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the_ya_assassin's reviews
377 reviews
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
5.0
This book was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy better than I expected it to be. When I saw it on Goodreads and read the synopsis, I thought it was going to be different than it actually was and wasn't interested in it. Thank goodness for Fairyloot, or else, I might not have picked up this book. It had the characters, worldbuilding, and a twist I did and didn't see coming (at the end, no less).
First, let's go over the bad parts real quick. While I did like Kiva's character, she didn't really grow as a person. I saw no character arc, unless of course that ending was to make her character arc negative. Secondly, one of the main components of the book hardly lasted for one chapter - the Ordeals. Each Ordeal got ONE chapter. That was it. For them being so terrifying, I feel like they deserved to have more than one chapter dedicated to each. In addition, after being kept up in the Abyss for so long, Kiva should've had PTSD and reacted differently when they threw her and Jaren into the tunnels.
Thirdly, the main plot twist was predictable. Not only did I KNOW Kiva.
However, I did not see Although I didn't think this was necessarily a cliffhanger. Next, the world was pretty well built. It seemed intricate with the exact locations detailed by Kiva and how Zalindov works. There were rules and I felt as though I could walk right into it. Then there were the characters . . . each had their own unique qualities which was really nice and I loved their personalities. Tipp with his young stuttering firecracker self, Jaren with his kindness and seriousness. Kiva with her caring, spunk, and sassiness. Naari with her determination and humor. This core cast has been one of my favorites recently and I can't wait to see more of them in [b:The Gilded Cage|50882354|The Gilded Cage (The Prison Healer, #2)|Lynette Noni|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1608472691l/50882354._SY75_.jpg|75784496]!
First, let's go over the bad parts real quick. While I did like Kiva's character, she didn't really grow as a person. I saw no character arc, unless of course that ending was to make her character arc negative. Secondly, one of the main components of the book hardly lasted for one chapter - the Ordeals. Each Ordeal got ONE chapter. That was it. For them being so terrifying, I feel like they deserved to have more than one chapter dedicated to each. In addition, after being kept up in the Abyss for so long, Kiva should've had PTSD and reacted differently when they threw her and Jaren into the tunnels.
Thirdly, the main plot twist was predictable. Not only did I KNOW Kiva
Spoiler
had powers, I figured out that Jaren was the prince when he used the magicHowever, I did not see
Spoiler
the plot twist where Kiva was Tilda's daughter and she was actually a rebel. That was one of the best plot twists everSpoiler
aka Prince Deverick
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
4.0
FINALLY!
I FINALLY finished this book. The whole time, I trudged through it like it was mud. The writing was dense and there was a lot of info-dumping at the beginning.
The "protagonist", El, was an interesting character. Boy, did she have mood swings. Sometimes she was all protective of the Golden Boy, other times, she was rude to him. I don't know how they ended up being a couple.
I do want to address the "racial" problem this book supposedly had. I understand if anyone unfriends me because of the following statement, but . . . the monsters that hide in dreadlocks ISN'T racist. I've seen many people have dreads, no matter their color. So . . . I don't know why this was such a big problem considering it was literally ONE SENTENCE.
However, the plot itself was pretty good. We got what the premise promised us.
Overall, a nice read.
I FINALLY finished this book. The whole time, I trudged through it like it was mud. The writing was dense and there was a lot of info-dumping at the beginning.
The "protagonist", El, was an interesting character. Boy, did she have mood swings. Sometimes she was all protective of the Golden Boy, other times, she was rude to him. I don't know how they ended up being a couple.
I do want to address the "racial" problem this book supposedly had. I understand if anyone unfriends me because of the following statement, but . . . the monsters that hide in dreadlocks ISN'T racist. I've seen many people have dreads, no matter their color. So . . . I don't know why this was such a big problem considering it was literally ONE SENTENCE.
However, the plot itself was pretty good. We got what the premise promised us.
Overall, a nice read.
Red Tigress by Amélie Wen Zhao
5.0
"We all have monsters in our minds . . . but it takes courage and perseverance to defeat them."
HOW COULD THE SEQUEL POSSIBLY BE BETTER THAN THE FIRST?!?!
