“It just… fills me with immense joy, being with him, telling him things, waiting to hear what he’ll say back, being reminded of his existence.”
two game designers go with their respective companies to a snowy ski resort, in hopes that a bigger video game company allows them to work together to develop a new installment in a very beloved book series made into a game. yet, our two mcs have a little bit of a confusing past with one another, but that confusion hasn’t stopped them from longing after the other one for years. i truly feel like this could be maybe the best miscommunication in the past i’ve ever read. this was short, romantic, fun, and just a really good version of what it is. i had a great time reading this, and the other young rose and adrian during vampire academy’s snowy ski resort reader will probably appreciate this extra, too.
but my favorite part of this was seeing a favorite story being revisited during different times, in very different ways, in one of the character's lives, and it was really thought provoking and touching. and a really beautiful reminder that sometimes we can make our favorite stories even better.
trigger + content warnings: anxiety, misogyny in the workplace in the past, two brief sentences talking about family commenting on body image and food in the past, public embarrassment in the past, one sentence mention of cheating in the past (side characters), talk of parent with an illness in past, loss of a parent in past, grief, drinking, and a one sentence joke about kidnapping and trafficking
im so happy i finished this (and proud of myself tbh) <3 mini review to come soon!
i soft dnfed this last moARC provided by the publisher via Libro.fm
im so happy i finished this (and proud of myself tbh) <3 mini review to come soon!
i soft dnfed this last month, because the tws were just too much for me. but i can't stop thinking about how this might wrap up, and i feel like my mental health is pretty good rn, so... i guess i am doing cursed exposure therapy and finishing the last 50% of this >.< (please don't be like me)
“I have hungered for you in ways you cannot comprehend. I've craved you. More than my sin. You haunt me.”
you all know i keep reading these books because they are truly so much fun, but they are just never perfect reads for me. and also let me remind you that i have praised each book in this world for the amazing twists and turns! so imagine my surprise when i thought this was going to be a five star, because i loved these characters and circle of hell so much, only to be delivered the most nonsensical twist ever. and maybe that’s my bad, for hyping and awaiting what i was really sure would be a mind blowing reveal… only for foolishness.
so in this new spinoff series, we follow a new prince and get to see his hell domain (my jjk biased fingers wanting to type expansion) - and this one follows gluttony, who i truly ended up falling in love with. this story is also a loose cinderella reimagining, where our other mc, adriana, is just trying to make life more bearable for her and her stepsister, while working as a journalist, reporting things that others might not want her reporting. you know, like how ice dragons are attacking and our prince is trying to keep it undercover while he figures out what is going on. So gluttony (aka: gabrielle), assigns adriana to report on his own fantasy love island competition to find a suitor to help him rule his circle of hell. yet, both of them can’t seem to exactly remember things that took place in the past, and you as the reader are trying to piece things together alongside them.
i adored both characters, and their banter was truly 11/10. i loved the setting, and i am always going to eat up a dating competition side story. i actually enjoyed the sex scenes in this, and for the most part didn’t find anything too cringe like i did with book two! and this even has a very adorable baby dragon! truly, the only other negative thing i can say, aside from the twist in this being outlandish, is that you can just tell that this author is a fan of bridgerton, and at times i felt like i was reading from a blue haired lady whistledown. but truly, i had a really good time with this and i am excited for what (and who) comes next!
trigger + content warnings: debt, talk of money problems, abusive home, loss of father in past, grief, battle, blood, drawing blood to do a blood oath, violence, unwanted sexual advances, drinking, magical memory violations
full disclosure: navessa is a friend of mine (and she was/is such a huge inspiration to me on goodreads, and i will always be very thankful for her infull disclosure: navessa is a friend of mine (and she was/is such a huge inspiration to me on goodreads, and i will always be very thankful for her in my life). i did purchase this book with my own money, she doesn't even know i'm reading it, but i am just so immensely proud of her and really wanted to support and read her newest book. yet, i am aware there might be some subconscious biases while i was reading, so here is my longwinded caveat making you aware too!
