CW: gruesome violence, discussion of rape and slavery I DEVOURED The Blacksmith Queen, the first book in this series. I’ve read it and reread it and will probably read it again. So it was with VERY grabby hands that I reached for this sequel. I present for your edification and delight (hopefully!) 5 Steps to Loving The Princess Knight. Step 1: Get Ready for Some Violence This book is brutal in its portrayal of violence. … Continue reading The Princess Knight by G. A. Aiken →
After Poppy’s beautiful “That Moment When…” post, A Handy Guide for Choosing Your Institute of Magical Education, LiteraryCharlie’s Angels, Eleanor Oliphant Wasn’t Completely Fine, and Neither Are Many of Us, and Awesome Non-Human Sidekicks in Books art essays, we are so excited to have some guest reviews from her! Poppy is a long-time fan of SBTB and loves cats, books and coffee, in that order. She illustrates The Loo Cats, an imaginative series starring her … Continue reading So This is Love by Elizabeth Lim →
After Poppy’s beautiful “That Moment When…” post, A Handy Guide for Choosing Your Institute of Magical Education, LiteraryCharlie’s Angels, Eleanor Oliphant Wasn’t Completely Fine, and Neither Are Many of Us, and Awesome Non-Human Sidekicks in Books art essays, we are so excited to have some guest reviews from her! Poppy is a long-time fan of SBTB and loves cats, books and coffee, in that order. She illustrates The Loo Cats, an imaginative series starring her … Continue reading As Old As Time by Liz Braswell →
Drowned Country is the direct sequel to Silver in the Wood – indeed, it could almost be described as the other half of the story. It shares with it the dense, green atmosphere that feels almost more real than the real world, as well as the charm and humour of the characters. It is also absolutely impossible to discuss without spoiling Silver in the Wood terribly, because it starts where that story ends. Really, do … Continue reading Drowned Country by Emily Tesh →
Dragon Unleashed is a lovely and tender romance between two people who often feel misunderstood by the world around them. Unfortunately, the rest of the details outside of the romance are depressing as all get out. It’s not a fun world to be in and as a result, I did frequent skimming during the chapters that didn’t focus on the hero and heroine. Before we get into it, I do want to answer the biggest … Continue reading Dragon Unleashed by Grace Draven →
I try not to be overly hyperbolic in reviews and recommendations; after all, “this is the best book I have ever read!!!!” loses its impact if it’s my go-to phrase for any enjoyable read. So when I say that Milla Vane’s A Touch of Stone and Snow is the best fantasy romance I have ever read, I’m not exaggerating. It is perfect from chapter one and — defying all known logic — continuously surpasses itself … Continue reading A Touch of Stone and Snow by Milla Vane →
Content warning: Torture of a main character. I’m pretty sure that if I start by saying ‘genderswapped Princess Bride where the Princess rescues the stable boy’, about half of you won’t read any further in this review because you will be too busy one-clicking the book. Certainly, that was my reaction when I saw this title appear on NetGalley. And if genderswapped Princess Bride is what you are looking for in a book, you will … Continue reading The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning →
I have a real weak spot for sexy vampires. I also have one for fantasy romance, and another one for romance series where each book is about a different couple but there’s a connected plot arc throughout. So I had high hopes for The Black Lily, the first book in a fairy-tale retelling vampire romance series about humans rebelling against corrupt vampire overlords. Unfortunately, my ultimate reaction was pretty mixed and I have not yet … Continue reading The Black Lily by Juliette Cross →
The first thing I heard about this book was that it wasn’t very good. But I’m a romance reader and so I care not a fig fancy for others’ opinions of my reading preferences. It didn’t hurt that my love for vampires was (and still is) so tremendously strong that any qualms I had were quickly squashed. When it became clear to me that the heroine would be gifted with a vampire hero, I launched … Continue reading Keeper Shelf: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness →
CW: child harm, threatened rape, bloody violence How do I love thee, let me count the ways. Specifically, there are six ways in which I love you, Poison Study. Reason, the first: Yelena Yelena is a badass. She survives cruel General Brazell’s torturous “children’s home” by killing her torturer, the General’s son Reyad. Of course, Brazell is now all aboard the SS Vengeance, destination: Yelena. But Yelena has an unlikely hero in The Rules. More … Continue reading Keeper Shelf: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder →
Perhaps unsurprisingly, after reading House of Earth and Blood, I posit that the best barometer of whether or not you will enjoy this book is whether or not you have enjoyed Sarah J. Maas’ other books. All the hallmarks of Maas are here: a beautiful, semi-outcast heroine hiding an incredible power; a super-powerful, much older hero with a dark past; a jam-packed cast of intriguing secondary characters; loads of snarky and sassy dialogue, and nonstop, … Continue reading House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas →
