurred the pain.”

As this tale of loss, grief, shame, and hope unfolds, the main character Tookie finds herself in the middle of a mystery that she didn’t sign up for. Working in a bookstore as a seller, she must try to solve the haunting of the bookstore from November 2019 to November 2020 by the store’s most annoying customer, Flora who won’t leave the store. While trying to sort out this mystery, she also has to come to terms with the mistakes that she’s made in the past in order to move on to a life full of content, happiness, and peace.

This book was so good. I was hooked from the beginning to the end, the plot was super interesting and how the author developed the story along way made me glued to the page. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, it went in a completely different direction. Tookie was an interesting character and one that I didn’t like right away but as the story developed, I started to warm up to her after reading her backstory and seeing her development through the book. It has to be very challenging to navigate life after being incarcerated for such a long time, there’s so much that changed while being locked up and it can be overwhelming for people being released and trying to form a new life. While confronting Fiona on why she refuses to leave, Tookie has to face her past memories that are filled with grief, shame, sorrow, and anger and begins to realize that maybe there’s a reason why she’s the one who is trying to solve the mystery. I enjoyed how the story progressed and nothing rushed and the writing was beautifully written and it made me feel like I was in the bookstore. This is a really interesting and unique tale that will make you glued to the page and wanting more. Oh before I end this, the story does intertwine with real life events going on at this time with the pandemic and the George Floyd protests so please keep that in mind if you plan to read it since that was a difficult time for many people.

Book Review: The Magic of Found Objects

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“Just take your place in the world with as much grace and gratitude as you can muster and try to see the best in us.”

Conceived at Woodstock in a serendipitous liaison between a free-spirited hippie and farmer’s son, Phronsie Linnelle was born with magical wonder flicking in her DNA and rationally knit into her bones. Torn between the two for most of her life and now that she’s been betrayed by both love and the the mother she once idolized, her rational is winning out. So when her childhood best friend proposes that they give up on romance and marry each other, she couldn’t think of a better idea. What’s better than spending the rest of your life with your best friend who you know won’t hurt you? But as fate has it, right when she’s about to embark on this journey, someone from her past makes a very convincing argument for revisiting romance, Phronsie must look at her own heart to find that the answers that have been there all along.

What a delightful and fun read from beginning to end! I was so invested in the story and had to force myself to sleep or I would’ve stayed up way too late to read more. This book was so wild and entertaining and that’s really what I loved the most because just when I thought I knew what was happening, it would go in the different direction. I really loved how well written the characters were even the secondary characters were fleshed out and felt so human. They were all so deeply flawed and complicated which is so nice to have in books. Phronsie was such a likable protagonist and I really felt for her while she was trying to sort out the events that transpired in her life and I really liked her growth. The plot and how everything tied up nicely in the end was so well done, I really enjoyed this one and I’m going to check out more of Dawson’s work. Highly recommend this!!

Book Review #1

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“I think I might fetch you the moon if only to spare your tears again.”

To many, Alizeh is just a servant and a disposable one at that. But, what they don’t know is that she is really a heir to Jinn dynasty forced to hide in plain sight. She is also the one person no would especially Prince Karman would expect to uproot his kingdom and the world. The Crown Prince has heard of the prophecies foretelling his grandfather’s death but he can’t bring himself to believe that Alizeh, the servant girl who hasn’t left his mind to be the one to bring down his kingdom.

This Woven Kingdom by Tarereh Mafi was such a thrilling and wild ride from beginning to end! This is one of the best books I’ve read this year and I’m glad it lived up to the hype because it’s always so disappointing when books don’t live up to it but this was a real treat. There was so much about this novel that I loved as everything felt so connected as Mafi developed a beautifully written world that felt so real. The characters especially Alizeh and Karman were equally flawed and developed and their chemistry was so so good. The romance felt very real within their dynamics. That’s always a good thing because there’s nothing worse when the romance is under developed and/or feels forced because that just ruins it for me. I can’t stay invested in the story when I feel like it’s forced but gladly I feel that here. Even on their own, Alizeh and Karman were interesting characters as Alizeh proved that she is no mere servant girl and her actions felt genuine, honest, and true to how she presented herself as a compassionate and selfless warrior who was bad ass at the same time. Then, we have Karman who is very confident and bold and know what he truly wants in life and Mafi did such a great job with their dynamics that it was hard not to root for them.

Lastly, I really enjoyed how Mafi mixed Persian Mythology and Cinderella that made it so unique and interesting.It didn’t feel overdone and really helped with developing the romance between Karman and Alizeh. Overall, I really enjoyed the tale and how it unfolded so I would highly recommend it!!