so, i do not have any kind of tiktok mask kink. i respect it, but it’s just not for me. and truly, when i think about it, i think of brittany broski and ghost from cod lol. (and i love that for her! and all of you, too!) but this story was so unexpectedly sexy to me. like, i was eating it up from start to finish. and i think, deep down, i also knew if anyone was going to write a story like this, with a lot of care evening out the power dynamics, it would be navessa!
this first book in a series follows aly, who is a trauma nurse, who overworks herself to attempt to cope and heal trauma in her past, and josh, who is the masked tiktok cosplayer, and who also is trying to do everything in his power to hide the trauma in his past, for him and his family. Ii know this is a steamy romance, but there is a lot of discussions surrounding their traumatizing past and the therapy and work they’ve put in to try to live happier lives. and the effort they are putting in with each other, using care because of their good communication, and i absolutely loved everything about it.
i will say, this went a little bit into a direction i wasn’t expecting, once the relationship gets more established, but i still had such an amazing time with this. and again, this was really sexy - and the use of toys was super highlighted and super hot every time. these mcs for sure matched each other's freak, and i deeply respected it, and cannot wait to read the next book.
content warnings at the start of the book: Lights Out is a dark stalker rom-com with heavy themes. Reader discretion is advised as this book contains: Sexually explicit discussion and scenes (including anal play), Alcohol consumption, Mention of (off-page) rape, Child abuse (remembered), Medical content, Blood and gore (in a hospital setting), Discussion of mental health, Mention of serial killers and their crimes, Limited description of a mass shooting, Stalking, Invasion of privacy, Home invasion, Hidden cameras, Hacking, Theft, Unintentional cannibalism (remembered), Death, Car accident (remembered), Description of a violent death (remembered), Death of a parent, Breath play, Knife play, Gun play, Fear play, Primal play, Mask play, Consensual dubious consent
other trigger + content warnings i wrote down while reading: grief, abandonment, drugging, vomit, misdiagnosis (bad doctor taking advantage)
i feel like before i start this review about kerri maniscalco’s adult debut, i have to kind of talk about the original ya series that this is a spin oi feel like before i start this review about kerri maniscalco’s adult debut, i have to kind of talk about the original ya series that this is a spin off/continuation of. Ii know i gave that entire trilogy three stars, but they really were high threes and i think back on that series so fondly. the atmosphere, the main heroine, the yearning and angst - all five stars. and for three years, it was truly so much fun to buddy read these each halloween season.
so i went into this book expecting to enjoy those same aspects that i know this author is amazing at creating! i will say the atmosphere, and the setting of this alternative magical london, was amazing, we barely got to spend any time in it before we went right to heck (literally). and then, the yearning and angst was just replaced with really cringe and over the top sexual dialogue. and you all know that i love steam in books, but this felt like it was done just to “prove” it was an adult book, but it truly was so bad in my opinion. and finally, i just could not care about envy or camilla the way i did for emilia (and i guess wrath too, but emilia supremacy for sure).
but even with those negative aspects that i was really banking on being not negatives, i still had fun reading this book. the writing is so consumable, and the plot really always feels good and like it is at a good pace, which makes the reader never want to put the book down. i also really loved all the tie-ins with that first trilogy that i should probably go back and rate higher since i am writing this review and reminiscing about it so fondly.
lord, three paragraphs written and not a single sentence about what this book is about lol. okay, so basically this is a series about the demon princes of hell, each based on a different seven deadly sin, and what is going on with their specific courts, while also getting a romance. this specific story is about envy, and a very secret game that he is playing, where he is tasked to get a painting done by an artist in london, who is being blackmailed and also going through feeling a lot of grief because her father has passed and her mother has run away.
