art_books_chemistry's reviews
532 reviews

dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A study in opposites with a tattooed, bookish FMC.
- Beauty and Beast
- Quick slow burn
- Pleasure and pain
- Immortal and Mortal

Content Warnings

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

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reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Well, I've come to a self-determination and that is that I just don't like contemporary romance regardless of what decade it was written in. Because we may see this as a classic but at the time it would have been contemporary.

Part of the reason I don't like contemporary romance is the characters or authors will just straight up ignore red flags just to make the story end happily. He almost killed Frederick! For a woman he had absolutely zero claim to. And how insulting of him to try and pretend he didn't go to the house at the end to see her... You had no other good reason for being that far away from home, my man.

A Kingdom of Souls and Shadows by Leslie O'Sullivan

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

We've all wished to be sucked into the world of the Fae to have wondrous adventures or fall in love with a faerie, right? Well, O'Sullivan does a fabulous job of describing how I think it would really go if one of us was without warning thrown into such a world, and I think we'd take it about as well as Eala does in A Kingdom of Souls and Shadows: i.e. not particularly well at all. Of course a grown adult would question everything and be skeptical, which made this story all the more immersive.

The setting of this book is absolutely perfect, since it's set in Ireland. I could picture exactly the way Eala described seeing what real "rolling green hills" were like the first time, there is no green like that of the Emerald Isle; it absolutely feels magical just existing there. O'Sullivan wonderfully mixed real history, fictional history, and folklore in such a way to send the reader on a journey that never gets boring since it's never the same thing twice. You fall for her characters because they are real; they have logical human reactions to various events and you can feel their passion through the pages.

I did guess the two major twists at the end fairly early, one moreso than the other but I still enjoyed the reveals. There were still other things that went on that I couldn't have come up with myself so it was still overall well balanced mystery-wise. And learning about how O'Sullivan created her bubble of world in this reality connected fantasy was fascinating and different.

Thank you The Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC!

Content Warnings

A Day at the Police Station by Richard Scarry

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adventurous informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

Content Warnings

Baby Donald's Day At the Beach by The Walt Disney Company

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4.75

When I Am / Cuando estoy by Gladys Rosa-Mendoza, Dana Regan

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4.0

Dioscuri: Secrets of the Fey by Ralynn Kimie

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Dioscuri is a fascinating blend of legend, mythology, and history. Plus just the right amount of popular culture, I felt major Men of Letters from Supernatural vibes with our human characters plus their various references to films allowed me to remember it's set in 2002. It is definitely not overdone, only inserted as an aside by one nerdy character. If you're familiar you will see subtle (and not so subtle lol, hi Dioscuri twins) references to Greek, Chinese, Japanese, English, Celtic, and Hindu mythology and folklore.

Kimie definitely puts her own spin on the classic "species" of various worlds; the Fey are what you'd expect and not. There are references to demons, imps, and elves but also gods and goddesses and even just simple ghosts. There are different planes of existence but a lot of interaction between them. I love the trope of "Humans are ignorant Except for this select group of super smart and awesome people that know everything"; Hunters/Men of Letters, S.H.I.E.L.D., U.N.I.T., etc. S.M.O.K.E. and M.I.R.R.O.R.S follows but I do wish they had an easier moniker to type out!

Overall, I liked it and would suggest it for anyone interested in a low to mid fantasy adventure with some mystery. It's a fairly quick read and although it is connected to her first Infernal Aritifacts book, Corpse Walker, it can absolutely be read as a standalone.

Thank you Tracky PR for my special edition cover copy in exchange for this honest review!

Content Warnings