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 →
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 →
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 →
Miss Amelia’s List by Mercedes Lackey
TL;DR: A bit slow, but a truly cozy Regency fantasy. Source: Netgalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: Amelia and her cousin head to England from America for business and to possibly find a match! Characters: I genuinely came to love all of our primary characters, especially Amelia and her cousin. By the... Continue Reading →
Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole
TL;DR: Have you ever wanted to shake a main character so badly, but you can’t stop reading because what on earth is going to happen next? Yeah. It’s this book.Source: Thank you so much to the publisher via Netgalley and I have also been following and own these myself! Plot: Starting up right where book... Continue Reading →
The Twice-Sold Soul by Katie Hallahan
TL;DR: A very strong start that lost me a little at the end. I’ll probably continue the series as it shows a lot of promise. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher! Plot: McKeena, who has been on the run for ten years, is hoodwinked by an ex to return home… and things... Continue Reading →
The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
TL;DR: Another great look at reciprocity that was first introduced in Braiding Sweetgrass Source: NetGalley, thank you so much to the publisher! I also did purchase my own copy as well. Premise: I really liked this as a short little essay to read at this time of the year (Thanksgiving to Christmas) I thought it... Continue Reading →