Big drops from Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer Armentrout this month!
Book Review | War of Two Queens
No one is talking about the way this novel is carried by its villain. Armentrout's tendency towards repetition is the Achilles heel of the fourth installment of the From Blood and Ash series, taking away from the magic of a fully built-up fantasy world nearing its climax. A contentious scene didn't seem all that important.
Leia Shorney | GUEST Review | House of Sky and Breath
Anything for you, Rhysand. A guest reviewer was unimpressed with the newest installment of Sarah J. Maas' Crescent City series.
February Wrap Up | 6 Books
finally read SJM's new Crescent City series, plus a wildly entertaining Dark Academia and more.
Crescent City and the Sarah J. Maas Experience
In this post, I'll review the delightful first installation of Crescent City and then suggest a (hopefully) helpful structure for talking about Sarah J. Maas amid a very prickly public discourse.
January Wrap Up | 8 Books
A couple of Saras and so much glorious Nnedi Okafor, who, after reading Remote Control AND Binti, is now one of my FAVORITE AUTHORS OF ALL TIME.
Book Review | If I Had Your Face
Frances Cha's unhappy, stunning debut is a real, engrossing look into the lives of Korea's young women you won't want to put down. Instantly invested, my heart broke for each of these characters as I turned the pages. If I Had Your Face will stick in the back of my mind for a long time to come.
The Best and Worst of 2021: For Readers Only
Among other things, 2021 was a great year to read. Reading is an activity ready-made for COVID: it's done alone, often at home, but it also creates communities—both on the page and around the world. Featuring dark academia, science fiction, and reading slumps.
Book Review | To Kill a Kingdom
The Little Mermaid source material is taken to stunning, fresh heights in this expertly-crafted YA fantasy. This novel's high quality writing and immensely intriguing concept carry it to four stars—brought down only by a satisfactory plot structured almost entirely around a big ol' mcguffin to search for and a very predictable ending.
Book Review | A Memory Called Empire
Arkady Martine has, with one stunning novel, cemented herself among the Science Fiction greats. Plus, A Memory Called Empire is *fast*. Fast like a heart-pounding, adrenaline-rich action thriller, not to mention genuinely funny, emotional, and meticulously constructed.
