I am not a romance reader, I have great respect for the genre, but often find myself disliking romance books. However, I saw a lot of my mutuals4.25/5
I am not a romance reader, I have great respect for the genre, but often find myself disliking romance books. However, I saw a lot of my mutuals reading this and enjoying it, people who normally only read sci-fi and fantasy. I've seen so much praise for Emily Henry and so I thought, why not just give it a go? And I am so glad that I did!
I think the main reason why I loved this book is because it's a character story first. So many romances or romance subplots get this wrong; characters are people first, not just vehicles for a romance you want to write. This is what Henry is so adept at, at making her characters so real and emotional and complicated. They're fully fleshed out and have many moving objects in their lives so that they feel real. We see many of their other relationships and all the different ways in which these are difficult to navigate. The romance stems from who the characters are as people, an inevitability that feels satisfying as it grows and comes to fruition, rather than something forced upon them (and us) that feels unnatural or doesn't quite fit. Henry is skilled at writing a very natural evolution of the main characters' relationship.
I also love books that talk about books, I loved the exploration of genres, and the misconceptions and prejudices against romance and other genres primarily consumed by women. I really just loved the entire concept of the book. I think it was a great set up to explore these characters and their budding relationship.
This was such a fun read that I kept coming back to whenever I felt like something light and easy. It felt like the very best kind of fanfiction (the happy kind of great fanfics, not the gut-wrenching kind) because of the way it treated its characters. I'll definitely be reading more Emily Henry in the future!...more
If we live in stories, it means we live in the real world too.
Overall Rating: 3.75/5
Dive Bar by Caroline Bird: 4.5 Penguins by Simon James Green: 4If we live in stories, it means we live in the real world too.
Overall Rating: 3.75/5
Dive Bar by Caroline Bird: 4.5 Penguins by Simon James Green: 4.25 On the Run by Kay Staples: 4 The Phoenix's Fault by Cynthia So: 4.25 Azrah and Abigail by Freja Nicole Woolf: 3.5 (New to the 5th anniversary edition!) As the Philadelphia Queer Youth Choir Sings Katy Perry's 'Firework'... by David Levithan: 2.75 Almost Certain by Tanya Byrne: 4 The Other Team by Michael Lee Richardson: 3.25 I Hate Darcy Pemberley by Karen Lawler: 3.25 The Courage of Dragons by Fox Benwell: 4 The Instructor by Jess Vallance: 4 Love Poems to the City by Moïra Fowley: 4.5 How to Come Out As Gay by Dean Atta: 3
Thank you Pride Book Tours for sending me a copy of the book....more
I'm so disappointed that I didn't like this book. I adored A Dowry of Blood with all my heart, thought An Educa2.75/5
Only blood can rewrite blood.
I'm so disappointed that I didn't like this book. I adored A Dowry of Blood with all my heart, thought An Education in Malice was okay if a little disappointing, but Evocation has unfortunately sealed the deal for me and I don't think I enjoy Gibson's novels. I'll certainly try any novellas Gibson writes, but her novels just seem to not be for me. I loved the beautiful, emotive prose in Dowry and I loved the way it drew the portrait of abuse through a vampiric lens. It will continue to be one of my favourite stories, but I haven't found the same love for Gibson's other works.
I'm really struggling to put into words why I disliked this book because it's not an all-consuming hatred, there wasn't anything that made me spit out my hot chocolate in fury, I just didn't really enjoy any of it. The characters began to grow on me a tiny bit as I read on, but I just didn't care about them and at times even found them annoying. They're meant to be complicated, fractured and even unlikable, but I just never warmed to them like the book wanted me to. There's also a strange focus on wealth without the criticism I expected of it, especially as there are academic aspects to this book and conversations around the tired structure of an all-male secret society. I felt it lacking here in its exploration of the characters and their dynamics. I recognise that the character relationships were what drove the story, but it was hard to empathise when I disliked or felt apathetic towards them. This focus also meant that the surrounding plot fell very flat for me, it was sometimes dull and tedious, and other times far too obvious. (My biggest pet peeve in books is when an author treats a piece of information that's obvious from the beginning as a plot twist/big revelation later on... alas.)
I'm sorry for being so negative, I hate writing negative reviews, especially for authors I admire. But this one just really wasn't for me. Please look at other reviews and see how our reading tastes compare before putting any weight to my opinion.
Thank you HarperCollins UK for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this book really missed the mark for me. I 3/5
Thank you HarperCollins UK for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this book really missed the mark for me. I didn't enjoy it half as much as I've enjoyed El-Arifi's other works. I found the premise for the worldbuilding interesting, but throughout the book found that it wasn't explored in any significant way and even that lost my interest. I think what my fatal error was was thinking this was an epic fantasy like The Ending Fire trilogy, or a military fantasy like you might predict from the opening chapters. This book, to me, reads more as a romantasy and that's sadly not a subgenre that I enjoy as much.
I found a lot of the plot quite bland as not much seemed to happen for the vast majority of the story and I also found it all quite obvious. The problem with incorporating prophecies into your plot is that you need to make sure it's either a dreadful, looming thing that everyone understands and fears or, if you want it to be shocking, you must make sure the wording of it is subtle enough for a clever twist. Unfortunately, the prophecies in this book yielded their answers fairly easily. Therefore, when the twist revealed itself, I couldn't help but be annoyed that I knew this information hundreds of pages before. This was a problem I encountered throughout most of the book. Everything was too obvious. It became predictable and stale under the light of such blatancy. Not only did the plot beats not hit because of this but the romances didn't either because I could see everything coming from a mile away.
