Thank you to Random House UK Cornerstone for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Well, that was scary as fuck.
I’ve only read White’Thank you to Random House UK Cornerstone for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Well, that was scary as fuck.
I’ve only read White’s Camelot Rising trilogy prior to this, so this was an insane departure from her YA titles - but in the best way possible. How someone can craft a story as crazy, fucked up, and skin-crawling as this I don’t know. This is a story about faith, friendship, and memory that sucks you in with it’s unreliable narration and ever-present creepy vibes. You have to trust the author on this one as much of it is complex and abstract, often with a seeming lack of direction, but this is all turned on it’s head as White knows exactly what she wants from the story and where it should go. The reveals throughout make you distrusting of everyone, and sometimes even Val (the protagonist), but it concludes in such a disturbing yet perfect way. I would definitely benefit from a reread of this, which is likely to happen before release, as knowing what the story is based on only makes it scarier.
One of the best parts of this were the mixed media interstitials, they worked so well for me. They ranged from AO3 author’s notes to chat-room-style messages to letters, and added an excellent outside perspective that enhanced the ‘are we delusional? what the hell is real?’ aspect of the story. I also loved the podcast element too - this is a story entrenched in media and believing others/what is real - as it was just so creepy with the introductory monologues about each character from the interviewer. I hope these elements land well for other readers as they were the perfect craft choice.
I’d say this is a 4.5 stars rounded up. The only reason I won’t rate it five stars is because I never fully connected to White’s use of third person present tense. I think the story would’ve benefitted from first person present tense for a greater character study, and to entrench Val into the horrors much more. Despite this, Mister Magic is easily an instant favourite. I mean, look at the cover and the premise! Trust me, it’s execution only lives up to it all.
Thank you to Pan Macmillan for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This was the second book that IReread (28/07/24)
Ate. Literally.
—
Thank you to Pan Macmillan for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This was the second book that I’ve read which features an animal as its protagonist, and coincidentally both published by MCD/FSG! Albeit a short book, it still manages to focus on a variety of issues: anthropomorphism, climate change, the homelessness crisis, fear, sexuality and gender, among others. Through its niche lens of a mountain lion, we are forced to reckon with the symbiosis of humans and animals (and the wider environment, even), as well as grappling with our human effects on animals and each other. It’s quite subtly brutal in its portrayal of these things, and is deeply rooted in the trauma of the mountain lion (called ‘Heckit’, though I’m unsure if this is supposed to mimic a real name as the mountain lion learns new words but they are translated on the page as to how they would hear them: hour/owwer etc.). I truly hope this book gains traction because it reflects a multitude of crises that we as humans face, and is infinitely a more haunting portrayal when examined through the eyes of an animal who experiences much of what we do, but with greater fear....more
Thank you to Dundurn Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Quite simply, this was the best book I have read in a long time.Thank you to Dundurn Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Quite simply, this was the best book I have read in a long time. It was a moving and spare account of Teed’s time as a millennial, newly-graduated uprooting her life again in a gold rush town in British Columbia. I felt like I experienced a whole life time of stories, secrets, and reflections in the one year that this book spans. It was a deep insight into a wonderfully strange life and town that I never thought could have existed. Each person felt like the actual real-life counterpart had been transplanted onto the page; I felt like I got to know everyone incredibly well, and I similarly feel somewhat at a loss and unsure how to say goodbye as if I knew Teed and co. personally. It sounds extremely weird to say since this is a memoir, but it’s the only way I can currently express how I feel towards this book. As this book is only four years out from Teed’s time in Wells, I can’t help but wonder what her response to these individuals and experiences would’ve been later on, especially post-pandemic. I wish that there was a short final chapter reflecting on the final choice she made in real life, and that which makes up the last line, in relation to the pandemic, and if she ever plans on returning.
I highly recommend this memoir, and as my first time reading one I will sure look out for more (creative) non-fiction in the future....more
Thank you to Book*Hug Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Marta Balcewicz is easily among my personal canon of favourite Thank you to Book*Hug Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Marta Balcewicz is easily among my personal canon of favourite writers now. This book was a quietly affecting exploration of obsession, identity, and belief that I feel only a reread would better my understanding of. The writing knows exactly what it wants to be and accomplish, and I have highlighted pages upon pages of this book. Judy, our narrator, has such a singular view on the world and forms weird and quiet relationships with everyone she meets, whether that be a few pages or the entire book, that leave a profound effect on her and the reader. My only desire was for the ending to be fleshed out a bit more, though perhaps that’s a selfish one as I didn’t want it to end, and for Judy to interact/think more about Christopher and Alex as they were such intriguing people. A standout work amongst the Canadian literary scene which is already incredibly strong in its output. I look forward to reading more novels from Balcewicz, as well as their already-published short fiction. This book is truly something special, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy so I can reread it....more
Thank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This will be a month full of Antigone for me! I've had to read an Thank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This will be a month full of Antigone for me! I've had to read an Antigone retelling for my Comparative Literature class, I've now read this retelling, and I'm going to see a theatre production of it next week.
