breabooks's reviews
172 reviews

Holy. Moly. This book was GOOD. Ripped my heart out, tore it to shreds, and put it back together good. 

Isabel is a physician (in training) at a castle where everything seems to be going wrong. She really has to be the next royal physician, but not to prove her dad wrong or prove her worth or anything silly like that. Her best friend is found murdered on the beach after droves of Volgaard diplomats decide to visit the island. Driven by the desire to make her friend’s life count for something, she is sent to be the guide for Erik. Erik is the attractive general’s second setting off across the island. Isabel is actually supposed to spy on him. Problem is, she is a HORRIBLE liar. 

The book started a little slow but woo boy, once it picked up it didn’t slow down. I was cracking up over Isabel’s incredibly awkward attempts at flirting. This book does a wonderful job of depicting just how hard it is to articulate the complex feelings that come with grief. It was incredibly relatable with details such how you can see bits of the deceased in other people, and the anxiety from grief, especially when you feel like a death may somehow end your fault.

Isabel grows to understand that she is not small and unimportant despite the way she may feel. Her character’s redemption was beautiful. Her feelings are so real, raw, and again- relatable. 
 
This debut novel absolutely blew it out of the park. I literally could not put it down after the 30% mark. 

Thanks to The Nerd Fam and Sarah Marie Page for the gifted eARC ❤️

I raced to purchase this book when the blurb mentioned it’s similar to the movie The Mummy. It did not disappoint! 

Ellie is the main character. She is a suffragette, a scholar, and breaks all the molds of what a woman should be in late 1800’s England. She stumbles upon a priceless historical artifact immediately after being fired from her government job. To keep it safe from the wrong people, she travels to British Honduras in search of the fabled city in which it originated. Through a series of unfortunate events, Ellie procures the help of the brute of man (according to her) named Adam Bates to navigate the wilds. Ellie and Adam soon discover what the accepted reality of the world may not be exactly true. 

But it’s SO much more than that!! This book navigates what it means to be a woman in a patriarchal society, which is still relevant today. Ellie is always self-assured, never questioning what she wants out of life… But Ellie embarks on a journey of self-discovery in which she is challenged to question her true desires and goals in life.  The book is humorous- I cackled throughout the first half. Romance is sprinkled throughout this epic historical fantasy. The almost constant action keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

I will say that you need to have a dictionary on hand. It’s a fun read, not an easy read.

Elise Kova is a master story teller. This book proves it. This is the best book out of all the Married to Magic series in my opinion. 

Kova weaves a magical tale of second chances, self-discovery, and forbidden romance in a setting with epic world building. This story is about Faelyn, a witch who is tasked with keeping the protective barriers around the forest were the lykin roam. Faelyn encounters the primordial spirit of the moon and is whisked away to Midscape, claimed by the Wolf King as his bride. But then there’s the king’s knight, tasked to protect her. His motivations are not what they seem. 

This is an interconnected standalone, so the magic system is already established. It is somehow different, yet the same with the other books. The spirits are a wonderful new addition. Folost is a fun secondary character as are all the spirits. 

The character building is top tier, as usual. Faelyn is strong and determined, but by no mean perfect. She grows throughout the story. Evander is now my new favorite male main character, so there’s that. I appreciate how Kova creates characters that are not stagnant.

The story starts off hitting the ground running and does not stop, which is a little different from the other books. This book is paced at a way in which you are dying the read the next chapter. I did not want to put the book down. As someone who has read all the other books, I loved finding all the Easter eggs. It was truly a perfect ending (I think?) to the series. 

Thank you Book of Matches Media and Elise Kova for an eARC.

4.5 rounded up. This is truly a cozy fantasy that left me feeling so good I was bawling happy tears at the end.

