I do not read a lot of graphic novels but when one does catch my attention I get very excited about reading it. As someone who is used to reading a loI do not read a lot of graphic novels but when one does catch my attention I get very excited about reading it. As someone who is used to reading a lot of books but doesn't have the 'I see the book playing out in front of me with visuals and all', the experience that a graphic novel brings is so different. Thanks to the visuals I do get a picture and that gives a different reading experience.
What appealed to me about Essentials was, first of all, the cover. It's giving creepy toys and I'm here for it. When I read the blurb and saw that this story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, I was immediately sold. The short idea of the story is that this scientist called Harrix Pax makes friends with an extra-dimensional, non-corporeal alien sidekick who can pretty much take possession of anything (be it a person or an object). Together they try to save humanity, which has been torn apart by the madness of a warping reality.
There was quite a bit of mathematical talk involved in Essentials, but even as someone who isn't a big fan of maths, I thoroughly enjoyed this. In the story we work with this concept of three types of reality and they are explained in a way that makes it all very accessible. The rest of the story is quite fast-paced and easy to follow.
And now for the highlight of Essentials: its graphics! When I tell you the art in this book is absolutely stunning, I still feel like I'm underselling it. When I first opened the book, I gasped a little. It helps that the paper is high quality, as is the print. The colours are so vivid, I'm obsessed! What's the greatest here is that throughout the book we encounter different art styles. Since our characters visit different realities, this is perfectly possible. And by working with different artists in the process, we get a book that is truly unique.
Now, can we also take a moment to appreciate this gorgeous premiere edition?! When I received this book in the mail, I immediately went 'WOW' because of how deluxe it looks. The case that the book comes in is absolutely stunning and feels solid.
If I do have one remark, it's that the depiction of woman is a bit stereotypical at times. With the many artists in this book, I believe they can do much better in this area. Since the book ended on a cliffhanger, I'm really hoping to see some more strong female characters in the next book(s).
Cat Dragon is a cosy fantasy story. I enjoyed reading about all the magical creatures, and the characters were interesting (AND the romance betw2.5 ⭐️
Cat Dragon is a cosy fantasy story. I enjoyed reading about all the magical creatures, and the characters were interesting (AND the romance between Aloysia and Hollis was good!). The story itself had its charm as well.
But despite all this, unfortunately this book was not it for me. The writing style was overly complicated which made reading it not as enjoyable as it should be. Such a bummer for me personally since this book does have the ingredients for a great story....more
Ik las deze in één ruk uit. Hoe kan het ook anders bij een boek van Maren Stoffels?
Met korte hoofdstukken, een leuke plottwist en continue span3.5 ⭐️
Ik las deze in één ruk uit. Hoe kan het ook anders bij een boek van Maren Stoffels?
Met korte hoofdstukken, een leuke plottwist en continue spanning brengt Maren opnieuw een goede jeugdthriller uit. Het is een dun boekje dus erg veel diepgang is er niet, maar je wordt wel meteen in het verhaal gezogen. Het gaf me wat Squid Games vibes maar dan met een eigen twist erbij....more
3.5 ⭐️ It´s difficult to review this book as it´s nothing like I ever read before.
While The Midnight Shift is a vampire murder mystery, this book goe3.5 ⭐️ It´s difficult to review this book as it´s nothing like I ever read before.
While The Midnight Shift is a vampire murder mystery, this book goes much deeper than that. In its essence it´s a story about human nature, loneliness and grief. What stood out to me was how the author dealt with these themes while still creating a story that felt like a story.
This book promises to be fast-paced and it really is! We get different POVs but also different timelines and I loved this. It gave me, as a reader, a complete view of all the characters. Especially the storyline of Violette and Lily was interesting to me. It is a queer one but I'd say with a sapphic undertone rather than explicit.
All the characters' stories came together eventually and it really felt like no huge revelations were made but the story felt right. There are so many beautiful quotes in this book, I'll have to do a reread at some point and annotate this book!...more
Lessons in Faking is a cute college, fake-dating, kind of enemies to lovers, read and the first book in the Hall Beck University series. When At3.5 ⭐️
Lessons in Faking is a cute college, fake-dating, kind of enemies to lovers, read and the first book in the Hall Beck University series. When Athalia Pressley feels like her twin brother Henry and her are not on the same page anymore, she comes up with a plan to get his attention: date the guy he hates most in the world. Enter Dylan McCarthy.
