Category: Reviews

Review: Dark Rise & Dark Heir by C.S. Pacat

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Alexis holds Dark Heir over a laptop with an iced decaf latte

Alexis:

I’ve read 17 books so far this year, so I feel a little behind in reviews! But life has been busy in a way that life tends to do, between wedding planning, the birth of my nephew, work, and starting the querying process all over again with my recently finished novel.

Dark Rise was actually one of my last reads of 2024, and its sequel, Dark Heir, was one of my first reads of 2025, and I still think about them. Dark Rise has become a bit of an underrated Bookstagram darling, and when I found a copy at a used bookstore, I was curious. 

Dark Rise 

Winter always makes me in the mood for a good fantasy, so Dark Rise was exactly what I was looking for. It’s a dark YA fantasy that’s set in a historical London and follows sixteen-year-old Will, who is on the run from some mysterious men who killed his mother. He finds himself learning about a group of people called the Stewards who fight for the Light and are attempting to fight off the Dark—and the rising Dark King. 

This felt like a classic YA fantasy, and I loved the dark vs. light themes. The ending especially was spectacular, and it really put the rest of the book in a new light (ha) and turned some things on their heads. It was 4 stars for me!

Dark Heir 

Dark Heir was a fantastic sequel. In an age where a lot of sequels fall flat, Dark Heir only expands on both the world and the plot in the first book in dark and wonderful ways. We learn a lot more about the characters, and C.S. Pacat really plays with the themes of destiny and fate. This was 5-stars for me!

If you’re looking for a great start to a YA fantasy series, then I recommend it!

Review: The Floating World by Axie Oh

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The Floating World held over a mountain

Alexis:

The Floating World is a classic YA fantasy with great worldbuilding and interesting twists.

I definitely loved the world the most! I found it so intriguing. It definitely has a steampunk vibe to it mixed with Korean mythology, and I enjoyed learning about the world, its history and legends, and its politics. There’s a decent amount of political and military intrigue with the POV of a character named Jaliel. 

I loved the main characters, Ren and Sunho. They both had interesting backstories and motivations. I was definitely getting some Howl’s Moving Castle vibes, with a dash of Shadow and Bone. 

My only main criticism is that the dialogue sometimes fell a little flat and felt stilted. Also, some of the critical scenes felt like they happened really fast while some of the side scenes went on a little longer.

Overall, this is a great start to a series, and I found myself drawn into the story—there was never a dull moment! There’s definitely a lot to build on for the sequel!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Macmillian for my ARC in exchange for a review. The Floating World releases on 4/29/25! 

VERDICT: ⛰️⛰️⛰️⛰️⛰️/5

Synopsis:

Sunho lives in the Under World, a land of perpetual darkness. An ex-soldier, he can remember little of his life from before two years ago, when he woke up alone with only his name and his sword. Now he does odd-jobs to scrape by, until he comes across the score of a lifetime—a chest of coins for any mercenary who can hunt down a girl who wields silver light.

Meanwhile, far to the east, Ren is a cheerful and spirited acrobat traveling with her adoptive family and performing at villages. But everything changes during one of their festival performances when the village is attacked by a horrific humanlike demon. In a moment of fear and rage, Ren releases a blast of silver light—a power she has kept hidden since childhood—and kills the monster. But her efforts are not in time to prevent her adoptive family from suffering a devastating loss, or to save her beloved uncle from being grievously wounded.

Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from—and from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn’t realize she’s the girl that he—and a hundred other swords-for-hire—is looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts—and destinies—are far more entwined than either of them could have imagined…

Review: The Devourer by Alison Ames

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Alexis holds a Kindle with The Devourer cover over snow

Alexis:

Happy Pub Day to The Devourer! 

The Devourer is a YA fantasy with pirates, revenge, a monster sinking ships, and magic leaking into the world. It follows Adra, a young pirate captain. When her half-brother Cameron attacks their father and robs him of a priceless treasure map, he leaves him a shell of the pirate captain he once was. Now Adra’s only aim in life is to kill Cameron, retrieve her father’s map, and claim the treasure herself.

But her plans are thwarted by a young pirate captain named Quinn, as well as a monster called The Devourer that’s sinking ships. Now, she must strike a deal with the monster.

What I Liked:

Adra was a morally grey and well-rounded main character, and her relationship with her crew was interesting to read about. Diana, a girl who was turned into an osprey by bad magic, was my favorite character, and I wanted even more of her!

I also really vibed with Ames’ writing style, and I loved her descriptions. 

The story also has sapphic and disability representation. 

I don’t want to give anything away, but the overall plot and premise feels fresh and different, which I really appreciated in a YA read. The atmosphere of the book is fairly dark, but with enough humor to balance it out.

