Category: Serena’s Reviews

Serena’s Review: “Water Moon”

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Book: “Water Moon” by Samantha Otto Yambao

Publishing Info: Del Rey, January 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.

Review: This is one of those cases where a simple concept, if interesting enough, is all it takes to hook readers in. And here, the idea of a pawnshop that deal’s in one’s regrets is just such a hook! I mean, c’mon, who wouldn’t want to read a book about that? Beyond the philosophical angles of regret and how that interacts with life’s ultimate path, there are some fairly basic points of interest. Namely, why does this pawnshop want to purchase regrets? And what do they do with these regrets after they have them?

I’ll say right from the start, while the book does engage with these topics in small ways, there was less of this than I had hoped for. Instead, the book was much more centered around the whimsical nature of this fantasy world that borders our own. Now, we all know that I enjoy whimsical, fairy-tale like fantasy, so, on the whole, I did like a lot of what we got in this area, as we followed the main characters as they travelled from one location to another. The comparisons to Studio Ghibli are well-earned. Be it tattoos that prescribe one’s fate or travelling through puddles, there were so many quirky, yet lovely, pieces of fantasy imagery.

At the same time, however, the book never seem to fully take hold of any of these concepts and really do anything with it. Bear with the analogy, but the book reminded me a bit of travelling through a cloudscape. The clouds were gorgeous to look at and every turn produced a new visually wonderous scene to behold. However, if you ever stop and try to touch one, or stand on one, or interact in any way, you’d find yourself left with a fistful of nothing. Similarly, whenever I stepped back from the sheer creativity of magical elements being described, I’d find myself wanting for more. The plot would begin to feel shaky, the world-building even more so. Yes, this world is made up of amazing ideas, but how do any of these things truly build a society or culture or have history? It just began to feel a bit thin, when one really tried to find a sense of place or a firm footing in the book.

Similarly, the characters were also endearing when I first met them. Hana’s life has been one of fated choices and a known result. Her life has been tattooed on her body for years and how she feels about becoming the next proprietor of the pawnshop is of little regard. This set up, the exploration of fate and choice, was rich with possibility. For his part, Keishin felt like a weaker character from the start. He simply accepts everything around him with an almost laughable ease and the insta-love came in hard from this side as well.

But even with Hana, the character I enjoyed more, as the story dove more into the action (if it can really be called “action” as it felt most of the time as if the story was simply leap-frogging from one whimsy set piece to another as quickly as possible in an attempt to squeeze in all of the author’s ideas), I felt more and more disconnected from the story. In a similar way to the plot and world-building, as the story progressed, I felt like, in reality, there was simply very little “there” there for these characters. They are introduced, and then, for the most part, they remain that way throughout the book, as they quickly fall in love based on…nothing much…almost instantly.

This book left me in a bit of quandary when trying to write this review and rate it. On one hand, in the beginning of the book, I really loved the concept, the world-building, and the characters we were following. I haven’t mentioned it yet, but I also really liked the non-traditional way the story played out, especially in the beginning, with many jumps between various side characters and time periods. However, as the story continued, I increasingly felt myself disconnected from the characters and plot. Things were ostensibly happening on the page, but I found myself becoming bored and inclined towards skimming. It was an odd sensation. I also think the characters were fairly one dimensional, a trait that wasn’t helped by the fast-developing love story. All of this said, if you enjoyed whimsical fantasy stories or Studio Ghibli in particular, this is still probably one to check out!

Rating 7: Solid writing and creative world-building carry a lot of weight, however the book flounders a bit on its weaker characters and plotting.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Water Moon” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Cozy Book Cafe Vibes and Books that inspired or are similar to Studio Ghibli / Hayao Miyazaki films.

Serena’s Review: “The Thirteenth Child”

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Book: “The Thirteenth Child” by Erin A. Craig

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, September 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: from the library!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Hazel Trépas has always known she wasn’t like the rest of her siblings. A thirteenth child, promised away to one of the gods, she spends her childhood waiting for her godfather—Merrick, the Dreaded End—to arrive.

When he does, he lays out exactly how he’s planned Hazel’s future. She will become a great healer, known throughout the kingdom for her precision and skill. To aid her endeavors, Merrick blesses Hazel with a gift, the ability to instantly deduce the exact cure needed to treat the sick.

But all gifts come with a price. Hazel can see when Death has claimed a patient—when all hope is gone—and is tasked to end their suffering, permanently. Haunted by the ghosts of those she’s killed, Hazel longs to run. But destiny brings her to the royal court, where she meets Leo, a rakish prince with a disdain for everything and everyone. And it’s where Hazel faces her biggest dilemma yet—to save the life of a king marked to die. Hazel knows what she is meant to do and knows what her heart is urging her toward, but what will happen if she goes against the will of Death?

