Fantasy

A Court of Honey and Ash by Shannon Mayer

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Rating: 3/5

Sometimes the world pushes us in a direction we think is wrong, because it is not of our choosing. That does not mean it is taking us to the wrong destination, just that the path is one we didn’t foresee.

Billed as a must read for fans of Sarah J. Mass and Holly Black, A Court of Honey and Ash follows Alli, a half human, half orphan fae who knows the secret behind the shattering of underhill, the ancestral home of the fae thus making it possible for any fae to enter. A secret that will be the end of Alli if anyone finds out that she knows especially the person who did it. With the shattering of underhill, a brutal madness takes place and Alli wants to be the one who can not only save her people but find meaning, belonging, and prove that she’s more than what she appears to be.

I had high hopes for this but it fell flat towards the end. I was enjoying it and I felt invested in the characters, the story, and how it flowed up until the later chapters and it just felt rushed to me. There were also parts where it felt very predictable and I was hoping for a little more but sadly, I didn’t get it. The characters especially Alli, are very interesting and complex as she pulled off tough and vulnerable very well. It wasn’t overdone and I did enjoy her moments of vulnerability. There was a lot that I liked but with other stuff I didn’t like, I feel like my feelings at the end of it weren’t as I fulfilling as I wanted them to be. I was kind of bummed with how the last half of the book went but that’s just how it goes. I’m sure many other people will enjoy this and that’s absolutely fine!

Outrun The Wind by Elizabeth Tammi

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Rating: 3/5

“Glancing between the four of us, I realize just how many types of love we share. And how much it hurts to lose them all.”

Goddess of the hunt, Artemis has two rules. Never disobey her and never fall in love. Feeling relieved after escaping her life as the oracle of delphi, Kahina finds home as one of the female warriors guided So what happens when Kahina breaks both rules by not only saving legendary huntress, Atalanna out of trouble but while trying to prove herself to Artemis again, she finds herself developing feelings for the huntress and struggling to make a choice between the life that she wants and how others percieve her to be?

I had high hopes for this book as I love greek mythology and Artemis is one of my favorite goddesses and while I did love that aspect, the rest was very lacking which led me to give it a three star rating. I felt like the characters and romance was underwhelming and the ending felt a little rushed. I did like the characters and felt if given a bit more development in the romance then I would’ve given it a higher rating. I think I also had problems with the plot as I felt bored by the middle to ending but of course I wanted to see what happened. So, this book wasn’t what I hoped it to be but I think others will enjoy for different reasons than what I was looking for.

Into The Heartless Wood by Joanna Ruth-Meyers

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Rating: 3/5

We named ourselves not very cleverly, but the names belong to us not to her. That gives us power for ourselves, do you see?

Into The Heartless Wood is a tale that mixes witches, fairies, monsters into one for a captivating folklore that will have you wanting more. The story follows Owen Merrick who is lured into the woods held by the witches, and when he thought that his life was going to end, one of the daughters, Seren saves him from that terrible fate. From that point on, the two were bonded as she longed to be a human and free to roam and he would climb the garden wall to see. The longing that Seren has to become human would prove to be a daunting mission as dangers lurk in the darkness and an anicent war will be revealed between the witch and the king trying to stop her.

The premise of the book itself is interesting but I feel like there was something lacking with hwo it developed and the romance between the characters. What I really loved about the book was the writing as it was incredibly captivating, moving, and easy to follow and I felt like I was in the world that Meyers created. She creates a world that feels so real and the world-building stood out the most me and it’s such a shame that the rest of the book didn’t match that expectation. While I liked the characters, I felt like the romance was a little rushed and I don’t believe it felt right. I liked both of their journeys on their own and I felt like I needed a little more for it to be believable. There were times where the writing didn’t match up with what was happening and I feel like the ending was a bit rushed. But aside from all this, if you love witches, fairies, and all things folklore then you will probably enjoy this just as much.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

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Rating: 3.5/5

Shiori is the last princess of Kiata, has a secret that if it gets out could ruin everything she knows. Forbidden magic runs through her veins and although she is normally able to conceal, on the morning of her bethoral ceremony, she loses control and while she’s scared of being caught, it does delay her wedding which is what she wanted. But, Shirori can’t celebrate for long as her stepmother Raikmaka, who possess forbidden magic as well caught the entire thing and banishes the young princess while also turning her brothers into cranes and if she speaks a word about it, her brothers will die.

I was delighted to finally get to this book and not only because of the beautiful cover! I have been a fan of Elizabeth’s work since Spin The Dawn and found this book very enjoyable even with some minor issues! Her style shines in her latest work but with a very creative retelling of east asian folklores. While this is a pretty decent novel with the storytelling and culture, it does have some minor issues that kept me from loving it completely. The side characters weren’t as developed as I wanted them to be so it made it hard to feel invested in them. Some of the plot points were a bit predictable but for the most part the book is solid to the end. But, all that aside Six Crimson Cranes is a rich and solid diverse fantasy read with a creative retelling. Lim’s storytelling, prose, and rich worldbuilding help with creating a world that seems very real and intriguing.

The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

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Rating: 4/5

“Love is an enchantress—devious and wild. It sneaks up behind you, soft and gentle and quiet, just before it slits your throat.”

