Tag: 7 Rating

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Book: “The Outcast Mage” by Annabel Campbell

Publishing Info: Orbit, January 2025

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

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

Book Description: In the glass city of Amoria, magic is everything. And Naila, student at the city’s legendary academy, is running out of time to prove she can control hers. If she fails, she’ll be forced into exile, relegated to a life of persecution with the other magicless hollows. Or worse, be consumed by her own power.

When a tragic incident further threatens her place at the Academy, Naila is saved by Haelius Akana, the most powerful living mage. Finding Naila a kindred spirit, Haelius stakes his position at the Academy on teaching her to harness her abilities. But Haelius has many enemies, and they would love nothing more than to see Naila fail. Trapped in the deadly schemes of Amoria’s elite, Naila must dig deep to discover the truth of her powers or watch the city she loves descend into civil war.

For there is violence brewing on the wind, and greater powers at work. Ones who could use her powers for good… or destroy everything she’s ever known.

Review: I think this book will be one of those odd reads that really works for certain fantasy readers, but then fails to connects to a bunch of others. To start with, the book throws readers into the deep end of an entirely new fantasy world. I’m on the record as very much enjoying this approach to world-building in fantasy, but it’s also a big ask of many more casual readers. For the most part, this approach worked for me here as well. I was more than happy to go along with the story and characters slowly piecing things together as they came.

What didn’t work, however, was that further into the book we did start getting more overt details into these world-building portions. Unfortunately, they often came in long chunks of straight exposition and info-dumping. These larger bits of explanation also came fairly far into the story, meaning that for the readers who would appreciate the straight presentation of facts rather than the immersive nature of the beginning, there’s a decent chance they might have already put the book down by the point they show up.

I also ended up struggling to enjoy many of the characters in this book. For the pros, I very much enjoy mentor/mentee relationships, so I really liked the portions of the book that focused on these two characters. I will also say that there is very little to no romance in this book, so it’s a great option for readers who perhaps feel overwhelmed by the amount of romance in fantasy recently (not me, but I know these readers exist, haha!).

That said, there were simply too many POV characters in this book. I know that I personally have a fairly low bar for the number of characters I want to follow during a book. It typically tops out at around 3, and by far I prefer a single POV altogether. But here there were, I think, 5 or 6 different characters we followed. By necessity, some of those got more page time than others, which often directly influenced my interest in their various stories. However, the sheer overwhelming number of them ultimately decreased my ability to connect to any of them. Beyond that, as I read, it began to be hard to differentiate between them, leaving me unsure of whose story I was finding halfway through a chapter. Again, this is a very subjective take, and I know a lot of fantasy readers enjoy large casts of characters. But it didn’t work for me here.

So this was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the world that was introduced, but there were too many info dumps to make it smooth sailing. And I really like the focus on the mentor/mentee relationship, but there were too many other characters distracting from these two’s stories that I watered down the entire affair. I’ll likely stick around for the next book, as I’m definitely curious to see where the story goes from here.

Rating 7: A lot of potential and a strong central relationship was a bit hampered by shaky world-building and too many POVs to keep up with.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Outcast Mage” can be found on this Goodreads list: All the New Fantasy Books Arriving in January 2025.

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

Book: “The Night is Defying” by Chloe C. Penaranda

Publishing Info: Bramble, January 2025

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

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

Book Description: Shaken from the aftermath of the Libertatem, the newly found star-maiden Astraea is determined to keep her freedom, even at the cost of betraying her heart. But time is running out to recover her memories with the hole it will unveil her killer.

Embarking on a journey to discover her past, Astraea’s awakening power spins the hourglass on a history threatening to repeat itself. While Nyte tries to regain control of the vampires hungry for bloodshed, a sinister plan by his brother to overthrow him sparks a dangerous feud. But are they willing to wear the blood of their kin to see it through?

For nothing in the past ever stays buried. Friends have turned into foes, brothers have turned into enemies, and what was written in the stars long ago ignites again in two hearts that were never meant to be. Letting Astraea go would save the world from darkness, but Nyte is no hero. It seems no monster is heartless, and no angel is without sin.

Previously Reviewed: “The Stars are Dying”

Review: While I struggled with the first book in this series, I did like the lyrical approach to some of the writing. One of my major complaints also revolved around the passive nature of the heroine, due to her lack of memories. As a sequel, I had high hopes that this last point could be improved upon, so I wanted to see where the story and romance would go!