Review: It may be January of 2025, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still doing the handwork of December. That is, working my way through the back catalog of Fall 2024 titles that I didn’t get around to reading and reviewing in a timely manner! Even though I didn’t get to it until months later, I’d been looking forward to this one quite a lot. Not only did it sound like a great, unique fairytale fantasy story, but I’d heard a lot of good things about the author. So, without any more preamble, on to the review!

I love fairytale fantasies. And while I always enjoy fairytale re-tellings, there’s always something special about an original tale, especially if the author nails the sometimes indecipherable qualities that truly make a story feel like a fairytale. And that was definitely the case here! One thing that I always think of as distinct to fairytales is the blending of dark and light elements, and we had that in spades here. There’s the more straight-forward coming-of-age story for Hazel and a sweet slow burn romance towards the end, but on the other hand, this book verges on horror with some of its more grim elements.

And here, in particular, is where the story shines. Not only are some of these aspects truly creepy, but the book doesn’t shy away from grappling with some very tough moral questions. It’s essentially one long “trolley problem” of a plotline, with Hazel coming down on different sides of the equation at different points. Sometimes this inconsistency on her part could be frustrating, especially when she’s fully in the know with regards to the intricacies of these decisions. But at the same time, no amount of understanding would take the horror out of being the one to make these choices.

Another hallmark of fairytales is that the lead character often has a truly awful home life, and such is the case with Hazel. This story unfolds in a unique way, following Hazel through her life from a small child up through adulthood, with each time period being given fairly significant chunks of the book. That being the case, we get a decent amount of time with child Hazel during which we see how she grows to be the young woman and adult she becomes. There are various familial roles explored, from the neglect and abuse from her parents, to the closest brother she has who is taken away only to be a stranger when she meets him again later, to the complex relationship she has with the god of Death who is her godfather. This last one was particularly well done, as it could have easily fallen into a few trope holes. Instead, we get a relationship that is as conflicted and challenging as families can be, mixing both love, frustration, disappointment, and even rage altogether. Through this lens, the book explores the expectations of parents, and the ways in which love can turn into a burden.

I also enjoyed the romance, but this definitely didn’t come into play until the last half of the story. Given the time jumps, it avoids instalove, but just barely. It’s by no means the focal point of the story, but what we do get is sweet and I enjoyed the way the story swerved at key moments to avoid becoming mired in some of the current romantasy tropes.

Towards the end of the book, some of the reveals and plot turns were a bit predictable, perhaps, which is the only thing holding this back from a 10 for me! And the reader’s tolerance for some of Hazel’s continual struggles in the face of a decision that she already knows the consequences of will also vary. However, for me, I thought this was an excellent original fairytale, and now I can’t wait to go back and read the author’s other books!

Rating 9: A wholly original fairytale fantasy, chock full of all of my favorite things!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Thirteenth Child” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Gothic Fairytale Fantasy and Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2024.

Serena’s Review: “Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue”

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Book: “Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue” by Kate Pearsall

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, January 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: As Caball Hollow slowly recovers after a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.        18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell people’s lies—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long resented her gift, which has taught her that everyone lies and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old nemesis, Hadrian Fitch, the biggest liar of them all, shows up on her front porch—bloodied, broken, and asking for help only she can give—her first instinct is distrust. But something new is stalking the Forest that surrounds Caball Hollow.       Now things are disappearing. At first, it’s small stuff—like letters, photos, and keys. But then, Rowan notices people around her are losing their memories. And when the body of a neighbor is found in the middle of town, Rowan knows there’s a link between this death and all the events disturbing the Hollow. Can she find what—or who—the link is before it takes another life?

Previously Reviewed: “Bittersweet in the Hollow”

Review: While “Bittersweet in the Hollow” wasn’t a perfect read for me, it got a lot of things right, particularly with regards to the atmosphere of mystery and creepiness that surrounds Caball Hollow. I also always enjoy stories about a bunch of sister with magical powers, so there’s that. Rowan didn’t play a huge role in that story, but I was definitely intrigued by her character and excited to see where her story would go in this sequel!

So, to get it out of the way, this one probably came in at around or a bit below the same level as “Bittersweet:” in that, I definitely see parts that I appreciate, but it also failed to capitalize on its strengths in a way that would have elevated it to a higher level for me. But let’s start with the good, as always. Like “Bittersweet,” one of the biggest strengths of this book is its overall tone and the vibe of this small town and the dark woods that surrounds it. It worked out in a strange way that I was reading two books back-to-back with this general setting (Adrienne Young’s “A Sea of Unspoken Things” was the other), and I found that I appreciated the use of this setting just as much here as I did there.