This is quite a critical review and I do apologise for being so negative, I much prefer raving about books I love. I think what made this so disappointing was that I know Saara El-Arifi can write with much more nuance and intricacy. I'm not even as much of a fan of The Ending Fire trilogy as others are, however that series is a much better show of skill. It confuses me that these series are written by the same author.
Perhaps this all stems from my lack of interest in romantasy as a genre, perhaps not. I just vehemently dislike when everything is dropped for the sake of a romantic plotline, it rids the rest of the story of any substance. The world in this book felt more like a backdrop for these relationships than an actual world teeming with life. The plot, too, felt very simple and forgotten about for a lot of the story in order to focus on the character relationships. Don't get me wrong, I love character-driven stories, but this book didn't show meaningful choices or changes in the characters enough for me to connect with them. Everything felt like an afterthought to the romances, as if only there to facilitate that aspect of the story.
When I read The Final Strife, the first book in El-Arifi's other series, I didn't fully connect with it, however I could admire what was being done and what it was clearly setting up for in the next book (which I enjoyed a lot more). With this book, there weren't even those aspects for me to admire or sit in anticipation for. Honestly, a lot of this book felt unnecessary.
I'm being quite negative, but that's sadly been my experience reading this book. It's been such a disappointment for me, but I do hope others enjoy it more. Sorry everyone!...more
I wish someone had told me that love isn’t torture. Because I thought love was this thing that was supposed to tear you in two and leave you 3.75/5
I wish someone had told me that love isn’t torture. Because I thought love was this thing that was supposed to tear you in two and leave you heartbroken and make your heart race in the worst way. I thought love was bombs and tears and blood. I did not know that it was supposed to make you lighter, not heavier. I didn’t know it was supposed to take only the kind of work that makes you softer. I thought love was war. I didn’t know it was supposed to… I didn’t know it was supposed to be peace....more
This was so much fun. I loved this book and absolutely wolfed it down, desperate to find out who the killer was and what would happen. It's a fast-4/5
This was so much fun. I loved this book and absolutely wolfed it down, desperate to find out who the killer was and what would happen. It's a fast-paced, intriguing read with such a vast cast of brilliant characters.
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy. All opinions are my own.
I don't read many mystery/thrillers, but I do watch a lot on TV. This book reminded me of two of my absolute favourites: Criminal Minds (an FBI team is invited to a small town and has trouble working with local cops and people alike to build a profile and track down the killer), and Death in Paradise (although not set in the Caribbean, its setting is similar in its sandy beaches and sense of community).
It's an amazing mystery, full of lots of action-packed scenes and nerve-wracking twists. I truly just had such a great time reading it, I loved every second. I thought Marks was amazing at continuously setting the perfect amount of tension, and luring us in by dangling mysterious pieces of information in front of us.
The characters are so human and Marks does a perfect job of keeping them flawed and dynamic. They're always growing into and out of themselves, at odds with each other and finding comfort in one another in turn. Every interaction kept me hooked and interested.
If you're looking for a fun mystery/beach thriller then I would highly recommend checking out DEAD TIDE!...more
And what do you know of the atrocities I've committed for love? Love is sacrifice. Whether it's you on the butcher's table or not, someone alw3.5/5
And what do you know of the atrocities I've committed for love? Love is sacrifice. Whether it's you on the butcher's table or not, someone always bleeds.
Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I didn't love this book as much as I'd hoped to. I adored A Dowry of Blood and so I believed this would be an easy favourite of mine but, alas, I was a little disappointed.
As always, I loved Gibson's lavish prose and the haunting religious imagery used all throughout. The dark academia university setting was incredibly atmospheric and I loved exploring it. I also loved seeing a character from A Dowry of Blood in this book, it made me want to read it all over again!
Art outlives all of us. It makes us immortal.
What sadly fell flat for me were the characters and relationships (the very driving force of the story). I liked the characters well enough, however I never felt as though I truly connected with them. I also felt that the relationships were strangely rushed, I would've preferred it if this story had been longer and if it'd had more time to flesh out and deepen both the characters and their core relationships. I suppose I wanted a book that was, at least in the beginning, a little more subtle. I wanted to feel the yearning and the pining of this obsessive desire, however I found that these aspects were overlooked and instead rushed into.
I also didn't like De Lafontaine's ending as I felt it was too forgiving. I am not the singular voice or opinion you should listen to on this matter, but I did expect and would've liked an ending more similar to A Dowry of Blood. (I am a rage-driven person at my core and I do like that in stories.) I also do want to add that I'm not a big 'spice' reader so I didn't enjoy those aspects of the story as much as I'm sure others will.
It was always going to be this way. One of us was always going to bleed for the other.
I still very much appreciate Gibson's craft and I continue to find their writing beautiful. I'm just upset I didn't love this as much as I thought I would. I hope others enjoy it more! I can't wait to read Evocation!...more
The mariner's hubris isn't necessarily in his belief that he won't die, but his belief that the worst the sea can do is kill him.
Thank you Del 4/5
The mariner's hubris isn't necessarily in his belief that he won't die, but his belief that the worst the sea can do is kill him.
Thank you Del Rey for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book immensely, this is my first Ava Reid book and I cannot wait to read their adult works as well. The writing in this book was astoundingly beautiful. Every word bleeds with emotion, I kept stopping so that I could admire the words I was reading in depth.
