Huntress is a GORGEOUS book. It’s beautifully written and exciting and magical. However, romance fans should know that the ending is bittersweet, and while I can accept a bittersweet ending in fantasy (this is marketed as fantasy, not romance) it felt unfinished. I keep looking for a missing chapter, or, better yet, a sequel. Here’s the publisher’s intro to the plot: Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn’t shone in … Continue reading Huntress by Malinda Lo →
Today’s guest review comes from Crystal Anne With An E, who has written a few guest posts before! Crystal Anne With An E is an autism consultant by day, goes to library school by night. She reads a lot, cross-stitches with a vengeance, and is a Hufflepuff, because honey badgers don’t give a shit. … CW/TW: All of them. Child abuse, spousal abuse, animal death, discussion of rape, patriarchy being assholes, gaslighting, possible/likely miscarriage So … Continue reading Guest Review: A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane →
Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed is a delightful YA graphic novel about Diana (Wonder Woman) and her coming of age. In this story, Diana leaves behind the Amazon island of Themyscira on her sixteenth birthday in an attempt to help a raft of refugees during a storm. Her journey takes her from the open ocean to a refugee camp in Greece and then to New York City where she plans to attend university. Diana learns about … Continue reading Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed by Laurie Halse Anderson →
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 Great* An Occasionally True Story, is written and produced by Tony McNamara, who also wrote The Favourite. It’s very easy to tell if you’ll like The Great. Did you like The Favourite? Do you like gorgeous clothes? Do you feel strongly that you would watch Nicholas Hoult do anything at all? Do you enjoy very dry, dark humor and furious women who weaponize sarcasm? If so, you will like The Great, and if not, … Continue reading The Great* An Occasionally True Story →
Since the beginning of May, I’ve been hanging out with Murderbot. I read the four novellas in the Murderbot Diaries series, then this novel, in one long reading marathon. After mainlining the series, I went back to the start and read all five of them again. Then I listened to the audiobooks. That kind of repeated deep-dive rarely happens to me. If you’re not familiar with the Murderbot series, it’s hard sci-fi set in a … Continue reading Network Effect by Martha Wells →
I always felt a little sorry for Mary Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. It seemed to me that Mary was isolated in a way her other sisters were not; Lizzie and Jane had each other as confidants, and Lydia and Kitty were partners in crime. Mary’s biggest flaw seemed to be a lack of self-awareness that led to awkward social situations, which lacked the malice or selfishness of other character’s actions, especially Lydia’s. In The … Continue reading The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow →
A Jane Austen Tarot Deck by Jacqui Oakley features beautiful art and thoughtful associations between Austen themes and tarot themes. Alas, it claims to be a tarot deck despite only having 53 cards (as opposed to a standard tarot deck’s 78 cards). Had it stuck with being an oracle deck instead of also trying to be a deck for tarot “and gameplay”, I would have been much happier with it. Note: This deck is not … Continue reading A Jane Austen Tarot Deck by Jacqui Oakley →
There are two things you need to know right up front when deciding if this book is for you. It’s the first in a trilogy, and the author has stated that the HEA won’t be happening until book three. It worked for me, but if you’re feeling the lack of satisfying emotional resolutions in your real life and need one in your fiction? Yeah, hold off on this one. The plot hinges on a weaponized … Continue reading Slippery Creatures by K.J. Charles →
CW: Self-harm, suicidal ideation, abortion It’s difficult to review a book that is so, so good, but you don’t want to reveal too much for fear of ruining it for others. The Guest List is one of those books; it’s a thriller that is so superbly plotted that I’m afraid to say anything about it because I want other readers to enjoy every reveal as much as I did. I just want to shove it … Continue reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley →
CW: racism, homophobia The first time I saw this cover, I fell in love. Then I read the blurb and knew I had to have it. Check it out: Liz Lighty has always believed she’s too black, too poor, too awkward to shine in her small, rich, prom-obsessed midwestern town. But it’s okay — Liz has a plan that will get her out of Campbell, Indiana, forever: attend the uber-elite Pennington College, play in their … Continue reading You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson →
