Young Adult

Book Review

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“I wished I were better at speaking. All those thoughts were in my head, but I didn’t know how to get them out.”

Artemesia is training to be a gray sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their souls can pass on, otherwise, they will rise as spirits with a ravenous hunger for the living. She would rather deal with the dead than have to deal with the living who trade whispers of her scarred hands and secret past. When her convent is attacked by soldiers who are possessed, she defends it by awakening a ancient spirit bound to the saint’s relic. It is a reverent, a malevolent one that threatens to possess her body if she drops her guard and as the gray lady in training seeks to understand her place in all of this. The more she uncovers, the more she is beginning to realize that this more complicated than she thought it would be and as time goes on, a sinister evil begins to surface, she will have to make a decision that will force her to betray everything she was taught to believe.

This was one of the most unique fantasy novels that I’ve read in a long time. Having already read Enchantment of Ravens and Sorcery of Thorns, I knew that I was going to enjoy this one as well since I love her writing and how she develops her characters and the world they live in. While I’m not the biggest fan of possession in books as sometimes I feel like it’s way overdone and does more harm than anything, I actually liked how it was done in the book. The banter between Artemesia and her reverent was enjoyable and I did enjoy reading about the trust between them especially with Artemesia working through her trauma. That aspect was probably my favorite as having dealt with trauma in my own life, I did relate to Artemesia of trying to work through it and grow and be at peace with her past while embracing her journey to healing. This book was very enjoyable so I highly recommend it!

Book Review: Lakesedge

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When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge Estate, she expects to find a monster as she knows the rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy but Leta finds herself drawn to the man who she has been told to avoid and is having a hard time believing the rumors to be true.

While it did take sometime to get into the novel and also warm up to the main character, Violeta who I found annoying at times, I did enjoy the relationships and how the story developed until the end. The relationships were the best part of the book and the majority of the characters including Violeta identified as queer so that was wonderful to have. Sometimes, the roles aren’t fleshed out enough with both main and secondary but that wasn’t the case here and that’s one of the big reason I stay so invested. The dynamics between the characters, even Violeta and Rowan were interesting and felt very real and the more I read, the more I did end up liking Violeta. The story did have a gothic feel to it and I did enjoy how the story developed to the end and I will be reading the second book so be on the lookout for that!

To end corruption and break the curse that haunted Lakesedge Estate, Violeta Graceling sacrificed herself to the land of the dead where Lord Umber watches over. A side that will test her humanity and everything she holds dear including her bond with Rowan as she tries to get out of this world of lost souls which hide many secrets.

Definitely enjoyed this better than the first book! Leta is more fleshed out and the growth that she’s gone through is realistic. It felt like the author spent more time this round working on developing the main and secondary characters and giving them real flaws and growth while also creating more vivid and rich world-building that made it very easy to be immersed in. The dynamics between the characters especially Leta & Rowan were deeper and that made it easier to invest in the romance so this was a great follow up!

BOOk reVIEW

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“But in a song or a tale, anything is possible.”

A powerful singer and warrior to be, Libohan’s dying to become a part of an elite warrior band on Swan Island and along with her brother, the two have been training to join the band and while vying for a spot in the band. All while that is going on, the find themselves on a mission as the island trains both singers and warriors and the mission is going to require them to find a precious harp, an ancient symbol of kingship, which has gone mysteriously missing. If the instrument isn’t found for the upcoming coronation, people could revolt as the candidate wouldn’t be accepted and the deeper Libohan goes, the more she realizes that this isn’t an ordinary mission and she is soon forced to make a decision that could end in heartbreak.

As much as i liked the plot as i found it interesting and unique, the lack of well-developed world building and the characters left me feeling very underwhelmed especially with Libohan as I felt like she was a bit of a mary-sue. While she did struggle at times, it felt like she got through things very easy and there wasn’t really any times where I found myself rooting for her. I didn’t feel like i could immerse myself into the world because there still things that were lost on me and I didn’t feel like there was enough development with the characters, they felt a bit one dimensional to me. It sucked because the plot was very interesting but there wasn’t enough development for me and the one plus was the writing so i’m bummed that it didn’t work out for me but I’m sure others will enjoy it.

Book Review

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“The twin gods, Necessity and Chance, walked among the stars. What needed to be, was; what might be, sometimes was.”

The kingdom of Goredd is a world not like any other as humans and dragons live as one but it is not a life of bliss for either races. For the ones who are human and dragon, they walk an uneasy path as any moment as their true identity could be discovered so they must hide their truth and cultivate a life that will keep them safe. One of those is a young woman by the name of Seraphine who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world and when tensions finally hit, she must travel to find those like herself for she has a connection to all of them. But, she must be careful on her quest as there are humans who want to harm her and if she’s not too careful, she might not make it to ensure those like her are able to defeat the evil.

While I did like this book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one but it was still a good book nonetheless. One of the things I do wish is that it would’ve been a bit shorter because I did feel like things were dragged out a bit much and it could’ve ended a few chapters earlier. But, it was still delightful to see Seraphina and her friends as they try to fight for what is good and end the war between humans and dragons. I was hooked from the beginning just like the first book but some of the things she did seemed a bit out of character and not the Seraphina I read about in the first book who was so brave, loyal, and would do anything for her loved ones. She seemed to find herself in one lie after another and seemed very unbothered by it and the fact that her friends and loved ones were being hurt, that’s not the Seraphina I remember from book one.

While Shadow Scale is beautifully written and Hartman does a very good job with keeping up the suspense and having readers hooked from the first page, I still feel a bit let down but I guess that happens sometimes even though it stinks.



Book Review

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I may be ruthless but I am not cruel. I think it’s one of the things that Ana likes about me, I do bad things when must but I try to be good.

By day Kiki De Souza and Ana Lezama De Urianza are proper seventeenth century ladies. But when night falls, they trade in their gowns and silk for swords and muskets venturing out into the vibrant, buzzling, crime-ridden streets of Potosi in the Spanish Empire’s Viceroyalty of Peru. They spend their time gambling, crime fighting, and falling desperatly in love with one another. But, on the night Kiki’s engagment to Viceroy’s son is announced, her older brother heir to the family fortune is found murdered. The two embark on a investigation to find what happened to Kiki’s brother and if they’re not too careful, they might find themselves falling into the same trouble as he did.

What a fun retelling of The Three Musketeers with a twist. The majority of the book was very entertaining and faced paced but the one that was missing was the suspense. I didn’t really any danger especially with the villains as you know who they are once they’re mentioned so it was a bit predictable. But, it wasn’t something that really held me back from enjoying the rest of the novel and even though I don’t read YA novels that much anymore, this was a quick and easy read. Though I feel like this could work for older YA and maybe even New Adult cause it does have that kind of feel and I didn’t find anything too cheesy. Ana and Kiki, the two main characters were very fun and i love the banter between the two and although I did like the romance, I think they also work very well by themselves. At first, I found the romance a little rushed because it was very in your face but as time passed on, I started to really enjoy the romance and found it endearing. The chemistry between them sealed the deal for me as I felt that it was very real and even more so that they not only found happiness with each other but themselves. A great read so check it out!!

Book Review: The Dragon’s Promise

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Magic had returned to Kiata. I could feel it like a song resonating around me, making the world feel more alive.

Making good on her promise to return the dragon’s pearl to it’s rightful owner, Princess Shiori is now facing the reality that this task is more dangerous than she imagined. She must journey to the kingdom of dragons and navigate the political intrigue among humans and dragons alike while fending off thieves who covet the pearls themselves and willing to any lengths to get it while also presenting an image of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would rather see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood. But, the pearl is so ordinary cargo as it has a life of it’s own and jumps to Shiori’s aid one minute but betrays her the next with threatening to destroy everything she holds dear including the love of her life, Tekkan. It’s going to take every ounce of strength that she has to defend what she holds dear and find a way through it to the other side.

Well to say this was disappointing is an understatement because I feel really let down by this follow up and conclusion to the doulogy. Six Crimson Cranes was such a beautifully written book with flawed and complicated characters that felt very real in a world that felt unlike your own. Lim does a really good job developing the characters while developing the world around them where the readers can easily immerse themselves into the world. But, this book is a mess and it was one of my most anticipated reads for 2022 and I’m bummed about it cause the beginning started out really great and I was very invested and then the last half of the book completely destroyed it.

The beginning of the book started off really well and I found myself very invested and I loved seeing Shiori, Takkan, and Seyru. Lin does a really good job with explaining the new magic system and how it worked and I found that very neat but then it starts going downhill and ruining really good character development that was established in the first book. I was really struggling but I kept hoping that maybe things would get better and I was let down towards the end as it felt very rushed and I was left wondering where it all went wrong. There were other parts that I did like but it’s hard for me to give it 4 stars because of the other flaws but I guess that’s how it goes sometimes. I hope that those who read it will enjoy it better than me!

September tbr

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Hey everyone! This is my list for this coming month and I’m excited to share it with you!

Across The Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, LGBT

A Dance with Fate by Juliet Marillier
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance

Deal With The Devil by Kit Rocha
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Retelling

Fractured Path by J.C. Cervantes
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical-Fiction

The Long Way To A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

The Mage’s Daughter by Lynn Kurland
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fiction

The Night Ship by Jess Kidd
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fiction

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, YA

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Where The Drowned Girls Do by Seanan McGuire
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

The Wolf’s Den by Elodie Harper
Genre: Adult, Mythology, Retelling

Valiant Ladies by Melissa Grey
Genre: Fantasy, LGBT, Retelling

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: Fire

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“It was a very hard thing to have crushed the heart, and the hopes, of a friend.”

Equally hated and adored, Fire is one of the last human monsters that lives in the mountains of the Dells where King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south plot to steal his throne. The forest and the mountains are filled with with spies, thieves, and lawless men. With the ability to control minds, Fire is wanted by those in power to use it for their greed but she guards it fiercely unwilling to harness it to harm innocent people especially when she has so many of her own. But, when Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City with a propistion she can’t refuse and the more she immerses herself into the environment, the more she sees how much her power could save the kingdom. If only she wasn’t so afraid of turning into her father.

This is probably my favorite book out the series and rereading it was a real treat as it had been a long time since I’d read it the first time. The writing in this book is more polished than the first one and I think that’s part of the reason why it’s more enjoyable to me than the first. Fire is different than Katsa and less annoying and the dynamics she has with those around her were very interesting and I did enjoy seeing her growth throughout the story. I really felt for her in how she was so afraid of repeating the mistakes that her father made and didn’t want to turn into him. I think that part made her feel very human because I do think that’s something that many of us are afraid of doing and the inner struggle to branch out and start a new path is terrifying and overwhelming. It was a fun reread and I’ll be working on the third book soon so keep a look out for that!