[REVIEW] A STUDY IN DROWNING BY AVA REID

Book info ⭐

Name: A Study In Drowning
Author: Ava Reid
Release Date: September 19th 2023
Edition: Illumicrate UK Hardcover
Pages: 384
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Gothic, Mystery

Synopsis:

If the monsters are real, so are the women who defeat them.

Effy has always believed in fairy tales. She’s had no choice. Since childhood, she’s been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She’s found solace only in the pages of Angharad – a beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, and then destroys him.

Effy’s tattered copy is all that’s keeping her afloat through her stifling first term her prestigious architecture college. So when the late author’s family announces a contest to design his house, Effy fells certain this is her destiny.

But Hiraeth Manor is an impossible a musty, decrepit estate on the brink of crumbling into a hungry sea. And when Effy arrives, she finds she isn’t the only one who’s made a temporary home there. Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar, is studying Myrddin’s papers and is determined to prove her favourite author is a fraud.

As the two rival students investigate the reclusive author’s legacy, piecing together clues through his letters, books, and diaries, they discover that the house’s foundation isn’t the only thing that can’t be trusted. There are dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspiring against them – and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

MY REVIEW;

I rated this book 3/5 stars!

I’m conflicted with this book. On the one hand I actually got on pretty well with the writing style and the overall vibe was really nice.. on the other.. I feel completely lost. Let me explain why. This book had the atmosphere down to a t, really nice vibes, a little gothic, a little spooky, a little mysterious. But.. we got taken out of it constantly because there was about 4-5 different sub plots that added far too many differing elements to what could of been a strong mystery read.

First you have a war between these two sides which is going on in the background and the basis of the weird dislike our main character Effy initially has for our MMC Preston, we get a little bit of history here but not enough to leave us satisfied and without question. Then you have the history of the sleepers and their magic.. and honestly.. I couldn’t tell you a single bit about them or their history or their relevance because.. we didn’t get enough of them either. Add in cultural divides, misogyny, SA, mental health issues, class divides and well.. it gets a little overwhelming.

There was too much happening for a 300-400 page book. It would of been better if the author decided what path she wanted to go down and stuck to actually strengthening that. She tried too hard to give this book both those cool atmospheric vibes and a complex story. Not a lot of authors seem to be able to seamlessly stitch them together. Reid should of picked atmosphere or story and then really ran with it, if the atmosphere won then reduce the complexity of the backstory.. if the story won, then really flesh out those elements (therefore sacrificing the atmosphere and flow somewhat – but at least we’d understand all those elements better).

And yet again.. no map! We spent most of the book in the ‘Bottom Hundred’ but god knows what that looks like because honestly.. I couldn’t picture it. I just know it’s next to the sea. I have no idea the size of these countries, I have no idea how they’re divided, I have no idea where the estate sits in relevance to everything else. It just wasn’t clear enough. And considering there is talk of multiple places in this book that map would of been so unbelievably useful!

Funny enough I didn’t dislike the characters or the overall plot (although even then there was still some issues and plot holes that should of been an easy fix), Effy had clearly dealt with an awful lot of crap in her life and her inability to control her emotions didn’t irk me like it seemed to for others. I kind of got it. With what she’d faced I’m not surprised at how she acted and responded to certain things… but we didn’t really get any growth from that. By the end of the story she hadn’t really changed all that much. She started to stand up for herself a little but that was about it.. I feel like she could of had this amazing growth of strength and independence and whilst I know it doesn’t always happen like that.. I just think Effy ended up a little one dimensional and a tad on the boring side because of it.

I didn’t love Preston, I didn’t hate him either. He was there, he was ok, he didn’t do anything to wow me but likewise I found him bearable. He was probably a little one dimensional as well to be completely honest but I found his personality somewhat more tolerable. With Preston it felt like you just had to take him as he came. You got what you got and not a lot more, but that kind of worked with his character more than it did with Effys.

The ending section of this book saved it from being a lower rating, the pacing was much better and the plot started to come together. I still have issues with certain elements… I think the ‘fight’ between Effy and the Fairy King was incredibly anti climatic, I think Angharad should of been an actual ghost rather than a living breathing human being, it would of made much more sense in regards to her lack of in person intervention throughout the whole book! (I thought she was a ghost initially.. I only realised at the end when she got her own apartment that.. damn she’s actually real)

Overall I can see the appeal of this book.. I can.. I just think it needed more work. It needed some more defining, some tweaking, some more focus. I don’t think it was bad, I just don’t think it was brilliant either. There was too much going on in the background that the pacing, atmosphere and characters suffered because of it.

