Category: Reviews

Review: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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Alexis' hand holds a library copy of Fourth Wing over a gray blanket and a green blanket

Alexis:

Look what came in from the library! And yes, I did sit down and binge-read it in two days.

I want to start out by saying that I know that Fourth Wing has been EVERYWHERE. Like, I have seen it not only on book accounts, but just all over the internet in general. And by the time I realized this might be a book I should read (especially since it’s my genre), it was sold out of bookstores. So, thank you to my local library!

Due to this book’s hype, I’m not going to include a synopsis here, so feel free to look up what this book is about if you’ve managed to miss the frenzied discussion around it.

First off, I want to start off with my criticisms of this book.

Fourth Wing is in the same vein as A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Serpent and the Wings of Night with a dash of Eragon on top, so if those are your jam, this might be for you. 

This certainly isn’t a unique book, and honestly, that in itself is my main criticism—there were a lot of moments that were just too close to those of other books. I also found the plot to be extremely predictable. I can’t go into it that much without revealing spoilers, but I found that Yarros dropped too many hints about what ended up going down in the ending. The writing also does lean more YA, which honestly doesn’t bother me (this is NA people, that’s the point—adult themes but with the voice and snapiness of YA) especially because they’re in a college.

I also wish we got to see more of Violet’s dragon bonding. And I found Xaden, the love interest, to be exactly like every other love interest in the fantasy romance space and honestly not the most interesting character. 

Yet, that being said, I couldn’t put this book down. It has that thrilling, adventurous feeling that’s addicting. Yarros’ writing style is easy to devour, and I appreciated the amount of action scenes in this book. There’s never a dull moment! 

The Basgiath War College, aka the dragon riding college, in itself sounded super cool. I loved the brutality of both the college and the world. And I really appreciated the Ehler-Danlos syndrome rep, and I thought Yarros did a good job of exploring how it affects Violet’s training and her confidence. 

This book was wholly engrossing, and I definitely think it’s a good start to the series. I’m glad we don’t have too long of a wait until the sequel arrives this fall!

VERDICT: 5⭐ reading experience

DNF: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

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Alexis holds a library copy of the book in front of a bookshelf

Alexis:

Whelp, I DNFed Tress of the Emerald Sea. Given all the rave reviews, this book wasn’t what I expected.

The thing that threw me off the most was the narration style. Even though Sanderson explains this in the back of the book, it wasn’t working for me (or the story, in my opinion). The narrator is a character who appears later in the book. So even though the story is in 3rd person POV from Tress’ point of view, it’s technically actually in 1st person from the narrator’s POV.

The narrator is obnoxious. He’s constantly making side remarks and comments and cracking dumb jokes. It ended up completely taking me out of the story.

It doesn’t help, however, that I feel like I barely got to know Tress as a character. The romance is one dimensional, and the characters also feel one dimensional. The pacing felt off. The spore sea was interesting (the ocean isn’t actually water, but made of fungi spores) but everything else made me put this book down. 

(Also, yes, I’m aware that the book is flipped in the photo 😂)

DISCLAIMER: I haven’t read Sanderson’s Cosmere series, which is where this book is set. I know I would understand the world more if I did! However, since this book is a standalone, I am reviewing it as a standalone book.

Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

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A library copy sits on a green blanket next to the spines of The Hunger Games trilogy. A lit candle rests above the book.

Alexis:

When I saw the new trailer for the The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes movie, I thought, Well, I guess I’d better read the book!

Like a lot of people, when the book was announced a couple of years ago, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it. President Snow is the villain of The Hunger Games, after all. 

Here’s the thing about this book: compared to Katniss’ close point-of-view in The Hunger Games, this prequel feels very distant. 

The book is from Corolanius’ point of view, sure, but it’s a distant third. We’re not bathed in his fear, horror, and opinions like we are Katniss’. When the Hunger Games happen, we’re nothing but a spectator alongside Corolanius, watching from the outside. Because of this, despite it being a literal life or death situation, it didn’t feel like it actually was a life or death situation, and I found myself skimming the depictions of the Games. There’s also a myriad of side characters, and most of them felt rather flat and blurred together.