I don't want to say I was struggling with this book at the start, but I wasn't feeling the story all that much. Everything felt a bit all over the place but once the foundations were there, I did get into the flow of the story.
While I enjoyed both main characters, it's the mmc (Dylan or 'McCarthy') that caught my attention the most. He immediately seemed like such an angel and I honestly feel a little sad we didn't get his POV in this story. What I wouldn't give to hear his thoughts and read the book with his feelings on paper as well!
I was also a big fan of the fmc (Athalia) her best friend but hoped for a bit more when it came to her storyline. The reason why she ended up being so jealous was rather predictable. I do hope we get to see more of her in future books as I want to see this girl get her happy ending while being there for the ride, you know. ...more
I previously read the Food Truck series by Saskia and loved the feel good vibes in that series so I was very excited to see a new English love story bI previously read the Food Truck series by Saskia and loved the feel good vibes in that series so I was very excited to see a new English love story by the same author!
In Sailing Into You, we follow Abby, who is going through a divorce, and Daniel, an author and single dad who lost his wife two years prior.
Both Abby and Daniel had sidekicks, one was in the form of a dog (LOVE!!) while the other was a child (and an adorable one at that). I loved both Bowie and Floortje, they were such great additions to the story.
While I truly enjoyed this book, I still feel like the Food Truck series was a little more my kind of thing. It felt a little more refreshing than Sailing Into You though this book did have a lot of strong points.
Seeing Abby deal with her ex husband was fascinating, especially when he showed up again. It all felt really raw and real. We also see Daniel struggling and dealing with an addiction. Again sometimes that really made the story stronger and realer.
Since I am not familiar with sailing, nor do I have an interest in it, this book probably spoke a little less to me as there is a lot of sailing and the sailing life involved obviously. I was also not the biggest fan of Abby´s best friend who does something questionable and I still do not really understand why?
All in all , Sailing Into You is a good summerread that focuses on two very different people dealing with different issues, but trying to find their way to each other. I remain a big fan of this author´s writing style and her way of bringing issues like addiction and mental health into stories....more
I have become such a big fan of Kingfisher´s banter, characters, dynamics between characters and adventure!
In Swordheart, we follow Halla, who3.5 ⭐️
I have become such a big fan of Kingfisher´s banter, characters, dynamics between characters and adventure!
In Swordheart, we follow Halla, who has inheritated the estate of her uncle. Of course, when money´s involved people tend to fight over it and her relatives disagree with the uncle´s will. They lock Halla in her bedroom, where she unsheathes an old sword in an act of desperation. The weirdest thing happens and a man appears who was apparently trapped in the sword.
This book was off to such a good start. The first interaction between Halla and Sarkis immediately made me laugh. Their relationship continued to interest me and I loved their banter and inner thoughts. I also had so much fun with the extra charachters like priest Zale and gnole Brindle.
I do feel like a large part of the story was a cosy fantasy. The group was on the road quite a bit and it wasn´t until the third part of the book that a lot happened. This made the first 2/3rds of the book feel slower but still pleasant enough to want to keep reading.
I recently bought Paladin´s Grace and I´m very happy to see that this book takes place in the same world/universe! Already excited to read book 2 and explore more of the paladins in the Saints of Steel series....more
In Run Away With Me, we follow Jessie and Brooke. Both girls are running away from something. We know that Jessie left home after she found her dead sIn Run Away With Me, we follow Jessie and Brooke. Both girls are running away from something. We know that Jessie left home after she found her dead stepdad, who abused her, and she becomes scared that they'll suspect her. The reason Brooke is on the run is kept a secret at the beginning but her story also unravels along the way.
A lot happens on the girls' little roadtrip to Disney World, which kept the story entertaining. I was a big fan of the romance that blossomed between Jessie en Brooke. What I also love in books is when music plays an important role and that was for sure the case in Run Away With Me. The girls listen to a lot of cassette tapes, which I thought was really fun. It was also fun to see that each chapter is a song title.
While the book was a very smooth read and had good parts, the overall story didn't completely captivate me. The fact that these girls could drive around and rent hotels, get food, etc. with barely any money? It all seemed a little unreal, you know?
I mentioned that a lot happened, but sometimes everything felt a little all over the place. With everything coming together in the end, I kind of felt a little unfulfilled and hoped for more? Besides our two main characters, there is really only one constant character in the story, which is Chris and I don't know man but I wasn't a fan. The whole storyline with him felt so out of place and forced? I hoped for more out of it and didn't get it so that was a little disappointing.