Take away the war – we didn’t need it, Effy’s initial dislike of Preston could of come from something else. That’s one element we didn’t need to think about. Add some more details about the Sleepers and the Fairy King, give us a proper fairy tale.. not just odd bits of information here, there and everywhere that we struggle to string together. Give Effy and Preston more passion. We know Effy wants to be in the literature college, we know she loves Mryddin’s work, let her fight for it, let that passion really shine through, let her and Preston really butt heads because of it..

I just think this book could of been more. It could of been better. It could of been stronger.

Let me know what you think in the comments? Have you read this book? Would you want to?

Until next time.

Shannon 😊

°․✶ MY SEPTEMBER WRAP UP

September was a struggle month for me, I struggled with motivation to actually pick up my books and when I did I just didn’t want to read them! But alas you just get months like that, I still managed to get through 5 books but would of liked to get through more. I’m hopeful the spark will come back for October, I’m looking forward to diving into some cosy autumnal reads.. maybe some spooky ones too!

Books read this months.

‘Echo North‘ by Joanna Ruth Meyer
3/5 ⭐

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‘A Prince So Cruel‘ by Ingrid Seymour
3.5/5 ⭐

—

‘Bonesmith‘ by Nick Pau Preto
4.5/5 ⭐
[REVIEW]

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‘A Curse of Blood and Wolves‘ by Melissa McTernan (ARC)
2.5/5 ⭐
[REVIEW]

—

‘Sign of the Slayer‘ by Sharina Harris (ARC)
2.5/5 ⭐
[REVIEW]

My standout was definitely Bonesmith, it was just what I was in the mood for at the time and I really adored the setting and the plot, there were only some minor issues which resulted in me knocking off half a star but overall definitely in my top 10 books of this year so far!

Unfortunately the two ARCs I read this month just didn’t do it for me, they both had promise but frankly I think they both needed a lot more work. Here’s hoping the few ARCs I’ve got lined up for this month fair better!

The other two, Echo North and A Prince So Cruel were honestly random picks, when I just don’t know what to read I just grab whatever takes my attention first and hope for the best. They weren’t bad books, they just weren’t great either.

So yeah not the best month for me, but considering I wasn’t in the mood to read.. to get through 5 books was pretty good!

How did you do this month?

Until next time.

Shannon 😊

[REVIEW] BONESMITH BY NICKI PAU PRETO

Book info ⭐

Name: Bonesmith
Author: Nicki Pau Preto
Release Date: July 25th 2023
Edition: Fairyloot UK Hardcover
Pages: 464
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

Gideon the Ninth meets the Game of Thrones White Walkers in this dark young adult fantasy about a disgraced ghost-fighting warrior who must journey into a haunted wasteland to rescue a kidnapped prince.

Ready your blade. Defeat the undead.

In the Dominions, the dead linger, violent and unpredictable, unless a bonesmith severs the ghost from its earthly remains. For bonesmith Wren, becoming a valkyr—a ghost-fighting warrior—is a chance to solidify her place in the noble House of Bone and impress her frequently absent father. But when sabotage causes Wren to fail her qualifying trial, she is banished to the Border Wall, the last line of defense against a wasteland called the Breach where the vicious dead roam unchecked.

Determined to reclaim her family’s respect, Wren gets her chance when a House of Gold prince is kidnapped and taken beyond the Wall. To prove she has what it takes to be a valkyr, Wren vows to cross the Breach and rescue the prince. But to do so, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with one of the kidnappers—a fierce ironsmith called Julian from the exiled House of Iron, the very people who caused the Breach in the first place…and the House of Bone’s sworn enemy.

As they travel, Wren and Julian spend as much time fighting each other as they do the undead, but when they discover there’s more behind the kidnapping than either of them knew, they’ll need to work together to combat the real danger: a dark alliance that is brewing between the living and the undead.

MY REVIEW;

I rated this book 4.5/5 stars!