All of that being said, I thought the ending was well done.

Overall, this book was just okay. I think Collins’ publishers were probably like, “Hey, you need to write a prequel,” and she just had to roll with it. However, I do think it will translate better on screen when we can be more involved in the Games, so I still plan on watching the movie!

Review: The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox

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Alexis sits on a step and holds a library copy of The Last Heir to Blackwood Library

Alexis:

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library follows Ivy, who is the last living descendant to the Blackwoods, which means she inherits an estate called Blackwood Abbey. The abbey is grand yet dusty and old, but Ivy is drawn to its mysterious library. Despite warnings from the abbey’s staff, Ivy begins to peruse the library. But with time, she learns that there is something sinister in its shelves. 

The thing I most loved about this book is the atmosphere. It has all the markings of a good Gothic story: creepy house, ghosts, and a dark mystery. I also really enjoyed the setting as a whole. The story is set in the aftermath of World War I, and Fox does a great job showing how the war impacted both society and the veterans. 

Of course, I love the emphasis on books, as well!

While I really enjoyed the first half, and everything it sets up, there were a couple of things I got hung up on while reading.

  • Ivy. While I liked her first, she was just such a naive main character that she dragged the story down with her. Despite copious amounts of warnings (and even things she sees for herself), she continues to make very bad decisions throughout the story.
  • The plot becomes a little convoluted in the second half of the story. The mystery also drags on a little too long.
  • There are some spoiler-y things that I will mention below!

Overall, I enjoyed the concept, the atmosphere, and the setting.

VERDICT: 📚📚📚/5 

SPOILERS BELOW:

I’m going to elaborate a little on the plot here. The plot focuses heavily on memory and memory loss, which I like the idea of! However, as a reader, I did feel a little blindsided because we would be told that something happened, alongside Ivy, but have zero idea it happened because of her memory loss. I wish there was a way for us as the readers to have more insight as to what was happening.

This also made the romance feel lackluster to me. The hints were all there, but because we didn’t get to see Ivy fall in love, it fell a little flat to me.

Last point, and the one that bothers me the most: It was randomly thrown in at the end that Ralph just doesn’t remember who his parents are (despite him working with them everyday) because of his PTSD from the war?? This felt like a very important yet random development that was thrown in at the end just so that he could relate to Ivy’s memory loss. 

Review: Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

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Alexis' hand holds her Kindle over a marble table with a black notebook with a honeybee and an embroidery with a cat and yellow flowers

Alexis:

This past month has been a little crazy, so I haven’t written a review in a while!

I picked up an ARC that I’ve been trying to read for a while, but it wasn’t doing it for me. But then my hold of Practice Makes Perfect became available on Libby, so I started reading it, instead.

I read When In Rome by Sarah Adams recently and loved it. I’m generally picky with rom-coms, but it was so cute and fluffy, with baking and Audrey Hepburn references. Plus, I really liked the characters and Adams’ writing style.

Practice Makes Perfect is set in the same small town, Rome, Kentucky, and follows Annie, (Noah’s sister from the first book), who owns a flower shop. I haven’t read a rom-com with a main character like her in a while: a bookish introvert. I really connected with her character and appreciated her. 

As much as I loved the first book, this one just had so much chemistry and tension between Annie and Will, her love interest. Adams did a great job with making them well-rounded, and dual POVs always helps. I also love books that are set in the same town with the same cast of characters (like this one!). It really makes the story and setting feel more grounded, and you also really get to know the characters well. 

Overall, if you want a well-written and cute rom-com with flowers and an adventurous bodyguard love interest who has tattoos, then you’ll like this one!

VERDICT: 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

Review: The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

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A paperback copy sits in a gold book cart next to the first book.

Alexis:

Yes, I did buy the sequel to The Serpent and the Wings of Night the day it came out!