Okay y'all. I have never felt so many emotions in a book (minus [b:The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue|50623864|The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue|V.E. Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1584633432l/50623864._SY75_.jpg|46895612] of course). I was happy, sad, angry, and in love throughout this book. Each scene was specific to the course of the plot, the character development was spot-on . . . everything about this was amazing.
First of all, the worldbuilding was pretty good. It stayed mostly the same in the case of how it was written into the book - not the info-dumping way, thank goodness. I also feel like we learned more in this book about the world.
Secondly, the scenes
HOW COULD THE SEQUEL POSSIBLY BE BETTER THAN THE FIRST?!?!
Okay y'all. I have never felt so many emotions in a book (minus [b:The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue|50623864|The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue|V.E. Schwab|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1584633432l/50623864._SY75_.jpg|46895612] of course). I was happy, sad, angry, and in love throughout this book. Each scene was specific to the course of the plot, the character development was spot-on . . . everything about this was amazing.
First of all, the worldbuilding was pretty good. It stayed mostly the same in the case of how it was written into the book - not the info-dumping way, thank goodness. I also feel like we learned more in this book about the world.
Secondly, the scenes
Gold Spun by Brandie June
4.0
I received an eARC courtesy of the publisher and TBR & Beyond Tours from Edelweiss! Thank you so much!
I think you would be wise not to test how resourceful or devious I can be.
Let's start with the actual story itself. It was a very interesting retelling of the classic Rumpelstiltskin. I was actually surprised by how different it was from the original story. However, when I first started [b:Gold Spun|55602663|Gold Spun|Brandie June|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613115610l/55602663._SX50_.jpg|86711773] I was thinking of giving this book three stars. It didn't hook me really, despite the promises of fay and princes and gold. Perhaps this is because I had just finished [b:The Prison Healer|53968496|The Prison Healer (The Prison Healer, #1)|Lynette Noni|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593147576l/53968496._SY75_.jpg|74302756] the morning I began Goldspun, but it could've also been the beginning. I believe it could've been because of all of the descriptions of the palace and locations and whatnot. I have to say, nothing really happened till I was about 45% of the way through.
What intrigued me, however, was the worldbuilding. I have read several Young Adult books recently that were . . . subpar on the worldbuilding. Most of the time, I thought the worldbuilding was subpar because it was just a bunch of info-dumping instead of building. Goldspun was NOT like that. [a:Brandie June|19793140|Brandie June|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1575935383p2/19793140.jpg] delivered the world's rules, locations, and culture throughout the story which made it a much more satisfying read.
I loved the characters as well - Nor was uncertain, headstrong, and feminine, yet intelligent. I liked how her character arc turned from being a con-woman and thief to queen. I also enjoyed Casper's humor, seriousness, and caring. He truly was a knight in shining armor (or rather, King in shining armor
I think you would be wise not to test how resourceful or devious I can be.
Let's start with the actual story itself. It was a very interesting retelling of the classic Rumpelstiltskin. I was actually surprised by how different it was from the original story. However, when I first started [b:Gold Spun|55602663|Gold Spun|Brandie June|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613115610l/55602663._SX50_.jpg|86711773] I was thinking of giving this book three stars. It didn't hook me really, despite the promises of fay and princes and gold. Perhaps this is because I had just finished [b:The Prison Healer|53968496|The Prison Healer (The Prison Healer, #1)|Lynette Noni|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593147576l/53968496._SY75_.jpg|74302756] the morning I began Goldspun, but it could've also been the beginning. I believe it could've been because of all of the descriptions of the palace and locations and whatnot. I have to say, nothing really happened till I was about 45% of the way through.
What intrigued me, however, was the worldbuilding. I have read several Young Adult books recently that were . . . subpar on the worldbuilding. Most of the time, I thought the worldbuilding was subpar because it was just a bunch of info-dumping instead of building. Goldspun was NOT like that. [a:Brandie June|19793140|Brandie June|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1575935383p2/19793140.jpg] delivered the world's rules, locations, and culture throughout the story which made it a much more satisfying read.
I loved the characters as well - Nor was uncertain, headstrong, and feminine, yet intelligent. I liked how her character arc turned from being a con-woman and thief to
Spoiler
an almost
Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas
4.0
*3.5 stars, rounded up*
"You never know what you might find the dark places."
