"He'd chosen the new world... chosen the wasteland of his life, with whatever green shoots he could coax out of the parched terrain of his soul."4.5⭐
"He'd chosen the new world... chosen the wasteland of his life, with whatever green shoots he could coax out of the parched terrain of his soul."
A quiet, beautiful novel about the horrors of WW1, enduring love between siblings, unexpected connections, and sacrifices made to maintain the most tenuous hold on "safety" for those they care about.
It is also a novel about the millions of men and women whose lives became utterly unrecognisable as this brutal war crushed Europe in its fist.
Ardens confidently weaves a mysterious magic through the harsh realism of her narrative. It works exceptionally well.
Audiobook notes Strong, emotional performances by both the male and female narrators. January LaVoy, in particular, easily handles a broad cast of characters. I always knew who was speaking before we received the dialogue tag. I absolutely recommend the audiobook if you're partial to them....more
Characters are poorly fleshed-out and their motivations even less so. Paired with choppy pacing and only a few 2.5⭐️
Incredible idea, dull execution.
Characters are poorly fleshed-out and their motivations even less so. Paired with choppy pacing and only a few memorable action scenes, This Dark Descent relies too heavily on its beautiful Jewish and queer rep to carry the book. In the end, it's not nearly enough. ...more
Foxglove picks up right where Belladonna left us. But was it as magical as the striking series starter? Not quite.
➺ The goThis review is spoiler free
Foxglove picks up right where Belladonna left us. But was it as magical as the striking series starter? Not quite.
➺ The gorgeous prose is still there but in smaller doses. I only bookmarked a few phrases that had me sighing with their brilliance; in Belladonna those passages occurred much more often.
➺ The novel is split into three (unequal) parts. Part One suffers from seriously janky pacing. It's messy, almost as if the narrative isn't sure which direction it wants to head it. Where Belladonna's narrative was one that swept you up in its current, half of Foxglove is fits and starts.
Here's what you can still expect: ➺ The moody, gothic Victorian atmosphere permeates from start to finish ➺ The pacing issues work themselves out in the latter half of the novel. Parts Two and Three are much smoother and more self-assured. ➺ If listening to the audiobook, Kristin Atherton once again demonstrates her expertise in her performance
A final (still spoiler-free) note on that ending: Oooo I am quite excited for Wisteria! I won't say anything else about it until I give more people a chance to complete their reads... ;)...more
The way so many of my friends and mutuals spoke about this short story had me, unfortunately, expecting a lot more.
In my humble opinion, this was gooThe way so many of my friends and mutuals spoke about this short story had me, unfortunately, expecting a lot more.
In my humble opinion, this was good. Not great.
Here's what I can't push aside in order to simply enjoy the story and the very fresh way in which it was told: The partial time looping doesn't make sense....more
Between the awkwardly stiff narration style and the characters being generally obtuse, this series really isn't doing it for me. Which is a damn shameBetween the awkwardly stiff narration style and the characters being generally obtuse, this series really isn't doing it for me. Which is a damn shame and I'm not happy about it.
I'm looking high and low for the magic, the umami, the sparkle that makes this series special--and I can't find it.
Alsooooo I cannot get past a YA book that reads as middle grade but then als0 tries to develop chemistry and sexual tension by having the love interest ogle her boobs or whoopsie! graze her boob. I never want to hear the word "breast" one more time in this goddamn series ...more
3.5⭐ I'm tired and currently updating my Goodreads while I wait for tea to brew, so the real review will have to wait lmao3.5⭐ I'm tired and currently updating my Goodreads while I wait for tea to brew, so the real review will have to wait lmao...more
4.25⭐ Reading The Cruel Prince felt like cupping cold, brilliantly clear water from a mountain stream between my palms before drinking it all down. ✔️4.25⭐ Reading The Cruel Prince felt like cupping cold, brilliantly clear water from a mountain stream between my palms before drinking it all down. ✔️The writing style is crisp and unfussy without sacrificing a pretty broad vocabulary given this is YA. ✔️Considering we don't actually spend that much time with each character that makes up the broader cast, it's all the more impressive how well-defined they are. They really do leap from the page. ✔️Book of Night was my first Holly Black novel, and having now read this it's abundantly clear how comfortable she is writing political intrigue. It fits her like a glove and she's excellent at it....more
I think I just read the best fantasy romance of 2022.
