miyaosamu's reviews
312 reviews

 “The light of the moon was full and bright. On a night as this, my heart was content, awaiting the promise of tomorrow.”

daughter of the moon goddess was a solid debut ya fantasy novel with everything expected of lush magical world-building, enticing lore, political intrigue, and a varying cast of characters that all partake in impacting our main's development, xingyin. the beginning of the xingyin's story definitely pulled me in as she recited the tale of her mother, chang'e, yet readers find out more depth to it with her mother being wrongfully eternally imprisoned by the celestial emperor and empress and having to hide xingyin's existence. as daughter of the moon goddess and a legend mortal warrior who slayed relatives of the celestial empress, who of course holds a grudge and her mother taking the elixir to save herself and xingyin's lives. so as it reaches a point where more suspicion is upon chang'e, so we follow xingyin's journey outside the moon into the celestial world where she hides her true identity and heritage. and by luck, she's discovered by prince liwei son of the emperor and empress. then on we see her form friendships, chase her ambitions within the celestial capital palace with long-term plans to free her mother and be able to go home, and unexpectedly form romantic bonds that in my personal preference i felt had a bit too much focus on at times especially with xingyin's inconsistent feelings and indecision. that being said there were some tropes i felt indifferent to and overdone at times, but that could be due how i didn't really feel its impact as they occurred. but nevertheless, if you're looking for a stunningly written world to escape to and follow adventures and a quick easy read, i would definitely recommend picking up lynn tan's debut. i'm definitely interested in perhaps picking up the sequel and finale to see where xingyin's adventures and heart take her.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for providing an e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

“Maybe things can always get better between people who want to do a good job loving each other. Maybe that’s all it takes.”

poppy and alex were everything especially in that last quarter of the story seeing them finally realize the feelings both held and all their missed chances. with best friends to lovers being the center trope and the love, rosie-esque vibes with the flashbacks particularly with poppyalex it was mostly their summer trips after seeing their first meetings and hangouts. i adored how different poppy and alex were in their clashing personalities. with alex being the type mostly wanting stability in his life and poppy is flighty in the sense of wanting to escape her small town and always feel the rush of traveling, being in new places, and meeting new people. so it was really interesting seeing how they met, bonded, and just grew comfortable with each other, especially how they were able to be emotionally open with each other which was a foundation with their years-lasting friendship. i do wish we got to see more of those deep moments between them through the year, since it was every other chapter their fun constant summer trips together and memorable moments, but that is definitely just a personal preference thing. the last 10 percent of the story was a mess but in the best way with how they had to put everything out on the table in terms of how they would be able to make things work, with alex thinking he and poppy wouldn't work well with the different things they want in life and watching them come to terms with their own feelings, how it plays into fears of wanting to be happy but also finding the middle ground for it to last. this being my second emily henry book, i see why there's love for her book couples, and i am just beyond excited for her next release this year!

“I still have a lot to figure out, but the one thing I know is, wherever you are, that's where I belong. I'll never belong anywhere like I belong with you. No matter what I'm feeling, I want you next to me. You're home to me, Alex. And I think I'm that for you too.” 

“When you love someone,” he said haltingly, “...you want to make this world look different for them.”

january and gus hurt me in the best way possible i think. along with the amount of angst between them, what i loved most through this story was the depth given to both characters even if we didn't get to see gus' perspective, we slowly got to see all their flaws and backstories that gave them the mentality they have currently especially on romance itself. january's journey was just so raw in emotion and with her life freshly turned upside down with her father's death, discovering he had a second life, and her breakup of a years long relationship. all of it comes crashing down on her view on happily ever after romance and her escapism with believing it and writing stories with it. gus' walls being firmly shut majority of the time was frustrating but just completely understandable with his childhood, how he grew up, and how he was treated by some of his exes. that one part with gus spilling out how he feels like he couldn't be the man he thought january wanted and deserved felt like a punch to the gut with his dialogue, so glad they overcame much miscommunication. and just i really truly cherished the whole giving into their feelings with their love for one another being the focus despite not know the future bumps in the road of their relationship and without being terrified for how their story could end due to what they've seen with their parents. im so excited to pick up emily henry's other books because i love the dialogue and angst she writes between characters!

“Falling's the part that takes your breath away. It's the part when you can't believe the person standing in front of you both exists and happened to wander into your path. It's supposed to make you feel lucky to be alive, exactly when and where you are.”

“I want to be the one who gives you what you deserve, and I want to sleep next to you every night and to be the one you complain about book stuff to, and I don’t think I ever could deserve any of that, and I know this thing between us isn’t a sure thing, but that’s what I want to aim for with you. Because I know no matter how long I get to love you, it will be worth whatever comes after.” 