I massively enjoy this book, it ultimately scratched an itch I didn’t realise I had. It was spooky, it was charged up, it was full of tension, it just hit the spot. For me this book had the perfect blend of action and information.. and there was a lot of information! But somehow I pretty much understood and was able to absorb most of it. And the actual story progression and action came often enough, that for me, the pacing was almost perfect. Almost! There was very small parts here and there that dragged ever so slightly but not enough to knock my enjoyment.

And whilst I usually have a bone to pick with certain characters (see what I did there!)… surprisingly I didn’t here. I actually thoroughly enjoy all the characters. Wren and Julian are our main characters with Leo being a second male lead and I liked all of them. Wren is brazen, cocky, selfish but craves and latches onto acceptance and praise from her family. Julian is loyal, protective but wounded from loosing his father. Leo is flirty, observant but also unbelievably lonely.

They all had such differing upbringings, differing feelings but somehow all blended so well together. And by the end, they had all grown but not to the point they lost those fundamental elements of themselves. Wren was still cocky but she’d grown protective and rather than fighting for her ideal life had realised she needed to fight for what was right. Julian was still loyal but he too had learnt that not everything was as black and white as it seemed and had finally been able to began to heal after his fathers death. And whilst we didn’t get a lot of Leo’s POV.. he still had that sassy charm and now a friend in Wren, something he craved.

Talking of POVs, it was the one thing that I think could use improvement and one of the reasons I took half a star off my rating. We’re actually given POVs from all 3 main characters however they weren’t labelled… and with 80% still being Wren’s POV the sudden change was a little jarring. I think we got 2 from Leo and maybe 3-4 from Julian and the rest was Wren.. so it did feel a little unbalanced. I do understand why we got them, they served to fill in some of the gaps in the plot, and I hope in the next book they’re given more chance to shine but it still would of been nice to be introduced to their POVs sooner in the book.

As for the plot, world and magic system. Loved it! Certain elements were pretty standard for YA fantasy but I’ll give props to Nicki’s writing because I wasn’t bored at all, I felt engaged throughout. I liked the direction the story went in, the action was brilliant and the magic system was actually pretty easy to understand. A world full of Smiths – bonesmiths, ironsmiths, stonesmiths etc. The history of the magic itself could of used a little more detail but the general gist was there, and considering how much information we’re given maybe it wasn’t a bad thing we didn’t get more!

The plot twists weren’t hugely unpredictable but they made sense and still added a much needed element to the plot progression. And ultimately I think that was the correct choice from Nicki. I think anything too left field would of left us with more questions than answers and with how, or rather where, this book ended… we’ve already got plenty of questions left to answer for the next in the series.

Overall this was a really strong read. I liked the writing style, the plot was great, the world was detailed, the characters had superb chemistry and I’m genuinely excited to see where it’ll all head in the next book. I’m intrigued to see if sparks keep flying between Wren and Julian or whether the trust has been broken, I’m hoping we get to see Leo grow into a potential royal leader and finally I wanna know.. what side will everyone pick! Because by the end we realise it’s no longer as simple as a good side and a bad side.

Also lastly.. bonus points because this book has a map and I’m so happy I have a reference to go back to when new places come up! And another plus point to Fairyloot because their edition of this book is stunning and I’m very happy to have it in my collection!

Until next time.

Shannon 😊

[ARC REVIEW] A CURSE OF BLOOD AND WOLVES BY MELISSA MCTERNAN

Book info ⭐

Name: A Curse of Blood and Wolves
Author: Melissa McTernan
Release Date: October 1st 2023
Edition: Ebook ARC
Pages: 356
Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Synopsis:

A dark and steamy fairytale re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood. Perfect for romantasy readers and lovers of smuttok Is it possible to be drawn to someone you’ve never met? When Ruby feels the eyes of a stranger in the woods, she knows she should be scared, that she should run away, but she can’t. Instead, she feels a thrill, feels drawn to this stranger who follows her in the woods. Yearns for his eyes on her every night as she walks home, hoping to hear the crunch of leaves under his feet that signals he’s there. Will he ever reveal himself? After all, fate doesn’t make mistakes . . .

MY REVIEW;

*I was kindly gifted a ebook copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I rated this book 2.5/5 stars!