also, i just loved learning more about the princes of hell. and i also really, really, really loved seeing fae (and vampires and other paranormal creatures) truly enter this story as main players! And one thing that i truly will give kerri maniscalo, is that she can write good twists. I think she has bamboozled me in every story i’ve read by her, and i feel like that is a somewhat hard feat, especially in paranormal romance. and then this book? she was able to pull the rug from under my feet like three times. like, i will give credit where credit is due, and she really deserves credit for making a really fun reading experience for me because of her twists and turns.
but i have to say that i was screaming, going on goodreads and seeing book two is going to be gluttony’s book, because i truly was 110% expecting it to be pride’s with the work that was put in for him at the end of this book! But the tl;dr is that i will be reading it for this halloween season, and i hope it has more of the elements that i love and less of the ones that i do not love so much.
trigger + content warnings: debt, blackmail, loss of parents in past, talk of parent with illness, uncomfortable unwanted sexual advances, talk of infertility, abandonment, grief, abuse, blood, drinking, threat of sa, kidnapping, brief mention of self harm to get blood for a vampire, violence, gore, torture, battle, throwing up, and maybe a cannibalism mention
“If I loved you as much as he claims to love you, nothing would’ve stopped me from keeping you.”
oh we love a seven deadly sins inspired series for
“If I loved you as much as he claims to love you, nothing would’ve stopped me from keeping you.”
oh we love a seven deadly sins inspired series forever and ever. friends, this just really worked for me. maybe the best romance i’ve read all year. this is a story involving a lot of rich people in new york and an arranged marriage, which is a setting and set up i feel like all romance readers have read in bulk at this point, but this really felt different and felt like it was done a lot better. also, this story has a constant theme of jealousy, but the author didn’t need a love triangle or miscommunication for this, and that felt so good to read. and the first sex scene in this book? the best i’ve read in a long, long while. i read it twice it was so good hahaha!
but i really am a simple romance girl, and if a guy gave me dumplings from 34 different restaurants, so that i could find a new favorite, that would be it for me. But also, him giving her these star gazing dates? like, dante is just built a little different, i fear. i ate this romance up with a spoon and i am happily begging for seconds.
have any of you tried soy sauce on vanilla ice cream? i am going to - and then i will report back.
trigger + content warnings: anxiety, blackmail, panic attacks, not great parents, abandonment, loss of a loved one in the past (grandpa), mention of heart attack in past, blood, assault, armed robbery, unwanted photos being taken without consent, stalking, and talk of trauma.
“If I loved you as much as he claims to love you, nothing would’ve stopped me from keeping you.”
oh we love a seven deadly sins inspired series forever and ever. friends, this just really worked for me. maybe the best romance i’ve read all year. this is a story involving a lot of rich people in new york and an arranged marriage, which is a setting and set up i feel like all romance readers have read in bulk at this point, but this really felt different and felt like it was done a lot better. also, this story has a constant theme of jealousy, but the author didn’t need a love triangle or miscommunication for this, and that felt so good to read. and the first sex scene in this book? the best i’ve read in a long, long while. i read it twice it was so good hahaha!
but i really am a simple romance girl, and if a guy gave me dumplings from 34 different restaurants, so that i could find a new favorite, that would be it for me. But also, him giving her these star gazing dates? like, dante is just built a little different, i fear. i ate this romance up with a spoon and i am happily begging for seconds.
have any of you tried soy sauce on vanilla ice cream? i am going to - and then i will report back.
trigger + content warnings: anxiety, blackmail, panic attacks, not great parents, abandonment, loss of a loved one in the past (grandpa), mention of heart attack in past, blood, assault, armed robbery, unwanted photos being taken without consent, stalking, and talk of trauma.
“If I loved you as much as he claims to love you, nothing would’ve stopped me from keeping you.”
oh we love a seven deadly sins inspired series forever and ever. friends, this just really worked for me. maybe the best romance i’ve read all year. this is a story involving a lot of rich people in new york and an arranged marriage, which is a setting and set up i feel like all romance readers have read in bulk at this point, but this really felt different and felt like it was done a lot better. also, this story has a constant theme of jealousy, but the author didn’t need a love triangle or miscommunication for this, and that felt so good to read. and the first sex scene in this book? the best i’ve read in a long, long while. i read it twice it was so good hahaha!
but i really am a simple romance girl, and if a guy gave me dumplings from 34 different restaurants, so that i could find a new favorite, that would be it for me. But also, him giving her these star gazing dates? like, dante is just built a little different, i fear. i ate this romance up with a spoon and i am happily begging for seconds.
have any of you tried soy sauce on vanilla ice cream? i am going to - and then i will report back.
trigger + content warnings: anxiety, blackmail, panic attacks, not great parents, abandonment, loss of a loved one in the past (grandpa), mention of heart attack in past, blood, assault, armed robbery, unwanted photos being taken without consent, stalking, and talk of trauma.
“If I loved you as much as he claims to love you, nothing would’ve stopped me from keeping you.”
oh we love a seven deadly sins inspired series forever and ever. friends, this just really worked for me. maybe the best romance i’ve read all year. this is a story involving a lot of rich people in new york and an arranged marriage, which is a setting and set up i feel like all romance readers have read in bulk at this point, but this really felt different and felt like it was done a lot better. also, this story has a constant theme of jealousy, but the author didn’t need a love triangle or miscommunication for this, and that felt so good to read. and the first sex scene in this book? the best i’ve read in a long, long while. i read it twice it was so good hahaha!
but i really am a simple romance girl, and if a guy gave me dumplings from 34 different restaurants, so that i could find a new favorite, that would be it for me. But also, him giving her these star gazing dates? like, dante is just built a little different, i fear. i ate this romance up with a spoon and i am happily begging for seconds.
have any of you tried soy sauce on vanilla ice cream? i am going to - and then i will report back.
trigger + content warnings: anxiety, blackmail, panic attacks, not great parents, abandonment, loss of a loved one in the past (grandpa), mention of heart attack in past, blood, assault, armed robbery, unwanted photos being taken without consent, stalking, and talk of trauma.
“If I loved you as much as he claims to love you, nothing would’ve stopped me from keeping you.”
oh we love a seven deadly sins inspired series forever and ever. friends, this just really worked for me. maybe the best romance i’ve read all year. this is a story involving a lot of rich people in new york and an arranged marriage, which is a setting and set up i feel like all romance readers have read in bulk at this point, but this really felt different and felt like it was done a lot better. also, this story has a constant theme of jealousy, but the author didn’t need a love triangle or miscommunication for this, and that felt so good to read. and the first sex scene in this book? the best i’ve read in a long, long while. i read it twice it was so good hahaha!
but i really am a simple romance girl, and if a guy gave me dumplings from 34 different restaurants, so that i could find a new favorite, that would be it for me. But also, him giving her these star gazing dates? like, dante is just built a little different, i fear. i ate this romance up with a spoon and i am happily begging for seconds.
have any of you tried soy sauce on vanilla ice cream? i am going to - and then i will report back.
trigger + content warnings: anxiety, blackmail, panic attacks, not great parents, abandonment, loss of a loved one in the past (grandpa), mention of heart attack in past, blood, assault, armed robbery, unwanted photos being taken without consent, stalking, and talk of trauma.
[2024 reread] ★★★★ i did this reread of this novella just for a little extra refresher before wind and truth drops this december, and i am very glad that i did! We follow some new and old characters on a new expedition going to an island, to heal one of the best creature companions, and maybe also looking for an oathgate, while someone on this sailing crew could maybe be sabotaging the mission as well.
but my favorite part of this was reading about two characters with disabilities that have changed their lives, finding normalcy on their own, but also finding a bond and understanding on a different level together. for me, it was really beautiful, and i don’t want to go too far here, but i do personally feel like brandon is truly putting in an effort and consistently writing good disability representation (again, this is just my opinion but i do appreciate seeing it, and seeing a range of it both physically and mentally, throughout the stormlight series in particular) !!