Beyond the mysteriousness of the woods and the dangers it contains, I also liked the exploration of small-town life. Particularly, the challenge of living in a town with such a limited population where you know everyone, for better or worse. Forgive and forget becomes a necessity to functioning in an environment like this, sometimes for very practical, economic reasons, as we see here with the family’s café that depends on the town folk for business even if some of them have behaved in truly terrible ways.

However, as I read, I found myself really struggling with the pacing and some of the plotting of this book. It’s just a very slow read, taking a long time to really get started, with what feels like numerous “false starts” to the plot. Further, as I continued to read, I was dismayed to see so much time spent on events and characters from the first book. In some ways, Lindon was allowed to overshadow Rowan in Rowan’s own book, which is always disappointing. I’m not sure whether the author simply didn’t have a robust enough storyline for Rowan herself or what. But I do think this book may have been more successful as a novella or shorter companion piece. As it stands, it feels as if Rowan was short-shifted as a main character.

In a similar way, the romance was very lackluster. It wasn’t bad, and I did enjoy moments with the romantic lead. But at the same time, I failed to really feel any chemistry between these two characters. I felt as if I was being told they were developing feelings for one another, but I wasn’t getting any of that on the page. For a character like Rowan with her particular ability with lying, there should have been plenty of material to build a complex romantic relationship, so it was disappointing to see the book flounder in this way.

Overall, this was an ok read. If you enjoyed the first book and Lindon as a character, this one is probably worth reading simply for the large emphasis on the events of that book and that character. If you were hoping for a truly fresh-feeling story and a clear development of Rowan as her own character, however, you may find yourself as disappointed as I was.

Rating 7: The story shines with regards to its atmosphere and mysterious vibes, however, weaker characters brought it down a bit in the end.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue” can be found on this Goodreads list: YA Novels of 2025.

Serena’s Review: “A Sea of Unspoken Things”

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Book: “A Sea of Unspoken Things” by Adrienne Young

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, January 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life. 

When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved. 

But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.

Review: Adrienne Young has been reliably a “one book a year” author for a while now, and I feel like I’m getting quite spoiled. I look ahead to the fall and the winter and mentally assume that I’ll be getting to enjoy her most recent release somewhere in there! It also helps that I’ve been enjoying this turn towards adult novels with a closer feel towards magical realism than straight fantasy. So, like clockwork, I’m back with another review for her latest entry!

While this one didn’t quite hit as hard as some of her other books, there was still a lot to like about this one! First of all, I think the cover on this book, while beautiful, is a missed opportunity. So much of the book is taken up with the oppressive, claustrophobic, wild nature of the forest that surrounds the small town of Hawthorne, that a cover picture of a wide open seascape seems very misplaced. Especially since this unique atmosphere and nature of the woods is so omnipresent throughout the book. While reading it, you can almost feel the trees pressing in.

I grew up in the mountains and the woods, so I love forests. But Young also deftly captured the unique experience of feeling closed in, even while outside, that can come from thick woodlands. Here, she cashes in on the tension that comes from reduced sight lines, not being able to see the shifts in the landscape or what they can hide. This sense of the unknown is then woven through the various mysteries of not only Johnny’s death, but also James’ past that drove her to flee her hometown many years ago.

I also enjoyed the complicated nature of the sibling relationship between Johnny and James. We never see Johnny alive on page except for flashbacks, but again, Young masterfully captures the lingering feeling of presence after someone as close as a sibling passes away. Of course, this is fantasy realism, so this ghost-like presence is explored in more mystical senses as well. But even small things, like coming into a place that was suddenly abandoned by an unexpected death and then trying to piece together that person’s last days or moments…it was all quite well done. Even more so due to the complicated relationship between Johnny and James, one that was both as close as it could be, but also full of tension and whips of darkness. The flashbacks were incredibly effective at building up James’ feelings towards this mercurial brother and the ways in which he directed so many of her life choices.

On the other hand, while the romance was sweet, this was the relationship that felt a bit short-shifted. In many ways, it felt very similar to the romance we saw in another of Young’s books, “Spells for Forgetting,” focusing again on small towns and second-chance romances. Instead, I found the dynamic between Johnny, James, and Micah together as a trio to be of more interest. Micah wasn’t really given enough on the page to fully flesh him out as a character. Instead, he felt more like a sounding board character for Johnny and James. Not saying I’d rather there have not been a romance, as I did enjoy the love story. Just that if you’re going in looking for romance, then you might be a bit underwhelmed.

The mystery was also fairly good. There were a number of reveals and connections that I thought were done quite well, red herrings that would go back and forth between being red herrings at all. On the other hand, at least one of these reveals felt like it came a bit out of nowhere and didn’t have much to truly back it up. A person did a thing because of…reasons. Ultimately, as I was mostly invested in the mysteries surrounding the past and on the dynamics between the Micah, Johnny, and James, I was mostly ok with this. But it did feel a bit weaker than some of Young’s past entries in this regards.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book! It didn’t quite live up to some of the highs of past books by Young, but it was also a solidly enjoyable mystery/romance/fantasy realism book on its own! If you’ve enjoyed her books in the past, odds are good that you’ll like this one as well!