So, while this didn’t rocket into becoming one of my favorites series ever, I can confirm that I did like it more than the first. Astraea made small steps towards becoming a more compelling heroine with more drive of her own to take control of her life and her choices. Did she still seem to need constant reassurance that she was capable? Yes. There were numerous pep talks throughout. But at least she also seemed to more fully come into her own as a character.

I also think the addition of Nyte’s (I still can’t with that name) POV helped the book. Having another character’s head to occupy, one who was less confused, distrusting, and passive really helped balance out the overall tone of the story. At the same time, however, sometimes it felt like his entire personality was simple adoration of everything Astraea said or did. I don’t enjoy artificial conflict or drama, but it also felt a bit too “gushy” for my taste. Added depth of his own, some more reflection on his relationships with other people, etc. all would have helped flesh him out a bit more.

However, the pacing continues to be a problem with this series. Like the first book, parts of this book really do drag, feeling as if the author is padding out the content with repetitive inner monologues and reflections (see the numerous pep talks). If you actually sit down and diagram out the action of this book, there’s very little actually there. In many ways, I think both books could have been condensed into one, much more tight, and successful narrative. As a fantasy reader, I obviously love series. But if there isn’t enough story to justify multiple books, an excellent stand-alone is always preferable to books that have been stretched too thin to make up a duology/trilogy/what have you.

Overall, this was an ok sequel. If you enjoyed the first book, than I’m sure you’ll love this one. If the first wasn’t really to our taste, this one does improve in some ways, but it also continues to struggle with regards to pacing and the passivity of its lead character.

On a secondary note, I realize that I’ve had a string of rather lackluster reviews now for the last several weeks! It really does seem like there are serious troughs that you hit every once in a while where nothing seems to be really clicking. I do try to space them out when I find myself in a situation like that. However, sometimes it’s unavoidable due to publication dates. Be assured, I’m well into my reading for February and there are several great reads heading your way!

Rating 7: While baby steps were made to allow the heroine more personal agency, the book still struggled with slower pacing and a romance that lacked tension.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Night is Defying” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists, but it should be on Romtantasy TBR 2025.

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Book: “The Legend of Meneka” by Kritika H. Rao

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, January 2025

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

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

Book Description: Across the mortal and immortal realms, celestial dancers known as apsaras are revered for their beauty, allure, and enchanting magic. But Meneka knows that is not all they are. Trained as a weapon—a warrior—Meneka despises leaving each of her marks in thrall to her potent illusions. With every seduction Lord Indra, king of heaven, demands of her for his political gain, she craves her freedom more and more.

When a mortal sage’s growing powers threaten Indra’s supremacy in his own realm, Meneka seizes a rare opportunity. She strikes a deal—if she can seduce this dangerous man, Indra will allow her to forgo future missions. But upon meeting the sage, Kaushika, Meneka finds herself captivated by his energy, ignited by his empathy and passion, even though he threatens everything she’s ever known. Can she overthrow the man who is—little by little—stealing her heart, or is Kaushika seducing her instead? As war looms in the skies, Meneka must choose between her duty to protect her home, and the sage who is showing her what true love can mean.

Review: I feel like I’ve scheduled several Asian folklore fantasy stories all for review within a few weeks. It’s so funny how some of these trends work where certain types of stories all seem to come out around the same time, and then you won’t see hide nor hair of them again for months and months. (Obviously “Asian” fantasy is a bit of a nonsequitur since there are so many very different cultures, histories, and peoples that make up a huge swath of land.) This will be three out of four of my last reviews in this “category!” I’ve had a lot of positive experiences however with many of these stories in past, all the more exciting for the fact that I often know very little about the original fables and characters the story is drawing from. So, too, with this book. I went in with just the basic summary and was excited to see what we got!

Unfortunately, I’m 0-3 for really clicking with any of them. They’ve all had some definite strengths, and then very different stumbling blocks. But let’s start with the positive. Right when I picked up this book, I knew that barring anything egregious, I was going to at the very least enjoy the process of reading this book. Even within the first few pages, the author’s style of writing is made clear: lyrical, whimsical, and perfectly fitting the type of fairytale-like fantasy story that she was developing here. The pacing could get slow at times, but even during these lulls, the writing itself was still a joy to experience. It perfectly matched the emphasis on beauty that is so central to many of the themes of this book.

However, as I’ve already alluded to, the pacing of this book was a major drawback. It started off well enough, but then it quickly stalled. While the writing excelled at drawing out picturesque scenes and turns of phrase, it struggled to convey any sense of action or movement on the page. Instead, I felt several places removed from the story. This can’t all be laid at the foot of the pacing, however. There was also a tendency to slide into a “telling” rather than “showing” style. As Meneka’s powers grow, the reader was simply informed of these changes, rather than organically witnessing how these changes affected her or manifested in meaningful ways.