It's an incredibly atmospheric book, every moment feels alive, as if the wind will wrench you from this world and place you anew upon the cliffs. Every creak of the dilapidated house, every lash of rain on the characters' cheeks, it was all so vivid. The writing was truly phenomenal.
The sea took and took and took, thousands of little deaths, and they endured it all because they knew nothing else. They didn't think to fear the Drowning until the water was lapping at their door.
I adored the themes throughout the story. I could tell where the story was heading and was correct in my theories, and I loved how these darker themes were explored both delicately and deeply. The exploration of misogyny of all kinds—of the commodification of women, of women's roles within stories and the roles women have played within mythologies and folklore—was fascinating. I loved how intrinsically this exploration was paired with the folklore of the world, I loved how connected they were to the various stories within stories.
But didn't all drownings begin with a harmless dribble of water?
Our main character, Effy, loves the book 'Angharad' more than anything, it connects with her on a level deeper than the male scholars could ever possibly understand. It's a story that sings to her truth, it provides her shelter and comfort from the storm of her reality, and it gives her courage to rewrite her own history. I think every book lover can relate to the feeling of having that one book that speaks to you, that one story that feels like it was written just for you (mine is He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan). This story will appeal to you if you like books about books, but it is also so much more than that. It's quite a difficult book to summarise as it explores so many different themes, with great nuance, that are interwoven with such complexity. It's also, on the surface, a mystery (or, at least, very mysterious) and so I fear saying too much in case I give something away. But at its heart this book is about the characters.
Effy is the perfect main character to follow, she's vibrant and brave and rears up against the forced narrative she is often shunted in, yet she is also scared and vulnerable, succumbing to the waves of the never-ending sea, swallowing down the salt water of her fears and drowning in the very place the world's narrative has left her. Her story is a constant battle; for sanity, for peace, for autonomy, for freedom, for greatness. It often appears that the entire world is against her, but she finds an undaunted strength within herself that she wields to face each struggle. I loved watching Effy grow throughout the story.
You don't have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery, too.
I did like how soft and sweet the romance in this book was and I did like the other character in the romance a lot, however I was never as gripped by this aspect I was by many of the others. But I did appreciate how caring and gentle and always kind it was, I thought it a brilliant contrast to the cruelty of the surrounding world and characters.
She wondered if you could love something out of ruination, reverse that drowning process, make it all new again.
I'm incredibly excited to read Ava Reid's other works (I've been wanting to read Juniper and Thorn for so long)! I'm interested to see how much this book differs from their usual writing and storytelling as A Study in Drowning is YA whereas their other works are adult. I can see how a lot of the themes within this book could be taken and explored in darker and more gory ways. I absolutely cannot wait to read more!
Centuries later, it was the stuff of fairy tales and legends, as if no conquest had ever occurred. As if whole villages had not been slaughtered in a quest to eradicate those unseemly traditions. As if stories were not spoils of war....more
I really wanted to love this, it sounded incredible, but unfortunately it missed the mark for me. Thank you Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for3/5
I really wanted to love this, it sounded incredible, but unfortunately it missed the mark for me. Thank you Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Let's start with the positives: the world was amazing. It's so vibrant and alive, it's fascinating and such a unique sci-fi universe. I would have absolutely loved it if we were able to explore it more. It's also sapphic galore! So when I heard the words 'sapphic space opera' I couldn't help but want to read it, but it was quite disappointing. What's so annoying about not liking this book is that I can see all of its potential.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't connect with the characters at all. By the end of the book, I could not have cared less what happened to them (and that is never a good sign). Again, we start off with such a great premise but it's just let down by quite a plain story and boring characters. (I'm sorry for being harsh, but I didn't enjoy this book very much.) The romance, too, (which was a huge selling point for me) felt disjointed and very instant. It was a little bit all over the place and not in a fun way. I definitely thought, especially in the circumstances of this story, that the romance would be slow-paced and intricately handled, but we're shoved into it head-first out of nowhere. I felt this way about a lot of the parts of this story; they felt random and too fast.
We never seem to make much progress in the book and I think it could've been helped if the book was a little longer and we were allowed more time to sit with each scene and properly explore it. It constantly felt like we were taking one step forward and two steps back. I honestly don't think much really changed from beginning to end and it was all just a little stale.
I'm also not sure the politics of the world and the way in which it was relayed to us throughout the story was very effective. It wasn't fully fleshed out enough and we weren't seeing a lot of it firsthand, but only being told about it afterwards. (It's hard to phrase this in a way without spoilers, but it was an incredibly unsatisfying way of reading about the world politics.)
I'm upset I didn't like this as I truly did want to, but I guess some things just aren't meant to be. However it is quite a short book and we all have wildly different tastes and opinions, so if it sounds like the kind of thing you'd love, don't let me put you off too much. This just sadly wasn't the book for me....more
This was described to me as a sapphic sci-fi western, so of course I wanted to read it! Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an ar3.5/5
This was described to me as a sapphic sci-fi western, so of course I wanted to read it! Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an arc.
I adored the world-building, I think this desolate, climate change-ravaged Earth is the perfect setting for this story. It's our world, our Earth, but in a way we've never seen it before. It's humanity at the brink of collapse and humanity's attempts to cultivate their own salvation. It's an immensely thought-provoking look at this world of ours hundreds of years into the future and the shattered pieces of it that remain. I adored this aspect of it and every conversation that surrounded this topic. I adored the different ideologies and religions, the various methods of survival on this abandoned planet, the condemnations of the spacemen (or 'sinners') that left.