Rating 8: The true triumph is Young’s ability to capture the beautiful yet oppressive nature of a deep, dark woods.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Sea of Unspoken Things” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Book titles with all the vowels in it. A E I O U

Serena’s Review: “The Starlight Heir”

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Book: “The Starlight Heir” by Amalie Howard

Publishing Info: Avon, January 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: copy from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith—one of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm—but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.

But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who draws her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the starbringer—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.

When the rebels carry out a brutal strike, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the starbringer. But Roshan is hiding secrets of his own. And with no control of the power that seems to be stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of the old gods themselves…and the interest of one dark god in particular might be the biggest threat of all.

Review: Not going to lie, a major appeal point for this book was the beautiful cover! So all props to the artist who put this together! I was also excited by the general premise of the story, especially a story focusing on a female blacksmith and all of the potentially badass moments that could exist for a character like that. On top of all of that, I was simply excited to see this marketed as an adult fantasy novel, as I’ve struggled more and more to find books that fit within this category, with most fantasy falling in either YA or romantasy subgenres. So, let’s dive into what the book actually had to offer!

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite work for me, all the more frustrating because I think the author had the bones of a good story here. First and foremost, the world-building was interesting, especially everything that drew from Persian culture and history. I particularly enjoyed all portions of the story when we really got a chance to dig into some of these aspects of the world; unfortunately, these bits were few and far between. There were even some glaring missed opportunities to explore this further, particularly with some of the fashion choices at the ball scenes early in the book.

This ball scene also lead into one of my primary points of struggle with the story: it felt like the author couldn’t fully commit to what sort of story she was trying to write. The first thirty percent or so of the book is taken up with this rather silly bride competition (not sure how an author can make that concept NOT silly, especially in an adult book, but I’d be happy to be proven wrong if someone can provide an example!). But then, as the story progresses, we quickly learn that the entire premise of this competition was completely pointless and the story switches gears into a much more action-packed adventure story. The bride competition would likely have always been a bit of struggle point for me, but it was all the worse when it was immediately undercut in this way. Further, the overall pacing of the book felt very strange, with the first bit so fully committing to a much slower “Bridgerton”-esque style plot and then, with whiplash inducing speed, changing pace completely into a high stakes adventure.

As for the characters, I will say that I appreciated that the romantic lead was not of the brooding sort, and instead a much more light-hearted character. I swear, if I read one more romantasy title where the hero is a shadow daddy with black hair and grey eyes, I’m going to swear off the subgenre for many moons. That said, I did feel that this character’s attachment to our heroine walked right up to the line of instalove, coming on very quickly and with very little real foundation to it.

I was much more frustrated with Suraya, however. Part of this comes down to the unfortunate dialogue often given to the character, her speeches chock full of modern lingo that grated on my nerves every time I came across it. At best, this style of dialogue gives me secondhand embarrassment for the author, and at worst, I’m actively cringing. Luckily, by the second half of the book, the story has picked up its pace to the point that the dialogue needed to be devoted to actual plot points, thus reducing these lingo bits. However, throughout it all, I also found myself just wanting…more from Suraya. Her entire concept is one of power and potential, and yet, again and again, she comes across as unable to think for herself or make a decision on her own without reference to those around her. She also spends way too much of her internal musing focused on Roshan’s looks, to the point that it began to be distracting from the rest of the story.

Overall, I didn’t love this book. I feel like the pacing was disjointed and the heroine was let down by poor dialogue. That said, it was also quite readable and I whipped through it fairly quickly. It also reminds me of a lot of other popular romantasy titles that are currently fairly beloved, so I think there are definitely readers out there! I’ll say, it you, too, are tired of brooding heroes, this one might be worth checking out just for the change of pace in the romantic lead!

Rating 7: While there was potential in the world-building and certain plot twists, I struggled with the modern dialogue and the weaker characterization of the heroine.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Starlight Heir” can be found on this Goodreads list: Romantasy 2025

Serena’s Review: “Six Scorched Roses”

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Book: “Six Scorched Roses” by Carissa Broadbent

Publishing Info: Bramble, September 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Six roses. Six vials of blood. Six visits to a vampire who could be her salvation… or her damnation.

Lilith has been dying since the day she was born. But while she long ago came to terms with her own imminent death, the deaths of everyone she loves is an entirely different matter. As her town slowly withers in the clutches of a mysterious god-cursed illness, she takes matters into her own hands.

Desperate to find a cure, Lilith strikes a bargain with the only thing the gods hate even more than her village: a vampire, Vale. She offers him six roses in exchange for six vials of vampire blood–the one hope for her town’s salvation.