Unlike the first book, The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King has dual POVs! I’m generally a fan of dual POVs, especially when it comes to romance. It follows Oraya, the main character and the adopted daughter of the vampire king, and Raihn, who she falls in love with in the first book.

I can’t say much about this book without giving anything away. However, I will say that it is a lot slower paced than the first book. I loved how action-packed the first book is. This one reminds me a lot of A Court of Mist and Fury, as it’s slower-paced in order to focus on Oraya and Raihn’s trauma and grief. It also focuses on learning to trust again, and it delves more into politics.

Overall, this one was a 4-star instead of 5-star read. It did drag in places and sometimes felt repetitive, but I still enjoyed it! 

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Review: The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

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The paperback book stands on a gold book cart next to a White Pumpkin scented candle

Alexis:

I kept hearing about The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and then one of my best friends gifted it to me for my birthday a few months ago. 

It’s been pitched by other reviewers as the next A Court of Thorns and Roses, and I can definitely see why! This book was like ACOTAR, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, and The Hunger Games all mixed together.

Synopsis (adapted from Goodreads):

This fantasy romance follows Oraya, the adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king. Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her, but her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself. But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival—a vampire named Raihn. 

But war for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone—but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.

Review:

What I really appreciate about this book is how well Broadbent balances action with character. The plot of this book is very Throne of Glass and The Hunger Games: beat these trials and become the only winner, except this winner gets a gift granted by the goddess of death herself. The trials themselves are bloody and deadly, and I was impressed by how Broadbent didn’t shy away from showing the brutality of the trials.

The romance itself is a slow burn one, and Oraya and Raihn actually get to spend a lot of time getting to know each other before they become friends and allies, yet alone lovers. While Oraya was slow to open up, her position in society is a unique one, and I enjoyed getting to know her. Raihn is very much a Sarah Maas-like love interest. He’s sassy yet serious, powerful yet emotionally vulnerable. And, of course, he has wings.

Overall, I sped through this book! While it has character-driven scenes, it never slows down or drags, despite the fact that it’s over 500 pages long. As some other reviews pointed out, it’s certainly not an original story, but Broadbent does a fantastic job of putting her own spin on it. It’s one of those books that gives you a book hangover, and with the twist at the end, I’m thankful that the second in the series comes out soon. 

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

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A library copy of the book rests on an iron table next to a bottle of Wegman's mango kombucha

Alexis:

Are you looking for a swashbuckling pirate story that has both historical and fantasy elements?

The Adventures of Amina al-Sarafi follows Amina, a retired, middle-aged pirate. She lives far away from society in order to keep her young daughter safe and away from the haunts of her past. But when an old woman (the mother of a former crewman) comes to her door claiming her granddaughter was kidnapped, Amina finds it to be a job she can’t refuse. With the promise of making a fortune that will secure her daughter’s future, Amina comes out of retirement to dive back into her pirate life and finds herself facing the greatest adventure, and threat, of her life that might just leave her a legend. 

I absolutely loved the vibes of this book. The first half has a very strong historical fiction feel with very little fantasy elements, and you can tell Chakroborty did a phenomenal amount of historical research. The second half is very action-packed and becomes high fantasy very quickly. But the whole book has a strong feel of adventure and danger, which is perfect for a pirate story!

Amina is a fun main character with a strong voice. I love the fact that she’s older and has to come out of retirement. I love how she reconnects with her old crew. And I also love how she’s a mother, which plays a large part in her motivations. Amina is Muslim, and her reckoning with her religion also plays a large part in the story. 

Additionally, I like how the story is set up as an oral tradition. Amina is telling the story to an unknown someone (we find out at the end), and there are even tidbits of letters and info placed between chapters. 

I will say, the first half of this book is a little slow. Chakroborty takes her time setting everything up, and I kept wondering, When does this become a fantasy book? A lot of the side characters felt a little flat, but I really enjoyed the character of Dunya, the missing granddaughter. This definitely would’ve been a 5-star read if the first half didn’t drag quite as much.

