rjsetserauthor's reviews
857 reviews

Really slow and just didn’t care about the characters. 

This book was holding at 3 stars until the last 20%, where it fought determinedly to get that 4th star.

This one induced SO MANY feelings; the biggest one being "frustration". Harry's adolescent attitude drove me up the wall, especially since there was little pushing the story forward besides Umbridge (UGH). And why did it need to be 800+ pages *sobs*?

Overall, I recognize the valuable lore that no doubt sets up the rest of the series, and a lot of my questions about the world were answered in this book. Plus, there were some pleasant scenes that I really enjoyed. Would I read this one again? Probably not. I don't think my blood pressure could handle it. Chamber of Secrets is still my favorite in the series so far, but I am drawn to finish the last two books, so I'll go ahead and give this one 4 stars. 

 "[E]very dystopia is someone's utopia."

I devoured this novella in one sitting and if the second book was out, I'd have devoured that one too.

The writing and point of view is very introspective, which I think adds to the dreary and lonely feeling of the world. The city is described to be dark and gray but you can feel the lack of color in how the characters interact with each other and how they internalize their thoughts rather than speaking to each other. The writing style works so well for this story and setting.

The mysterious aspects of the story are unique and mind boggling at times, but I really liked way the suspense was handled. There's some mild "body horror" scenes that might keep some readers from enjoying this, but overall, if you like dark sci-fi and dystopian themes (and mushrooms), you need to read this.

Content disclaimers: Very mild and infrequent cursing. No sexual content (or romance). Strong themes of death and semi-detailed descriptions of body horror (no gore). 

Never Lore: Journey to Mt. Smolder is a middle grade reimagining of Peter Pan. You'll encounter many familiar characters and themes, but there are new twists and new characters that make the story so different that you just thought you knew Peter Pan!

I'm rating it 3.75 stars out of 5 because while I loved Annabelle during her spunky adventure, the story just moved so fast that I continually had to stop and re-read pages because we'd jump to totally new scenes or major plot points would be solved in only a few words. If the story would've slowed down, allowed the reader to process what was happening, I think I would've enjoyed it much more. 

There are strong themes of honesty and doing one's best to do the right thing. Also strong friendships and a good display of communication between friends when a disagreement arises.  

Of Tangles and Tinsel is a cozy, winter romance that had me giggling and kicking my feet.

Now, I must offer a disclaimer that I am not the target audience for rom-coms; the only reason I read this one was because of the tiny Christmas dragon and the fact that the characters are fae. So, it's a fantasy Christmas rom-com, and now that I know this genre exists, I'm going to be hunting for it next Christmas!

Olwen and Quill are entertaining with their banter, the setting is beautiful, and the story is easy to binge. The Repunzel aspects of the story had me laughing, and Olwen is a hysterical representative of Repunzel, and I loved her every second of this book. And Quill...well, let's just say I liked him, too.

Overall, I recommend Of Tangles & Tinsel to readers of holiday rom-coms, but especially to those like me who need an element of fantasy to enjoy the rom-com properly!

Content disclaimers {possible spoilers here}: Romance is "closed door", though there are plenty of descriptions of thinking about kissing and dreaming of each other. Some mentions of a creepy and sleazy dude who makes advances, but he's stopped. There's no cursing. Very mild action mentioned.

"Sometimes we need to find new ways to continue doing what we love," Kamaal said. "If that creative spark is still there, then let it shine."

Revenant Prince was the sequel I hoped it would be! While I enjoyed Tethered Spirits (book 1), I had a few issues with the pacing of that book and the lack of suspense, but with Revenant Prince, I had no complaints. This series is a true epic fantasy, so the story takes place over the course of several months and there's lots of traveling. The story overall is a slow pace, however, unlike the first book, there is a sizzling suspense that will keep you biting your nails. Sometimes, the plot thickened so much that I'd have to stick the book in "time out" just because I couldn't handle it!

I loved the character development portrayed by ALL of the characters. There were many characters that I didn't expect to grow to care about, but this diverse group kept things interesting. The story world is beautiful, and even though I didn't reference a map, I didn't have any issues with imagining the layout of the land. I felt incredibly comfortable reading it, never confused or lost, which is hard to accomplish with epic fantasy.

I've read several of T.A. Hernandez's books, and this one is easily my favorite. I'm on the edge of my seat with these characters and I'm bracing myself for the trauma that I will surely suffer in book 3. I recommend it to readers who enjoy epic fantasy sagas with very detailed world-building and intricate political plots.