What I Didn’t Like As Much:

However, I found myself wanting even more monsters and mayhem. The premise of the book doesn’t really happen until halfway through the story, so the first half felt a little slow and the plot didn’t feel quite as urgent as I wanted it to. The ending also felt a little abrupt to me; I wanted more scenes with Cameron.

Verdict:

That being said, overall, this was a solid and enjoyable read. I was in the mood for a pirate story, so this hit the spot.

🌊🌊🌊🌊/5 

Thank you to Netgalley and Page Street Publishing for my ARC in exchange for a review!

Review: Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

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Death of the Author book review

Anna: In Death of the Author, Nnedi Okorafor tackles A LOT but does it well. This book will be released on January 14, 2025!

Zelu, a disabled Nigerian American woman, is freshly let go from her job as a professor when she strikes publishing gold with her sci-fi novel, Rusted Robots. Unlike her first novel, this one is a huge success and earns her a great book deal and immediate fame. 

I sped through this book and found myself highlighting and making a lot of notes. What stands out is the novel’s critique of the publishing world and its examination of cancel culture and social media. It also asks if AI/technology is good/bad and can be trusted. 

The rest of the novel follows her struggles with fame as she deals with the expectations of writing more great books and disagrees with the direction the film adaptation of her book takes. She also faces backlash from fans and readers, as, now famous and wealthy, she explores futuristic avenues and adventures for herself which quickly gets her accused of “becoming a robot”.

Zelu’s family is a big part of her life, but they are also a point of contention as they have a lot of ideas about how to act as Nigerian Americans. Zelu seems to have already strayed from their expectations purely by having an accident and becoming disabled, and this family dynamic becomes more and more complicated as the book goes on. 

The book also looks at how culture and race can impact people’s view of disability. Zelu is seen as rebellious and purely by existing as a disabled unmarried woman pursuing a creative career.

You also get to read Rusted Robots, the fictional book  within the book, which is very cool! 

I didn’t enjoy the Rusted Robots story-within-a-story as much as Zelu’s but enjoyed the concept of a book within a book, especially as Zelu turned more and more to technology in real life.

WARNING:SPOLIER BELOW

It did lose me a bit at the end due to her sudden pregnancy and the fact that she was still able to go to space despite it. As someone who is currently 27 pregnant myself, I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief for that, even though I know the point is that she can still maintain her individuality and pursue her own dreams as a mother.

Overall, I found Death of the Author highly unique, interesting and complex!

VERDICT: 🛸🛸🛸🛸/5

(4/5 spaceships)

Review: Nightstrider by Sophia Slade

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A matcha latte over a money tree and Nightstrider cover

Alexis: 

It’s been 6 years since Anna and I started this blog! She’s actually pregnant and hasn’t been reading as much as usual, hence why she hasn’t been posting any reviews lately. But I’m looking forward to being an aunt, and I hope you enjoy another fantasy review from me.

Nightstrider is a dark fantasy with well-written characters, different POVs, and interesting magic/worldbuilding. ⁣

⁣One of my favorite aspects of this book is definitely the magic and worldbuilding. The dream magic felt so unique, as did the two different realms. 

I loved all of the main characters. Sometimes I struggle with books with a lot of POVs, but Slade balanced them well! I was interested in all of their backstories and motivations, and their dialogue and banter was great.

There’s a portal, an evil night creature/king who can cross the boundary between the dream and waking realms, LGBTQ representation, and hints of romance. There’s also some political intrigue and plenty of action. Nightstrider had everything I was in the mood for, and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel. 

To stop a vicious demon’s conquest, nightmares and humans will band together.

From Sophia Slade, stunning new voice in epic fantasy, comes this dark, romantic tale about a world split in two and the four misguided souls who must come together to save it, for fans of Holly Black and Hannah Whitten.

⁣VERDICT: 🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒/5 ⁣

Review: The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton

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A Kindle on marble table with a coffee cup

Alexis: Happy Halloween! 🎃

I hope you all have a fantastic day, whether you’re watching scary movies, eating a bunch of candy, or having a party (on a Thursday? Have fun, though)!

In other news, I recently got engaged! I also read The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton while I was on a plane. I tend to read more lighthearted books when I fly, and this was the perfect choice. 

After I got used to the writing style, I found the story whimsical, hilarious, and witty. It’s a historical fantasy romcom where rival ornithologists hunt across England for a rare magical bird.

As Goodreads says, “When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can’t trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology.” 

If you want a quirky, sweet as pie, funny story full of romance, academia, and of course, birds, then I recommend it.

VERDICT: 🐦🐦🐦🐦/5

Review: A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan

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A TV with a fireplace video

Alexis:

Happy fall! 🍂🎃

I returned home from a trip yesterday, which of course means that I read a book (another ARC!) on the plane.

