Book blogger – Page 3 – takes two to book review

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

Review: A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan

September 23, 2024September 23, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

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.

Foresty Book Recs

September 12, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

Alexis:

What’s your favorite kind of book? Because mine is a good foresty/woodsy novel! If it’s a book featuring a creepy, atmospheric forest—or better yet, a sentient forest—chances are, I’ll want to read it. Foresty books are perfect for fall! It’s been foggy here in the mornings, which really adds to the fall reading ambience.

The stacks of books pictured above are some of my favorite fantasy reads featuring forests (say that 5 times fast). If you’re in the mood, I hope you’ll pick some of them up.

If you want a forest-themed/woodland mug, I’ve got you covered. Thank you so much to FloraeSnow for sending me this beautiful mug! If you want to check out her Etsy shop, you can use our code to get 15% off: TAKESTWO15

Happy reading! 🌲

Review: The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko

September 2, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

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

August 24, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

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.

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.
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

August 9, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

A stack of books sits on a gray blanket next to lit candle

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

July 7, 2024July 8, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

Three book spines next to a candle on a gray blanket

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: Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

June 25, 2024June 25, 2024 Anna and Alexis1 Comment

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: The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R. Samotin

April 11, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

The Sins on Their Bones on a bookshelf next to Home Office candle

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: House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J Maas

March 19, 2024March 15, 2024 Anna and AlexisLeave a comment

Alexis:

House of Flame and Shadow, the third book in the Crescent City series, has already been controversial in the SJM community, but I really enjoyed it!

It’s not perfect (let’s be honest—ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses) isn’t either) BUT with the magnitude of everything she had to pull together in House of Flame and Shadow, I thought it was a great, wild ride!

The stakes are high. So many things are happening and being revealed, and despite the massive page count, I was on my toes for all of it. I loved how she pulled everything together!

A lot of people don’t like Bryce, but I’m not one of them. While she’s a little hot-headed, I love a character with actual flaws—and she’s a badass! She also reminded me a lot of Aelin in this book, and a lot of the plot actually reminded me of ACOWAR, the 3rd book in the ACOTAR series.

Two of the side characters were definitely the stars of this book: Lidia and Ruhn. If you know, you know!

House of Earth and Blood is definitely my favorite of the three, and I only gave House of Sky and Breath 3 stars, so it was definitely my least favorite of the bunch. While I think the first book is honestly the best and stands perfectly on its own, I did enjoy this one. I just missed the dynamic of Bryce and Hunt from the first book.

All of that being said, I think Maas did a great job. Sure, the final battle definitely could’ve been a little longer. And sure, there are some info dumps in the first half. But Maas had a lot of things to link together, and overall, this was a great ending. (Or is it the ending? You never know with Maas!)

VERDICT: 5 ⭐