Tag: book reviewer

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: 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: The Queen of Days by Greta Kelly

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Alexis holds the Queen of Days next to an orange pumpkin

Alexis:

Are you looking for a new heist book?

From Goodreads: From Greta Kelly, the author of the Warrior Witch duology, comes The Queen of Days, an epic adventure that weaves together a flawed-but-lovable family of thieves, a battle between fallen gods, and stakes high enough to cause vertigo—perfect for fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora and Six of Crows.

The Queen of Days has

✨A mysterious character named Tass who eats time

✨Dangerous mission to defeat a god

✨Crew of misfits/thiefs

✨Portal to different dimension

By far my favorite part of the book was Tass. Since she’s not human, her interactions and conversations were always funny, and I enjoyed her perspective and getting to unravel her past as the story went on. Her time-eating power was so interesting and unique, and I loved the way it was explained.

As much as I love a good band of misfits and thieves, I do wish this book had a stronger plot. I felt like there were more conversations than action. But I did enjoy the story overall.

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks so much to Harper Voyager for my arc!

Review: The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

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Slippered feet standing by three pumpkins a book, The Female Persuasion

VERDICT: 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 / 5

Anna: I’ve been meaning to read The Female Persuasion for years, and I’m so glad that I finally did! This is a sweeping coming-of-age novel that takes a lot of energy to read but, in my opinion, had a high pay off. 

The book follows Greer as she begins her freshman year of college at Ryland. The child of two stoners, Greer has been studious and high achieving all of her life—perhaps rebelliously—so. She was meant to attend Princeton or Yale alongside her equally brainy high school boyfriend, Cory, had her parents not messed up her financial aid forms. In the beginning of the book, Greer is riotously angry about attending what she sees as a second-rate school.

When the book starts, Greer is infuriatingly naive in a way that unfortunately reminded me of myself when I started college. Her anger at being at Ryland is also frustrating as a reader. But after experiencing a sexual assault that is brushed aside by the school, Greer attends a lecture by a famous feminist, Faith Frank. She subsequently falls quickly into the world of feminism and into an obsession with Faith Frank. Very quickly her righteous anger at going to Ryland redirects to anger at the patriarchy.

As Greer becomes more educated and exposed to women’s issues, her passion for feminism and women’s rights becomes her chief interest and passion. After college, Greer finds a job working for Faith’s foundation. At first, she’s starstruck by Faith and impassioned by the chance to make a difference in women’s lives. She can’t believe her good fortune to work at a job she really believes in, while making an actual difference in women’s lives. Meanwhile, Cory and her best college friend, Z, encounter hardship after hardship in the corporate world. But everything isn’t what it seems, and soon, Greer is forced to confront the hypocrisy of Faith Frank’s breed of white feminism.

This book took me back to some of the hardest years of my life—figuring out what to do with myself after college. Though the book starts in her early years of college, that’s ultimately what this is about. As Greer gets older she becomes more aware of the darker side of the foundation and of Faith. She slowly realizes that everything in her life is controlled and warped by men, including the foundation and the woman she dedicated so many years of her life to. 

I also liked that though Greer was by no means a perfect, she had autonomy and was a driving force in her own story. She didn’t just let things happen to her, which is something that can sometimes frustrate me about the protagonists of coming-of-age stories. I also liked that this book spanned so many years and had a satisfying ending. It was really such a good exploration of the good and the bad of feminism—or any social or political movement—and the importance of standing up for what you really believe in once you’ve figured it out.

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

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!

Review: Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

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Alexis:

Since I’m unfortunately recovering from lung surgery, I decided that continuing with my rom com binge and sticking to more lighthearted reads might be a good idea. 

I read The Love Hypothesis earlier this year and was pleasantly surprised. The writing was easy and accessible and the story was funny and heartwarming. 

Needless to say, I picked up Love on the Brain. And I have to admit…I’m a little baffled.

Was this fun to read? Yes. Like its predecessor, Love on the Brain contains so much interesting science talk (as well as a focus on neuroscience) and you can tell Hazelwood knows what she’s talking about. 

That being said, I got major déjà vu when reading this book. I kept thinking, “Have I read this before?” There were so, so many scenes, moments, and plot points that were almost the exact same as The Love Hypothesis. 

Now: yes, I am aware that both books started out as Reylo fanfic (but I like to keep an open mind!). So I knew there would be some similarities. However, both of the main characters, Bee and Levi, were nearly carbon copies of the main characters in The Love Hypothesis, except Bee somehow managed to be a more unhinged version of Olive. 

At least I liked Levi’s character. But there was also a plot point at the end that was honestly so ridiculous that it made the story unredeemable for me. 

Final thoughts: It started off as a fun read, but I wasn’t able to enjoy or get sucked into the story because it was just a worse version of The Love Hypothesis.

Review: Wildbound by Elayne Audrey Becker

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An e-ARC of Wildbound on a Kindle sits on top of the spine of Foresborn in front of a green forest. A bottle of Topo Chico sits on its left.