But when what begins as a simple transaction gradually becomes something more, Lilith is faced with a terrifying realization: It’s dangerous to wander into the clutches of a vampire… and in a place already suffering a god’s wrath, more dangerous still to fall in love with one.

Review: This novella was independently published before it was picked up by Bramble, so it’s been a choice to not read it until now. Mostly, I’ve been trying to draw out the process of making my way through Broadbent’s back catalog, as I’ve loved everything I’ve read from her so far. But it did make for an interesting reading experience here, as I had briefly met the main couple of this book in another book already! While I only got a snippet of them there, I was excited to read their origin story in full!

Sometimes I think the ability to write a compelling and rich shorter book is more proof a writer’s talent than whipping together a massive tome. There are fewer pages to get across the themes, character arcs, and hit any plot points that are needed for the story. I’m not surprised that Broadbent was up to the task, as, first and foremost, she’s always had a steady hand on the sorts of characters she writes. And here, that was on even greater display, particularly with the heroine who seems to be mildly autistic, struggling to put words to emotions and often hyper-fixating on her scientific endeavors. As the story is casually pulling in “Beauty and the Beast” references, Vale, as the romantic hero, is a bit more of a straight-forward character. That said, I did like the brief looks we get into the long history of the vampires and the toll that these long-lasting wars and feuds would have on the soldiers and leaders who waged them.

As I said, this book was definitely hitting some “Beauty and the Beast” vibes, and, as such, was a much more romantic tale than Broadbent’s other works. The others that I’ve read from her, while also heavily featuring romance and spice, also involved classic fantasy plots with lots of fighting and exploration. Here, as the story is much smaller in scope, the focus of the book is honed in on the two characters at its heart and the growing love story between them. And it was as lovely as I could have wished for, with a nice slow-burn and a proper balance of romance to spicy scenes.

That said, I was also impressed with some of the side relationships, particularly between Lilith and her sister who is slowly dying of a wasting disease. As its a short book and the primary focus is obviously on the romantic duo, not much time is really devoted to this relationship. But, at the same time, what we do get really packs a punch, with almost all of Lilith’s inner motivation and focus revolving around this relationship, rather than the love story. We also got another confirmation that all the gods of this world are world-class a-holes.

Overall, this was an excellent novella. While I love the full novels, I almost think that, purely with regards to the love story, this is one of the stronger entries. If you’re favorite parts of this author’s other books was the romance, than this is definitely a must read!

Rating 9: Full of romance and sisterly bonds, this book was right up my alley!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Six Scorched Roses” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Fantasy, Horror, and Sci-Fi Novellas.

Serena’s Review: “The Ledge”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Ledge” by Stacey Mcewan

Publishing Info: Angry Robot, September 2022

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: After being randomly selected as a human sacrifice, instead of death, Dawsyn finds herself on a quest to save her people from their icy prison…

In a place known as the Ledge, a civilization is trapped by a vast chasm and sheer mountain face. There is no way for anyone to escape the frozen wasteland without befalling a deathly drop. They know nothing of the outside world except that it is where the Glacians reside – mystical and vicious winged creatures who bring meagre rations in exchange for a periodic human sacrifice.

Dawsyn, ax wielder and only remaining member of her family, has so far avoided the annual culling, but her luck has run out. She is chosen and ripped from her icy home, the only world she knows. No one knows what will happen to her on the other side, least of all Dawsyn. Murdered? Enslaved? Worse?

Fortunately, a half-Glacian called Ryon offers to help them both escape, but how can she trust one of the very creatures that plagued her life? Dawsyn is a survivor, and she is not afraid to cut anyone down to live.

Review: This is another title that I requested on Netgalley way back when it was recently released. And here I am, getting to it years later! Shame on me! But I am getting to it, so let’s just focus on that part. Plus, now that I’ve been so late, the remaining two books of this trilogy have also released, so, as I plan on continuing this trilogy, I can jump right into those! But on with the review!

This book did have the dreaded “TikTok sensation” included in its promotional material, but I am pleased to say that this is one of the times that proves why I can’t just immediately discount every book that is tagged in this way! I actually really enjoyed this read! Yes, there are a few predictable tropes and the ending got a little muddled. But at the same time, the skill of the writing and characterization were much better than I usually find in comparable romantasy titles, and I blew through this read in only a few sessions!

It started out on a high note right away with the introduction of the main character and the brutal life she’s lived up to this point. It’s a fairly simple concept: a small group of humans stranded to live on the shelf of a mountainside, vulnerable to not only the harsh climate and one another, but also waiting for the inevitable day when they are cruelly whisked away by winged monsters, never to be seen again. The descriptions of life on this ledge were brutal, harsh, and necessarily violent.