Much like vampire books, I have a soft spot for werewolf stories but unfortunately this one didn’t quite hit the spot. When your first line is ‘a dark and steamy fairytale re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood’ you expect just that.. but it wasn’t dark, it was a little steamy and frankly should of left the Red Riding Hood comparisons at home. It’s not a bad story. it’s got a pretty solid starting base but it really needed to go through 2-3 more rounds of editing and evaluation.

This book isn’t dark in the slightest. It just isn’t, it’s not rainbows and sunshine either but it’s definitely not dark or foreboding or edge of your seat tension. It feels more like a grumpy x sunshine small town romance with a bit of fantasy sprinkled in for good measure. On my Goodreads review I even said it read like a fanfic, in fact there’s been fanfics I’ve read (yes I still read them) that have a similar premise to this. Swap out the characters for a celeb pairing and bobs your uncle you’ve got a decent fanfic. It’s not a bad thing, there are amazing fanfics out there, but it doesn’t look good for your homegrown characters that I feel they could be easily swapped out.

The worldbuilding was another element that severely lacked, we weren’t given much history, we were just forced to accept that there were werewolves, seers, nymphs, witches etc with absolutely no reasoning as to the how, why, when. They just are. And we just have to accept that.. which was an issue for me because it left me with more questions than answers. It’s not the only thing we were forced to accept either.

Rafe is apparently hundreds of years old (we never get told how old in the end) but acts like a grumpy toddler throwing his toys out of the pram 90% of the time. Apparently the attacks in the story are linked to Ruby’s seer sister but we get zero clues who’s behind any of it by the end. Like no clues whatsoever, nada, just random out of the blue attacks that Rafe thinks is seer related.. that’s it. Oh and Ruby is horny 90% of the time and likes being chased and found Rafe stalking her for the first 10 pages of the book hot… that’s in there too.

There’s so much focus on the lust in this book that it really took away from the overall story and plot. It was so underdeveloped, it didn’t feel finished. There wasn’t any real depth to.. anything really, too surface level and too easy to guess. I’m all for spice in books but if you can’t have it work side by side with the plot then don’t have such an intriguing plot at all. Because it’s disappointing when you realise one has been sacrificed for the other.

And yes I know this is a series and there’ll be more to come but that cliff-hanger just didn’t do anything for me and frankly I’m not invested enough in these characters or the plot to continue. It was an easy read, it was a quick read but I ultimately wanted something more, something deeper and this just wasn’t it. It was fun but it didn’t exactly bring out any intense emotions or feelings.

The spice was ok, the plot was ok but undeveloped, the world was ok but also underdeveloped and the characters had potential but ultimately fell very much flat. If you want a easy fated mates story, give it a go. If you want intensity and passion and darkness and tension.. don’t bother.

Until next time.

Shannon 😊

°․✶ MY AUGUST WRAP UP

I didn’t do as well as I did in July but August still wasn’t a bad month. I managed to get through 8 books this month, the biggest thing for me was that none of them were ‘wow’ books. Nothing was terrible but nothing was ‘omg you just have to read these books now‘ vibes either. It was just a average reading month.. I had one 4.5 star read but even then I don’t rave about it so it’d definitely not made it to my favourites list!

– Everyone Loves These.. But I Didn’t –

‘Belladonna‘ by Adalyn Grace [Book #1]

⭐⭐⭐

[Full Review – HERE]

&

‘Divine Rivals‘ by Rebecca Ross [Book #1]

⭐⭐⭐.5

[Full Review – HERE]

I know.. I know.. everyone seems to love these two books. But I just didn’t vibe with them in the way everyone else did. I didn’t ultimately think either of them were bad books but they are so raved about and I just didn’t see it. Belladonna had major pacing issues and frankly the gothic vibes weren’t strong enough, plus we had too many unrelated themes trying to battle each other for attention. Divine Rivals on the other hand.. needed more fantasy. It’s marketed as a fantasy romance but it’s literally 95% romance and the 5% of fantasy was so underdeveloped. I liked the romance, but I was expecting the fantasy element to be right along side it.. both in importance and interest.. and it just wasn’t.