Not gonna lie, this was the perfect read for me right now. I really needed a good retelling. It wasn't my most favorite book, but it wasn't my least favorite either. One big thing is that I've heard this is supposed to be LGBTQ+, but there is literally NOTHING LGBTQ+ about this book besides the author. But I'll be honest and say I'm not a big fan of LGBTQ+ books 'cause I'm not part of the group, but I do read them to broaden my horizons.
Anyways, what y'all want me to talk about is [b:Lost in the Never Woods|39897752|Lost in the Never Woods|Aiden Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592493557l/39897752._SY75_.jpg|61732549]. This was an okay read. There were a LOT of flaws in the story and characters, but the retelling part was original and I enjoyed it, so here we are. For starters, the worldbuilding was super underdone. The only reason we know where the story takes place is because Wendy, our MC, directly tells us. Despite the actual worldbuilding being subpar, there were a lot of descriptions, which might seem contrary to what I just said. However, these descriptions were of few places in the actual world we were in. This is supposed to be somewhat contemporary, and while I could tell it was in the present (2000's), there wasn't any technology or specifics. It would've added an extra layer of depth in the story had [a:Aiden Thomas|17960047|Aiden Thomas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1623441053p2/17960047.jpg] said like "Iphone X" or something popular that we can associate with an actual year.
In addition to the worldbuilding being nearly nonexistent, the characters were pretty 1-dimensional too. While I WAS hoping Peter and Wendy would get together, they were flat for being the main characters. Although, Wendy did seem to change as the book continued - she grew more independent and braver.
Despite these main problems and little plot (literally, Wendy is just wondering why she can't remember anything or freaking out about SOMETHING), the Peter Pan retelling part was AMAZING. I've heard the theory of who Peter Pan really is many times, but this is the first retelling I have read where it actually happens! I don't many Peter Pan retellings have been written and I think this is actually my first one (my next one will be [b:Straight On Till Morning|43982864|Straight On Till Morning|Liz Braswell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560939198l/43982864._SY75_.jpg|68379890])! I really enjoyed this one and super happy I picked it up. It was nice and light read. I finally feel like I have gotten out of my reading slump too!
"You never know what you might find the dark places."
Not gonna lie, this was the perfect read for me right now. I really needed a good retelling. It wasn't my most favorite book, but it wasn't my least favorite either. One big thing is that I've heard this is supposed to be LGBTQ+, but there is literally NOTHING LGBTQ+ about this book besides the author. But I'll be honest and say I'm not a big fan of LGBTQ+ books 'cause I'm not part of the group, but I do read them to broaden my horizons.
Anyways, what y'all want me to talk about is [b:Lost in the Never Woods|39897752|Lost in the Never Woods|Aiden Thomas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592493557l/39897752._SY75_.jpg|61732549]. This was an okay read. There were a LOT of flaws in the story and characters, but the retelling part was original and I enjoyed it, so here we are. For starters, the worldbuilding was super underdone. The only reason we know where the story takes place is because Wendy, our MC, directly tells us. Despite the actual worldbuilding being subpar, there were a lot of descriptions, which might seem contrary to what I just said. However, these descriptions were of few places in the actual world we were in. This is supposed to be somewhat contemporary, and while I could tell it was in the present (2000's), there wasn't any technology or specifics. It would've added an extra layer of depth in the story had [a:Aiden Thomas|17960047|Aiden Thomas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1623441053p2/17960047.jpg] said like "Iphone X" or something popular that we can associate with an actual year.
In addition to the worldbuilding being nearly nonexistent, the characters were pretty 1-dimensional too. While I WAS hoping Peter and Wendy would get together, they were flat for being the main characters. Although, Wendy did seem to change as the book continued - she grew more independent and braver.
Despite these main problems and little plot (literally, Wendy is just wondering why she can't remember anything or freaking out about SOMETHING), the Peter Pan retelling part was AMAZING. I've heard the theory of who Peter Pan really is many times, but this is the first retelling I have read where it actually happens! I don't many Peter Pan retellings have been written and I think this is actually my first one (my next one will be [b:Straight On Till Morning|43982864|Straight On Till Morning|Liz Braswell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1560939198l/43982864._SY75_.jpg|68379890])! I really enjoyed this one and super happy I picked it up. It was nice and light read. I finally feel like I have gotten out of my reading slump too!