And to survive in this place, Dawsyn (don’t get me started on the names…we have Dawsyn and Ryon…someone needed to take away this author’s “Y” key!) has had to become a warrior. But what makes this truly great is that we aren’t simply told this. We see, again and again, Dawsyn put these skills to the test, not only fighting off other humans but also the much stronger Glacians. There was one moment early in the book that particularly drove this point home, with Dawsyn choosing to end a conflict in the most brutal way imaginable. It’s these moments, where an author fully commits to the world and character they are writing, that raise a book in my estimation.

Further, when Dawsyn and Ryon inevitably begin working together, they don’t simply do away with the conflict between them. For her part, Dawsyn has no reason to trust Ryon and every reason to attempt to escape him, and I was pleased to see her remain in this mindset for a significant amount of time. In this way, by the time the romance begins to kick up more, it felt more earned and I was able to invest in them as a couple because I’d also had the time to come to understand them, especially Dawsyn, as individuals.

As I said, I liked the overall world-building as well. The story moves from the ledge itself fairly quickly, but I also enjoyed learning more about the Glacian civilization and the humans living below in the valley. While some of these twists and turns were a bit predictable, they mostly worked, with only a few stumbling blocks of unnecessary secrecy and “chosen one” plot points. My only true hiccup was a plot decision made at the very end of the book. Essentially, Dawsyn and Ryon come up with a plan to storm a location and seem to go about it in crazily risky manner. From a reader standpoint, I can see why this needed to happen, as part of this plan involved them gaining certain abilities that I’m sure will be necessary in the upcoming books. But as far as an actual plan? It essentially saw them sneak into a guarded location, intentionally get caught, be removed from said location to be executed, escape, and then….storm the exact same location to get back inside. It was just odd and clunky at times.

Overall, however, I had a lot of fun with this book! I think the one thing that really stands out is the overall strength of the writing. The dialogue was good, but there was also proper emphasis placed on descriptive elements. The pacing flowed, and I felt invested in the story from start to finish. If you’re looking for a solid romantasy read, this one is a good start to a trilogy!

Rating 8: Fast-paced and full of action, this is a romantasy worth checking out!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Ledge” can be found on this Goodreads list: Best enemies to lovers

Serena’s Favorite Reads of 2024: Picks 5-1

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Another a year, another almost impossible task trying to each choose our Top 10 Reads of the year! For me, the word “favorite” is an important part of this list. As I go through the last year’s worth of reading, I often found that some books would strike particular chords within me more deeply than others, even if, quality-wise, another book might be stronger. Of course, this just makes it all that much harder to put them in any order. But here it goes! Today I’m going to countdown my favorites reads, five through 1. And since it’s the end of the reading year, don’t forget to enter our “12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!”

5. “Asunder” by Kerstin Hall

“Asunder” Review

While this list often includes authors that I’ve read and loved for years, I’m always the happiest about entries from authors who are new to me! Such is the case with this one! I typically have a decent idea of what sort of book I’m getting when I first pick one up (not spoilery, but I’ve usually done some research into themes and tropes and such), but this one was almost a blank slate for me and I think this made it better than ever! I called this one “hard fantasy” in my review, and I stand by this definition. This is the ultimate case of a second world fantasy story where the reader is dropped into a completely strange world, full of magic, creatures, and even forms of transportation that are almost totally unrecognizable from anything we have in the real world. And the author doesn’t hand hold you; readers are left to piece it together for themselves! Some enjoy this more than others, but I, for one, love it! It also didn’t hurt that I loved the main character and the sub-sub-plot romance that was included.

4. “Dark Water Daughter”/”Black Tide Son” by H.M. Long

“Dark Water Daughter” Review & “Black Tide Son” Review

Every year there’s some sort of…well…”cheating” is an awfully strong word now isn’t it, on this list. But I read both of the books in this series this year and within a few months of one another and loved them both, so there’s no real way of picking one over the other. Instead, as a pair, they tell an excellent nautical fantasy story featuring two fantastic characters and a swoon-worthy romance to boot! I loved the magical elements included in this world and, while I thought this was just a duology when I read the second one, I’m incredibly excited to return to this world when the next book comes out this summer!

3. “Foul Days” by Genoveva Dimova

“Foul Days” Review

See, now I could have cheated on this one, too, as I read both books in this duology this year as well! But, while I loved them both, I did enjoy the first one more than the second, so I was good and am just including this one on the list. But this is also another example of a brand new to me author hitting it out of the park! I loved the folklore-style of this fantasy story and the team up between a grumpy witch and the more golden retriever-esque cop that she must work with. However, while that sounds rather fluffy, this book doesn’t shy away from getting into some dark topics about abusive relationships and the deep cuts they can leave on a person. The second book was an excellent conclusion, and I highly recommend the duology as a whole!