this is a really beautiful story, but this is filled with lots of cosmere lore, which is why i think it is such a fan favorite. now, this is a very unpopular opinion, but i will say it with my full chest: i still liked edgedancer more! (and i will continue to judge readers on how they feel about lift and wyndle!) but i still loved this wholeheartedly, and i appreciated the message of how omens aren’t real, even if they impact the lives of people who believe in them. and i extra loved the reminder that there’s always another secret in the cosmere, and it’s so fun when you get to be in on the secrets.
trigger + content warnings: war, animal illness (bird-like creature who ends up being okay), talk of colonization, insect imagery, talk of death, grief
“And when the Empire is weak, it is often because a powerful few have denied us the abundance of our people.”
if you’re looking for a fantasy murder mystery that has a sherlock and watson dynamic, with a setting that feels like you were dropping into attack on titans, with themes of systemic injustice, and discussions on classism, with a story that follows a queer mc with a learning disability… well, i am here to tell you to please look no further
in this world, the land is separated by rings, and those rings are walls that are constantly being reinforced to keep leviathans out and the people safe. especially the outermost wall, that is also constantly being manned by a military force. also in this world, people are able to get magical augmentations that enhance abilities - and there is a vast range of different augmentations from strength, to sight, or even memory. this land, these augmentations, and different sorts of technological advancements are constantly changing and evolving because of the flora and the importance of the array of plant life on this land. also, this story takes place right on the cusp of the wet season, where the land is less forgiving, alongside the leviathans trying to breach the walls. and if the leviathans do reach the shores, their blood and bodies have a very strange effect on the land and can make a place completely uninhabitable. and lastly, a murder rather unusual, involving the flora in this world, just happened and no one has any clues as to why or how, but the empire needs it solved before the wet season officially hits.
this story follows an assistant to a detective, named dim, who is an engraver, which means he has an enhancement that allows him to remember everything he is seeing, and relay it back to his detective with 100% accuracy and certainty. this is because of an augmentation that he has, and he is able to extra anchor the memories with a vial of a fragrance he is able to tie the experience to. and truly, him exploring all of these places, and manors, and crime scenes, and attaching all of these clues to scent, was one of my favorite parts of this book.
but the detective herself? oh, ana is the best character i’ve read in years! truly a new favorite for me! ana is a bit of a mystery herself throughout the book, so i don’t want to say too much, but she seems to be banished to the outer ring, but she needed a new assistant for a murder mystery in which she is very much needed to solve. and together we watch din and her work together and try to find the murderer(s), while more and more mystery ensues.
this was just a really fresh story, and something that really pushed the bounds of both fantasy and mystery genres. yet, also combining both and making a really beautiful and harmonious experience for readers. this felt different to read, and special to consume, and it really surpassed absolutely every expectation i had prior to purchasing this book at b&n because i love the trend of covers being printed directly on hardcovers with no dust jackets.
“Born into systems beyond our control, into relationships and organizations that obligate us to change, all so our families may prosper… That’s what the empire is, isn’t it?”
to me, this story really also discusses themes of classism and social injustice, where the rich colonizers get to live in safety in the most inner walls, while also having the money to protect themselves from any and all things. while the essential workers who are trying to make all the walls and land a safer and better place are forced to work and live in unsafe conditions. and while people from impoverished communities are forced to give everything they have, in hopes that something will make it back to their families so they will be able to live a tiny bit of a better life. (please know, there is a lot more i want to say, but i won’t because of spoilers - but i really loved some of the themes and thoughts that i felt like were presented within this story!!)