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– There Was Potential –

‘Powerless‘ by Lauren Roberts [Book #1]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Full Review – HERE]

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‘Threads That Bind‘ by Kika Hatzopoulou [Book #1]

⭐⭐⭐.5

[Full Review – HERE]

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‘Her Dark Wings‘ by Melinda Salisbury [Standalone]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

—

‘Kingdom of Blood & Salt‘ by Alexis Calder [Book #1]

⭐⭐⭐.75

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‘A Broken Blade‘ by Melissa Blair [Book #1]

⭐⭐⭐.75

There was a lot of potential for these books but they either just fell short or needed another round of editing and touching up. Most of these were mood reads and random pick ups, sometimes you just need that, something that’s not particularly difficult or complex.. something easy. There’s a few I may carry on with the series to see where they head [Threads That Bind & A Broken Blade] but for the most part I won’t be picking up most of these again. They were ok, they weren’t terrible but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend any of them either.

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– My Only Strong Read –

‘Ink Blood Sister Scribe‘ by Emma Torzs [Standalone]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Full Review – HERE]

I would consider this my only great read of this month but even then… it’s not on my favourites list. Considering how little I gel with urban fantasy this actually made sense, I liked the magic system, it was easy to understand. The plot was good and the characters were decent. The writing was great too, it was a little stagnant at points and the twists were easy to kind of guess but honestly.. I’m all about the way a book makes me feel. And I enjoyed how this made me feel and how engaged I was in reading it. Overall a solid book, especially for a debut novel!

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And that’s a wrap… so yeah not the greatest of months but it also could of been a hell of a lot worse, I had no DNFs and no books under 3 stars! So I’d take that as a near win. Fingers crossed I get some books this month that actually blow my socks off but.. we shall see!

How did you guys do in August? What was your favourite book you read? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time.

Shannon 😊

3 UNDERHYPED, OVERHYPED AND DESERVES THE HYPE BOOKS

I keep seeing videos of this on TikTok and figured why not share one on my blog. It’s probably been done before but I have no clue who was first (if you find out let me know!), just in the mood for a meme post today!

So I’ll be sharing 3 books that I think are chronically underhyped, 3 books that frankly are very much overhyped and 3 that I think deserve the hype.. did I mention you might hate my overhyped choices? Prepare to be heartbroken.. I’m sorry!!

Please feel free to let me know what you think of all my book choices in the comments below, and do let me know what books you think are chronically underhyped and deserve all the love because I’m always looking for underrated gems!

Let’s go!

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3 Underhyped Books

‘Dark Rise’ by C. S. Pacat

I don’t see this book nowhere near enough for how good it was. I know books are a very subjective matter, we all like different things after all. But this book was great, I didn’t want to put it down! The sequel comes out soon and I can’t deny I’m excited!

‘Silver in the Bone’ by Alexandra Bracken

Alex is a chronically underrated author in my opinion, I’ve not yet read anything by her I haven’t liked. I haven’t read every single one of her books but I’ve read 5 and all 5 I’ve rated over 4 stars. Silver in the Bone was gripping and exciting, inspired by Arthurian legend and made me sob and gasp and all giddy… it was great! Unfortunately we’ve got to wait until next year for the sequel to this one.

‘City of Nightmares’ by Rebecca Schaeffer

This was the first book I rated 5 stars this year, it was so different to anything I’d ever read before and I loved it. It was quirky, it was well paced, the plot was great, the characters were great and I genuinely think this book deserves far more love than it gets! The sequel for this one comes out later this year and Fairyloot recently announced the matching edition to the one above, I’m very excited for it!

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3 Overhyped Books

I’m sorry ok.. I’m sorry!

‘The Prison Healer’ by Lynette Noni

I want to start by saying that none of these books are particularly bad.. they just weren’t as great as everyone made them out to be! I found The Prison Healer to be on the stagnant side, there was elements of the book that were clearly being used as filler and that just made the whole thing clunky and disjointed. Initially I was considering picking up the next book but now it’s been some time since I read it.. I can’t be bothered.

‘Belladonna’ by Adalyn Grace

Again.. not a bad book. But my god people described this as this dark gothic murder mystery and it just.. fell flat. The gothic vibes were not strong enough, the murder mystery was ok but pretty simple, I didn’t mind the romance but the pacing for the first half of this book was slow. I just wanted more, needed more.. and needed a lot less talk of societal circles! I talked in my review about how various different elements were fighting each other rather than blending together and I still stand by that view!