This book is marketed as a cozy cottage core fantasy and it lives up to that reputation. This low(ish) stakes story follows Kiela’s as she journeys away from her beloved Great Library of Alyssium to escape civil unrest. She is a librarian, so she dutifully saves a few chests of spell books once she realizes the library is on fire. Kiela, along with her sentient plant companion Caz, sails away with the chests to her childhood home - a small island far away from Alyssium. The problem is, it’s been a long time since Kiela has interacted with anyone. Her job as a librarian does not require much, if any, social interaction and that’s just the way she likes it. Kiela soon discovers the residents at her old island home are VERY friendly. There’s also a slew of problems that need fixing at the island.

Kiela’s character is anxiety and adhd personified. As someone with both, I find her highly relatable. She often goes on tangents, overthinks everything, and is slow to trust anyone. I can see how someone may find her character annoying, but I found her endearing. The plant, Caz, is the perfect amount of comedic relief. I don’t recall any other story that has sentient plants, making this a fun new addition to fantasy. The love interest is sweet, respectful, and has a sad backstory. All of the characters are well developed.

The fantastical Hallmark-esque world Durst created is lovely. Unique is the only way to describe it- horse fish (seahorse?), cloud bears, unicorns, sentient plants, centaurs, and Kiela is even blue. The descriptions are lush without being overdone. 

The plot and pacing are great. This book explores a ton of themes. The world is not heteronormative. Kiela struggles with trust and self-doubt. Characters find acceptance, learning what it means to be cherished by others in return for nothing. The book wraps up nicely, much like the sweet endings of tv romcoms. 

I received an advanced listener copy thanks to NetGalley. The narrator was perfect for this type of story. She wasn’t too slow as I often find narrators. She did an excellent job of changing her voice for each character. Make characters were a lower register, but not at that commonly ridiculous low tone I often find with female narrators who are trying too hard to sound like a male. Her “meeps” for a particular character were hilarious. 

This is one I’m sure many will reread over and over again. I’m sure I’ll find myself taking comfort in this book every time I need a palette cleanser. 

This is one of the easiest five stars I’ve given this year. 

I listened to the audiobook and I honestly think it made the experience more enjoyable. The two narrators interpreted the voices well- the female voices having that breathy 1920s quality and the male voices were purposefully deep. My only qualms are that Millie’s narration was extremely slow. Callum’s voice was deeper than I would have interpreted it, but I loved his voice by the ending. The narration of a certain side character was perfectly maniacal. 

Regarding the story- holy. Moly. This was a venture outside my normal genre that was well worth it. The gothic atmosphere was perfectly set. I was unsettled at the horror aspects, as I should be. The mystery behind the plot kept me wondering until the epilogue. I could not truly figure it out until the very end. The romance was beautiful. Just the perfect amount of yearning and blush worthy bits. I never found myself bored at any part in this novel. 

The Cruel Dark reads like a classic novel and should honestly be considered one. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley for the audioARC. 

I enjoyed this book but this is VERY young adult, closer to middle grades than new adult. Temper your expectations if you are looking for anything more than young adult. I would have eaten this UP in high school, but I struggled to connect with the characters because of their immaturity levels. I teach high schoolers, so I was probably able to relate more than most people. I would not recommend the book to an adults. It’s very much like a mix of Twilight and Harry Potter. 

The story, however, was amazing. I really liked the plot and did NOT expect the ending- though I felt like the last bit where they were just magically safe for months was a little silly. The setting was unique- a dream world interconnected with other worlds such as a fae, dragon, elf, etc realms. 

I feel like the relationships and character building could have been more fleshed out. The three main characters were just suddenly friends. They were close but we never really explored why they were so close. Certain betrayals and deaths weren’t expounded upon, which left me… empty? Emotionally confused? Wanting more? I can’t explain this more without making this review full of spoilers, but you are definitely left wanting. I’m interested to see where the story in the second book goes. 

This IS one of the better debut novels I’ve read this year.  The author is a boss and I wish her all the best! And I have to mention I received an eARC from her in return for an honest review ❤️