A Fire in the Sky follows three POVs: Tamsyn, the whipping girl of the royal family, Fell, the ruler of the Borderlands, and Stig, the Captain of the Guard and Tamsyn’s friend.

I’ll start off by saying I haven’t read the Firelight series, and this book is set in the same world. However, I found this a classic and interesting fantasy world, where dragons and witches have mostly died off due to being hunted and persecuted. The majority of this book is set on a road through the countryside and wilderness, and I love a good travel story.

Overall, this is a solid read. I can tell a lot more is going to happen in the sequel, so this first book definitely feels like the setup for the rest of the series. I really enjoyed the second half especially, as the pacing picked up and more events began happening to spur the plot along. While the romance lacked some depth, with the events at the end, I definitely think the romance will have more depth as the series continues! 

My only cons were that Sig’s POV seemed unnecessary, and Fell was constantly described as big, to the point where it got to be a little much.

This was a fun and easy read. If you like dragons and romantasy, give it a shot!

VERDICT: 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for sending me an ARC in exchange for a review.

Pub Date: A Fire in the Sky comes out tomorrow, September 24, 2024!

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it’s her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard…though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride…but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.

Magic is not dead…it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

Review: Inferno’s Heir by Tiffany Wang

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Alexis sits in a cafe with a matcha latte and the cover of Inferno's Heir

Alexis:

I’m finally making my way through my ARCs! Most recently, I finished Inferno’s Heir by Tiffany Wang, which comes out on October 15th.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Teia Carthan abandoned her morals long ago, and now there’s nothing she won’t do to stay alive. So far she has survived her parents’ deaths, the ire of the Council, and innumerable attempts on her life, orchestrated by Jura, her half brother and soon-to-be king of Erisia. Teia’s rare control over two elements marks her as both an outsider and a formidable opponent—but once Jura is crowned king, there will be no way to survive him. Not for Teia, not for anyone. 

When Jura moves to crush the rebellion that seeks to overthrow the monarchy, Teia sees one last opportunity to ensure her own safety. She can infiltrate the rebels, locate their base . . . and betray them to Jura, trading their lives for her own. 

Yet when Teia meets the rebels, she gets far more than she bargained for. And when she gains not only their trust but their friendship, she begins to have doubts. Perhaps the rebels are right. Perhaps the Golden Palace should be torn down and the monarchy destroyed. 

But then again—what if there is another possibility? What if Teia were on the throne instead?

Review: 

Inferno’s Heir is Six of Crows meets elemental magic with a dash of The Hunger Games. It has fire and water magic, political intrigue, a band of rebels, morally gray characters, and a heist or two. 

I enjoyed the firebending vibes in the story. Wang doesn’t shy away from showing a brutal world, especially when it comes to Jura—and even Teia. Characters are forced to make decisions, whether they end up making the right one or not. 

I’m excited to see where the sequel takes us. There was an interesting bit of lore dropped near the end, and it will definitely be a major player in the next book. I’m also looking forward to getting to know the side characters better.

If you like elemental magic, political intrigue, and morally gray characters, then I recommend giving this one a shot when it comes out in a month!

VERDICT: 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Bindery Books for my review copy!

Review: The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko

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A library copy of The Maid and the Crocodile next to a pumpkin chai latte

Alexis:

Happy Labor Day! I hope everyone has a great day off. I’m currently baking blueberry pie bars, and I’m looking forward to getting some reading done tonight. The last book I read was The Maid and the Crocodile, which means I finished my 2024 reading challenge of reading 52 books!

Review:

Raybearer is one of my favorite fantasy novels, so I knew The Maid and the Crocodile would be good! I love when an author writes a standalone set in the same world, and Ifueko did a fantastic job.

I love how this book shows you a different perspective of the West African-inspired world, and I enjoyed how often characters and storylines from the Raybearer duology pop up.

Sade is a great main character with an interesting backstory and perspective, and her magic is so unique; she is a Curse Eater, gifted with the ability to alter people’s fates by cleaning their houses. And the Crocodile is such a Howl-coded character. 

And, of course, I appreciated the hard-hitting themes of this book and how it focuses on making a difference through dismantling poverty and oppression. The story also focuses on disabilities and differences, as Sade has vitiligo and an injured foot and uses a cane. 

.Overall, while I think you could enjoy this as a standalone, you’ll definitely get more out of it if you’ve read Raybearer. There are also some spoilers for the duology as a whole, so if you plan on reading Raybearer, I recommend reading it first.

If you like Beauty and the Beast type stories, Howl’s Moving Castle (Ifueko even mentioned her nod to it in the back of the book) and curses, but with an original spin, then I think you’ll like this one!

VERDICT: 🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊

Review: These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs

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Alexis holds These Burning Stars in front of a bookshelf

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