I have been very excited to read this since it's announcement, but unfortunately the result fell a little short for me. I loved the POV's of Antigone, Eurydice and Ismene, they all felt distinct and well-realised which made them easier to connect with emotionally. I thought that Polyneikes' singular chapter was written strangely, especially when coming from Antigone's. And Kreon's left more to be desired in the political machinations as he just told us what happened and moved on quickly.
Despite this, the idea of ichor Extraction, editing genes and the associated effects with souls was an amazing idea, but could've been developed further. I will stand by the fact that this should have been a full novel rather than a novella. The world building was cool, and could've been explored further to enhance the themes of autonomy, life versus death, power etc. I did feel a little confused by the world at times as there was little explanation due to it being a novella. I understood the main dystopian aspects, but would've loved to know more about them and how they came into place. The Archive definitely deserved to be seen more - I mean, look at the cover art! This also links to the lack of description which it could've benefitted from to put further pressure on the characters, rather than spending 90% of the time focused on their thoughts.
The ending was a strong point for this novella, however. I loved the final chapter from Antigone's POV, especially the last line. It felt different enough from the original ending of Antigone that it was somewhat hopeful, even though it is alluded to that it will end differently. It tacked on just enough emotion that the middle part lacked.
Overall, this was a decent novella and one I would recommend. The writing was quite strong and I highlighted a lot of good quotes (the first paragraph is an incredible opening and has a fun parallel later on!). Not the best sci-fi I've ever read, but I look forward to reading more of Roth's adult work....more
Thank you to ECW Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This had such a promising synopsis, but sadly did not live up to it Thank you to ECW Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This had such a promising synopsis, but sadly did not live up to it for me. There were too many, and repetitive, POV’s which led to characters being extremely one-dimensional and lacking motive for any actions/decisions. Likewise, the plot was stretched too far across the various POV’s which meant that the book failed to justify its page count. I would’ve DNF’ed this, unfortunately, and not really cared for the rest but it was very easy to just keep reading with the simplistic writing style - and it was an ARC so I feel obligated to finish it! I was hoping for an eco-techno-horror but got none of those vibes, and so much of this felt un/underexplained that I just desired more across the entire book from craft to setting to characters. Also, there was a weird fascination with Stan’s genitalia that really did not need to be present. You can tell this was written by a man, and it seems I prefer women writers. One of these stars are for the raccoons. I love raccoons.
Don’t really have much of substance to say, much like this book’s commentary, besides that it wasn’t for me and that Sullivan is a one-time author for me....more
Thank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
(This review does not do the book justice, but I plan to reread itThank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
(This review does not do the book justice, but I plan to reread it in June, so I should have a much more coherent and cohesive review later on. This book is a lot!)
Well, now I’m suitably upset and heartbroken.
This books is a significant departure from book one in all respects: setting, character, motivations, plot, vibe, and more. And yet, I still loved it. This book is much more politically and relationship focused which I loved, but it didn’t quite have the sustained five-star feel that book one did. This book pivots to the siblings as a whole in its casting, with the addition of Chrysanthi’s and Nitsos’s POVs. I really appreciated this and grew to love and understand everyone on a deeper level, however I wish that Nitsos’s POV was expanded past the 250 page mark (in the UK edition) as he was so fun to read from. Also, go into it knowing that Rhea and Lexos take more of a backseat so that Chrysanthi can flourish - you will come to adore her, and the reason will make sense in the end.
Now, the writing was, perhaps, the most significant change in the book. ‘In a Garden Burning Gold’ had writing that was used to create a specific summery, Greek-inspired vibe, whereas this book’s writing was geared to the political machinations and psychological/belief shift. It was interesting to see how book one focuses on ownership on the sentence level, and this one focuses on additional information and intel. It’s hard to explain as I don’t know all of the correct grammar terms, but it’s so cool in regards to its effect on the wider themes! As for the magic-writing, I wish we had explored it more as I feel I understand less than I did in book one with the addition of Saint’s powers, but that’s just my preference for a more concrete magic system.
This book had so many twists, all of which caught me off guard! Also, let it be known that I went into a coughing fit after some events with Ettore and Falka. It kept each plot beat fresh and continually exciting, even though this story reads as fairly low-stakes, it is the individual decisions and character psychology that heightens them subtly. I wish that the Saint’s lore was explored more to heighten the shock factor, but it’s still pretty shocking if you ask me!
I understand why it ends the way it does, however, the plot seemed to have lost itself and went in a majorly different direction as to how I expected it. I would’ve preferred a more concrete ending as there were many loose-ish ends. I would definitely benefit from a reread, which I feel I will do soon, so that I can understand the bigger picture and more minute decisions the author and characters made! The ending is particularly brutal and heartbreaking, so how I will do a reread knowing the outcome of my favourite characters, I am unsure.