Romance ROUnd Up #2

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Now for round #2!!

What a fun book! This is another one that lived up to the hype so I was happy about that. I will defintely be reading the #2 & #3 book in this series. I had heard really good things about this so I’m glad it lived up to my expectations. Slow burn and fake dating are two of my favorite tropes and it was done really well in the book as it felt very real. I love the dynamics between the two main characters, Stella and Michael who are so perfect for each other. This was a truly fun and cute read!

What a fun and enjoyable read! I have really enjoyed this series as I found the characters especially the women interesting and unique in their own way. The story follows Khai & Esme as the two navigate through their sudden romance. Both Khai & Esme are fully fleshed out characters who have their own struggles that make them compelling characters. Khai with his autism and Esme with being a young single mother, I felt for both of them as they tried to deal with own struggles while navigating their sudden romance. I really enjoy Hoang’s writing especially making her characters seem very real so it’s easy to identify with them. I loved this book and can’t wait to read the 3rd one!

I can’t decide which of these books I liked the best in the series as they were all so unique, interesting, and fun in their own way. Hoang does an excellent job of not doing the same old things especially with similar characters. I feel like they’re brand new and that’s what keeps interested and entertained! So onto the book, I love Anna and Quan, they were very fun and interesting characters and I loved the dynamic between them. I related a lot to Anna especially with her mental health and enjoyed seeing her grow as a person and I love how Quan was so tender with her. They really had great chemistry and I was rooting for them the entire time! Hoang never disappoints as I laughed and cried from the beginning to end! Highly suggest reading this series, I loved it so much!

This book is such an emotional roller-coaster and Sarah J Maas is lucky that I love her books so much because I never read books that are 700 or 800 pages long. But, I love her characters and world building and this book lives up to it. One of the things that I love about Sarah j Maas books is how she builds her worlds as it always feel like you’re there in the world as the story is unfolding. World-building is something that gets me hooked on a story and she really has a way with words that I’ve always loved. The characters, Bryce and Hunt were unique and interesting and they had their own flaws that made their dynamic very real. With the way that she builds the world and characters makes it so easy to be invested that you get lost in the world. That’s what I’ve always loved about her books!

WOW! The book was wild, chaotic, entertaining and full of high octane drama. The beginning of the book was a little slow but man it picked up and I hooked and not able to put it down till the end. The sequel follows Bryce and Hunt on a new adventure and while they want to relax and time for themselves, the world has other plans.It was so good to see Bryce and Hunt, their relationships is done so well and I love them.This book was well worth the wait but I hate that I have to wait even longer for the third book. She’s so good with characters and how she builds her world that makes you feel like you’re actually there. This book was so good and I loved every minute of it!! Highly recommend this book!

Fiction WRAP UP

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Hey everyone! I can’t wait to share my fictions reads with you so let’s get started.

Having just moved back to his old home in London to settle down and take up work as a school teacher. But, Tom has a very dark secret as he’s not who people think he is as he might look a young forty one year old high school teacher but in reality, he’s been alive for centuries as a result of a rate condition. He has lived through some of the most important dates in history but now he just wants a normal life. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen as shortly after the beginning of the school year, he breaks a rule that could potentially ruin everything that he’s ever wanted.

I wasn’t quite sure if I would like this book as sometimes historical fiction is hit or miss with me but I ended up liking it more than I thought. The plot was what got me interested as it something unique yet interesting.While I did like the plot, I wasn’t crazy about Tom as their were parts in the story where he really annoyed me and I feel like he wasn’t as compelling as I thought he would be. But, the other parts of the book helped make up for that so if you’re into fantasy and time travel stories, you would like this book!

Paige has always been scared to be herself. The real Paige who is proud to be a nerd and stick out in the crowd, who has no problem making friends, talking about books, and losing her virginity. But, no one knows who the Paige as only quiet Paige exists. But, with a new opportunities arriving as Paige will be starting at a new school, it could be the perfect time to embrace who really is and stop hiding behind a mask.

Absolutely loved this book and not only because the lead was asexual but because it was a super cute and fun book to read through. I found Paige very relatable as she struggled to embrace her real self and not hide. That’s something that still sticks with me even as an adult who has now accepted her flaws and all and I felt like it was written very well. Not only did I love Paige but the other characters especially the friendship between Paige and Shawn, the boy she becomes very close with. The asexuality aspect of the book made me very happy because it’s super hard to find asexual characters written well so I was happy that I found this book. I will reading the second book for February so stay tuned!