All in all this was a fun read but it wasn't completely my kind of book, which is fine! I had a good time still.
Thank you to House of YA / Penguin Random House for gifting me a copy to celebrate the influencer program opening up to Europe! ...more
Heir of Storms is such a strong debut! There´s magic, trials, romance and betrayal. As a huge fan of the water element, I was so excited to read4.5 ⭐️
Heir of Storms is such a strong debut! There´s magic, trials, romance and betrayal. As a huge fan of the water element, I was so excited to read this book and it delivered alright! I couldn´t put it down and if it wasn't for work and life getting in the way, I would've finished this in one sitting. It's 450 pages of pure enjoyment.
I am a big fan of the various characters. From our FMC Blaze and her twin brother Flint who had a great dynamic, to brothers Hal and Fox who both played their roles so well! The story had twists that I did not see coming and I enjoyed the unpredictability so much. I'm also very happy to report that most questions get answered in this book, while still leaving enough story for the other two books in the trilogy. Personally, I hate nothing more than a book that throws a lot at you and doesn't answer anything until the second or third book. So I am very glad this story included a lot of information (without being overly complicated)....more
Dit boek stond al zolang op mijn tbr en onlangs kwam de Nederlandse editie uit in een heel mooie limited edition dus het ideale moment om éindelijk aaDit boek stond al zolang op mijn tbr en onlangs kwam de Nederlandse editie uit in een heel mooie limited edition dus het ideale moment om éindelijk aan de slag te gaan met deze!
Een magiërshandleiding voor defensief bakken is het eerste boek dat ik lees van T. Kingfisher, en deze auteur stond ook al erg lang op mijn lijst van auteurs waarvan ik dringend een boek moet lezen. Ik hoorde al zoveel goede dingen over de T. Kingfisher en haar schrijfstijl dus was razend benieuwd.
In dit boek volgen we Mona, een veertienjarige bakkersmeid die ook nog eens een tovenaar is. Haar magie werkt wel enkel met baksels en ze heeft in de kelder van de bakkerij een zuurdesemstarter genaamd Bob die blijkbaar haar beste vriend is. Wanneer Mona op een ochtend de bakkerij binnenkomt en een lijk aantreft, staat haar hele leven ineens op zijn kop. De tovenaars worden bedreigd, er blijkt toch meer aan de hand te zijn en het is aan Mona om de stad te redden.
Dit boek las ZO ontzettend vlot. De schrijfster slaagt er echt in om elk hoofdstuk interessant te houden en de spanning te bewaren. Hoewel het boek over een moord gaat, is het helemaal geen thriller of horrorverhaal. Dat kan je ook wel al raden als je 'Moord. Magie. Muffins.' ziet staan denk ik, maar moest je je zorgen maken: dit is geen eng boek, integendeel!
Je leert zoveel interessante personages kennen. Mona's tante, haar peperkoekmannetje, gekke Molly en haar dode paard, de supersympathieke Spindel, ... een hele leuke groep! Daarnaast is het verhaal ook gewoon écht grappig. Je kan de gedachten van Mona perfect meevolgen en ze zijn zo on point en hilarisch, echt geweldig om te lezen.
De vertaling naar het Nederlands was dan ook nog eens heel goed gedaan. Ik ben niet altijd fan van vertalingen maar heb echt genoten van deze. ...more
We all know by now that I devour Bea´s Greek mythology retellings. When she announced book 3 was going to be about Pandora, the hopes were high alrighWe all know by now that I devour Bea´s Greek mythology retellings. When she announced book 3 was going to be about Pandora, the hopes were high alright!
This book is everything I hoped it would be and more! In its essence, the book focuses on two main things. First there is our girl Pandora who is just randomly brought into this world and tries to find herself and her place in it. She struggles to find where she belongs and throughout the book Bea really takes you on a journey of self discovery. I am convinced her story will resonate with a lot of readers, which makes it even stronger.
The second focus of the book is on the relationship between Pandora and Epimatheos. Now, if you are familiar with this author´s writing style, you know you´re in for some hilarious banter. I absolutely loved the dynamics between these two and seeing them come together was beautiful. This book definitely fits the grumpy-sunshine vibe so if you´re into that, you will enjoy this relationship!
Of course we get a whole lot of Greek mythology characters who make an appearance in the book. Prometheus, Athena, Zeus (ugh), Hesione and so on. I always enjoy the way Bea writes these charachters, with their distinct features. She never fails to make me laugh or roll my eyes at them.