Why I'm absolutely obsessed with The Serpent and the Wings of Night: ❥ It was FUN. It was ENTERTAI think I just read the best fantasy romance of 2022.
Why I'm absolutely obsessed with The Serpent and the Wings of Night: ❥ It was FUN. It was ENTERTAINING. It gave my brain dopamine. ❥ Oraya, Raihn, and the entire cast of side characters leapt off the page. ❥ I quickly became emotionally invested, and that investment never wavered thereafter. ❥ The taste we were given of political intrigue has me confident this will be a shining feature in book two. ❥ I was HOOKED. I couldn't wait to read more (unfortunately, I still needed to work and sleep) ❥ Broadbent's writing is wonderful, but that isn't to say it stands out while you read it. It's not like reading Madeline Miller *and it shouldn't be*. There's so much going on, so much to ponder, so many emotions, and the writing does exactly what it needs to: it gets out of the way so that the reader is kept in a state of complete immersion in the story. ❥ Raihn*. I frigin adore him.
** For those of you who read the book, who did you picture in your mind? Who would you fancast him with? Because I really struggled to bring a consistent picture to mind. He was a massive, beefy body (without a visible face) and a ~vibe~. Casual BDE.
A note on our FMC, Oraya: I applaud Broadbent's commitment to handling Oraya's trauma and upbringing, and how it impacts literally everything she says and does. She's prey who has constantly been surrounded by predators. She has a paranoid father who drills into her how vulnerable she is *to begin with* -- and therefore, why she cannot, under any circumstances, allow anyone an opening. All vulnerability under her control is to be stamped out. It was consistent and believable and sets her up for an incredible character arc over the series.
What could have made it even better, and I hope we get in book two, The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King: ◆ The magic system requires a lot more defining. Who has access to magic? Is Oraya the only human or are there others? What does 'black light' look like? Is all magic gifted by the gods? ◆ Details and nuances to the world at large, as that would answer why humans just kind of shrug and say well, this is my lot in life ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Is there nowhere else to go? How are there still humans alive? Why are the humans so defenceless?
tl;dr if you're a fan of fantasy romance, stop what you're doing and go read this. You can berate me on TikTok if you feel I've led you astray ;)...more
Deonn builds upon her astonishing debut, expanding what we see of The Order and further developing thI cannot overstate how phenomenal this series is.
Deonn builds upon her astonishing debut, expanding what we see of The Order and further developing the magic system. Thematically, while Legendborn was a study of grief after losing a parent, book two of The Legendborn Cycle evolves the trials our dear Bree faces. Those trials reinforce what I hope most of us have always known: that the true evils in our world are not shadow foxes but the systemic racism that permeates every aspect of a young Black girl's life.
In a heartbreaking scene, Bree and the others stop at a gas station to fill up and use the restroom. After William (a white man) returns from the toilets, the owners snatch the key away before he can pass it along to Bree and her best friend, Alice, a young Asian-American girl. William argues back, not understanding what the hell the men are talking about when they announce "it's out of order." Meanwhile, the girls immediately know what's going on and, because they are so used to experiencing racism (be it blatant or 'well-meaning' microaggressions), are immediately resigned.
Don't worry, it's not all dark, nor is any of it heavy-handed. It's just honest.
There isn't much more I can say without getting into spoiler territory, so I'll love you and leave you with a final thought: Everyone should be reading these books....more
4.5⭐ Wholesome and sweet, yet with an atmospheric edge that gives the story some bite.
Our protagonist returns to the Scottish Isle he was born on aft4.5⭐ Wholesome and sweet, yet with an atmospheric edge that gives the story some bite.
Our protagonist returns to the Scottish Isle he was born on after being summoned by his Laird. The Laird's daughter, his old childhood frenemy, asks for his help solving the mystery of the stolen girls.
The magic system is gorgeously delicate and immensely steeped in Scottish lore.
When I saw the author follows on TikTok, I DM'd her to ask in screaming all-caps what the hell she put into these books to make them so addictive. SheWhen I saw the author follows on TikTok, I DM'd her to ask in screaming all-caps what the hell she put into these books to make them so addictive. She replied with:
"I'm the biggest slow hot burn person ever. I want to work for the
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