I also struggled to enjoy Meneka herself. Conceptually, she works as a character and it makes sense for her to be stuck in a rather depressed, negative headspace. However, as the book continued, it became more and more frustrating to retread this ground, with much of her inner thoughts turning into what felt like a constant buzzing of whining. Beyond that, for all the focus on weaponized beauty and manipulated love, the actual romance at the heart of this story landed with a thud. I didn’t feel any true connection between these two and simply couldn’t become invested in their story.

Overall, this was a bit of a let down for me. However, given the strength of the writing style in general, I’ll definitely check out some of the author’s other books. (Without knowing it, I already had one of her former titles on my TBR list, so I’ll probably start there). If you’re a fan of this author, this is probably one to check out. However, if you’re needing to get picky and are a reader who prioritizes characterization in your books, this might not be the best one for you.

Rating 7: Whimsical and lyrical writing carries this book a long way, but not quite far enough to overcome some of the short-comings in the characterization.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Legend of Meneka” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Asian Mythology Inspired Books and Myth Feminist Retelling.

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

Book: “Carving Shadows into Gold”

Publishing Info: Bloomsbury YA, January 2025

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

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

Book Description: The King’s Courier Tycho has made a treacherous bargain. Now beholden to the magical scraver who saved King Gray’s life, one false move could end everything.

Jax escaped his life in Briarlock and traveled with Tycho to Emberfall. But life outside his small village brings unexpected challenges–and unlikely adversaries.

After years of hating the royal family and their magic, Callyn never expected to be at the Queen’s side, with magic on her fingertips. But at the royal court, she can’t trust anyone–including the man she thought she loved.

Cast apart, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn must learn to wield the magic that is dividing their kingdom. As the magical scravers attack from the north and the king’s rivals gain strength, time is running out.

War is looming. Love is tested. And magic could be the only answer. . .

Review: We’re back with another one of those strange cases where I end up reviewing a book in a series that I’ve read but not reviewed before on the blog. Like the other instances, this often happens when I receive a physical ARC of the book and want to give it the full treatment of a complete review rather than just an Instagram cover reveal or what have you. So, here we are, taking on the second book in the “Forging Silver Into Stars” series!

I won’t give a full review of the first book, obviously, but as a brief summary: I liked it for the most part! I’ve had a very hit-and-miss experience reading Kemmerer’s books. They always sound right up my alley, but then sometimes fail to deliver on the character front. The first book in this series did a lot of things right, especially with the introduction of a banger of a cast. That being the case, I was excited to jump into this second book and see where the story went from there!

Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite live up to the first one (I would have rated that one around 8). But let’s start with some of the good things. I was excited to return to this world and explore where the story went. And I did like some of the turns the story introduced. However, they were also few and far between. The first book had a fast, zippy feel to the pacing, allowing me to whip through it in only a few reading sessions. This one, while I could objectively point to things happening on the page, often felt much more bogged down, seeming to stall out at random points throughout, making the book all too easy to be set down.

As for the characters, in the first book I enjoyed them all fairly equally (a rare and praise-worthy thing, especially for a reader like me who often struggles with ensemble casts!). Here, however, I definitely found myself gravitating towards Callyn’s story. Oddly, this wasn’t necessarily because her character had any incredible growth or huge plot beats. Instead, of the characters, she was the only one who seemed to retain the level of competence and characterization that we saw in the first book. Tycho, in particular, felt like such a lesser version of the character we met in the first book. It was really odd! When before he had been incredibly compelling, here, he just seemed to…fade. Further, other characters became downright unlikable, like Grey.

As for the romance, it, too, felt greatly reduced from the first book. There were crumbs to be found if you really squinted, but if you’re going into this sequel looking for a lot of movement in this area, I think you’ll probably be disappointed.

Overall, this one feels like a classic example of second book syndrome. There simply wasn’t enough plot to flesh out the entire book. So instead, the characters are done dirty to simply get words on the page. This is definitely something I’ve seen before from Kemmerer (struggles with sustained characterization across a series). But she’s also really come through in the past, so I’ll likely still check out the next in the series. If you’re a fan of her books, you’ll probably want to read this one just to stay up-to-date with the series. But at this point, it’s definitely the weakest so far.

Rating 7: A bit too slow on every front and missing some of the spark from the first book. Or, perhaps, I’m simply growing out of Kemmerer’s style of YA.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Carving Shadows into Gold” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Silver and Gold and YA Novels of 2025.