“If you want to figure out where everyone got fleas, look no further than the biggest pack of wild cats. Even if they do prowl behind high walls and fancy gates.”
this book also, to me, has some good representations that i loved reading. both of our main characters have disabilities and they are shown and felt throughout, especially din’s reading disability. but also the message of learning and having to do things differently does not mean it is lesser, it’s just a different way and there is a lot of beauty and strength in that. din is also queer, even though no words are used on page, but he was for sure giving me pan or bi vibes. and there is a very sweet m/m romance that really did have me kicking my feet.
overall, this is the first 2024 published novel that i am giving five stars to this year! you know, i have tried to read so many horrors and thrillers, but maybe the secret sauce was just me picking up a murder mystery. i just fell so in love with our two main characters, and seeing their adventures unfold was a joy and highlight of my 2024 reading. also the amount of tabs i used because the descriptions were so lush and vivid and the quotes so powerful and beautiful? very wild, i promise. even more wild than me being so very alert and looking out for any and all cups because of the title and the cover lol. but i just loved this and i think it really reminded me how much i love murder mysteries, especially with a fantasy back drop. if you have any recommendations, please let me know! and i hope you all have even half as good of a time with this story as i did, because i still believe that will be a five star!
trigger + content warnings: murder, death, blood, vomit, talk of poverty, bullying, abuse, anxiety, smoking, violence, medical testing (involving humans and animals), magical compilation, body horror, contagion, and a lot of talk and imagery of fungus and spores
I think reading this back to back to back just made them feel too formulaic, but I still enjoyed t1.) Only for a Night ★★★★★ 2.) Only For Your Touch ★★
I think reading this back to back to back just made them feel too formulaic, but I still enjoyed this series! <3
i have been very vocal about my new found love of the r/fantasy bingo , and one of the challenges (with hard mode activated) is to read a self pubbed i have been very vocal about my new found love of the r/fantasy bingo , and one of the challenges (with hard mode activated) is to read a self pubbed or indie book with less than 100 ratings on goodreads. And as of typing this review, i am number 43! but also, i really love Mark Lawrence's spfbo awards that he (and a team of so many cool sff bloggers) holds every year, really honoring and uplifting indie and self published authors and their stories! So this very long preamble is to inform you that i knew i had to pick a crossover book for this challenge and this one was on the list of spfbo x books and was free on kindle unlimited!
this was a really charming story about a girl named rose, who very unexpectedly gets a message from her aunt lily, asking her to come take care of her flower nursery for her, because she has to leave immediately. and basically, once rose arrives she thinks everything is normal and what she has always known to be true, but a magical elf inspector comes and shows her a secret magical greenhouse and teaches her about a whole new world filled with magic. but together, they also need to figure out where lily went and how to get her safely back asap!
this was really cute and i easily fell in love with both characters. rose is also an artist, and i really loved that about her, and just her finding happiness and being able to navigate the new and old world a little less lonely. i liked the small town, i liked meeting all the side characters (i loved* a faun in a blazer), and i really liked learning about all the magical plants and potions that can be made with them.
this story also just reminded me how much fun it can be to pick up a book not really knowing anything about it and just being able to have a good time with it, without any expectations. yes, the writing and banter was a little cheesy at times, but sometimes cheesy isn’t bad. and i hope this just really helps me reach for more unrated indie stories, because this really was a fun and cozy reading experience!
trigger + content warnings: mention of loss of grandparents and parents in past (illness and car accident), brief talk of addiction, brief mention of bullying in past, talk of drugs, magical compulsion / slavery / captivity, gun violence, drinking, grief, vomiting, unexpected loss of consciousness, magical overdose
i feel like i really can’t talk about this book without getting into a little spoilery territory, so please skip over this review if you wish to know i feel like i really can’t talk about this book without getting into a little spoilery territory, so please skip over this review if you wish to know nothing about this thriller! (and i do say thriller and not thriller mystery because there really isn’t much mystery to this story whatsoever, which is also probably a reason i didn’t enjoy it as much!) but i picked this up because 1) i have enjoyed ruth ware in the past and 2) the girls were saying survivor meets love island and i will always be here for that set up! But instead of love island and survivor, we get lord of the flies and men's rights activists.