‘Divine Rivals’ by Rebecca Ross

I know.. I know. People rave about this book, people adore this book. And frankly if I’d of gone into it thinking it was a romance and just a romance.. I probably would of liked it better. But alas, it’s meant to be a fantasy romance, and the fantasy element is weak. 95% of this book is romance and the the 5% of fantasy we do get is so underdeveloped! I actually didn’t mind the romance side of things but when you talk about gods and war and magic and don’t deliver.. I was disappointed. I said I’d pick up the next book and I think I still will but solely for the romance and the friendships.. and because the stunning Fairyloot edition I have needs it’s matching friend!

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3 Books That Deserve The Hype

‘Six of Crows’ by Leigh Bardugo

This book has always been well loved, even before the Netflix show, and it deserves it! It’s dark and gritty and full of tension, it’s cleverly written and I adored the plot and characters. The whole duology is amazing and I really do hope we get a SOC spin off from Netflix but I’ve come to love them even more with the actors who play them!

‘Fourth Wing’ by Rebecca Yarros

The writing 100% sold this book, it was so easy to just keep reading and reading and I honestly would of read it in one sitting if I didn’t have to get up early for work the next morning! The romance was great, the plot was great and the dragons were brilliant. And I cried! Iron Flame comes out later this year and it’s another one I’m very much looking forward too!

‘One Dark Window’ by Rachel Gillig

One Dark Window surprised me and in a good way! I was wary to start it for some reason or another but I’m glad I did. I fell for this book, this book does gothic in a way Belladonna just didn’t. Probably an element helped by the use of The Nightmare who ended up being my favourite character! This also has a sequel coming out this year and again it’s one I’m looking forward too!

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And that’s a wrap! I know there’s some controversial opinions here and I know some people would want to bite my head off but that’s just how it goes sometimes! Writing this has actually made me realise just how epic my book choices are going to be for the latter part of the year, so many good books coming out soon!

What do you think of the books I mentioned above? Do you agree or do you disagree? I’m curious as to what people think!

Until next time.

Shannon 😊

[REVIEW] DIVINE RIVALS BY REBECCA ROSS

Book info ⭐
Name: Divine Rivals
Author: Rebecca Rose
Release Date: April 4th 2023
Edition: UK Fairyloot Hardback
Pages: 368
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

MY REVIEW;

I rated this book 3.5/5 stars!

My expectations were too high. Or maybe I was just expecting something else. I want to start by saying I loved the writing style, I have no issues with the way Ross writes, the book was easy to read and follow. But I was disappointed at the lack of magic and gods, the way people completely raved about this story just meant I was expecting something more than 90% of the book focusing on nothing but the romance.

And the romance was great, Iris and Roman at loggerheads but undeniably drawn to each other.. throw in two enchanted typewriters, two very differing upbringings and hey ho, you’ve got a hell of a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance. Filled with tension and desire, anger and joy. The romance in this book was 100% not an issue. I enjoyed the pace of it, I enjoyed the sass between them, and then when those walls finally come crumbling down. Brilliant. And the main reason the book didn’t rate lower was because of the romance (and the friendships) and how Ross portrayed it.

But.. and this is a big but.. for a book featuring gods who were new to us and who were at war… well there wasn’t actually a lot of the gods themselves featured. That in turn meant we didn’t really get a chance to know their history. There was mentions here and there and of course we got the myth told by Roman and the ending section.. but other than that, their actual inclusion was very minimal. And that’s what I think this book is lacking.. magic.

We get mentions of enchanted buildings, magical typewriters that Iris and Roman use and the hounds but it’s all just fleeting moments with no major explanation on how it all works. Funnily enough an issue I’ve seen some other reviewers mention too. It just ends up putting this massive hole in the story and leaves us with more questions than answers. For book 1 in a series you need to have a solid base down but unfortunately the base of this book is completely wobblily.

The story has a bit of an identity crisis going on in the background. At the forefront we have this great romance but in the background you’ve got a underdeveloped magic system, a lack of exciting world building and also a lack of definition in what time period this is set it. We only get a mention of a birthday later in the book (Iris’ brother I believe) which helps pinpoint this story to the late 1800’s, early 1900’s.. I think. But don’t 100% quote me on that because again, it wasn’t all that clear.