Overall, this is a fantastic duology but I feel like it hasn’t found it’s audience quite yet. You really need to trust the author as they know what they are doing, and it is amazing....more
Thank You to Oni Press for an e-ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!
I found volume one to be a very fun ride through space, andThank You to Oni Press for an e-ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!
I found volume one to be a very fun ride through space, and I found the same for this volume too. This time we follow the Orcs and D.O.N.A as they traverse space in search of D.O.N.A's creator. I appreciated this volume a lot more as D.O.N.A was definitely my favourite character from the first volume and I'm glad she got some resolution to her internal struggles, even if they weren't what she hoped.
Along the way we got to meet various new characters, though this did make the story feel a bit repetitive as they would meet a character, some chaos would ensue and result in a fight until they made it to safety and the process repeated. However, I don't think it detracted from the overall plot of this volume as it culminated in a really fun final battle! My main issue is that because this book was more focused on D.O.N.A and the associated enemies the main cast of Orcs lost their vibrant personality a little and didn't have a chance to grow. Hopefully, this is rectified in volume three.
I also really love the art style of these graphic novels as it suits the fun galactic adventure really well. It's nice and colourful without being overly detailed and lends to the tone of the story nicely. I thought the battle scenes were really well-drawn and I wish I had them physically so I could see them over the double-page spread.
Nothing too special, but I look forward to volume three as the ending made for a fun cliffhanger, especially because the people involved weren't as present in this volume. I recommend this series if you want a fun and chaotic romp through space with silly characters,...more
Thank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Happy UK release day (I finished just in time!). The book comes ouThank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Happy UK release day (I finished just in time!). The book comes out in the USA/Canada on the 31st of January.
H.M. Long is easily one of my top ten favourite authors after this book, and it's definitely my favourite of what she has published so far. I've been following this series for three years now, and I am so grateful to have received e-ARC's of Temple of No God, and now this one. Here's hoping I can get ARC's of Pillar of Ash and Dark Water Daughter!
This book builds on all the minor issues I had with the previous two instalments to create an absolutely magnificent novel. The wintery atmosphere was incredibly strong and cinematic, the characters journey's were emotionally heightened and charged (to a greater extent), the action was even more cinematic. I could go on forever. It has everything I want from a fantasy novel: a complex and emotional plot, betrayals, gods and cults, believable character relationships, fantastical creatures, and more.
Thray is definitely my favourite main character out of the three books - sorry Hessa! - because I loved how multifaceted she was. She was both a hero and the villain and it made for such an interesting dynamic with the supporting cast to see how she changed her personality and loyalties around them. I highlighted and annotated so many beautiful lines that highlighted her personal and external battles, this book was a wild ride of tender moments and thrilling action. I'm struggling to put my thoughts into words because I enjoyed it that much. She is such a strong person, and the ending made me really upset, even though it's fitting and bittersweet. She knows what she did was wrong but was necessary to herself and the greater good - I hope she makes cameo's in Pillar of Ash like Hessa and co. did here. (The epilogue makes me think she will.)
The attention to detail in these books is wonderful. You can truly feel the temperature, hear the sounds etc., it is an engrossing experience to read a H.M. Long novel. My only wish is that we got to see more of Thray's relationships with Vistic and Arune (an old and new favourite character), and see more of the cult aspect as it was pretty central to the plot resolution. Other than that, this book was an absolute blast. And the best part? You don't have to read any of the previous books because they're all standalones - but I highly encourage you to read them all as they're fantastic.
If you're looking for an action-packed, cinematic, viking-inspired story about immortality, seeking out your fate, magical creatures, cults, and old gods then this is the book (and series) for you!...more
Happy (late) release day! Definitely make sure to pick up a copy.
Thank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
CHappy (late) release day! Definitely make sure to pick up a copy.
Thank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
CAWPILE Rating: 7.57 (4 Stars)
In a Garden Burning Gold is Rory Power's fantasy debut, and having read her debut book, Wilder Girls, I'd say this one is much stronger.
The story was imbued with magic, myth and betrayal and was a very enjoyable read. We follow near-immortal twins Rhea and Lexos (Alexandros) who hold the power of the seasons, stars and tides as they discover a plot to overthrow their father's--the Stratagiozi--rule and become entrenched in trying to save their family which could force the twins on opposite sides of the battle.
Personally, I enjoyed Rhea's perspective a lot more than Lexos' as I felt that she had a better personality and was able to connect with new characters much easier while forming relationships I truly cared about. I really hope we get a short story or novella surrounding her and Michali as I just loved their interactions. Her power--controlling the seasons--also weighed on her a lot more as she has to kill her consort for the season to change. This made her character arc a lot more emotional and one I could connect with as she was more vulnerable.
