Another wonderful, high stakes but romantic danmei complete! ✨ I have one complaint, and that is that this series is quite short for having a fairly cAnother wonderful, high stakes but romantic danmei complete! ✨ I have one complaint, and that is that this series is quite short for having a fairly complicated plot. It just felt like we could have gotten a deeper dive into the main characters' motivations, and the ending wouldn't have felt so rushed either....more
Have you ever read a book that is so full of angst, political intrigue and hard-hitting themes but that also features the most carefree, adorable protHave you ever read a book that is so full of angst, political intrigue and hard-hitting themes but that also features the most carefree, adorable protagonist? Alix E. Harrow blurbed this book with "You will love Nona, and Nona loves you.", which has to be the most accurate review to ever sum up this wild ride. It's like listening to Soldier, Poet, King; just happily watching the world burn....more
Who needs sanity and linear storytelling when there is the wonderful Tamsyn Muir to hold your hand and whisper in your ear "I gave you my sword. I gavWho needs sanity and linear storytelling when there is the wonderful Tamsyn Muir to hold your hand and whisper in your ear "I gave you my sword. I gave you myself. I did it while knowing I’d do it all again, without hesitation, because all I ever wanted you to do was eat me".
What, this doesn't make any sense? Well welcome to the club! Where we are bewildered, pulled in a million directions, punched in the gut and then straight up gutted without fully comprehending why. Yet here we are and we are not leaving....more
PUT. THIS. IN. YOUR. TBR. It is coming out in less than a month!
I absolutely requested for an advanced copy of this book because of its cover art so IPUT. THIS. IN. YOUR. TBR. It is coming out in less than a month!
I absolutely requested for an advanced copy of this book because of its cover art so I was not expecting this to be so incredibly queer! Representations (tagged as spoilers because I think knowing might make the romantic plot predictable): (view spoiler)[bisexual/pansexual, lesbian, polyamoury (hide spoiler)].
I loved reading this for four main reasons: ✨ deliciously queer, from queer spirits/monsters to queer religious teenagers ✨ so many wonderful found family and sisterhood themes ✨ I learned so much about Slavic folklore, something I basically knew nothing about beforehand ✨ I loved how mythical monsters are rewritten as complex and deserving of love
Thank you to the author, Peachtree Teen and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review....more
While I liked Ari's character development, I wish there was more of Dante in thiThis feels topical:
“Cowards start wars, and the brave fight them.”
While I liked Ari's character development, I wish there was more of Dante in this rather thick sequel. Dante's relegation to more of a love interest than a main character felt like a shame. It was still a melancholy and sweet story though, full of lovely quotes and feels....more
"A-Qiao, you're different from most people in the world. You have compassion for all mankind carved into your bones, to the point that you're willi
"A-Qiao, you're different from most people in the world. You have compassion for all mankind carved into your bones, to the point that you're willing to give yourself up for others without asking for anything in return. In the past, I thought you were the same as everyone else: you might start out good and innocent, but the world is fickle, and in the end it'd teach you to change as well. But you went completely beyond my expectations. Human affairs are like a stream, yet you are a rock. No matter how the stream flows, you will never shift."
How is this the ending of the entire series? Even though more than half of this book is dedicated to an epilogue and extras, I am going to be sad that there will not be more of YanShen.
What a strange couple, the epitome of opposites attract where they each abide by their own principles and show so much individual growth while showing each other the utmost respect and adoration. While I am not 100% sold on how Yan Wushi decided to woo Shen Qiao ((view spoiler)[the series of little underhanded actions in the epilogue lowkey straddled the line between pursuing and manipulating a crush. A small extra where YWS owns up to A-Qiao would have allayed my feelings but alas 'tis not to be (hide spoiler)]), Shen Qiao is an upright, romantically clueless and might I even say closeted man and needed the push. Quite frankly, Shen Qiao is so kind I will be happy to have one tenth of his grace while Yan Wushi embodies chaotic neutral (borderline evil). But. They. Work. I want to see them in their old age, 1000 years into their immortality, whatever.
This volume expands the scope of the series by exploring side characters and how they affect Kohei and Taichi, which is cool but the plot is all over This volume expands the scope of the series by exploring side characters and how they affect Kohei and Taichi, which is cool but the plot is all over the place as a result. I am also getting impatient as our already committed, devoted main couple continue to struggle to be fully open and affectionate with each other, especially considering they are both working adults now. The time taken away from their relationship, which is the only thing I am truly invested in, to explore other characters does not help.
Alas I will always have a soft spot for this series because not only is it a comfort series but I adore how much it delves into trauma, living with disabilities and how fallible humans are. So I am trapped and will be continuing to follow this journey....more
I read this book as an adolescent when it was first published and it truly says something about my self-destructive closeted tendencies then 4.5 stars
I read this book as an adolescent when it was first published and it truly says something about my self-destructive closeted tendencies then because while it opened my mind to the ✨beautiful existence✨ of the queer community, I immediately hid that book away once I was done reading it.
WELL NO LONGER! I am here to advocate for this queer coming-of-age gem that I believe can be considered a predecessor of the boom of queer books for young readers in the last decade. Re-reading this felt like coming home, reminded me of the often dramatic and painful process of growing up and the importance of surrounding yourself with genuine people....more
Star-crossed lovers ugh we love to see it *ugly cries* [image]
I cannot believe this is ending in the next volume, I only just fell in love with this coStar-crossed lovers ugh we love to see it *ugly cries* [image]
I cannot believe this is ending in the next volume, I only just fell in love with this couple!...more