takes two to book review

Review: The Enemy’s Daughter by Melissa Poet

May 6, 2025April 26, 2025 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

Matcha latte with The Enemy's Daughter in a coffee shop

Alexis:

Happy Pub Day to The Enemy’s Daughter! 🎉

The Enemy’s Daughter has two enemy settlements in a post-apocalyptic world. It follows Isadora, a healer, and Tristan, a boy from Isadora’s opposing settlement. When Isadora almost dies, Tristan does the unimaginable: he offers to save her life using a rare magic. Now, they find themselves bound together, and Isadora finds herself questioning everything she’s ever known.

My main critique was that I think this could’ve dug even deeper into the themes it presented. The first half was also a little repetitive, as Isadora tends to have the same thinking pattern over and over again.

However, I enjoyed Poet’s writing style and the tension. The Enemy’s Daughter is a fun read that moved quickly overall and was easy to binge! ⁣The vibes remind me a lot of the 2010’s dystopian era, so if you’re feeling nostalgic for that, you might like this one.

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Description: ⁣

𝐀 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜. 𝐀𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐀 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬-𝐭𝐨-𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐲—𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐓𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝗪𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚. ⁣

Thank you to HarperCollins for providing me with a copy for review!

Review: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

April 30, 2025 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

Sunrise on the Reaping next to The Hunger Games trilogy

Alexis:

Suzanne Collins is still the GOAT.

She’s always been great at first person POV, but Sunrise on the Reaping really throws you into Haymitch’s perspective. If you haven’t heard of the hype, Sunrise on the Reaping is the second prequel book to The Hunger Games. It follows Haymitch, Katniss’ mentor, during his games.

Collins really hammers in her messaging in this book—and doesn’t shy away from making it devastating. The parallels and Easter eggs between this book, the original trilogy, and Snow’s book really tie everything together into a sad, haunting bow.

You can’t say much about this book without spoiling it, but just know it reads like a classic Hunger Games book, and Collins really puts Haymitch through the wringer. I honestly appreciated how unhinged he is!

VERDICT: 🏹🏹🏹🏹🏹/5

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

April 13, 2025April 13, 2025 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

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

February 28, 2025 Anna and Alexis1 Comment

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

January 7, 2025 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

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

January 4, 2025January 4, 2025 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

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)

Christmas Eve & Currently Reading

December 24, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

Blood Over Bright Haven held over a Christmas tree and book stack ornament

Alexis:

Merry Christmas Eve! I’m currently reading Blood Over Bright Haven, a dark academia fantasy, which I’m enjoying so far.

I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately. I DNFed a couple of books, and then I wasn’t quite sure what I was in the mood to read. However, I have a great stack of books I plan on reading in 2025, so I have hope for the new year.

⁣As for today, I already finished all my Christmas baking and I’m excited to eat my Christmas chocolate chip cookies and my gingerbread cookie bars (not til tomorrow of course) and watch It’s A Wonderful Life tonight. ⁣

⁣I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! 🎄🕎

Review: Nightstrider by Sophia Slade

November 18, 2024November 17, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

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 ⁣

Alexis’ November Hopefuls

November 2, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

Alexis:

Happy November! 🍂🦃

I don’t usually make tbrs (or strict tbrs, anyway) because somehow my mood reading always comes into play. However, these are the books that I’m hoping to read this month.

The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott: My library hold of this one just came in. It’s supposed to be a dark academia romantasy.
Heir by Sabaa Tahir: I’m also picking this one up from the library today. It sounds like a great, classic YA fantasy.
The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart: This was the last book I bought. Stewart’s debut, The Bone Shard Daughter, is one of my favorite books, so I’m looking forward to reading this one, which is about a world ravaged by ancient magic, where gemstones give certain people magical abilities.
The Devourer by Alison Ames: I have an ARC of this one, which is about pirates and the sea. It sounds so interesting, and I’m also obsessed with the cover.

Have you read any of these, or are you planning on reading any of them? I hope you have a great reading month!

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

October 31, 2024October 30, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

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