Lexos' perspective was a lot subtler and political which provided a nice contrast to Rhea's. As the story progressed he became someone I did care about a lot, too, as he was involved in many plot twists, some of which were predictable but others not so much. I also found his relationship with his father to be much more interesting. They constantly struggled between being political partners and being father and son. The conflation between politics and family was very prevalent throughout this story as their Baba would treat them as his kids to people he wants to control in a matter of seconds. I wish we got to see more of this relationship, alas, we did not. The character of Baba also provided another parallel between his relationship with his children as it is made clear that he only cares for the power and land, not the citizens associated with them. He cares for his children's powers and not them themselves.
Power also heavily improved on her world-building in this book. The book was fairly slow going for the first 40% but I really appreciated it as it allowed us to explore the different parts of the world in more detail without being bombarded with an info dump. By doing so she was able to properly explore the different politics, geography and even religions within the world which was nice. The only thing I wished she explored more was the twins' powers (and relationship) as they were told to us but shown in an extremely limited way which was disappointing as it was an amazing premise; though, with the way this ended, I believe their magic will be at the forefront of book two.
Another thing I loved about this book was the politics. While it was your typical revolution story there are so many betrayals and plot twists that made the last 60% fly by. There are two scenes that really stand out to me, both of which occur in one of my favourite places visited: Agiokon. I hope they revisit there in book two. Some of the twists felt a little rushed and I wished they were given the proper attention they deserved to richen the emotional depth of the story. If you love politics and twists then this book is definitely for you.
Lastly, the writing was pretty good. The best way to describe it was that some of the writing felt harsh and kind of hard to read whereas other parts flowed very nicely and had many beautiful lines. Additionally, there were a lot of funny one-liners which gave a nice reprieve from the more serious aspects of the story. You could also tell a lot of thought was put into crafting the world as a whole as there are many influences from around the world that blend together to form the amazing world it takes place. Greece is the place it is most notably influenced by, I would say, so if you love Greece and its culture I would recommend this.
Overall, this was an extremely promising fantasy debut and I am looking forward to book two after the end of this book. I highly recommend picking up a copy on release day: April 5th 2022.
— Reread review: I appreciated this book much more on reread, so much so that I think it takes the title of my favourite fantasy book! I still stand by a lot of the things I said above, however there are some significant exceptions. I found myself to adore Lexos’s perspective more than Rhea’s this time around, I love them both equally, but I can’t pinpoint what it was. I also found the writing to be perfect this time around too, the vibes and atmosphere it gave alongside the tender relationships made me feel something that no other book has given me. And whilst this was a reread, I didn’t totally remember all of the plot twists so it was still as thrilling, even though I knew the final reveals. I still wish it was fleshed out in some areas, mainly in-world language translations and some of the emotional/plot beats but that doesn’t take away from how much I treasure this book. I am so excited to start the sequel, and I can guarantee many future rereads!...more
Thank you to Pan Macmillan for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
CAWPILE Rating: 9.43 (5 Stars)
Young Mungo is the first book I haThank you to Pan Macmillan for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
CAWPILE Rating: 9.43 (5 Stars)
Young Mungo is the first book I have read by Douglas Stuart, and it certainly won't be my last. This book is about finding love and yourself in a place where you cannot afford to do so. It tackles themes such as violence, masculinity, love, family and abuse in such a raw and vivid way.
"Mungo Hamilton, never one to cry, started to cry now."
So did I.
Stuart's writing made this story jump off the page as though I was watching it unfold in real-time. Each character came to life within seconds and was deeply complex. Our main protagonist is Mungo Hamilton, a fifteen-year-old boy who is struggling with the effects of being gay in the 1990s against the backdrop of sectarianism. Mungo was unlike any character I have ever read: he is gentle, loving and, most of all, brave. My heart ached for him as I watched his story progress. He felt alive on the page, I could feel his every breath and emotion. He had to make multiple life-altering choices to be safe which you can clearly see traumatises him deeply. So much pain occurred to him in this book, and it was all in the search for love and acceptance.
One of my favourite aspects of this book was the dual timeline. Stuart begins the novel with Mungo going on a camping trip with two men he has never met to 'make him a man' after he was caught having homosexual relations - a violation of the law and religion at this time. Then the novel switches to the present time and follows Mungo on the build-up to this trip with the future timeline interspersed throughout. This structure worked extremely well for the novel as it not only added to the emotional intensity but it increased the tensions for what is to come.