I also loved the structure of how this story was told. We follow The Stranger, however we see her journey through the eyes of the numerous people that she encounters along the way. I really liked this structure of storytelling, however I did miss some of these characters as we moved on from them. They were all fascinating, each displaying their unique lives on this scorched Earth. It was really interesting to me which aspects of our societies held true in this civilisation and which aspects were different.
Throughout the journey we get to know our main character, The Stranger. We begin to understand her past, her motivations, her relationships with others and with herself. We watch her fight. I loved the situations she got caught in, I loved the Western feel of it all, and I (obviously) loved the laser guns!
I do wish that it was longer. I would've liked if we'd stayed in scenes longer and drawn out the mysteries and the intrigue even further. As much as I liked the ending, here too did I wish we could have witnessed it for longer.
Overall, this was a very quick, easy, fun read. If you often get confused by sci-fi or bogged down in the world-building of most, I wouldn't worry, there aren't the usual technical sci-fi terms and the world-building is explained very clearly.
What I loved most of all was the message of hope. Yes, climate change is devastating our planet and if we do nothing to prevent this then things will only get worse. But simply saying that the damage is irreversible and abandoning it does not inspire change or better the world. We still have the power to change things for the better. There is still hope. There is still time to save it.
What a mess we made on that planet, what a wonderful disaster, what a sublime calamity. Just think what we could do with a little more time....more
People make gods, and, for better or worse, gods make people.
I absolutely adored everything about this book, it was phenomenal! The world wa4.75/5
People make gods, and, for better or worse, gods make people.
I absolutely adored everything about this book, it was phenomenal! The world was so vibrant and alive, teeming with history and ancient beings; the characters were so real and human, always flawed and always interesting; the prose was beautiful and evocative. I simply cannot fault it!
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This review has been postponed in support of the HarperCollins Union Strike. Congratulations to the union!
The world was so rich, flooded with possibilities, unique faiths and conflicting ideals that stirred intrigue and seeded mysteries throughout the story. From the very first page, I was completely immersed within it and felt its life as it lived and breathed all around me. Kaner’s prose was so mesmerising and emotional, it enthralled my every thought and I never wanted to put this book down. I’m astounded that this was a debut, it’s easily one of my favourite books I’ve read this year.
Funerals are for the living. The dead don't mind what the world does to them.
The characters were, to sum them up very plainly, incredible. They each were so fleshed out, with their own intriguing motivations and journeys, their own complicated and ensnaring relationships, their own beliefs and fears and treacheries. They were created so flawlessly that they felt less like creations, less like characters on a page, and more akin to humans. And I loved each and every one of them!
Kissen is a perfect main character, a perfect driving force throughout this story. She’s a veiga, a godkiller, in a world brimming with gods of old and new. She has ghosts that haunt her, the flames of her past contending with the brightness of the future beneath the ever-watching eye of the sun. She has a purpose in her life that directs her across this wide world, but all that changes when she meets Inara.
Inara is a young girl with mysterious powers and a magical friend (who, I would say, definitely counts as an animal companion). She wants answers to the secrets she has had to keep for years, she wants to understand her place in the world and perhaps create a new one. She goes to Kissen for answers and discovers more than she ever would have guessed.
Inara and Kissen’s relationship is so beautiful to behold and watch as it grows and contorts, fitting around old wounds and scars, shifting amongst their newfound care and shared resilience. It’s a relationship that parallels and reminds me of Geralt and Ciri in the Witcher, a bond of family that refuses to break. Kissen and Inara are also similar characters to Geralt and Ciri respectively, and this story holds the same comfort that the world of the Witcher does—a warmth of familiarity that makes it feel like coming home to a place you never wanted to leave.
Another of our main characters is a retired knight named Elogast. I love the ‘retired warrior must pick up his sword one final time’ trope and so I also loved seeing it here. He’s a disillusioned ex-knight, wearing the scars of his battles on his skin. But his worst scars are the ones that lie deep within, on the shards of his memories. He makes an unlikely traveller on the roads and an even more unlikely companion to Kissen and Inara as they travel to the ruins of a city—each with their own compelling motivations.
Even small lives are worth something.
The plot takes us on a winding adventure rooted in a world overflowing with magic. It’s unputdownable and so much fun to read. I cannot wait for the next book and I will fight anyone I must to get my hands on it!
- (1/12/23 I've now reread in anticipation for Sunbringer, the sequel, and I loved it just as much, maybe even more, the second time! This is such a phenomenal book, I adore all the characters, the world is so vibrant and the story is so comforting. I can't wait to read my arc of Sunbringer! If you haven't already, GO READ THIS BOOK!)...more
Mother, we are your daughters. We remember. We remain.
Samantha Shannon has done it once again! I enjoyed A Day of Fallen Night even more than4.5/5
Mother, we are your daughters. We remember. We remain.
Samantha Shannon has done it once again! I enjoyed A Day of Fallen Night even more than The Priory of the Orange Tree, it was such an incredible read. In a book with such an epic scope it's hard to find a place to start when reviewing, but I will nevertheless attempt explaining how infatuated I am with this book in my mere words.
First of all, the world. The world is unconquerable, Shannon's skill and immense love of history shines in every structured choice she made whilst creating it. It is lush forests and desolate plains, ravaged by the ice of the North and the sun of the South, it boasts so many fascinating geographies, civilisations, religions and cultures. It's a sweeping tale that spans the Grief of Ages (a time Priory readers will recognise from the world's history) with perspectives from all across it's vast map.