Additional aspects I liked:

  • If you couldn’t tell from the cover, there’s a kraken-like creature that makes an appearance. 
  • Pirates of the Caribbean plus Life of Pi vibes 
  • Plenty of comedic moments and conversations 
  • There’s a demon with a vibrant personality 
  • Emphasis on myths and legends, alongside storytelling 

VERDICT: 🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️/5 

Review: Modern Divination by Isabel Agajanian

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Alexis holds a copy of Modern Divination.

Alexis:

⁣Modern Divination is a new adult contemporary fantasy that partially takes place at Cambridge University. It follows two main characters: Aurelia Schwartz, a witch from the US, and Theodore Ingram, her fellow student and rival. When another witch is murdered, Aurelia is pulled into the murder mystery and finds herself teaming up with Teddy.

Things I Liked: 

  • This book is very atmospheric, which is a trait I always love!
  • I also loved the witchy aesthetic. Aurelia, as a green witch, cultivates plants, and I enjoyed when she worked her magic.
  • Tea vibes! Since it’s set in England, there’s plenty brewing of tea and talk about tea. 
  • Teddy has strong Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle vibes.
  • I really enjoyed the style of dialogue and the deep conversations between Aurelia and Teddy.
  • In the same vein, I enjoyed the overall writing style. 
  • There’s also Jewish, bisexual, and nonbinary representation. 

Things I Didn’t Like As Much:

  • ⁣The plot itself is very minimal. I love a good murder mystery and was expecting it to take up more of the story. However, this is a very character-driven and introspective story, and the plot is left on the very back burner. I also found the actual plot itself to be lackluster, and the villain to be flat and uninteresting, unfortunately.
  •  Sections of the story are confusing. I felt like I needed to reread explanations because I was constantly double-guessing what I knew and didn’t know. Some of the transitions between chapters were also a little unclear, and I had to reread them for clarity’s sake.
  • Lastly, the magic system could have been explored more. There were some revelations at the end of the book that fell flat for me because I didn’t feel like I knew the magic system well enough. 

Overall, I did really enjoy the focus on the characters. Both Aurelia and Teddy are well-rounded and have plenty of flaws, and Aurelia’s friendship with her flatmate/best friend, Ryan, is written well. However, I wish the story was clearer and had a bit of a stronger plot.

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐/5⁣

What The River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

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Alexis:

What the River Knows is a historical fantasy novel set in late 1800’s Egypt. When Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera’s parents die during an adventure-gone-wrong in their beloved Egypt, Inez defies her new guardian, her uncle’s, order and arrives in Egypt. She won’t rest until she discovers what happened to her parents and learns how a gold ring with old-world magic, which her father mailed her before he died, fits into the narrative. Soon, she finds herself on a dangerous yet mysterious archaeological adventure with her uncle, his young assistant named Whit, and their crew.

What the River Knows is full of adventure and Egyptian history. I definitely has The Mummy but make it YA vibes (there aren’t any undead mummies, however). My favorite part of this book is how you become so immersed in the setting. Ibañez definitely did her research! I loved reading about the politics of the time period, as well as the ancient history of Egypt, which plays a large role in the story. Ibanez touches on British colonialism and the importance of history and not stealing artifacts.   

The actual fantasy aspect of this book is fairly minimal, as magic only clings to old objects in this version of history. However, I found it works well because the magic didn’t overpower the importance of the setting and the archaeology. 

I also enjoyed the romance. Inez and Whit are both headstrong characters, and it was fun to read about their tension and growing forbidden relationship. I especially appreciate Inez’ resolve, especially in a time period where women had no agency over their own lives, and she was unfortunately naive in a lot of situations. 

My biggest critique is that I could tell the story is setting up for a sequel. The middle drags a little bit, especially the mystery. A lot of questions and mysteries were piled up on top of each other, and we didn’t get any answers until about 75% of the way into the story. I think having a couple of reveals earlier would’ve helped propel the plot along.

Overall, I loved the adventure, history, and romance in this book. If you’re looking for a fun YA fantasy, then look out for What the River Knows, pub date November 14, 2023!

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for sending me an ARC for review!