I felt that the most complex relationship Mungo had was with his brother, Hamish. Hamish is a Protestant gang leader who tries to get Mungo to 'be a man' and 'toughen up'. He forces him into acts of violence and crimes, forces him to never cry, and forces him to be something he is not. This culminates into, perhaps, the most heartbreaking scene I have ever seen on the page. Their relationship heavily dealt with the theme of masculinity and the social pressure to appear strong. Toxic masculinity is rife and deeply rooted in their bond and it truly sickened me to read what it came to. It was, perhaps, the most heartbreaking scene I have ever seen written because it is one that still rings true today, regardless of the religious factor involved. Despite this, his relationship with his sister, Jodie, is the antithesis of this. Jodie loved Mungo no matter what he did. She was his rock and his tether to the Earth when he felt that no one else was there for him. Similarly, though, Jodie had her own problems as she was being groomed by one of her teachers which ended up disastrously. My heart breaks for each of these characters because where they grew up permeates their character in every way possible. They are a victim of a system that didn't root for them.
While this book is marketed as a Romeo and Juliet-type romance, I would say it couldn't be farther from it. Yes, Mungo is a Protestant and James is a Catholic and they fell in love but that takes more of a back seat in the story. The story is made to focus on the here and the now, not what will be. It focuses on the effects of politics in Glasgow, the poverty and alcoholism that Mungo sees. It focuses on an innocent boy navigating his way through a life that isn't truly his. As for the romance, it left me wanting more. There were sweet and romantic moments, but it felt very underdeveloped. This is likely intentional to show the fast nature of teenage romance (as most of their love story takes place over a few days). If you are looking for a tragic romance and family drama, yes, it is here but I wouldn't pick this book up if that's what you are mainly looking for.
My main issue with this book, funnily enough, was the writing. Yes, I loved the inclusion of all of the dialogue including Scottish slang as it felt like home for me. It allowed me to connect with the book on a deeper level as it's something I use every single day living there. I loved how packed with emotion it was. But, what I didn't love, was the author's constant use of similes/metaphors etc. It felt a little overbearing that things were always linked to these literary devices, especially because there wasn't a running theme to them. It made them feel very disjointed - though, this may have been intentional as every character in this book had a messy life. Nothing was stable, and this may have been Stuart's way of enrichening his message.
There is so much I could say but I don't think I am able to do it justice as I haven't experienced lots of these events first-hand. From an outsider's perspective, I think this book was written beautifully and captured the essence of Scotland and how it was - and still is, unfortunately. I look forward to reading Stuart's debut book and all of his future works. I will certainly reread this when I am a bit older and have more experience to truly understand many aspects of this book....more
Happy UK release day! It releases Feb 1st in the US. Thank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
CAWPILE RatingHappy UK release day! It releases Feb 1st in the US. Thank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
CAWPILE Rating: 7.29 (4 Stars)
After enjoying the first book in this world, Hall of Smoke, I was excited to read its companion! (You don't need to read HoS before ToNG)
You can tell from this book that H.M. Long has really found their footing with their writing and within the wider fantasy genre. I felt that Hessa was a little flat in Hall of Smoke and didn't really fit the description she was given--a warrior priestess--but in this book she more than lived up to it. As this book takes ten years in the future after a war of the Gods she has had a lot of time to grow, and when she is thrust into an equally scary and life-threatening situation she only gets better.
This book had such a fantastic plot that surprised me at many points through the plot twists as Hessa had to grapple with who to trust. The tensions were consistently high, which in turn led to some amazingly written and exciting battle scenes where Hessa got to shine as a warrior. She is such a fierce and loyal person who just wants what is best for friends, family and the wider community. She also has wonderful chemistry with the side characters which is always a plus.
As I said, the plot of this book is fantastic. The empire is in the midst of a political tensions as three factions vie for a new, unclaimed power and because of this we got to see a new God and their cult. I was delighted to see a cult in a fantasy book as they're super intriguing--and the author did not let me down. I wish cults were more widely used in the fantasy genre, particularly after the wild things they did to try and secure power in this book. There was also an event that occurred toward the end of the book which involved the cult that raised tensions tenfold and I had to stop reading to process it. There's always this subtle feeling that something is about to go wrong and the pay off for it was worth it. Trust is definitely the main theme in this book and the reader is left second-guessing who to trust along with Hessa, which only added to the feeling that something wrong is about to occur at any moment.
Despite this, I did have a few quips with the book. The first one being the world and its atmosphere, I am one who loves descriptions and from things I've seen online the author aimed to create this hilly, foresty world but I could never really envision the places all that way as I felt there was a general lack of description. I wouldn't say this is a bad thing as lots of world descriptions are not to everyone's tastes, but I just wished for a little more. My second issue was to do with the pacing. I will say that this book was paced and plotted better than Hall of Smoke, however, I felt that some parts of this book were quite rushed to the point that it felt a little unbelievable. I know the author wanted to get to the exciting climax but I feel that a few extra scenes in some places would've helped the book without damaging the tensions.
