Author: Anna and Alexis

Hello! We're Anna and Alexis, twins from the Richmond, Virginia area. We both studied English and creative writing in college. Anna spent a year after college working in book publishing in New York City. After living outside of D.C., she moved back to the Richmond area. She works in marketing. Her favorite genre to read is literary fiction, especially by female authors, and she also enjoys dystopian novels. Alexis works in marketing and writes novels on the side. She recently finished grad school, where she received her MFA in creative writing. She loves reading fantasy, especially YA, magical realism, and the occasional lyrical fiction and romance. We’ve been reading and writing together as long as we can remember, and we’re excited to share our bookish thoughts with you! Check us out on Instagram @takestwotobookreview.

Review: These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs

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Alexis:

These Burning Stars is a political sci-fi with a dark, gritty, and chaotic feel.  

The story follows three separate women: Jun—a famous hacker who finds a key piece of information that implicates the powerful Nightfoot family in a planet-wide genocide seventy-five years ago. Esek—the brutal heir to the Nightfoot empire. And Chono, a cleric who is loyal to Esek. And amidst them all is a mysterious character named Six, who Esek is determined to hunt down. 

There are a lot of impactful themes in this book. It focuses on revenge, choice, and power. I love a good political book, and I enjoyed learning about the crazy power dynamics and the history of the Kinship. Jun herself reminds me of a Jyn/Rey type of character. 

I’ve seen a lot of people say this is one of the best new sci-fi books. While I really enjoyed a lot of it and Jacobs’ writing style, I can’t say it was my favorite. It doesn’t help that the title These Burning Stars does not fit the vibe of the story and that the story itself was marketed as a space opera, yet it doesn’t really feel like one. On top of that, there are two main aspects of this book that frustrated me. 

  1. The story jumps back and forth between different timelines. On top of the different POVs, this made it a bit tedious to get through. I think some well executed flashbacks would’ve worked better and propelled the story and pace along.
  2. Some of the characters are a little too flat. During some chapters, I would think, “Wow, I feel like I know this character well.” Only for the next one to almost make the characters feel like they were in the background of their own story. Jun really intrigued me, but I feel like we got far more of Esek and Chono’s POVs than Jun’s.

That being said, there was a shocking plot twist near the ending, and this book sets up for a powerful sequel. 

If you read sci-fi, have you read this one yet? What did you think?

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐.5 /5 

Flashback Friday: Childhood Reads

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Alexis:

Happy Flashback Friday!

Do you still think about the books from your childhood? I’ve been thinking about my childhood favorites recently.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke was my all-time fave, and a new book in the series is actually being released this fall! I’m planning on rereading the original series before I read the new book, since it’s been a while. It made me start thinking about rereading all of these books some day.

Here is a list of just some of my childhood favorites that I still think about:

  • Caesar’s Antlers by Brooks Hansen
  • Charlotte’s Rose by A.E. Cannon
  • Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech
  • Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
  • The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
  • The Last Dragon by Silvana De Mari
  • Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
  • The Misty of Chincoteague series by Marguerite Henry

Alexis’ June 2024 Wrap Up

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Alexis: 

I can’t believe it’s already July, but June was a great reading month for me. I went on my summer beach vacation and happily read on the beach. Overall, I read 8 books in June. 

Loved: ⁣

  • A Song to Drown Rivers (ARC) by Ann Liang: See my review for more, but this book destroyed me in the best way. It’s a beautifully written fantasy novel based on the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China.
  • Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland: See my review for more, but this book was pure fun. It’s a new adult fantasy book where different assassins with unique abilities join together to assassinate the tyrant king.

Really Liked: ⁣

  • Star Splitter by Matthew J. Kirby: If you’re looking for a thrilling YA sci-fi, this is it. It reminds me a bit of The Darkness Outside Us. It follows 16-year-old Jessica Mathers, who crash-lands on a desolate planet lightyears from Earth. 
  • A Dream of Blood and Magic (ARC)⁣ by Olivia Boothe: If you’re looking for a fun read filled with vampires, witches, a prophecy, and the start of a romance, then this one’s for you. 
  • Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban: Inspired by Semester at Sea, this thrilling new adult thriller and murder mystery had me on the edge of my seat. Set on a ship, it follows Jade as she deals with a mystery of jealousy, love, and betrayal. 
  • Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage: This is the second book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series. If you’re looking for a fun cowboy romance series, I really like it! 

Liked: ⁣

  • Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez: This was the perfect beach read. It follows Emma, a traveling nurse, as she meets Justin in an unexpected way. This romance book has Jimenez’s usual hard themes mixed in. While I like it and the plot, the romance is lacking a little for me.  
  • Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb: This was my first Robin Hobb read! I know starting with this one is unconventional, but I wanted a pirate read for the beach. I adore the liveships and did like this one, but it’s definitely slow moving and depressing and took me a while to get through. However, I’m looking forward to reading more from Hobb.

