Source: NetGalley, Thank you to the publisher for the eArc!!TL;DR: A pretty good wrap-up to a duology, but with some real unnecessary sexual content. Plot: The courts came together in this one and we finally saw the Night Empress's story which I enjoyed.Characters: I wish we'd gotten more of some of our secondary characters but... Continue Reading →
A Season of Monstrous Conceptions by Lina Rather
TL;DR: A dark novella about strange births and a woman caught between worlds. Not my favorite novella but nothing offensive or upsetting? Just okay.Source: NetGalley - thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: A young girl caught between arrogance, men and women and the power she holds. Pretty standard fair unfortunately.Characters: Fairly cold, I... Continue Reading →
The Emperor and The Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
TL;DR: No HEA - so perhaps not for everyone but I loved this fantastical romance through the ages.Source: NetGalley - Thank you so so much to the publisher! Plot: Two men's souls recognize each other through the ages as they're caught in a cursed loop of love and loss. Characters: We follow 6 men, who... Continue Reading →
A View From the Stars by Cixin Liu
TL;DR: A weirdly structured collection of essays and stories. Probably more for the devoted fans of Cixin Liu than anyone else.Source: NetGalley, thank you to the publisher! Collection: As far as a collection, this one felt like a bunch of saved files from a folder with no real collective theme or reason. It was fairly... Continue Reading →
Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell
Source: NetGalley, thank you to DAW for the review copy!TL;DR: Wow the abuse was rampant - while this looks cute and quirky I would not recommend it for anyone who doesn’t enjoy borderline trauma porn. Plot: This hinges on Shesheshen's instalove for Homily who is the victim of constant and deep abuse. It was... a... Continue Reading →
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jenson
Source: Netgalley, thank you to the publisher!TL;DR: If you enjoy Romantasy you’ll probably enjoy this, if you want nuance or depth maybe go elsewhere. Plot: A young woman is used for her power. Pretty much it.Characters: Fairly two dimensional? Freya felt very familiar and everyone else filled their roles nicelySetting: A fantasy world that had... Continue Reading →
Redsight by Meredith Mooring
Source: Netgalley, thank you to the publisher!TL;DR: Though this didn't make a lot of sense it was still interesting enough for me to read through. I'm also unsure as to the audience for this, a YA tone with very dark moments Plot: A very weak red witch becomes very powerful and is caught up between... Continue Reading →
The Stars Undying by Emery Lord
Source: NetGalley & owned - Thank you to the publisher TL;DR: I feel so bland on this. Meandering, with what should have been stellar themes and ideas. But little to no connection for the reader. Plot: Supposedly a Julius Caesar and Cleopatra inspired story, it's the story of a civil war, turned assassination/revenge story. Things... Continue Reading →
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
Source: Netgalley - Many thanks to the publisher!TL;DR: A worthy follow-up to A Dowry in Blood. Even with a slightly predictable ending I really enjoyed this. Plot: The classic Carmilla remixed. Laura and Carmilla are rivals in a poetry course, it was believable and engrossing.Characters: Really loved these over the top and flawed characters (though... Continue Reading →
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip
Source: Tachyon Press - Thank you so much for the arc!!TL;DR: A OG Romantasy in my opinion. A fantasy that focuses on the idea of love, in it’s myriad of forms, and a powerful woman. Loved this one. Plot: Sybel gets caught between the boy she raised, the man she loves and the wars of... Continue Reading →