Overall, I felt that Temple of No God was a fantastic sequel and I will most definitely be reading the next two companion novels set in this world that are set to be published in 2023 and 2024. Fingers crossed I can get more ARC's!...more
Happy release day! Make sure to go pick up a copy of this wonderful book :D
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for aHappy release day! Make sure to go pick up a copy of this wonderful book :D
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
CAWPILE Rating: 7.86 (4 Stars)
This book was a breath of fresh air. It had everything that I love in a fantasy book: family, love, myth, gods and so much more. What I loved most about this book was the characters. Mina, the protagonist, had so much love in her heart and she just wanted to what was best for everyone. She was brave and kind, truly everything you'd want in a protagonist. Alongside Mina was an amazing cast of side characters, each who had interesting and wonderful relationships with Mina and one another. Shin, Kirin and Namgi were the best trio of friends, they had a great connection and humour with one another yet were also serious about their duties and loyal. We also got to see three spirits too: Mask, Dai and Miki who were equally fun and kind as they helped Mina reach her end goal, and their story line was wrapped up in a sweet reveal towards the end. I would read this book ten times over just for the characters.
The world Oh created was just beautiful. I loved the mythology and gods, especially how they were used to challenge people's beliefs which then allowed them to grow as people and reveal that much more about their character. It was a delight. The Korean mythology was incredibly interesting and I will certainly read more on it as I want to know more--I hope Oh writes more myth-inspired books! I also loved the inclusion of Mina using storytelling as a means of furthering the plot and other sub-plots as it led to some great pay-offs. My only quip with the world was the lack of description as it would've made the world more lush and rich.
The pacing of this book was perfect too, nothing was glossed over too quickly and nothing was too long. Selfishly, I wish this book was longer as I did not want to part with the characters. As for the writing, I loved it. I highlighted so many passages and added many notes as there were so many beautiful and emotional lines that I will constantly re-read. The writing flowed super nicely and was easy to read which aided the nice pacing of the book.
I highly recommend pre-ordering this book as it is the perfect book when you are looking for an escape that has great characters, a fun plot and a sweet romantic sub-plot! A new favourite for sure....more
Thank you to Oni Press for an e-ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!
I've been meaning to get to this one for a while and I'm glThank you to Oni Press for an e-ARC of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review!
I've been meaning to get to this one for a while and I'm glad I finally got to it as it was very fun. Admittedly, I wasn't that big on the characters at the start but as they all developed in their own ways they came together and formed a nice little family of sorts. I felt that the story became a bit bogged down in the romance and I would've liked to see Ben navigate his wants and needs more as they felt sidelined for the romance--which felt a bit insta-love-ish too. The dialogue wasn't the best either, some of it felt super stilted while other parts felt a bit cringey as the characters didn't feel as old as they were said to be. I wish that the book was slightly longer as some plot lines, particularly the culinary challenges, felt a bit rushed. As for the art style, I felt that it fit the story really well and it is my favourite art from a graphic novel that I've read. I also loved the attention to detail and the depictions of food which made me hungry. I would recommend this graphic novel as it's fun and quick to read with a nice story to tell!...more
It’s release day! I hope people enjoy this more than I did :)
Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest revIt’s release day! I hope people enjoy this more than I did :)
Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
CAWPILE rating: 3.29 (2 Stars)
After The Ravens wrapping up quite nicely, I wasn't too sure what to expect from this book but the premise sounded interesting so I was excited to read it after enjoying book one. Unfortunately, I felt that this book was completely unnecessary and I could've lived with the few unresolved plot threads remaining unresolved. It was very obvious that the authors didn't really know how to continue the story so they pretty much just rehashed the plot of book one with the Kappa Rho Nu house being tormented again by some unknown being. This made the book feel extremely repetitive until the 50% mark when something very different occurred. As for the books plot twists, I could tell that the authors wanted them to be shocking. However, the foreshadowing was all over the place so there was very little tension building up to these plot twists which left me very emotionally disconnected for the story and not really caring about what happened to the characters.
Speaking of the characters, they were wildly different in this book. It felt like there was zero continuity in their personalities. I do understand that after the events of the first book that they would be acting differently, though this was to another level. At times I felt like I was reading a book about completely different characters because their dialogue and actions made absolutely no sense. Vivi was the one who changed the most for me, one second she loves the sorority and the sisterhood she has formed, then a little while later she changes her mind and decides she doesn't like the sisterhood dynamic and that they argue all of the time. It made no sense whatsoever.
As expected, the characters also had various romantic subplots, and they were handled so poorly due to the characters not acting as themselves. To keep this spoiler free for both books, Vivi and her romantic interest felt extremely forced. There was no chemistry between them that they had in the first book and Vivi was constantly making decisions that she would never have made previously. I am also upset about this because it made my favourite character barely appear in this book However, I do believe Scarlett's love interests were much more believable as they were directly linked to the plot, but due to the messy foreshadowing the relationships didn't live up to their full potential.