2. “The Wild Huntress” by Emily Lloyd-Jones

“The Wild Huntress” Review

I said this in my review but I’ll say it again: Emily Lloyd-Jones is one of the most underrated YA fantasy authors writing today! Honestly, it’s criminal that her books seem to get so little hype considering how vastly superior they are in every way to many of the other YA fantasy books that blow up! You’ve got complicated, believable characters, rich, immersive world-building, and sweet but complex romances! I’ve yet to read a book by her that wasn’t a banger, and this one was no exception. Instead, I was yet again impressed by Lloyd-Jones willingness to truly commit to the characters and story she is writing. People make truly morally grey decisions, and then others react to those decision in complicated ways. It’s so refreshing to see an author who isn’t just playing it safe with their storytelling. I highly recommend this one, especially if you enjoy fairytale-like fantasy stories!

1.) “The Familiar” by Leigh Bardugo

“The Familiar” Review

This was one of those books where I turned the last page and felt fairly confident that I’d just read my number 1 read for the year. And this was way back in the spring! But it’s just that good! I’ve enjoyed Bardugo’s books in the past, but this one felt like it reached a new level, somehow perfectly blending fantasy, historical fiction, and literary fiction all into one beautifully written tome. There wasn’t a misstep to be found. It was one of those books where I lost myself in the story, but at the same time, was aware of just how beautiful the writing itself was. I could honestly rave about this book for ages, but at this point you’ve read not only my original review but also the bookclub reviews that Kate and I posted, so I’ll just leave it with this: if ever a book deserved the top slot on my “Top Ten” list, this was it!

So, there we have it, my top reads for the year! Now it’s time to cheat and include some honorable mentions that didn’t make the list. Some of these I would have included but for the fact that I listed another book in the series last year, so I didn’t want the list to get repetitive. Others were just shy of making the cut on their own, but still well worth a shout out! Here they are:

“Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands” Review

“The Tainted Cup” Review

“A Letter to the Luminous Deep” Review

“Salt and Broom” Review

What were some of your favorite reads of 2024?

Serena’s Favorite Reads of 2024: Picks 10-6

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Another a year, another almost impossible task trying to each choose our Top 10 Reads of the year! For me, the word “favorite” is an important part of this list. As I go through the last year’s worth of reading, I often found that some books would strike particular chords within me more deeply than others, even if, quality-wise, another book might be stronger. Of course, this just makes it all that much harder to put them in any order. But here it goes! Today I’m going to countdown my favorites reads, ten to six. And since it’s the end of the reading year, don’t forget to enter our “12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!”

10. “Heavenbreaker” by Sara Wolf

“Heavenbreaker” Review

I don’t get around to science fiction nearly as often as I’d like to. And then I read books like this one that remind me what fun a good sci-fi books has to offer! Not only does this one tackle several of the most popular aspects of space adventures (strange alien creatures, struggles with survival and isolation, political maneuvering) it also included a tournament featuring massive mechs bashing each other. Which was just as cool as it sounded! Even more, I was impressed by how well Wolf managed to make each bout feel uniquely challenging with new ways the joust played out. The main character is new to this competition, and I appreciated that she was immediately just the bestest best ever. I also really enjoyed the political aspects of this story and the set-up of the romance and some of the larger mysteries at play. Can’t wait for the sequel!

9. “The Witchstone” by Henry H. Neff

“The Witchstone” Review

This was one of those fortuitous situations where a book that was completely off my radar blew me away! I’d seen this title in passing, but it wasn’t until the publicist reached out about coverage that I truly looked into it. And boy am I glad I did! This is one of those strange fantasy novels that’s very hard to place within a subgenre. It’s hilarious and follows a quirky cast of characters who are both found and blood family, so it’d seem like it might fit in as a cozy fantasy. But then it was also incredibly dark, so dark fantasy? It also had a distinct feeling of both urban fantasy mixed with folklore. Somehow, all of these things came together to form an incredible stand-alone tale. While all of these elements worked well (I really loved the two main characters!), I do distinctly remember reading this after quite a low point as far as humor in fantasy books go, and this one returned my faith that it is possible to write a good comedic fantasy story!

8. “A Sorceress Comes to Call” by T. Kingfisher

“A Sorceress Comes to Call” Review

Surprising no one, the new T. Kingfisher book is on my list! I swear, it’s like Kingfisher somehow got her hands on a list of my personal favorite tropes and themes of fantasy stories and then has proceeded to write those books for the last decade. I’ve had favorites, for sure, but we’re talking favorites out of a selection of other favorites! This one was particularly intriguing as it was a loose re-telling of “The Goose Girl” with a lot of added horror and spookiness to boot! How she managed to write a book that had such a slow build of dread throughout while also be laugh-out-loud funny is beyond me! I also particularly liked the second chance romance for the older woman protagonist. Not something you typically find, but so well done, especially as its only a side plot. Feel assured, the next time this author releases a book, it will probably end up on that year’s list as well!