Dumai is our perspective in the East. She's a godsinger on Mount Ipyeda, her world a world of snow, harsh winds and perilous climbs. She learns never to goad the mountain, to learn when to reach towards the sky and when to be mindful of the shifting ground beneath her feet. And, inevitably, this is the battle of Dumai's storyline; she is a kite meant to soar with the winds, yet she is tangled in the politics of a land she was not born to understand. She is a secret, she is a legacy, she is the whispering voice, she is the mountain climber, she is the wind, she is the godsinger. We are lead across the East as we fly beside her, spectators to her momentous story. From the mountains, to court, to journeys Dumai could never dream possible, we haunt her like water ghosts as we traverse the mysteries that lie inside her. Dumai holds engrossing relationships with all those around her, a devoted bond with her mother, a heart-warming friendship with Kanifa, a complex and entertaining relationship with the silver-tongued Nikeya. I adored every moment of her story, I think it was perfectly written.
In The South, we are introduced to Tunuva, a sister of the Priory. Tunuva is an older character with many established relationships and memories of the past. She's a brilliant character, kind and loyal to a fault, always there and ready to protect her family. Ultimately, this is Tunuva's weakness, her love and gentle heart. Although she is a great warrior, faultless with a spear as she fights alongside her ichneumon, Ninuru, her heart holds her family above all else. Esbar and Siyu, the child in her past, and all her family in the Priory mean everything to her. I loved glimpsing more of the Priory itself and the people in it. Priory readers will recognise these characters as ancestors of ones we already know. It's a fascinating place to simply exist in, and I loved seeing more of the South. It was always riveting when we discovered places we have not yet been to in this world, as well as places that did not exist in Priory because of the changes throughout the world's history. The Republic of Carmentum was one of these compelling new discoveries. Through Tunuva we see the most siden magic, a magic of heat and day and fire. I have always adored the careful balance of this world's magic system and was delighted to see so much magic throughout the different perspectives.
Wulf is our point of view in the North. He's such an engaging character, an intriguing man trying to escape the mysteries of his past. He serves as a warrior under King Bardholt, fighting against the rumours of the Haithwood, trying to be someone his family will be proud of. Wulf is also an incredibly loyal character, much like Tunuva, a fierce defender of those he loves, and a caring friend. His childhood friendship with Glorian slowly became one of my favourites. Although I cannot say too much about the plot of Wulf's story, know that it is enrapturing, never ceasing to elude and devour you. We trek the furthest in Wulf's perspective, seeing corners of the world we had not dared venture before. As I mentioned with the Republic of Carmentum, Hróth is another land we have not seen before, and (as a person who loves cold, icy lands) I treasured every moment inside of it. Hróth provided many unique obstacles and difficult terrain. It was a brilliant choice to establish so many varying geographies and cultures so that we could see how similar things affected each land differently and in which ways the lands each chose to combat them.
As hard as it was to decide, as I adored every single character with all my heart, I eventually decided on a favourite. We find that favourite within our perspective in the West, Glorian Hraustr Berethnet. She is strong and iron-willed, clever and defiant. She is the shield of Inys. We know the long line of Berethnet queens from Priory, but there are very few who compare to Glorian. We even know a piece of Glorian's story, from the history of Priory, but there is still much that we do not know. Knowing this piece of her only draws tighter the chains that bind Glorian to her story, she grows evermore imprisoned as we read on and on. The role of queen is not one she desires, the eternal vine of Berethnets is not a destiny she wants to claim. Here, Shannon explores the most important storyline of them all. Here, Shannon (with her passion for women in history blazing brighter than any flame) explores monarchy through the lens of what women in monarchies were forced to endure and provide to continue these bloodlines. Here, Shannon is at her best. I could write essays upon essays just on this topic and how essential it is to be explored like this, but I fear I cannot without dragging huge spoilers from the depths of every part of this novel, so I won't. But know that it is done incredibly, with parallels that illustrate deeper these monstrosities, and profound moments that will wrench your heart from your chest. Glorian's story is the story of A Day of Fallen Night for me. As important and entertaining as all the others are, Glorian's story is indomitable.
All of the characters are incredible, complex and alluring, and their plotlines are all captivating as they intertwine and parallel and subvert. Unlike Priory, you will be completely immersed in every single character's perspective as your love and adoration for each character only ever grows.
We will all be stories one day, and I'd want someone to believe we existed.
Shannon's writing is beautiful and efficient, it shows us each part of the world in lavish prose and clearly explains every action. You can tell how much her craft has improved, the very structure, the very bones of this story hold firmer as we move towards the end with a pace of perfection. It's a slower-paced, denser read than Priory, however I believe it to be the more entertaining and engaging.
A Day of Fallen Night is a standalone prequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree, you can read either one first. I would say Priory is the gentler read and is a softer introduction to the world, however ADOFN is (in my opinion) the better of the two. It is truly such a brilliant read and I now love Samantha Shannon and the world of Priory even more.
Priory is known as a sapphic fantasy staple, and I wholeheartedly agree with this. But A Day of Fallen Night boasts an even higher count of sapphic relationships, alongside it's other incredible representation. Out of our four main characters, two are sapphic, one is achillean, and one is aroace-spec. There are also several other queer characters as well as trans and genderqueer characters. Samantha Shannon could I possibly love you more?
Let us give the world a reason to remember us.
Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review....more
4.75/5 Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I LOVED this book! First and foremost, I h4.75/5 Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I LOVED this book! First and foremost, I have never felt so instantly comforted by a story or by the characters within a story, this has without a doubt firmly secured a special place in my heart. Every single character was likeable, every single one! This book is very obviously a character-driven story and I loved that so much (we still have another fun main plot carrying us through the story, but the core plot focuses on the characters that drive it) they're all complex people with desires and fears, they all have complicated relationships. I could happily read a 500k word book of all the characters just in a room talking, they're that likeable! This story ventured into every corner of my heart, it made me laugh and cry and giggle (yes, giggle) and I loved every single moment of it. There is quite literally not a single part of this story that I didn't enjoy. One of the main characters (Kadou) has chronic anxiety and I thought it was done perfectly. A lot of the time, when books have a focus on mental illness, they try to show it in all its horrors, but in doing so only make it distressing and triggering. A Taste of Gold and Iron shows the realities but without making it into something distressing to read about, yet still tugging at your heart. In fantasy, without the label of 'anxiety', it is harder still to delve into it in such depth, but Rowland does a fantastic job. They separate it, with effortlessly beautiful words, as a medical condition (but of the mind) and prove to us, the reader, and to the other characters in the book that it isn't cowardice or weakness. I cannot explain in my flimsy words how incredibly it's done, so I guess you'll just have to go and read it! There were old sea captains who could read the weather just by the taste of the wind, who could predict a storm when there wasn't a cloud in the sky. He could taste a storm on the wind right now with the way he was worrying, and he could already tell he was set to have a very rough evening of it unless he found some way to avert the oncoming tempest. He could all but hear the growl of that old familiar fear-creature lurking in the back of his mind, feel it like the tremor of exhausted muscles, like the ache of a nearly faded bruise. The writing itself is phenomenal, there are paragraphs upon paragraphs of gorgeous descriptions of stunning sights and heart-wrenching moments. Every line made me feel something. There is so much queer and genderqueer rep that is normalised in the world and it made me so very happy to read about. The main relationship is an achillean, enemies-to-lovers, bodyguard romance... Literally what more could you ever possibly want? I love slow-burn romances full of yearning and this book delivered in every way. Their story was truly beautiful to read about and I adored watching it all unravel and become something far too great to ever just be ink on paper. This story grew in my heart into something greater than itself and it lives there now, in me. I will carry this book with me because I found such astonishing comfort in it. It whisked me away to this incredible Ottoman Empire-inspired world brimming with magic and secrets and love. Found family is the most heartwarming trope that has ever existed and therefore that, too, provided so much comfort. I honestly can't tell whether I'd rather hug the characters or have them hug me! I will be revisiting this book very often and I cannot recommend it enough. Go preorder right now (or if you're reading this review after it's come out: go buy it right now!) it's worth every single penny. Thank you Alexandra Rowland for writing something so beautiful that I know will comfort and heal so many people....more
My girl, you haven't been just a soldier in a very long time.
Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an e-a3.5/5
My girl, you haven't been just a soldier in a very long time.
Thank you Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I adored The Unbroken, it was a five star read for me. Unfortunately, The Faithless suffers a little from second book syndrome. Some of my main criticisms are fairly personal—I don't care much for Luca as a character and this sequel focuses more on her and the setting of Balladaire. Within these dislikes that are entirely subjective, there are also others that hold up to sturdier reasonings—the court politics seemed clunky and disorganised, and the stakes felt fabricated. What I mean by this is that our main character's decisions and motivations changed too often with minimal repercussions, their decisions did not hold the weight I thought that they should hold, and it overall made for quite a confusing (and, at times, seemingly redundant) narrative.
Where The Faithless picks up again and retains the same themes I loved in The Unbroken is in the other perspectives. I did not anticipate loving Pruett's perspective, however (even though it was a much smaller part of the story) I thought it held the most weight. It carries over from the first book its sense of rebellion, of an ex-conscript's twisted and complex relationship with empire and colonialism and sense of belonging.
Can I take your legs, sir, your army-issued legs, sir? How can I help you today?
There were also other amazing characters, I grew to love Aranen even more and Ghadin was brilliant, but most of this book hinges on political machinations and not much happening. We grasp at tendrils of this world's magic, but there isn't much actual movement in the majority of this story. This is a problem that many second books in trilogies fall into, hence second book syndrome.
I still think you should absolutely read this trilogy, the first book is incredible, and I will be anxiously anticipating the third book! I truly wish I had loved this, I really wanted to, but it sadly fell a bit flat for me. It was in no shape or form bad, however it didn't live up to my high expectations put in place by my love for The Unbroken.