The ending of the book was wrapped up way to nicely and quickly in my opinion, it also contradicts something one of The Monarchs said earlier in the book. I am not surprised though. The ending made the characters too powerful and wasn’t plausible to resolve that easily at all. Despite this I wouldn’t be opposed to another book from someone else’s POV following their new duties (no spoilers) as that would probably be way more interesting than this book ever was.
Lastly, I'd like to say that the title of the book is mostly irrelevant to what this book is actually about as 'The Monarchs' are the parents of the current witches that used to attend Westerly College and have formed a witch council-type thing. It was probably chosen to stick with the animal theme so that it matched book one, but it did not fit the story at all.
While I did not like this book, it did have the potential to be a really good book but due to bad authorial choices it fell short for me. I do believe that not much could've been done though as this book isn't their IP and they were hired to write it by Alloy Entertainment who probably had a lot more creative control over this book....more
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I received this arc on the third of December...and I'm onlyThank you to Hodder & Stoughton for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I received this arc on the third of December...and I'm only reading it now. I am truly awful but I thank Hodder & Stoughton for still giving me arc's!
I was truly hoping to love this as it has vampires, sapphics and murder mystery. However, it failed me in every way possible. The book is set in the present day of our world which made it easy to follow but this also made it seem that Sterling thought they could get away with doing the most shallow world-building. The paranormal aspect of this book does not hold up well as it is very poorly explained. There are terms used like 'The Veil' and 'Shepherding' etc., which Sterling choose to give little insight into as it appears they didn't understand how it fully worked either. 'The Veil' is the worst explained part of the book, which is disappointing since it is also one of the most prominent parts. It is supposed to be a government of vampires who set laws and control the paranormal but the book explores and explains little of it, so they have no real authority that the characters say they have. The two head vampires Luca Tagliaferro and Henri Guillebeaux are mentioned a lot but we meet one of them (Henri, if I recall) for all of one or two pages. This made the motivations of Claire, Delilah, Wyn and Elise very weak and vague as there was no tension. Furthermore, Sterling tried to expand on their already weak world by mentioning multiple bloodlines - most of which had no relevance to the plot, and therefore was useless. There were other paranormal and fantastical characters mentioned like witches and faeries but they also had no relevance or deep explanation. It's clear that the world falls apart pretty quickly due to the lack of substance and facts.
Stemming from this is the writing itself. This book is clearly written for a younger YA audience in mind - so, not me - which meant that many elements were written to be overdramatic which made the characters feel silly and incapable of handling things with maturity or individually. Characters got emotionally hurt without actually doing any thinking to understand the bare bones of a situation, so I found myself frequently annoyed with them. I also believe that the book would've suited a third-person narration instead of a first-person narration because the characters' thoughts felt useless to the main story, and it often made it feel like I was being told something instead of having it shown.
Speaking of the characters, the protagonists, Claire and Elise, are said to have a F/F romance but I felt that it was the plot with the least weight to it (it really on takes effect in the last 15%). Sterling forces you to believe the characters have a romantic interest in each other, even though it's barely shown or hinted at in the majority of the book. This made the romance incredibly unbelievable and unnecessary. The extent of the romantic feelings is a kiss-of-convenience for plot purposes, and Claire's insta-love obsession with Elise and her "ocean eyes" (a phrase which was used one too many times). Going back to the romance being unnecessary, the book would've been ten times better without it because it would've allowed Sterling to strengthen Elise's character development by working on her issues with her ex (related to the plot), and the death of her brother. A romantic interest was not what Elise needed. Therapy was!
As for the plot, you can tell that it was Twilight/New Moon inspired, except way more boring and repetitive. The plot consisted of the same beats: Elise performed a spell, a murder happened, and then a new character would be introduced. This made the foreshadowing painfully predictable and I was right about 95% of my guesses. I know I should've DNF'ed this book after saying that but it was a very easy read that required little brain power. This did allow me to skim-read at times, so I may have missed some information...but who am I kidding? All I would've missed is the characters inner monologue repeating itself. The climax of the book was perhaps the most annoying part. Just before it, there was a key scene that was entirely skipped because Sterling conveniently switched POVs at the last second to avoid doing any world-building. Think of the moment as a character gaining a new power...we totally missed out on it, and it was extremely necessary to see for the plot.
Lastly, the awful representation in this book has to be discussed. It is filled to the brim with forced representation. Each time a new character was acknowledged, their name would be followed by their ethnicity and a vague (repetitive) description of their physical appearance would be given. When we first met Elise's best friend, Maggie, her name was followed by "a Korean American." Who's first thought about their best friend is their ethnicity? It was super uncomfortable to read. A similar issue occurred with gender. Through Claire's vampire powers (probably unexplained as I don't recall an explanation) she was able to determine someone's gender? And virtually every time they would be genderqueer...it's as though Sterling didn't know of any other genders.