Now what I truly enjoyed in A Beautiful Evil is the spins that Bea gave to Pandora´s story. I can´t really dive into them without spoiling anything but storylines involving Pandora´s parents and trying to look out for humanity are so interesting in this retelling!...more
I finished this book SO FAST compared to the first one. It took me a while to get into book 1 but I was immediately sucked back into the Sunken ArchivI finished this book SO FAST compared to the first one. It took me a while to get into book 1 but I was immediately sucked back into the Sunken Archive world in this one.
First off, can we take a moment to appreciate authors that add a little recap into the story at the beginning? Thank you Sylvie! As someone who tends to forget a lot, the little summary at the start was extremely helpful! It really made re-entering this world so much easier.
Now, for the actual review of this book. Oh how I loved seeing the dynamics between E. and Henery again. And Sophy and Vyerin. And Niea! I forgot how much I loved these charachters. Besides this bunch (and some others), we also got a few new charachters, of which the Thirtieth Second Scholar (I know, weird name but all will become clear when you read the book!) was definitely my favourite.
I remain a huge fan of the way this story is told, which is (just as in book 1) through letters, automated post missives, notes and records.
I do feel like a lot more happened in this second book, and nothing really made sense. But in a good way! I love Sylvie´s imagination and the way she crafted a complex story that keeps you guessing....more
I absolutely loved Shaedes of Power and was so excited to return to this world for Shaedes of Fire. After the defeat of the Night Prince in book 1, OpI absolutely loved Shaedes of Power and was so excited to return to this world for Shaedes of Fire. After the defeat of the Night Prince in book 1, Opal is left to deal with the complications that come with her two lovers. We dive more into the relationship between Opal, Farris, and Edmyn (a.k.a. the Moon King) and when I tell you I loved these three together!! While in the first book, I didn't care for the love triangle, I devoured it in this book?! While I enjoy both Farris and Edmyn, I do have a slight preference for Edmyn, but seeing these men learn to accept each other was so great. And seeing Opal having to find a way to balance her two lovers was equally interesting to read about.
While navigating this relationship, dragons also make an appearance in this book (FINALLY!!). After attacks on the Night Court, Opal and her friends travel to new places to find out what the hell is going on. Add to that some drama with the wizards (who are, for some reason, completely obsessed with the faeries) and her best friend, who is plagued by horrible nightmares.
About the best friend (Leyanna), can we take a moment to appreciate her in this book? We got to know her in book 1, but she really shone in book 2. There is so much character development here for her, and it was so incredibly cool to witness her finding herself. I honestly wouldn't mind a spin-off of Leyanna to see where she ends up and just how powerful she can become.
Shaedes of Fire reads just as smoothly as the first book in the Soul Magic series, thanks to the fast pacing, good writing, and interesting characters. I highly recommend this book for fans of romantasy books!...more
The Girl of Many Crowns tells the story of Judith, the first princess of France. First married off by her father at age 12, we follow Judith's life anThe Girl of Many Crowns tells the story of Judith, the first princess of France. First married off by her father at age 12, we follow Judith's life and the political games of this time. Many historical figures are talked about in this book, as well as made-up characters, to round out the story. I was a bit afraid the book would be a hard read as there are many (uncommon) names and just many people in the story in general, but as it turns out, The Girl of Many Crowns turned out to be a fascinating and smooth read.
What was really interesting to me is that the author is a descendant of Judith, allowing her to write a book that is filled with accurate details and gives an interesting insight into the world of Judith. Add to this that I am currently living in Ghent (located in Flanders, Belgium) and that this story (partly) takes place around where I live, and I just had to read this book. Seeing mentions of Flanders, Ghent, and Bruges was so cool!
