The Novice (Summoner #1) by Taran Matharu

 Book Review:

The Novice (Summoner book 1)

🦎🦎🦎🦎🦎/5🦎

I fully and freely admit that I read this book because an amazing boy (man really) I really like loved it and suggested it. I put aside other books to read it. And it also took me so very long to read if you look at the start and end dates because I spend many hours of the day talking to the aforementioned hottie which left a lot less time for reading. And for a change I’m not sorry for being distracted. 

But you want to know about the story right? Well, it’s really good! Fletcher is a good hearted young man who finds himself in a situation he never could have imagined surrounded by folks he never could have imagined knowing.  Othello is a great character and seeing where he ends up is a huge part of the draw. The twins are so damn awful and I have a terrible feeling they get worse as the story continues. The world building deserves mention here. I like the way it’s done as the story progresses, it flows so well. 

There are some messages weaved into the storytelling, like hey don’t be a racist. There’s a great Magic system and really interesting side characters. And the creatures/demons are so fabulously described!! 

I can’t wait to see what happens next.

(finished October 24, 2021)

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 Book Review:

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥/5🔥

Picking up right where From Blood and Ash left off, the second book in this series only made me love Poppy and Hawke so much more. And I love Kieran soooo much!! Even as I rolled my eyes over how obvious it was Poppy was in love but wasn’t able to see it, I loved it. 

There were some answers but a whole lots of questions still unanswered. 

I love the mix of fantasy world building that feels midevil but with modern touches thrown in. They talk about electricity and running water but horses and carriages are the mode of transportation used. 

I love the way the entire story seems to always come back to allowing a person, a woman, agency over her body and life. 

And I love the steamy, spicy bits. 💋💋🌶🌶🔥🔥

But oh that last chapter!! My heart is still pounding!! And I’m trying not to cry, and failing. 

I am absolutely, completely in love with this story and the way Jennifer writes.

(Finished September 5, 2021)

From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 Book Review:

From Blood And Ash 

🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸/5🩸

OMG!!!! Never have I ever been more surprised by how much I loved a book. I’ve spent so much time at work ordering parts of this series for people and being told by my regulars that I need to read. So I caved. And I fell hard for Poppy & Hawke. And I had my heart shredded. And the spicy bits were 🔥🔥🔥. 

I really think this is more fantasy than romance, though there is a romance. It just feels like the fantasy outweighs the actual romance, but whatever, it’s amazing no matter what bookstore shelf it gets placed on. The hype is well earned. 

The slow burn that turns into a raging fire right at the end, the drama, the world building, the morally gray character you can’t help but to love, the snarky moments, this one just really ticks all of the boxes for me. 

I’m only sorry I waited so long to jump on the FBAA train.

(Finished August 30, 2021)

Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

 Book Review:

Kingdom Of The Wicked  

🧙🏼🧙🏼🧙🏼🧙🏼🧙🏼/5🧙🏼

I am so very anxious for the next part of the story. I’ll be honest, for most of this book I was thinking it was a solid 4, maybe 4.5 star read. Right until the last 20-30 pages when shit went sideways and I hadn’t seen it coming. And I loved it!! 

The journey that Emilia begins when her twin is brutally murdered is one fueled by the desire for vengeance and powered by magic. She then starts to learn that so much of what she believes isn’t the whole truth. And when she begins to suspect that Wrath isn’t just some Prince of Hell, that there’s more to him, she isn’t sure who to trust. 

Is she strong enough and does she have what it takes to become her own hero? She doesn’t quite seem to think so but as much as she falters and messes up, she grows along the way and that was my favorite thing about her. The character development over the course of this book has me filled with excitement to see what she does next in Kingdom Of The Cursed. 

And I admit I didn’t see the twists at the end coming.

(Finished August 23, 2021)

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

 Book Review:

A Spindle Splintered  

🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀/5🥀

One of the perks of being a Barnes & Noble bookseller is we get access to ARCs. And that’s how I got my hands on this coming soon book by Alix E. Harrow.

The introduction letter describes it as Sleeping Beauty meets Spider-verse. That’s so spot on. It’s also an unapologetically kick-ass, queer, and empowering story. The shadow illustrations throughout are *chef’s kiss*. And it’s definitely a single sitting read clocking in at 119 pages. 

The story follows dying girl Zinna into a fairytale, her favorite, Sleeping Beauty. Also here are Zinna’s best friend Charm and Primrose, a Princess with no interest in Princes. 

The writing is snarky and badass. The story is beautifully different and full of lessons on agency and bucking the roles assigned to us and learning to be true to who we are. 

When this comes out in October make sure you grab a copy!!

(Finished August 19, 2021)

Slay by Brittney Morris

 Book Review:

Slay  

🎮🎮🎮🎮🎮/5🎮

This book was my blind date with a book I picked up when I visited my colleagues at 

Kiera is one of three Black students at her school, the other two being her sister Steph and her boyfriend Malcolm. It’s exhausting and they all handle it differently. 

SLAY is a virtual world that is a safe and amazing gaming space for Black players created by Kiera. It’s a space that values and respects and offers a freedom for players that the day to day world doesn’t give room for. And no one knows she is the creator, Emerald. 

When the world of the game spills into the outside world and a young man is murdered it puts the spotlight on SLAY and Kiera is going to have to defend her creation and those who have come to rely on this virtual world as a place of respite. Can Kiera save the space she has created from lawsuits and trolls? Who is Dred? And what about Malcolm and their relationship, is it healthy and what can she or does she want to do about it? 

A timely and important read. I don’t want to say too much more because I don't want to spoil the impact of the story and how it unfolds.

I will say that this is a must read!!!

(Finished August 14, 2021)

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 Book Review:

Mexican Gothic  

🍄🍄🍄🍄/5🍄

This is a book I grabbed after some of my regulars, a coworker, and Bookstagram put it on my radar. Is it worth the hype?

There are often times I find overly descriptive writing about scenery and such a but much. But here it works as a plot device. Everything on first glance looks like you’d expect a wealthy Victorian home to look. But then as we look closer through Noemí’s eyes it becomes clear how nothing is what it seems. Moldy books and walls, cracked tiles, layers of dust, peeling paint…possibly a haunted house, strange dreams and a very strange family. Noemí is strong, especially for a young woman in 1950. And she is stubborn and smart and I really liked her. 

This isn’t a long book, clocking in at 301 pages but it is a very slow burn for sure. At least for me it was. It’s outside of what I typically read but not completely beyond my interests. The story starts out with lots of setup and twists and then gets freakier and then for about the last 70 pages it becomes almost frantic in its pacing, with good reason. 

Trigger warning for some scenes of gore and attempted rape. 

A solid read and worth the time. 

(Finished August 12, 2021)