 “When one person collapses, the other instinctively shoulders their weight.”

zauner's story didn't just emotionally resonate but cut very deep to the bone to the inner workings of my heart. i don't know if i can form all my feelings into words right now still wiping away remnants of how much i sobbed. michelle zauner's writing is so raw and expressive that i could genuinely feel every emotion she felt in those moments as she recalled reflecting on specific periods of her life before and after her mother's death and also having to brutally watch and fight mentally with her mom against cancer. i cried too many times to count through reading this, beautiful is an truly understatement as i felt like i just saw a life, though it was just a portion of zauner's, flash right before my eyes in vivid feeling color. a lot of brilliantly written lines hit close with me personally especially with zauner's relationship with her mother and connecting to her culture as she felt split as growing up in the states has one want to not associate at times in order to adapt in life. it may sound repetitive as people always say to always treasure the time you have with your loved ones, it is very precious. but zauner's story makes the meaning of that line somehow have a lot more weight significantly as you realize seeing her go back on precious moments that are now memories to her. i have so much more i want to talk on but this memoir is one that has to sit and soak itself in my brain and heart as i reflect on it.

“In fact, she was both my first and second words: Umma, then Mom. I called to her in two languages. Even then I must have known that no one would ever love me as much as she would.” 

“I think, deep down, some people don't want their stories to have happy endings.”

3.25☆ — all of us villains was an quick and thrilling read with its intriguing of atmosphere of hunger games with magic along with aspects of generational familial pressure. The backstory and system of magic and curses were relatively easy to follow along with each of the seven families' histories of champions and losses on how that affects the present day teen champions. Being multi-perspective made this story fly by much faster in my personal reading experience, but honestly two out of the four point of views carried. It was a bit slow paced towards the beginning but expected with a fantasy series first novel, but it definitely picked up once the tournament started. Alistair Lowe, son of the infamous deadly Lowe family who have had the most winners of the tournament, is of course the most multi-layered character we get to see ranging from his boundless power to the spin of his mind to the grief he is put through. Isobel Macaslan, is one quite interesting as she was thrust into the spotlight as her name was thrust into the media as champion though she had never wanted. She deals with the most fighting much internal battles but also external with her split parents, her father expecting perfection as their family champion meanwhile her mom wants the exact keeping her safe from all harm along with complicated past friendships and new ones. The development of the dynamic between Alistair and Isobel was one well done with its slow burn and one could see it coming with how they met and how their story would could with all the foreshadowing. After the chaos and plot twists of the last ten percent, I'd be fascinated to pick up the sequel and see where Foody and Herman take this story!

Thank you to for Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Tor Teen sending an e-arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

“Go steal some happiness for yourself, my friend. Trust me when I say the chance doesn't always come back.”

4.5☆ — give me 3-5 business days to recover from those last few chapters that took my head for a spin and genuinely has me in shambles. this second installment was beyond my wildest expectations in the best way possible as it improved on much. from character developments to the angst in dynamics between siblings and friendships particularly alizayd and nahri with rebuilding the trust nahri lost in him after the ending of city of brass but also alizayd dealing with muntadhir's suspicions against him when it comes to the throne and nahri. i also thoroughly adored seeing more of zaynab with her lively personality, how much she loves her brothers dearly and where she is in their sibling dynamic. queen hatset was a refreshing character to see on how different she deals with things compared to ghassan with how much she truly cares putting her kids first and not the kingdom. the expansion of the world building with the different locations readers were able to see and also the magic system with how much more power the daevas come to have in other forms. there was never a dull moment as this definitely does not fall into the second book slump being a page turning read, though i wasn't particularly intrigued with reading dara's pov at time but i do understand that his perspective provides the viewpoint of the daevas and fighting for what rightfully belongs to them from all the history they've been through. can't collect my thoughts completely but just wow, after that ending i cannot wait to pick up empire of gold and see where chakraborty takes this story and concludes it!
full rtc.

“No, I wasn't afraid. I was tired." Ali's voice broke on the word. "I'm tired of everyone in this city feeding on vengeance. I'm tired of teaching our children to hate and fear other children because their parents are our enemies. And I'm sick and tired of acting like the only way to save our people is to cut down all who might oppose us, as if our enemies won't return the favor the instant power shifts.” 

“Often the mightiest things have the humblest beginnings.”

3.5☆ rounded up to 4 on gr. — This was a solid electrifying first installment to the Daevabad Trilogy I greatly enjoyed. From the captivating interwoven Middle Eastern folklore, easily loveable characters one can empathize with, and its world building. To be honest the first half of the story had me a bit lost at times keeping up with the world and lore but once I hit the fifty percent mark, I was completely hooked. Like especially the second half, particularly the last quarter of the novel had me stunned and so many thoughts going through my mind. Nahri's introduction into this world was a good set up to see how exactly she'll grow through this series, as personally she fell into the chosen one trope at times but nevertheless I loved her and her witty, strong personality defiantly sticking up for herself. Dara, to be frank I found him funny at first but as the story went on my feelings became mixed and frustrated with his overprotection of Nahri and his untold secrets he kept from her. Alizayd, best boy the youngest prince, we see directly from the start his wavering loyalties between his family and the shafit and how steadfast he is in his outspoken honesty on equality towards the shafit towards his father. Yet while have a heart set with beliefs he also has an outstanding mind always curious which is shown as he forms a friendship with Nahri as they bond learning new knowledge and languages. Muntadhir, I hope to see more of him in the next installments as I was intrigued by his social yet loyal persona and his dynamic with Jamshid. Most particularly after the ending, his changed dynamic with his brother Alizayd and his new role within Daevabad. I'm quite excited to pick up the sequel as I've heard raving reviews about it as its a step up from this first installment. 