That fire consumes all that it touches. What will you have to become to withstand her flames?...more
3.75/5 Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Overall I did enjoy this book, however it defini3.75/5 Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Overall I did enjoy this book, however it definitely felt like it was all set-up for the story to come in the following books. My main grievances with the story came from this fact. The main plotline didn't intrigue me nearly as much as the plots we begin to unravel did. The plots I was interested in were the ones that will carry over into the next books. I also felt that there weren't enough stakes in the story, the aktibar and almost all the trials were definitely the most interesting part of the main plotline however even they felt low-stake and almost easy. All of these grievances die off at the very end. The end of this book really captured me and intrigued me. The story finally grows bigger and more in-depth. There are finally lots of plot-twists and secrets for us to discover. The story finally feels great. My main praise and love for this book was definitely the world-building. Everything about the world-building is so interesting and intense. The different colours of blood and how they're treated because of it and all the world-building that you begin to discover throughout the book is amazing. I can't go into detail here because of spoilers, but those aspects hooked me the most. The characters were really interesting, especially our main character, Sylah, and another character, Hassa, was one of my favourites. I still felt, however, that they lacked in some places, namely in their relationships with others. They weren't badly written or constructed, but I just felt that if every relationship had been pushed deeper it would have made things a lot more interesting. Sylah is a great main character, she's determined and fiery, but she also has a lot of flaws. I adore flawed characters, flaws add so much more depth and realism to characters and I think she's a brilliant protagonist for us to follow. The most intriguing character and perspective, though, was Hassa. Hassa is a ghosting and her blood runs clear, as children all ghostings have their tongues cut out and their hands cut off. Hassa is an incredible character and the ghostings were the storyline I liked the most, their history and spirit was amazing to read. I also enjoyed other character arcs and development a lot. By the end of this story I was satisfied and I did enjoy it. However the lower rating comes from the fact that I didn't feel the story actually pick up until the last 100 pages and this book isn't small. I do adamantly feel that the next books will only get better and better now that we've learnt everything we need to learn to make this into more of an epic. I also want to praise the diversity in this book. It's immensely diverse in a multitude of categories and I've never seen a story with as much representation as this, it's incredible. There's a main sapphic ship, a side achillean ship, tons upon tons of gnc characters that use a range of different pronouns and also a trans major character. The world is African and Arabian inspired and all the characters are too. There's also many characters that can't speak and use their own sign language. This kind of intersectional diversity is so, so amazing to see in stories. The ending will leave you wanting the next book in your hands now!...more
There is a game that the immortals play. The stakes are impossibly high, and yet laughably low. There is only one secret: The more you have t4.25/5
There is a game that the immortals play. The stakes are impossibly high, and yet laughably low. There is only one secret: The more you have to lose, the harder it is to win. There is only one rule: Don't lose.
This book was phenomenal! With every book I read of hers, I fall more and more deeply in love with Olivie's writing and her prowess as an author.
This book was much more whimsical than the others that I've read by her. It still boasts her staples: elegant writing and a cast of complex characters. However, its tone is more lighthearted. It reminds me a lot of Good Omens with its immortals and deities, angels and demons, and all number of absurdly entertaining creatures and characters. It's a brilliant book that's increasingly addictive to read, you won't want to put it down!
What is the holiest place you have been? A place of righteousness, a place of austerity, of gravity? Surely not amongst the clouds. No, the holiest place you have been is solid, from the floors to the walls to the authority, to the assurance of consequence; and perhaps it is expansive, but it isn't free, is it?
We follow Fox D'Mora (a fraudulent medium and godson of Death), Viola Marek (a vampire real estate agent trying to sell a house haunted by a particularly annoying ghost), and a large cast of incredible characters (consisting of said annoying ghost, a demonic personal trainer, a strong-willed angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a mysterious godling). They are all full of such heart, Olivie Blake continues to flaunt her skills as she makes her characters feel so immensely real. They're spilling over with wants and dreams and desires, their fears and failings coming to haunt us alongside them as we grow to care for them. It would be useless to try and hate them, it would be pointless to try and want them to fail. You can't help but root for them. Olivie Blake is extraordinary at weaving this spell across all her characters—they are unceasingly fascinating.
"You care about nothing." "I'm not built to care. Only to last."
I adored the discussions of mortality within this story. I adored the discussions around pain and how it ends up that it is life that allows us to feel anything at all. Every theme explored was done so brilliantly, in beautifully constructed moments and captivating conversations. Each character is forced to face their deepest regrets, but—perhaps, more torturously—they are also made to reconcile with their deepest desires. It is a game that has only one rule: Don't lose!
Maybe that was the entire secret, and therefore the whole thing was actually astonishingly simple. That over and over, he was presented with the same impossible decision—live and suffer, love and grieve—but still, every time, with all his being, his answer was and would always be yes.
As are all Olivie's works, this book is so fresh and so unique. If you're looking for a book to wholly engross you and transport you somewhere magical and mystifying then this is definitely the book for you! You'll fly through it. It's the type of book that makes the real world feel disconcerting when you look up from the pages. The type that makes you think, how could I possibly be in the real world when I was with these characters mere moments ago? The type of book that consumes you for a pocket of time, introducing you to a story you'll never want to leave.
(Though a sad fool you are indeed, to play the immortals' game.)
Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
And for you, for being here, when so many Otherworlds are calling....more
4.5/5 Give me the sequel now! This book was one of the biggest surprises of this year, I absolutely loved it more than I ever imagined I would. Thank yo4.5/5 Give me the sequel now! This book was one of the biggest surprises of this year, I absolutely loved it more than I ever imagined I would. Thank you Netgalley and Hodder&Stoughton for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. So much about it is so unique. The world, the structure of the seven-ringed city with a storm raging around it, the storm itself being the main antagonist, the ikon-based magic system. It's all carefully crafted and done so well. One note I kept constantly writing down as I read was that the world felt so alive. The places lived and breathed and when the characters danced you could see them, you could feel their spirit, you could feel the city as it wept and as it laughed. The entire story was so alive. This factor was heavily influenced by Sunya Mara's incredible, emotive writing. The first line of the book hooked me and I was enamored from beginning to end (and now even after the end.) The writing was phenomenal. It was so emotional and powerful, every line was precisely chosen and wielded to cut to your core. My favourite part of the book (without spoilers) was the 100 page chunk from approximately page 200-300 (if you've read it, you'll know why) because the events that took place were heartbreaking and intriguing, but more than that, the author's writing truly shone here. It's the type of writing that captures you and drags you down until the story consumes you and you feel every emotion that's been perfectly designed for you to feel. It's the style of writing that lives inside of you. The characters are also incredible, every one of them has hidden depths and complexities. Every one of them has compelling, complicated relationships with those around them. Every one of them is flawed. These features gave them a deeper sense of realness than most stories ever achieve, within their complexities Mara forged something real. They're all irretrievably human. They have hopes and fears and dreams. For YA, I didn't expect the darker themes (no, literally... darker themes) the themes of darkness and its opposite of sunlight and that combined metaphor for hope was amazing. I loved reading it and that in itself was such a clever way to build emotion into things that could arguably be called inanimate. However, going against myself here, what I loved the most about the darkness of the storm and the warmth of the sunlight, was that they too were alive. They flooded every character's choices and breathed through them and if that wasn't enough, they became vessels of their longings, of their hurt. The depth that came with the storm was amazing. The storm not only representing anger, but when looked at deeper being the realisation of their pain and grief was brilliant. These themes and the writing that accompanied these emotive themes always blinded me with amazement. It truly was such an incredible read. The magic system was awesome. I've never seen one quite like it, it being based in ikons and language and drawings was great. It also added character to the world even further. This story is full of secrets and mysteries to unravel, but what I loved most was the inevitable heartbreaks and betrayals. I'm so interested in how the next book will cover more of this. This book is full of absolutely beautiful writing and I was unable to put this spell-binding story down. The engaging, emotive writing truly is the standout of this novel. The ending is incredible and will definitely make you want to scream. I need the next book now! The end section of this story felt quite reminiscent to me of one of my all-time favourite books, The City of Dusk by Tara Sim because of its themes of darkness and its focus on the gods. It honestly just blew me away. My one qualm with this story was the romance. It simply felt a bit too quick for me and wasn't my favourite regardless, however this is only my personal take. There was nothing structurally wrong with it, quite the opposite, the story couldn't have existed as well outside of it, but it just wasn't to my personal preference. The characters were all incredible though and I am still broken apart at some of their endings. Hopefully the sequel will bring me some peace (who knows?) This amazing debut is such an incredible read. I highly recommend this book, especially if you love YA fantasy, unique worlds, enemies to lovers, secrets and mysteries, dark gods and brilliant writing....more
5/5 I don’t know how I’m meant to read any other book ever again !! This book is an all-consuming expanse of dark gods and corrupted magic, rival house5/5 I don’t know how I’m meant to read any other book ever again !! This book is an all-consuming expanse of dark gods and corrupted magic, rival houses and gripping characters, intense plots with mysterious twists. I cannot find a single thing to fault this book on. Where do I even begin with my praises? Every single aspect of this book was incredible; the characters, the plot, the writing, the world-building, the magic system, the pacing, the twists. Every single aspect !! This book is everything high fantasy should be and more, it is the epic fantasy I have always been waiting for! World-building has always been my absolute favourite part of fantasy and this book did not disappoint! The world is so unique and interesting, full of opposing gods and intertwining realms. I loved working it all out and diving further and further into the mysteries of the world and unwinding each one, only to unravel the intrigue of more. The magic system is incredible and so complex and absorbing. The writing is some of the most beautiful writing that I’ve ever read, every moment is packed full of emotion and meaning. I felt exactly what the characters were feeling, I felt their power and their rage and their pain, and it was glorious ! The descriptions were heart-wrenchingly beautiful; they made me just want to put my head in my hands and sob at their divineness. Stunning prose is sometimes so hard to achieve, but Tara Sim does so effortlessly and gracefully, sweeping you up in the moment so wholly. Every scene was so vivid, I watched everything play out so clearly in my mind, as if watching a film. Normally I find myself checking what page I'm on (just out of habit) to see if I'm past certain markers, however I was too engrossed in this story to check. My mind was wrapped up in the scenes so intensely and I never wanted to put it down. I knew from the beginning that I would fall in love with this book, (although I underestimated just quite how much) but I convinced myself I couldn't decide this was a 5 star book only 20 pages in, but every page I read further proved just how right I was. This book was a head-over-heels instant love for me and every sentence, every word, only dragged me in deeper into its depths. And, oh boy, do I wish I could stay there forever! The characters are all incredibly complex and riddled with both compelling strengths and flaws. My favourite character was Taesia, but I adored and was fascinated with all the rest too! There are seven intriguing points of view in this story. The author slips between them easily, conveying such skill as she writes all these characters so uniquely, showing their individual motivations and beliefs. Taesia is the second child of the Lastrider family, born of Nyx's blood, wielder of shadows. Dante is her older brother, the heir of house Lastrider, with secret practices of his own to keep. Angelica is heir of house Mardova, born of Deia's blood, an elementalist with a vocation for fire. Risha is heir of house Vakara, born of Thana's blood, a necromancer trying to break into another realm. Nikolas is heir of house Cyr, born of Phos's blood, wielder of light. Julian is a hunter with a mysterious gift. The boy is guided by the voice, tired and hungry. There is so much action in this book, it’s full of mysteries and plot twists. The pacing was perfect, allowing for both important heartfelt scenes, yet making sure there was never a dull moment. Whenever it grew too quiet, I could feel the book whispering, this eager anticipation growing inside of me, waiting for the next strike. It was so much fun to read and I wanted desperately for it never to end! I can’t believe how long I’ll have to wait for the next one! Everyone go preorder this book RIGHT NOW, you won’t regret it, it’s the best epic fantasy you will ever read !! Thank you netgalley for sending me an e-arc, I will obviously also be getting my hands on a physical copy as soon as possible! :))))...more
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