our main character, lyla, reluctantly agrees to go on a reality tv dating show, set on a secluded island, because her boyfriend is an actor and really begs her to do it because it could be very good for his career. lyla’s lab contract is up next month, and the funding renewal isn’t looking too good, so she also agrees under the condition that she can work on her paper and that she can only be on the island for two weeks. but after filming for only 24 hours, a big storm comes that is not only deadly but has completely made the people on the island not be able to contact anyone to come save them. And then she and the rest of the people are trying to survive while… red pill lord of the flies ensues.
i really do respect making the villain who it was, and i respect the talk of the manosphere and the following these mens right activities accumulate on youtube and other platforms that also leads to the perpetuation of violence against women. but oh my god, i just hated reading about this man with all the sum of hate i have in my body. after that storm, that man would have been GONE by me and me alone and i would not have… done what they did at the end (even though that's an important discussion too, and it does make sense, but again - i just hated reading about it!) i hope if you pick this one up, you have more fun reading it than i did, friends!
trigger + content warnings (these will content some plot spoilers so please use caution or do not read if you do not need to know any tw/cws): extremely bad storms, talk of fear of water, extremely abusive relationships, blood, death, drowning, talk of loss of parent in past (one sentence), suicide mentions, not having the insulin that you need, grief, depression, loss of partner, grooming in past, and discussion of men's rights activists throughout (always in a negative light but it is a lot)
maybe cowboys were the secret sauce all along because... yikes at this new spin off series without them. i havent given a book a one star in a very lomaybe cowboys were the secret sauce all along because... yikes at this new spin off series without them. i havent given a book a one star in a very long time...
i dont really want to give this book too much more energy, but this will probably end up being my biggest disappointing read in 2024. the very basic premise is that this is a new series, and a new town, that is one province over from chestnut springs. this stars willa’s, from heartless, older brother, ford, and his best friend’s little sister, rosie, who was also his childhood friend. and let preface this with the fact that willa is my favorite heroine of the chestnut springs series, so this just really feels extra bad to me.
at the very start of the book, ford realizes that he has a twelve year old daughter who is going through a very difficult time currently and has no one else to turn to. cora (the daughter) really pulled at my heart and i really did enjoy reading about her finding this family and feeling loved and safe and accepted. i will say that her story might be a little emotionally manipulative, to make the reader feel something big considering the rest of this book is not so great, but for the sake of saying at least one nice thing - i really did like cora. but she doesn’t talk like a twelve year old, her actions are really not that of a twelve year old (even one who had to grow up extremely quickly), and some of the conversations she has with the adults do feel really weird. (i really recommend this review!)
ford has been a billionaire since birth, but he is more rich now, but he was kind of dorky in the past, and that’s his personality. rosie… i feel elsie read the words “bratty bottom” somewhere and was like “im gonna do that with rosie!” and truly failed miserably lol. i mean, she is bratty for sure, but just annoying and insufferable to read. especially when said brattyness shows up when he is literally taking his child to deal with some really sad and heavy shit. also, from talking about others' privilege when you have a family boat house to escape to when you have no income, from ruining macbooks during sex and ruining rooms with paint just for funsies, from calling others out but ignoring you have accepted a 100k signing bonus because you and your boss are starting a romance, like… it was just not fun to ever read about her or from her. there is a lot of bad in this book, but rosie was the worst for me to read.
also elsie silvers beta readers must hate her (view spoiler)[because what do you mean there is a mini discussion on privilege with apparently the billionaire/nepo baby learning it for the first time, and then the next chapter is him immediately proceeding to go to a police station where him and his white friend are all happy and friendly with the cops? like... actually speechless. (hide spoiler)]
but yeah, i think that’s everything. the romance was forced, the talk of privilege was literally grating, and i didn’t care about anyone except for the twelve year old who didn’t read like a child. she is setting up a tea shop owner who i was kind of intrigued by, but this book left such a bad taste in my mouth that i do not think i will be continuing. also, i hope when rosie’s brother gets a book that the author and publishing team will actually hire sensitivity readers for rosie’s nephew, especially after reading so much carelessness with this book.