Review: A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

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A Kindle with A Song to Drown Rivers lays on a desk

Alexis:

I’m back with another 5-star book recommendation! If you’re looking for the next best romantic fantasy, A Song to Drown Rivers is releasing this fall!

Don’t be fooled by the term “romantic fantasy,” however. This book deals with a myriad of dark, impactful themes, including war, sacrifice, and womanhood—alongside love, of course. 

The two main characters, Xishi and Fanli, were so well written. I love Xishi’s voice, as it’s from her first person POV. 

I’m actually devastated at how beautiful this story was—and heartbreaking. Liang’s writing is gorgeous and lyrical. Liang tackles the themes of war and sacrifice especially well. And despite me literally crying at the ending (which is very rare for me!) this was such a beautiful and well-written book. 

Look out for A Song to Drown Rivers on October 1!

VERDICT: 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊/5 

Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic historical fantasy about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC!

Review: Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

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Alexis holds Five Broken Blades in front of a bookshelf

Alexis:

After a nice beach vacation and a lot of work this month, I’m back with a review of a new adult fantasy called Five Broken Blades.

Short Synopsis From Goodreads:

The king of Yusan must die.

The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the God King Joon.

He has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish, while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined…or sold.

And now each of the five blades will come for him. Each has tasted bitterness―from the hired hitman seeking atonement, a lovely assassin who seeks freedom, or even the prince banished for his cruel crimes. None can resist the sweet, icy lure of vengeance.

⁣Review: 

I’ve seen mixed reviews of Five Broken Blades—but I loved it! It was a super fun, fast paced read, and I was impressed with how well Corland juggled so many POVs. ⁣Usually, I prefer books with 1-2 POVs. However, each chapter is short, which keeps the pace moving. They’re in first person, which allows you to get to know each character. And I genuinely enjoyed learning about each character.

They’re morally gray and flawed, and I liked learning about their backstories and motivations. I would say this book is almost equally driven by both the plot and characters. And you know I can never resist a book with political intrigue and romance subplots. If you like romantic subplots, you’ll be kicking your feet! (Because every character has one.) But if you don’t, then this story may not be for you. However, I enjoyed that love and deserving to be loved was one of the main themes. 

My only main critiques are that the backstories of each character were introduced very early in the story and the writing style leans on telling and not showing. While sometimes I wished the writing was more subtle or had more subtext, it didn’t prevent me from enjoying the story. It’s also a new adult book, so if you don’t jive with a more young adult voice, it might not be for you. 

Overall, if you’re looking for a low fantasy, Korean-inspired world with political intrigue, secrets, and a band of misfits on a mission to assassinate a king, pick this one up. ⁣It’s 5 out of 5 swords for me (ha!)

VERDICT: 🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️/5

Review: In The Weeds by B.K. Borison

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A Kindle rests on a desk flatlay with a cactus pillow, cloud wrist rest, and cactus print envelope.

Alexis:

Now that the weather is warming up, I’m reading more fun romance books. In The Weeds is the second book in the Lovelight series by B.K. Borison. I reread Lovelight Farms, the first book, this past Christtmastime, and I’m glad my library got the second book!

In The Weeds follows Beckett, a farmer on Lovelight Farms, and Evelyn, a woman he had a one-night stand with during a work trip and can’t stop thinking about. 

Romance books set in small towns with a fun cast of characters are my favorite. Lovelight Farms has become one of my fave romance books, and In The Weeds is such a cute sequel! The town is such a great setting, and I love the reccuring characters.

Beckett is grumpy and a man of few words, but he also has an army of cats and begrudgingly adopts an orphaned baby duck. Evelyn is described as a ray of sunshine. She’s bubbly and connects with everyone around her, and I liked their dynamic. 

Beckett also has a noise sensitivity/sensory issues, and I really appreciated the representation. 

While Lovelight Farms is still my favorite in the series, I enjoyed In The Weeds, and I’m looking forward to reading the third one—Mixed Signals!

Review: The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten

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Alexis: 

I recently reread The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten, which was one of my favorite reads of 2023, and I’m happy to say that I loved it just as much the second time around.

I read the sequel and the next installment in the trilogy, The Hemlock Queen, directly after. I can’t say too much about this book without going into spoilers, but I can say that I really enjoyed the beginning, but I thought the ending was especially well done; there were some stories included near that end that I enjoyed reading, and that added a lot to the lore and religion of this world.