“The world is our stage, Demarco. And we've practiced far more than any of them, and they know it.”

This was nothing but a brilliantly done debut, first in the Kingdom of Cards duology from Angeles! Its dazzling world of magicians with atmospheric writing and fantastic layered characters, had me at the edge of my seat the entire time questioning the mystery behind not just the town but the its world and disappearing female magicians. Kallia, the main of this story to say she's strong is definitely an understatement. Seeing her growth and her utter confidence against people always reducing her is so inspiring and how far she's come braving a new more mysterious town than the cage of a club that's been all she's ever known. Though this was her story, I enjoyed the dual pov provided with Demarco and seeing his viewpoint being of one who's seen the world yet lost so much and out to uncover the mystery of the town of Glorian. Not gonna lie the first 40 to 60 percent of the story was a bit slow to me but the strong intrigue in mystery kept it thrilling. Along with delightful characters of Kallia's first friend and assistant, Aaros who's dependable and provides lighthearted relief and Canary, leader of the Conquering Circus who also provides a strong outsider viewpoint in her friendship with Kallia both bonding quickly. The romance between Kallia and Demarco though, just wow they're moments had me absolutely going insane with the push and pull between them and the high stakes as they were partners for the last act of the event of Kallia internally scared of what was to come with Jack's constant threats. Jack was a well written antagonist as he angered me and creeped me out with his actions very manipulative, controlling being as he wanted Kallia to always stay with him. Yet there's still so much unknown about his character. That last chapter was pure chaos that put me through the wringer, I'm picking up When the Night Breaks immediately and I'm very much anxious for what's to come.

“Make no mistake, I know I don't have to prove a single thing to them. What matters most is what I prove to myself. Giving up would be an insult to everything I know I'm capable of. And I've already come this far.” 

just for deanallie and those last like two hannahgarrett chapters. absolutely terrible, literally how to forget this book exists? epilogue novellas are supposed to be blissful happiness, but ek went and gave each story the whole structure of beginning, conflict, and resolution. we barely got to see them happy as so much miscommunication overshadowed each of their stories. the alexander aspect of the overall book was kinda funny though not gonna lie. and good moments were seeing the entire friend group interact and their group texts that were fun to read, but yeah the couples' own moments...just no. i don't know how ek genuinely thought this was good for a time jump epilogue book when she did them all so dirty and out of character, most especially hannahgarrett. don't even know how to rate this but i'll stick with this low rating rather than probably lowering it later when i think it over more 

“And then we end—we end where we started. Just us.
All six of us.”

no words... sobbed so much with what this book put me through and love I have for these six people. After 10 books of this entire Addicted series journey with Lily, Lo, Rose, Connor, Daisy and Ryke, I'm devastated we've reached the end. This epilogue, referencing the title was actually perfect just so many feelings of love, angst, struggles and laughs. Despite my issues with some of the previous books, I found this one to be so well balanced just everything I was looking for because all six perspectives in one book was exactly what I needed. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with these characters all over again. Starting this final book was so nostalgic with knowing this was the last time I'd be reading their perspectives, with how they've come just so far especially having each other through all these years of ups and downs and having reached their best selves.

This is no coherent review really, just me dumping out my feelings about them. Following them as parents, having kids (looking directly at my best people coballoway with seven), and lows too as expected with loss and the intense media scrutiny particular dealing with their kids in the spotlight. But out of all this, the core six truly got all the happiness they deserved. I adored seeing the strength of each couple's love for one another stay so strong, seeing the love expressed constantly reminded me so much of each of their first few books, each couple's love is genuinely eternal. Lo, Ryke and Willow's sibling dynamic grow through this made my heart so full, I can't wait to read willowgarrison and also see Willow's perspective on her brothers. Lilo my best friends who went from enabling to their healthy love including keeping the other afloat, not dependent but instead always their for the other, that canoe scene of theirs I sobbed so much. Coballoway, my best intellectuals whose words is not just their power but love and with actions too. Seeing them raise so many kids was a joy to read how they are as parents and they were outstanding as expected. Raisy the wildest souls, kbr was sick for the trauma they went through in long way down but them with their two daughters made my heart burst. I'm just so emotional they've carved up a huge space in my heart that this was a hard goodbye as reading this whole series, readers get to grow with them and seeing them at their highest and lowest points. I can't wait to reread this series again in hopefully the near future and come home to my core six.

“Look how far we’ve come. Look at us now. Ache for ache. Smile for smile. I only ever wanted to live this life with her.”