ya fantasy

Book Review: The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski ★★★

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“I started to turn from the poems, then paused before a page almost entirely white, with only a few bare black words.

Gold-sandaled dawn

Fell like a thief

Upon me

I wondered what kind of night was so precious that when morning came it felt as if you had been robbed, as if what you wanted most had been cut from you like a bloody tithe.

I had never had a night worth stealing.”

My first Goodreads giveaway win!! Heck yeah! I was so super excited for this book when I first heard about it, because the author’s Winner’s Trilogy is one of my all-time favorite YA fantasy series. When I won an ARC of The Midnight Lie, I was ecstatic! I knew I had to read it right away. This one comes out in March.

While I did really enjoy this story, it’s LGBTQ+ romance, and the author’s writing, there were a few things that I felt were just a bit lacking. Overall, a very nice start to a new duology and I gave it 3 stars.

*Some spoilers at the end of the review*

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Book Review: Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson ★★

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“Life is like the oil within a lamp. It can be measured, but the pace at which it burns depends on how the dial is turned day by day, how bright and fierce the flame. And there is no predicting whether the lamp might be knocked to the ground and shatter, when it could have blazed on a great while longer. Such is the unpredictability of life.”

Well if this wasn’t the most BORING dang thing I’ve ever read! Holy crap. It was such a chore to get through. I could not have cared less about the plot, the characters, the world – literally anything in this book. I was tempted to give this 1.5 stars, I swear to god haha. It was really bad 😅.

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Book Review: The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman ★★★

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“Never turn yer back on the sea, and remember what’s hidden beneath her is always more deadly than what’s in plain sight.”

I read this book so fast! Honestly like in two days. And I am already getting into book three, so suffice it to say, I am flying through this series! Book two was really good. I liked it better than the first one and it felt like we were truly delving into the characters and the meat of the story for the first time. I’d give this one 3.5 stars.

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Book Review: The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman ★★★

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“Her brother had not yet learned that, in the end, nothing ever stayed the same. Least of all people.”

I liked this one quite a bit! It did have a slower start; it wasn’t boring, but it did take its time to set up the story and establish the characters. It read pretty much like a classic YA Fantasy story, definitely good and I am looking forward to the next installment! It was a solid 3 stars for me, perfectly decent, but nothing spectacular.

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Book Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden ★★★★

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“All my life,” she said, “I have been told ‘go’ and ‘come.’ I am told how I will live, and I am told how I must die. I must be a man’s servant and a mare for his pleasure, or I must hide myself behind walls and surrender my flesh to a cold, silent god. I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it were a path of my own choosing. I would rather die tomorrow in the forest than live a hundred years of the life appointed me.”

Ayyy another 4 star book!! I am loving this streak!

This book has been on my radar for a long time now, since it came out just about, and I was so excited to finally get around to reading it. And for a bargain price of $5, no less! It is a beautiful hardcover copy with deckled edges, so I was very very happy about that. And, to top it all off, the book was freaking awesome! I loved the writing here, the story, the mythology. It was very well done and definitely a 4 star read for me.

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Book Review: Heart of Mist by Helen Scheuerer ★★

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“Bleak straightened herself; she wasn’t going to die for the king. She wasn’t going to become a prisoner or experiment of his. She’d rather die with salt water in her lungs and mist in her heart. She was free. She had to try.”

Hey, guys! I am back with a review for Heart of Mist by Helen Scheuerer! I found this book at random on Goodreads and downloaded it onto my e-reader right away. It sounded really cool and started out pretty strong. It did not quite live up to my expectations, but I am glad that I read it, nonetheless.

Spoilers under the cut!

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Book Review: The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye ★★★

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“”There’s actually an old Kazakh proverb that says, ‘There are three things a real man should have: a fast horse, a hound, and a golden eagle.'”

Vika wrinkled her nose. “And what about a real woman?”

Nikolai laughed. “A real woman should have those things, too.””

Hello, friends! It looks like I am going steady with the 3-star books right now! Ever since I saw this one on Goodreads, I was really excited to read it. Set in Russia with magic, hellooooo?? And, after finishing it, I am happy to say that I enjoyed it! The Crown’s Game is a fun, light, and very charming novel. So, read more about it below!

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Book Review: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas ★★★

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“Wind-seeker, her mother had once called her. Unable to keep still, always wandering where the wind calls you. Where shall it beckon you to journey one day, my rose? 

How far the wind had now called her.”

Guys. This past weekend, I was very prepared to post a book review and my write my Book Tag Tuesday, even though I had to drive to Pensacola for a memorial service. I was so prepared in fact, that I did not even feel the need to bring my laptop >:/ And, of course! I needed it to finalize the post/pictures. So, that did not get done this weekend and then work has already been crazy this week…I know these sound like excuses, but I swear I will tighten up!

But, anyway, I am back for a new review!! Yay! This one is a book that I was not too excited to read, but did so out of loyalty and trust in the author. And of course, Sarah J Maas did not disappoint! Tower of Dawn was an amazing book. It was written so well, the story was captivating, and the ending/plot twists packed a serious punch! There were some things that I did not enjoy, which forces me to give the book 3.5 stars, as opposed to the 5 I would give it otherwise. I feel a bit bad, but I could not overlook the way some things in the book were handled. But, more on that below!

And, duh, spoilers.

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