TL;DR: If you don’t like spiders, don’t read this. But if you do it’s awesome. Source: Netgalley, Thank you SO much to the publisher! Plot: A young woman is elevated to Keeper of the Keys after her predecessor is eaten for allowing a thief in. So deliciously weird. Characters: I quite enjoyed these creepy folks.... Continue Reading →
Dogs and Punching Bags by Kaori Ozaki
TL;DR: An engaging story about finding your place and community, even in the darkest parts of your life. Source: NetGalley, thank so much to the publisher! Plot: Nichiko returns to her home island, a tiny place, to find herself. There she meets Chimaki and their stories blends. Characters: I really enjoyed these characters, especially Nichiko.... Continue Reading →
Hauntress by Minetaro Mochizuki
TL;DR: Oh my god, this scared the pants off of me. Genuinely, I was vibrating I was so unsettled. Source: Netgalley - Thank you so much to Kodansha! Plot: Hiroshi Mori helps a woman out, against his better judgement, and things go very badly. Characters: No one here is particularly lovable but you still REALLY... Continue Reading →
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
TL;DR: This is one of those books I have to recommend if you love vibes - but also a twisty mystery. Source: Netgalley - Thanks you to the publisher! Plot: Lorelei and Sylvia set out on an academic quest which quickly turns into a murder mystery. Characters: I both loved and hated these characters in... Continue Reading →
Barbarian’s Heart by Ruby Dixon
TL;DR: Another installment in the ICP series - this is the one that’ll probably make you cry. Source: NetGalley and I have pre-ordered my own copy! Plot: This takes place almost immediately after the end of the last book follow Stacy and her mate who has amnesia. It’s very melancholy for a good portion of... Continue Reading →
Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan
TL;DR: A completely unpredictable fantasy with a complex and lovely world. Source: Netgalley - Thanks you to the publisher! Plot: This one, like the setting, went all over the place. We started out with one task and ended up with another and it was a ride. Characters: At times infuriating, and other times fantastic. The... Continue Reading →
The Relationship Mechanic by Karmen Lee
TL;DR: Very cute, and an improvement on the first book for sure! Source: Netgalley, many thanks to the publisher! Plot: Jessica breaks down outside Peach Blossom and ends up at Vini’s shop. She’s visiting friends in town and the two strike up a relationship. Characters: My biggest gripe with this is with the characters Setting:... Continue Reading →
Confession by Kaiji Kawaguchi, Nobuyuki Fukumoto
TL;DR: A dark and twisty story, very atmospheric and dark. Source: NetGalley, thank you to the publisher! Plot: Two men are stranded together after a mountain climbing accident. One confesses a dark secret to the other, but circumstances change… Characters: You aren’t in this for these characters, both of them are horrible, but a well... Continue Reading →
The Starlight Heir by Amalie Howard
TL;DR: Quite a disappointment. Source: Netgalley - Thanks you to the publisher! Plot: Randomly chosen women are made to compete for a prince’s hand in marriage, and it gets spicy. Characters: Honestly, no thank you. I didn’t enjoy them at all. Setting: We got the flavor of our inspiration here, but it was lost entirely... Continue Reading →
The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso
TL;DR: This one caught me by surprise but it’s SO creative! Source: Netgalley - Thanks you to the publisher! Plot: Kembral comes to a party to relax and that’s not at all what happens. Characters: The characters were fun, sometimes over the top but not the strongest for me. Setting: This was where this book... Continue Reading →