trigger + content warnings: sexual assault at work place (unwanted touching), mention of loss of father (als), grief, depression, child neglect, blood mention, harry potter mention, power imbalances, talk of periods, talk of cheating in past (not mcs), mention of off page misogyny, talking about someone's sa without their permission, unwanted photographs being taken (paparazzi), police station scene, one sentence mention of a school shooting very lightly in the epilogue (like… what)
i have been loving this series so very much, and after finishing the ashes & the star-cursed king i immediately wanted more, therefore i picked this up also assuming it would be a banger like the rest of this series. oh friends, i am experiencing heartbreak as i type this mini review.
i believe that this in-between story, set in this world at a different time period, was to help us learn more about the goddesses, in particular nyaxia and (view spoiler)[her cousin (hide spoiler)] arachessen. yet, that’s all it really did for me because i just could not get into this story, these characters, their romance, their dynamics with other characters, or anything really. this was ultimately just such a let down for me, but i will still be picking up the songbird & the heart of stone come fall!
content warnings mentioned in author’s note at beginning of this book: violence, war, drug addiction. Violence against children, explicit sexual situations
additional trigger + content warnings i wrote down while reading: loss of a loved one, loss of a friend, cult depiction, colonization, drowning, grief, murder, death, a lot of blood depictions, captivity, body control powers, drugging, talk of the subject of rape, power imbalance dynamics / child abuse, slavery mention, extreme drug withdrawal, talk of animal death, graphic detailed mentions of eating animals
“I am glad, glad that you are alive. To see you take breath puts the breath back in my lungs. If there must be another my fate is twined around, I am glad it is you.”
this third and final book in fitz’s first trilogy was just everything to me. you all know i love a quest storyline, and as the title does hint at, there are a lot of quests for my favorite assassin in this concluding novel. truly, i could read another thousand pages of fitz on the road, picking up companions, finding out new information, and reading little story, after little story, to eventually lead up to one big masterpiece. i feel like robin hobb is so amazing at creating characters, because you not only love them, and love reading about them, but you get so attached to them and their lives. i felt fitz’s heartbreak, his rage, his happiness, his contentment, all of them so viscerally.
royal asssassin's ending was very wild to say the least, so i knew the start of this book was going to be heart wrenching, and i was indeed crying seeing fitz learn to be human again (and to contemplate if it is worth it to be human again). but in this third novel, we see him on the road with nighteyes, and on a mission to get revenge, but also on a mission to find the ones he loves - even if they are in a very different location than the mission for revenge. we get to see fitz meet different people, different minstrels, and be in different inns, different towns, who are all trying to stay safe from the forged ones who are out attacking anyone and everyone. and truly there is not much more i can say without getting into major spoilers.
let me do some other really fast, somewhat vague things that i really loved about this book: i loved all the discussions with the fool and with gender and how that can be something so fluid, and so changing, but also something others will prioritize over knowing way more than you could/ever will. i loved everything we learned about elderlings and dragons! and i really liked the first starting glimpses of a new generation being forged by war and hiding, but also by love and hope.
overall, i just can’t recommend this trilogy, and the start of this overarching series, enough. i loved this story, the heartbreak and the love that is so easily felt throughout every chapter. and i know i will carry so many of these characters with me forever. i also am so excited to finally start liveship traders because that is a brand new series for me, and i am so curious how a new cast of characters are going to maybe cross paths with fitz.
trigger + content warnings: blood, slavery, violence, death, murder, gore, seizures, mentions of animal death in past, mentions of suicidal thoughts, poison, drugging, insects, talk of abortion, talk of loss of a baby during child birth, death of a child, illness, physical assault, threat of rape, talk of rape in past, human trafficking, attempted suicide, loss of a loved one, animal abuse, ableism (in negative light), and maybe misgendering (also always in a negative light - i believe the character in this book is somewhere on the gender fluidity spectrum, and could possibly not care about any and all gender labeling, but just use care in case something like this could be triggering for you)