The Wicked Deep tells the story of three sisters, all witches being sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were thrown into the river to drown. But the sisters would have the last laugh as every summer, the witches invade the small town where they steal the bodies of the three weak hearted little girls who will lure unsuspecting boys into the harbor and pulling them under. For seventeen year old Penny Talbot, she has accepted her fate and is prepared to have her body stolen but when a young boy by the name of Bo Carter comes into town unaware of what lies ahead of them. Soon, the townspeople start to turn on one another due to mistrust and lies as death comes calling to those who cannot resist the sisters. Penny must make a harrowing choice, to save herself or Bo.

Well this was a pretty fast and enjoyable read. The pacing for it is medium and I didn’t feel like it was too rushed or going to slowly at any part of the book. The characters especially Penny and Bo are likeable and relatable and well written so that’s good because when you can’t invest in characters because of the lack of development, it makes it harder to get through the book. I absolutely loved the premise of the book and how the plot was executed and the writing was good, not too poetic or flowery but good enough that things flowed together really well and helped further the plot. An enjoyable and quick read so check it out if you want!

The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer

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Rating: 4/5

The Darkness Outside Us tells the story of Ambrose and Kodiak, two sworn enemies having to stick their dislike and animosity towards each other aside if they want to survive. Ambrose, was sent into space to find answers of what happened to his sister, Minerva was the first human sent to colonize Saturn’s moon. The two men must put their differences aside and work together to find answers while also uncovering dark secrets behind their mission.

Wow! What a delightful, entertaining, and interesting book! There is so much that I loved about it and I didn’t even intend on reading it and I’m glad that I picked it up. The two leads, Ambrose and Kodiak stole my heart with their banter and I love their contrasting personalities and felt like they were very developed and easy to empathize with. Kodiak was closed off while Ambrose was open and warm and the more the two men are around each other, the closer they become. The romance was well done, I didn’t feel like it was rushed or lacking any development and it felt right. The story and the pacing was incredibly beautifully written and I felt invested to the end. It was a really entertaining and heartfelt story about two people realizing that they aren’t that different than they thought.

The book is actually marketed wrong in my opinion. It’s more adult sci-fi than young adult so a lot of people are missing out on this fantastic book! Even if you don’t like sci-fi, I feel like you would still enjoy the book because of the other aspects of it. Sci-Fi is my go to genre but it’s becoming more of a genre that I read more and more.

Don’t Call The Wolf By Aleksandra Ross

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Rating: 3.5/5

“Perhaps it is easier to believe some are born evil, rather than admit that predilection exists equally in every one of us.”

Don’t Call The Wolf tells the story of Ren, a young queen who is losing her battle fighting a hoard of monsters that descended into the forest. She feels that nothing will save them until she meets Lukasz, the last survivor of the regiment of dragon slayers and the two strike a deal. If she helps him find his brother who dissapeared in her forest, he will slay the dragon. But, we don’t always keep our promises now do we?

A lush and entertaining retelling of eastern-european myths that intertwines beautifully written dialogue, world-building, and characters with retelling that fans of Leigh Bardugo and Katherine Arden will love. I would’ve never picked up this book if I hadn’t struggled to find an underrated book for a readathon that I was in. I couldn’t pick one that I felt was underrated, I had to find one that didn’t have a lot of reviews and came upon this and it was an entertaining read with absolutely gorgeous writing and a retelling that captivated me from the beginning. The only thing I didn’t like was the ending as I felt like it was too rushed and didn’t make much sense so that was disappointing.

I would recommend this story to anyone who loves dark fantasy, fairy tales, and retellings as it was fun and entertaining so if you’re looking something like this then check it out!

Sisters Of The Snake by Sasha & Sarena Nauna

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Rating: 3.5/5

“That’s what stories do. They teach us to remember, and to overcome.”

Sisters Of The Snake is a retelling of The Prince and The Pauper but instead this time, it tells the story of Princess Rani who longs to escape her gilded cage and prove herself and Ria, a street urchin stealing to keep herself alive. When the two collide, they decide to take a gamble and decide to switch places as the they are unmistakably identical. But, danger lurks in the darkness and the two girls must adapt to a world that is unlike their own while trying to stay alive at the same time.

I’ve been getting into retellings as of late and this was a fun filled enjoyed ride from the start. While it had it’s downsides which I’ll get to in a bit, it was enjoyable for the most part. The dual narriative being told from Ria and Rani’s perspectives was a plus as it helped give readers a better understanding of the girl’s motives and what they truly wanted in order to feel like their own person. This is a story of familial sacrifice, fate, opposites attract with a magical aspect to add to the cultural aspects throughout the book that make it very real.

However, there are some drawbacks that made me fall in love with it completely. I would’ve liked to seen more world-building and contextualization as there were times where I was confused with the magic system. There were some part that were very predictable and I didn’t feel very invested in the romance. With the romance, I feel there was much too much focus on that and not enough on the characters and the world around them. The notion of Ria’s and Rani’s fate being intertwined is very interesting and I would’ve liked more development then the romance.

Even with it’s faults, Sisters Of The Snake is a fun retelling of an old tale and it’s rich diversity and cultural aspects make it even more interesting than the original. A fun read so check it out if you want!