Content disclaimers: No on-page romance (not even kissing). A somewhat major plot point is an MM romance, where there are only feel-good vibes. Some mild mentions of concubines. Mild action/gore and mentions of injuries and war. I didn't take notes of any cursing, but I seem to remember some mild language used sporadically, but I might be wrong about that.

Shadows of Memory was such a delight to read.

I've started calling it "cozy sci-fi" because while it has science-fiction elements, it's more of a cozy romance within the realm of science fiction. Holly and Oliver are charming and loveable characters with complex emotional backgrounds. At first, I wasn't sure if I'd like Oliver, but the reasons for his actions were explained fairly early on, so he quickly had me rooting for him.

The story is easy to follow and moves quickly. I binged the majority of it in one sitting, so it's great for fast readers. This doesn't mean the story is without depth, though. Holly and Oliver both deal with grief and complicated ethics that come with technological advancements. Overall, Shadows of Memory surprised me with how simple, yet complex, it is and how cozy its vibes are.

I recommend it to readers looking for a sweet romance story set in a science fiction world with some emotional depth and creepy bad guys.

Content: Romance vibes and cute dates (no on-page romance, no descriptive kissing). Heavy themes of loss and grief. No cursing.

"That tree was probably fed on dreams, water and soil. I wonder if that tree misses her like we do."

Rating Willowmere is difficult for me because I appreciate the heart and emotion that was certainly poured into this story, but there was just something that kept me from enjoying it to the extent that I expected to. Looking at the story as a whole, it's very sweet, nostalgic, and adventurous. It has vibes that remind me of Alice in Wonderland in some ways, but also a very fresh storyline that makes it stand out.

The things that just didn't do it for me were the dialogue and the way Pea acted throughout most of the story. I understand a lot of her actions are typical of 12-year-olds going through traumatic circumstances (like the loss of a mother), but it was still very difficult for me to sympathize with her and like her as a character (especially since this is fiction). The way she treated those around her was often out of line and she rarely apologized for it, instead justifying it in her thoughts. I actually sympathized with Laur more than Pea because I felt that Laur at least tried to be friendly; Pea was downright mean to Laur, very often, before she even had reason to be. So, that made it really difficult for me to root for her.

The other thing was the dialogue, which I really feel is going to be a personal preference. Renault annoyed me. Every time there was dialogue from Renault, I cringed, and again, that's a personal preference. Some middle graders might laugh at it, other readers might find it cute and endearing, but I struggled with it. I read a lot of middle grade books with the silly and charming side-characters so I'm not unfamiliar with this type of character (think Bing Bong from the movie Inside Out or Dobby from Harry Potter), but I just never could get myself to find him "cute".

Overall, Willowmere has a sweet message of overcoming the sadness of loss, mending broken relationships, and exploring the world within the Willow Tree. I'd recommend it to readers who love unique characters and books where the main character has a lot of flaws to overcome.

I received this book from the author/publisher for free. All comments and opinions are entirely my own and this review is voluntary.

The Wishing Spell is a fresh yet familiar story. Alex and Connor jump into The Land of Stories and encounter the fairytales we've all grown up reading. Each fairytale has a new twist and Alex & Connor's adventure is packed with surprises, funny moments, and bittersweet emotion.

I loved Alex and Connor's twin dynamic. They complimented each other so well and brought an entertaining balance to the story. Connor's humor had me laughing out loud at times and Alex was so relatable in wanting to explore every inch of her favorite stories brought to life. 

The only reason I'm giving it 4.5 stars instead of 5 stars is because this book is aimed at the target age of 12, and there were a few things (included below in the "spoiler" text) that I noted that might turn some parents/guardians/teachers away from recommending it to their young readers. However, I found the story to be heartwarming, entertaining, and appropriate for the general majority of middle-grade readers.

Also, the audiobook is wonderful. There are additional sound effects used during the narration, so it's extremely engaging! 

Marzipan's First Christmas is as charming of a story as it looks! I bought a copy of this book for each of my nieces this year for Christmas, and the white fluffy bunny exploring the Christmas lights is an instant winner. 

This book highlights the coziness and comfort of Christmas and the illustrations pair with it perfectly. I highly recommend it for boys and girls alike; especially those little kiddos who love animals.