This book was not good, and I am glad I read it so I can prevent others from wasting their time....more
Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK Children’s for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Vespertine is the perfect October read filledThank you to Simon and Schuster UK Children’s for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Vespertine is the perfect October read filled with spirits, possession (kinda...) and death. The book has shades of Shadowhunters and Shadow and Bone, so I highly recommend this book to fans of these series!
Firstly, Artemisia was an amazing protagonist. She was such a likeable character and her interactions with all the side characters were great. I liked that there was no romance in this book and I am so glad it did not as it could've led down the route of 'nun deviates from her practices for one boy.' The mental health representation (PTSD and anxiety,) as well as disability representation (as a result of childhood trauma by supernatural means,) was nice to see too, though I cannot comment on how well it was executed as I do not have a mental health condition or disability.
The Revenant is the character that stole the show! They are the spirit who 'possesses' Artemisia and are never truly trustworthy but with them being such an integral character you can't not love them. They are one of my new all-time favourite characters, they were the perfect combination of dark, blunt and funny and had incredible chemistry with Artemisia. I would love to see more of the Revenant as I truly cannot get enough of them. I am positive everyone will love them.
One of the best things about this book, personally, was the setting. It felt like a spooky and dark French countryside and the writing amplified this greatly. Additionally, Rogerson's exploration with religion in this book and how easily people are swept away in the 'allure' of other people was the perfect sub-plot. It also added to the scary aspect of this as people were worryingly enamoured by Artemisia and treated her as a Saint, which also increased tensions as she was in hiding.
The book itself was also very fast-paced which was great as I thought it would be on the slower side, nothing felt too dragged out. However, I think that the ending was a little bit rushed and I wish it was at least 15 pages longer as we had an intense build-up to this moment but then the tension dissipated really quickly which was unfortunate. Another issue I had was a lot of infodumps within the first 20% which dragged down the start as it was a lot to take in at once when we are just becoming established in a new world. Though these infodumps did stop after then and the writing picked up.
I will definitely check out Margaret Rogerson's other books; I am also pretty sure this is getting a companion book so I am very eager to get a copy when it comes out! Overall, this was a fantastic read and highly recommend to everyone. - 4*...more
thank you to Oni Press for an e-arc of this volume in exchange for an honest review.
jonna and the unpossible monsters is a sad-yet-heartwarming middlethank you to Oni Press for an e-arc of this volume in exchange for an honest review.
jonna and the unpossible monsters is a sad-yet-heartwarming middle grade graphic novel following a girl called rainbow who is looking for her missing sister jonna, as well as her father in a very strange world.
at first it seemed like a happy story but then we come to find out that jonna has been missing for a year and to make matters worse, in this world monsters exist and weird plants are destroying everything...until jonna is spotted.
i felt that the relationship between rainbow and jonna after she was found was poorly executed as it felt very rushed and didn't give the chance to show jonna's trauma of being missing, as well as her being scared of people after living in the wild with monsters for so long. despite this it was nice to see them become 'allies' again and go on a journey to where the volume ended.
i did feel that jonna herself was a bit poorly explained too as they never really felt like family or sisters; it was more of a friendship dynamic, however, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing as it was still a very nice story between them both. in volume 2 i would also like the world to be explained and discovered a lot more, but naturally i see the story going that way!
overall, it was a quick read with some beautiful art and colouring but it suffered from pacing issues. - 3.5* rounded up! i definitely recommend checking it upon release: August 17th 2021. i will definitely continue the series when volume 2 is released in spring 2022. ...more
thank you to Oni Press for an e-arc of this volume in exchange for an honest review.
orcs in space: volume one collects the first four issues of this cthank you to Oni Press for an e-arc of this volume in exchange for an honest review.
orcs in space: volume one collects the first four issues of this comic series from the co-creator of rick and morty, among other award winning writers and illustrators. admittedly, i have never watched rick and morty so i don't now how it compares but this volume of comics was a super fun ride through space aboard the aarken!
we follow a group of three not-so-friendly orcs who hijack a space ship and go on a fast-paced galactic adventure through the solar system...when they find themselves in all kinds of trouble, specifically mayhem (their favourite.) it is a non-stop thrill ride of robot fights, weird alien entertainment centres and space rats while the orcs try to adjust to their new home and making friends with D.O.N.A, the spaceships metal eyeball artificial intelligence.
the three orcs and D.O.N.A were a really fun perspective to read from; with their banter, arguments and confusion as well as their slightly weird love for their artificial intelligence friend who was my favourite character across each issue. they also delivered some funny lines and the way the sequences were drawn really tied the whole story together.
i thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this, and it provided a much needed refresher from reading full novels, so i highly recommend you purchase it on release day: October 5th 2021! - 4*...more
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