However, I found that the middle of this book did drag a little, and I kept wondering when Lore, the main character, was actually going to do something or make a decision.

Overall, I didn’t love this one as much as The Foxglove King, but I did enjoy it. I’m looking forward to the last book!

If you’re interested in a fun yet gritty fantasy series with necromancy, an undead horse named Horse, a religious cult with religious trauma, and a love triangle (/quadrangle?), then I would recommend this series.

Review: The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin 

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Alexis:

The Sins on Their Bones is a gorgeously written story about grief, abuse, and moving on from the past. ⁣

It has a loveable yet flawed cast of characters, a fantastically written evil villain, and enough humor to balance out the dark themes. ⁣(At one point, the main character, Dimitri, has to hold a goat, and it’s hilarious). 

I loved the LGBTQ+ characters, the Jewish mythology, and the Russian-inspired world. 

Samotin did an amazing job with the body horror elements in this. The descriptions are dark and gruesome—but I liked that the story isn’t dark just for the sake of it. 

I also really enjoyed the multiple POVs—I think Samotin balanced them out really well. 

⁣I would avoid this one if you’re squeamish or uncomfortable reading about abuse. But if you like Anastasia, Frankenstein, and Shadow & Bone/the Grishaverse, then I recommend it! ⁣

Pub Date: May 7, 2024

VERDICT: 🦴🦴🦴🦴🦴/5 

⁣TW: Blood/gore, body horror, sexual abuse and violence, death/murder, trauma/PTSD, drugs and alcohol use ⁣

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Canada for my e-ARC!

Synopsis From Goodreads: 

Dimitri Alexeyev used to be the Tzar of Novo-Svitsevo. Now, he is merely a broken man, languishing in exile after losing a devastating civil war instigated by his estranged husband, Alexey Balakin. In hiding with what remains of his court, Dimitri and his spymaster, Vasily Sokolov, engineer a dangerous ruse. Vasily will sneak into Alexey’s court under a false identity to gather information, paving the way for the usurper’s downfall, while Dimitri finds a way to kill him for good.

But stopping Alexey is not so easy as plotting to kill an ordinary man. Through a perversion of the Ludayzim religion that he terms the Holy Science, Alexey has died and resurrected himself in an immortal, indestructible body—and now claims he is guided by the voice of God Himself. Able to summon forth creatures from the realm of demons, he seeks to build an army, turning Novo-Svitsevo into the greatest empire that history has ever seen.

Dimitri is determined not to let Alexey corrupt his country, but saving Novo-Svitsevo and its people will mean forfeiting the soul of the husband he can’t bring himself to forsake—or the spymaster he’s come to love.

Review: The Will of the Many by James Islington

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Alexis:

Happy April! I hope you all have been reading some good books. One of my reading goals for this year is to pick up more adult fantasy books. I heard nothing but good things about The Will of the Many, so I grabbed it from the library.

I’m happy to say that it lived up to the hype!

The Will of the Many is one of those books where it’s good to go into it with little expectations. But here’s what you can know about it:

  • The main character, Vis, is such a great, well-rounded main character. He’s vicious, caring, and intelligent.
  • A main theme is colonialism and the evils it can bring.
  • The book is in first person present tense, and it serves the story well. 
  • It’s an Ancient Roman-inspired political fantasy.
  • It’s partially set in an academy, which gives strong dark academia vibes.
  • The story has tons of twists and turns!
  • It has a unique magic system; the society allows a person’s strength, drive, and focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those in a higher societal position. 

It hits on so many hard themes, and despite the chunky page length, I was never bored. While Vis is only 17-years-old, this is definitely an adult book meant for adult audiences. That being said, it appeals to me as a mostly YA reader, as well. If you’re looking for a clever fantasy book, I definitely recommend it!

VERDICT: 🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️/5

Review: Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek

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Alexis:

Where the Dark Stands Still is my kind of book. It’s Howl’s Moving Castle meets Uprooted with a dash of Sorcery of Thorns. I really enjoyed it, and it ended up being 4.5 stars for me. 

“‘God,’ Liska pants.

‘Not quite,’ the Leszy says, watching her carefully. ‘But it’s still a better compliment than screaming the moment you see me.’

She might have rolled her eyes if she wasn’t still trembling.” 

I loved the atmosphere and Poranek’s writing style. The world is Polish folklore-inspired, which I really enjoyed. It was great seeing Liska, the main character, learn and grow as a character as the book went on. And if you like Howl, well, you’ll like the Leszy, the demon of the wood. 

My only critiques: The Leszy’s nickname for Liska was definitely overused, and the beginning was a little slow. 

This was a great debut! If you like creepy woods, demons and spirits, and magic/forest magic, I definitely recommend it!