Alexis: 

Wildbound is a fantastic sequel and ending to the Forestborn duology. A huge thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for providing me an e-ARC!

The Forestborn duology follows Rora, a shifter who lives in Alemara, a land that once had magic but no longer does. When her best friend and the youngest prince, Finley, grows sick with a magical illness called the Fallow Throes, she’s tasked by the king to travel to find stardust to cure Finley, alongside Weslyn, the older prince, and her brother, Helos.

While Forestborn only followed Rora’s POV, Wildbound has dual POVs and follows Helos, her brother, as well. This worked exceptionally well for the story, and I found that the dual storylines upped the tension. I also got to know and understand not only Helos’ character better, but Finley’s, too. I actually ended up loving Helos’ POV just as much as Rora’s. 

Wildbound is action packed. We follow a war in Helos’ storyline and a spying adventure in Rora’s. While there are quiet moments to breathe, I didn’t want to put this book down.

Like Forestborn, Becker’s writing is lovely and full of forest and nature imagery. The characters are well-rounded, loveable, and so easy to root for! The worldbuilding and political intrigue are fantastic. Wildbound also delves into some very dark themes–not only prejudice but genocide, torture, and PTSD. Becker explores the themes of love and belonging with just the right amount of romance, including an m/m romance. 

I highly recommend picking up this duology if you haven’t already–Wildbound solidified it as one of my favorites.

Review: This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

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Alexis holds This Woven Kingdom in a coffee shop next to her laptop and wooden chairs.

Alexis:

Happy Sunday, everyone! I’ve been enjoying reading and writing in coffee shops lately. I’ve always loved their atmospheres (and plus having some good green tea and a peach danish always helps, too).

I just finished reading This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi. Mafi’s writing is absolutely beautiful and atmospheric. Just on a writing level, this book was a joy to read. I absolutely loved her descriptions of the landscape and the world. It was so vibrant and lovely on the page, and it made her worldbuilding of the Persian mythology inspired world great.

This Woven Kingdom has two POVs: Alizeh, the long lost princess of the Jinn kingdom, who became a servant to hide after the murder of her parents, and Kamran, the crowned prince. I thought Mafi’s characterization of both main characters was great, but I especially enjoyed Alizeh’s chapters. 

All that being said, this is a very slow moving book, and if you haven’t picked up on it yet, I love slow moving books. But while the worldbuilding and characters are so well-established, barely anything happens in this book, and it’s over 500 pages long! Besides what happens in the end, the only main plot point is some insta-love. 

Overall, this book felt like one long set up for the next one in the series, but I’m interested to see what happens in the next one.

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐.75 

Review: Dance of Thieves Duology

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The spines of the Dance of Thieves duology perches on a windowsill next to a Sweater Weather wood-wick candle, and a small pot of cat grass.

Alexis:

Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson had been on my tbr for years, and I finally said, You know what? I should get it from the library. 

I had no idea this book would focus so heavily on the romance, but I didn’t mind it. The story follows Kazi, a solider of the queen’s, and Jase, the leader of the Ballenger family, an influential family that rules a kingdom that the queen doesn’t recognize. 

Let me start out by saying that Pearson’s writing is great; the writing itself is 5 ⭐s. She has the perfect writing style for a fantasy book like this one, and I really enjoyed it. I also really love dual POVs, and I think it worked well for the story. 

I simultaneously loved this book and thought it was just okay. I sped through the first half (despite never having read Pearson’s other series, where Dance of Thieves takes place, and struggling a bit with the worldbuilding). 

But this book has a lot of long sections that drag. The writing and world feel like adult fantasy, but this is definitely a YA book, because we have some almost-insta-love, enemies to lovers, and teenage angst. 

I think the parts that just felt okay to me were the constant backs and forths. This is basically an enemies to lovers, and then lovers to enemies, and then back to enemies to lovers book. There was a lot of miscommunication, which I’m starting to dread in romance-heavy books. And to think it was the miscommunication plotlines, as well as all the extraneous worldbuilding details, that bogged down the story. 

That being said, I enjoyed it as a whole, and I’m hoping I’ll like the second one even more! 

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐/5 

Vow of Thieves:

What a sequel! This book makes up for the slow plot in Dance of Thieves. While the book is still long, there’s so much more action. The stakes are super high. Kazi and Jase are separated for the majority of the book, which adds to the longing and stakes of the book.

I enjoyed getting to know all of the side characters more.

There are a couple aspects that kept this from being a 5-star read, however. While I liked that Kazi and Jase were separated, as I think it helped with character growth, I think it went on just a little too long. I waited like 300 pages just for them to be together again, and considering the first book was mostly insta-love, I didn’t really get to see them grow together as a couple. 

On top of that, there was one “plot twist” that kept being hinted at, but it was very obvious from the get-go what it was. And it also dragged on for almost 300 pages. 

Despite that, I flew through this book, and overall, I enjoyed it!

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5