While this is a historical fiction work based on real events, I am sure many can and will enjoy this book. Not only does it have (political) intrigue, but there is also room for character development, a slow-burning romance, and an amazing path of self-discovery that the reader can witness. ...more
Liefde in de schaduw van chaos is het debut van Laura en gaat over Tess en Gio. Wanneer Tess op vakantie naar Thailand gaat, komt ze haar voormalige bLiefde in de schaduw van chaos is het debut van Laura en gaat over Tess en Gio. Wanneer Tess op vakantie naar Thailand gaat, komt ze haar voormalige beste vriendin Roos tegen. Op datzelfde vliegtuig komt ze ook voor het eerst in contact met Gio, die op het eerste zicht een nogal onbeschofte zakenman blijkt te zijn. Tess en Roos besluiten al snel om samen hun reis verder te zetten. Eens ze aankomen in Thailand gaan er vrij snel enkele zaken mis, waardoor ook Gio weer in the picture komt. Tess wordt ontvoerd door haar ex, met wie ze een vrij zwaar en zelf geweldadig verleden heeft. Al snel ontstaat er een aantrekkingskracht tussen Tess en Gio maar hun relatie loopt toch niet zo vlot. De beide personages moeten leren omgaan met wat er hun leven speelt en speelde.
Hoewel dit boek hoofdzakelijk een roman is, is er ook heel wat ruimte voor spanning and thriller-elementen, en deze combinatie is precies wat mij aantrok aan dit boek. Er is nooit een saai moment in dit boek, waardoor het enorm vlot leest. Ook de meerdere perspectieven waren een grote plus. Ik vond het ook heel leuk om af en toe Roos te kunnen volgen, ookal was zij niet één van de twee hoofdpersonages. De vrienschap tussen Roos en Tess was waarschijnlijk mijn favoriete onderdeel van dit boek. De romance tussen Tess en Gio was ook interessant om te volgen maar omdat Gio mij iets minder lag en ik hem soms gewoonweg irritant vond, kwam dit voor mij eerder op de tweede plaats.
De veelzijdigheid van dit boek verdient trouwens ook een shoutout. Er worden in dit boek zoveel belangrijke thema's aangehaald. Een zwaar verleden, omgaan met verlies, fysiek en seksueel misbruik, etc etc. Ook is er een lgbtq koppel dat ontstaat en ik heb zo hard genoten van deze personages en hoop stiekem dat er over hen ook een boek uitkomt!...more
Het Raadsel van de Verboden Kamer volgt naadloos op Het Boek met de Gevaarlijke Geheimen. Otis is intussen verhuisd en heeft Kraaidorp achter zich gelHet Raadsel van de Verboden Kamer volgt naadloos op Het Boek met de Gevaarlijke Geheimen. Otis is intussen verhuisd en heeft Kraaidorp achter zich gelaten. Met zijn nieuwe school, en nieuwe vrienden, trekt hij op schoolreis naar Londen. Daar duikt Francis opnieuw op, de oude vriend van zijn vader. Er lijkt al snel iets niet pluis en Otis trekt samen met zijn vrienden op onderzoek uit.
Aangezien het al even geleden is dat ik boek 1 las, vond ik het ontzettend fijn dat er doorheen het verhaal referenties en herhalingen over gebeurtenissen uit het eerste boek terugkwamen. Zo was ik weer helemaal mee met het leven van Otis en Bo. Door deze informatie is het boek trouwens ook leesbaar als je boek 1 niet hebt gelezen, al raad ik het toch wel aan om Het Boek met de Gevaarlijke Geheimen eerst te lezen, zodat je écht helemaal ondergedompeld kan worden in de wereld van Otis.
Net zoals boek 1 las ik deze uit in één ruk, dankzij een vlotte schrijfstijl, korte hoofdstukken en constante spanning. Het verhaal komt snel op gang en magie speelt opnieuw een belangrijke rol in het boek. Het was erg leuk om te zien dat er nog meer diepgang werd gecreëerd tijdens de verhaallijn. Het plot werd allemaal net iets ingewikkelder zonder moeilijk begrijpbaar te zijn. Ideaal dus!...more
I DEVOURED THIS AND LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT except for how often our girlie Saff says ´saints´. Nostalgic wand magic, a queer world, wizard maffia, tI DEVOURED THIS AND LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT except for how often our girlie Saff says ´saints´. Nostalgic wand magic, a queer world, wizard maffia, timeweaving, emotions all over the place, an interesting couple. Yes yes yes!...more
I started reading this and had forgotten it was a fairytale retelling but quickly caught onto it.
I enjoyed the different POVs, especially Sel's and loI started reading this and had forgotten it was a fairytale retelling but quickly caught onto it.
I enjoyed the different POVs, especially Sel's and loved that they were all from women's perspective. The pacing was good, the characters were interesting but the magic was lacking a little. As in there was often mention of it but I didn´t really feel it in the story, you know.
The villain story also seemed a bit weak to me and could've used more detail and page-time.
All in all I did enjoy Spellbound even though it had some flaws....more
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