Book: “The Songbird and the Heart of Stone” by Carissa Broadbent

“The Songbird and the Heart of Stone” Review

Here’s another one that will surprise nobody! After discovering Broadbent’s books last winter, I’ve been trying to slowly space out my reading of her back catalog. But there’s always something special about reading a brand new title! And this one was highly anticipated as it follows Mische, a character we met in the previous duology set in this world. There was a lot to like about this book (except perhaps the cliffhanger which is now killing me!), but one thing that stood out was the MMC romantic lead. I’ve liked all of Broadbent’s romantic heroes so far, but this one really stood out as checking off many of the boxes that I personally like to see! Give me the reserved, overly-obsessed-with-the-rules serious man every time! Mische was also great in the sunshine role of this grumpy/sunshine romance, being both a more light character, but also one who has some deep trauma that she must work through over the course of the story.

6. “Buried Deep and Other Stories” by Naomi Novik

“Buried Deep and Other Stories” Review

I typically don’t enjoy short story collections as much as novels, so it’s kind of a surprise to find one on this list! On the other hand, if there ever was going to be a collection like this here, it makes sense that it would come from Novik, an author who has written many different sorts of fantasy novels, all of which I have loved! And this collection was a perfect serving of all of these, rewarding readers of all of her biggest series with additional glances into these worlds. I believe I mentioned in last year’s “Top 10” list that I always seem to include some sort of Jane Austen re-telling on the list. Well, this year, that is covered by the fantastic re-imagining of “Pride and Prejudice” that is transferred into the world of Novik’s “Temerairre” world that is included in this collection. I enjoyed all of the stories here, but this one was probably my favorite! We also got a brief look into the world of her next series, so now I’m even more eager for that to come out.

So that’s ten through six. Next time I will give a countdown of my top five. What have been some of your favorite reads of 2024?

Serena’s Review: “Upon a Frosted Star”

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Book: “Upon a Frosted Star” by M.A. Kuzniar

Publishing Info: HQ, November 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: When the snow falls, she will be free…

The invitations always arrive the same way – without warning, appearing around the city on the first snowfall of the year, simply inscribed with ‘Tonight.’

When struggling artist, Forster, finds an invitation, he’s bewitched by the magic of the evening, swept up in the glamour of this notorious annual party and intrigued as to who is behind them.

Determined to find out more about the mysterious host, Forster discovers an abandoned manor house silent with secrets and a cursed woman who is desparate to be free…

Review: First of all, thanks to Sophia for reaching out about coverage for this book! Somehow, I had totally missed this title, and it’s one of those books where the cover alone promised that it would be the sort of fantasy novel that I should be checking out! There are big time “Seven Swans”/”Swan Lake” vibes happening here, and both of those are two of my favorite fairytales to start with!

While this one didn’t quite hit all of the highs I had hoped for, there were a couple of strengths I wanted to highlight first. The overall feel of this book was very fairytale-like and romantic, you could almost feel the wintery themes jumping off the page! While it’s still fall here in MN, I can see how this would be a perfect read to cozy up with in the midst of winter.

Another strong point was was the rather simple decision to frame the story from the MMC’s perspective. Honestly, I tend to gravitate towards and prefer stories that follow female main characters, but that also makes it all the more refreshing to read a fantasy story like this that follows the male character instead. For his part, Forster was an intriguing character to follow, and I enjoyed viewing this world through his lens. That said, once he becomes enthralled by Detta, many of his inner monologues became a bit repetitive, all too prone to cycle through pining and complaints about the unfair nature of the situation. Some of this is to be expected, but after a while it also started bogging down the tone and pacing of the story.

The pacing itself was also a bit of a struggle. I enjoyed the set-up of the world, meeting the characters, and the first foray to one of these mysterious parties. But as the plot progressed, many of these things began to feel as if they were spinning their wheels. It all began to feel too repetitive, with some of the chapters between these events feeling like filler. By the end, I was left wondering why so much time was spent on side characters (like Forster’s friends) who really played no major role in story or why, if we’re going to get chapter perspectives from Detta, they were introduced so late in the story.

Overall, I think this book is strong in the wintery vibes of its worlds and in the quality of writing, particularly with regards to the dialogue, which I thought was very well done. However, the actual plotting and some of the characterization felt a bit more wobbly. If you’re a fan of this author’s other book, this one is probably worth checking out. And if you’re looking for a nice wintery story, this might also hit the spot!

Rating 7: The strengths lie in the seasonal tone of the story and the strength of some of the writing, however the pacing and plotting are a bit more hit-and-miss.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Upon a Frosted Star” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Fairytale Like Books.