I just think for a fantasy romance this book unfortunately lacked a huge amount of the fantasy side. If this was targeted more as a romance book with a sprinkling of fantasy, honestly, Ross would get away with it. It was a solid romance. I enjoyed the romance, Ross has some amazing writing skills and the idea was great. But to say this is a strong fantasy book would be a complete lie.. it isn’t, it’s not strong enough, it’s not fleshed out enough and it’s more definitely not balanced enough to be considered a strong fantasy romance book. And if you’re going to include the gods and the war in your description of the book.. you’ve got to actually portray that in the story with enough detail to keep the reader sustained.

Despite all my issues, I did actually enjoy it to a certain degree, it just wasn’t what I expected and it wasn’t what I wanted. I will pick up the next book solely for the romance and friendship (I hope Marisol and Attie return.. I will be hugely disappointed if they don’t!), I hope the fantasy element gets a bit more attention but I wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t. If you like your romances I think you’d enjoy this book.. but I think if you’re looking for a fantasy, don’t bother. The fantasy side of this book is very weak.

Until next time.

Shannon 😊

BOOKSTAGRAM SHOWCASE #1

I’m honestly a little lost of what to post at the moment so I figured I’d start my own little personal series where I share some of my favourite bookstagram photos, both ones I’ve taken and ones from fellow book dragons!

Please feel free to let me know in the comments who your favourite bookstagrammer is and why!

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Recent Favourites I’ve Taken

@mediashadowreads

It’s taken me a little while since restarting bookstagram to settle into my vibes but I feel like I’m actually getting there and it feels so good. For those that don’t know I took a 3-4 year long break regarding everything bookish, this blog and my Instagram were just left stranded. Mental health is a funny thing and it hits in the strangest of ways sometimes.. and at the time these were the victims. But I’m in a better place now.. sort of. I can at least say I’m motivated to keep up with all things bookish at the moment!

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Recent Favourites From Fellow Bookstagrammers

@soledads.atelier

What can I say… I’m a sucker for a cat!

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@bookish_euphoria

The vibes are on point!

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@leolikesbooks

Those autumn cosy vibes.. I can’t wait for sweater weather to finally be upon us!

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I long for the days I can successfully pull off those cosy autumn vibes or those more simple colour tones but alas.. at this moment in time that’s just not happening, probably doesn’t help my phone isn’t the best so the camera isn’t the strongest! But I’m happy with my progress and the vibes I’ve got so far!

I’m completely unsure how often I’ll add to this series, maybe once every 2-3 weeks, maybe longer, maybe shorter. We shall see!

Until next time.

Shannon 😊

[REVIEW] BELLADONNA BY ADALYN GRACE

Book info ⭐
Name: Belladonna
Author: Adalyn Grace
Release Date: August 30th 2022
Edition: UK Fairyloot Hardback
Pages: 408
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery

Synopsis:

For as long as Signa Farrow has been alive, the people in her life have fallen like stars…

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being – and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy.

Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger, and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.

Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer, though, is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful – and more irresistible – than she ever dared imagine.

MY REVIEW;

I rated this book 3/5 stars!

This book is well loved.. it’s hard to get away from how well loved it is. I’ve been meaning to pick this book up for a long while and just got put off from the hype. But I read it today, in one sitting no less, and whilst I see why people are taken with it.. I just wasn’t head over heels in love with it.

Belladonna isn’t a bad book. I got on really well with the writing style and the plot was fine. The concept and the characters were ok. But.. people rave about the gothic vibes in this book and I just wasn’t feeling it. You could tell the author was trying to push that dark, gothic atmosphere. But for me the world building wasn’t fleshed out enough, the story and setting weren’t dark or gritty enough to really sell those gothic vibes many of us have grown to love and desire.

And the first half of this book was very slow, slow enough for me that the emotions I like to feel when reading got muted. If the pacing of the first half had been quicker, and more intense, I probably would of rated this book higher. But as it was I got to the half way point in the book, realised not a lot had really happened and I was beginning to feel the sprinklings of boredom dripping in. There’s a lot of talk of society in this book, and whilst elements of it felt relevant to Signa’s desire to be ‘normal’.. there’s too much of it. And frankly that was probably a contributing factor to why this book didn’t nearly feel gothic enough.

Luckily the second half really picked it up a notch and the pacing and the progression of the plot started to get more intense, things started moving, relationships started brewing. Enough to grip me and convince me to keep reading.. if only the first half had those same feelings. I still didn’t get enough gothic vibes and the murder mystery element didn’t feel fleshed out enough, but at least the plot didn’t end up completely boring me to death by the end.

I’ve seen quite a few of the lower rated reviews mention the dynamics of Signa and Deaths being.. creepy. And to be fair I do get why many would have those views. But for me personally, it’s not something that bothers me in fiction. However I can appreciate why people would question their relationship.. considering Death literally watched her grow up. I actually ended up rather enjoying their dynamic once it had really taken hold, Signa wanting nothing to do with him whilst also simultaneously not being able to stay away. It’s a dynamic I’ve always enjoyed and I think it was done ok here.

The rest of the characters were fine, but there wasn’t anything particularly remarkable about them. I’m actually struggling to remember some of their names despite only finishing the book an hour ago. There’s quite a few additional side characters who frankly were unneeded.. and some of them weren’t even apart of the ‘potential murderers circle’ making them frankly useless to the plot. I just don’t think the authors desire to mix gothic murder mystery and fantasy and exploring a women’s societal circle into one worked. Pick one and really run with it rather than having all three trying to fight each other.

Despite all that though, I didn’t hate it.. but I’m seriously in two minds about whether to pick up the sequel coming out shortly. I don’t know whether I’m invested enough to warrant my time and money on the second book. On the one hand I didn’t mind the story by the end, I liked the concept but.. I was also disappointed in this book, it wasn’t what I wanted and I fear the second one dragging like this one.

Until next time.

Shannon 😊

[REVIEW] POWERLESS BY LAUREN ROBERTS

Book info ⭐
Name: Powerless
Author: Lauren Roberts
Release Date: January 30th 2023
Edition: UK Paperback
Pages: 495
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy

Synopsis:

She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.

MY REVIEW;

I rated this book 4/5 stars!

This was honestly a random pick up from my local WHSmiths, I had a book token that needed using so figured I’d have a browse. I didn’t know this was a TikTok hyped book, I just liked the sound of it. And I did actually really enjoy this story.

For a pretty chunky book there isn’t a huge amount of world building involved in the story, but I actually didn’t mind. I found the writing style and plot engaging enough that the lack of world building didn’t put me off. We did also have a map included in the standard paperback (not sure if they’re included elsewhere) which I found helpful to flick back to when we did get a new named location.

It did feel like typical YA writing.. but again, for me that helped with the flow of the whole thing. The world building, whilst on the sparse side was easy enough to follow, the magic system was simple but solid and the characters were honestly great. But the thing that this book did really really well was the tension. The tension was absolutely on point. Paedyn and Kai’s chemistry was brilliant. The teasing, the anger, the tension, the way they danced around each other was so good and was easily the best element of this book.

I’ve seen a few reviews (actually quite a lot 💀) that state this book has really bad editing, but if I’m being completely honest I must of been so engaged in the story that I really didn’t notice. Is it a perfectly written book? No.. it’s Roberts first time writing, I don’t expect it to be perfect.. but it was easy. It was an easy read for me. An easy, if not a tad long, fantasy read.

There’s a few plot holes, there’s a few world building issues, it’s trope heavy and has some pretty similar comparisons to other books but I still rated this book 4 stars because it made me completely forget my surroundings for a while. Which is always a sign of a decent read for me. Sometimes after a heavy fantasy you just need something easy almost as a palette cleanser.

My biggest issue with the story was the ending. I wished it’d played out slightly differently. I wish instead of Paedyn essentially having to go solo with her now facing off against the brothers that instead Kai had ran off with her. I think having the two brothers at loggerheads for the next book would of been intensive. But alas Kai is by his brothers side.. for now. I can see where the second book will go but I’m looking forward to it none the less.

I hope Roberts gets a decent set of editors for the sequel. I don’t think this series will ever be at the top of anyone’s lists.. it unfortunately does follow a very stereotypical YA fantasy route.. but I think Roberts has writing potential and with some issues ironed out it could be a solid debut series. Would I encourage people to rush into reading this book? No. But if you’re looking for something easy then I don’t think this is a bad book to turn to. And I will be keeping an eye out for the second book next year!

Until next time.

Shannon 😊