Read Swoon Repeat 2021 by Austin Siegemund-Broka
4.0
I received an eARC from Netgalley and Penguin Group in exchange for an honest review.
This collection of previews was very modern and contemporary. I will be picking up several of the books from this collection because I enjoyed the previews so much! Most of them were LGBTQ+ and had diverse main characters. Normally I don't do reviews like this, but since it was only previews in this book, I tried my best to give reviews of each singular book included.
Here's a quick run down of the books in this ebook:
- [b:What's Not to Love|44044099|What's Not to Love|Emily Wibberley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600706240l/44044099._SY75_.jpg|68484114]
- [b:From Little Tokyo, with Love|55115173|From Little Tokyo, with Love|Sarah Kuhn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1605801772l/55115173._SY75_.jpg|84328437]
- [b:Perfectly Parvin|55835951|Perfectly Parvin|Olivia Abtahi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1605867658l/55835951._SY75_.jpg|70603137]
- [b:Some Girls Do|53802072|Some Girls Do|Jennifer Dugan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1604597893l/53802072._SX50_.jpg|84120878]
- [b:The Passing Playbook|42969261|The Passing Playbook|Isaac Fitzsimons|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612548191l/42969261._SY75_.jpg|66793068]
- [b:Heartbreakers and Fakers|55336511|Heartbreakers and Fakers|Cameron Lund|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602530454l/55336511._SY75_.jpg|67819619]
- [b:The Summer of Lost Letters|55655115|The Summer of Lost Letters|Hannah Reynolds|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1605810460l/55655115._SY75_.jpg|82107141]
- [b:Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions|48735098|Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions|Navdeep Singh Dhillon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1620226865l/48735098._SY75_.jpg|74102054]
So I'll start off with What's Not to Love. I really enjoyed this preview! It is super relatable to me because the main character, Alison Sanger, is competing against a boy over grades. I can already see her and Ethan's relationship blossoming. So excited to see them go from enemies to lovers - I was definitely swooning! I will definitely pick this up when I have the chance!
Secondly, From Little Tokyo, With Love was culturally interesting. I would love to pick it up and explore more about the asian society in California. It made me angry when Rika's Aunt told her she couldn't fight for her judo, despite all her hard work to make it to the top. I'm so glad she found a way to still participate in the parade! I am curious to see why Grace reacted so violently to seeing Rika though. Her missing mom, possibly? And how will Hank Chen play into the story?
Next, Perfectly Parvin - I wasn't a big fan of this one. I've seen in on several sites but it was very contemporary and LGBTQ+ forward. The character on the cover, Parvin, looks to be in her junior or senior years. In the book, she's going into her freshman year. Parvin has caring parents and I'd actually like to see more of them. It is kind of a funny story and Parvin is the classic freshman girl. I probably won't pick this one up.
Then, Some Girls Do. Ruby has a rough home life, that much is obvious, but she is a witch at school. However, I AM interested in Morgan and her progression in track. I ran track in high school, so I'd be very interested to see how she does. Also, why did she have to change schools so quickly? What happened? I also had several lol moments already, such as when Morgan said this: "Yeah, hell hath no fury like a suburban mom late for her latte." I will definitely pick this one up.
Next, The Passing Playbook. This one was . . . weird for me to read. I totally support people who are trans, because that's who they want to be, but I'm not comfortable with reading it. I did read this preview still though. I was honestly surprised that Spencer was trans, but I guess it made sense. This whole collection is almost ALL LGBTQ+. Spencer is nice and sweet, but I HATE Justice. He is such a mean guy. Spencer deserves better than him. The best part about this preview - definitely Theo. He's a mini-genius. But alas, he is not the main character, so I will not be picking up this one.
Next, Heartbreakers & Fakers. This one was very confusing at first. I didn't like the time jump really, but I do understand why it was needed. Olivia is pretty cool though. I hated Kai. Penny was an idiot teenage girl, but I can respect her for how she thought too. THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T DRINK Y'ALL! Despite it being confusing, I'll still probably pick this up because I LIVE for drama and I want to know what happens between Jordan, Olivia, Penny, and Kai - will they work their problems out or will they remain broken up?
Then, The Summer of Lost Letters. "but honestly, who wouldn't at least consider a whether a storm heralded a serial killer?"This is one is very intriguing, but also VERY wordy. I started skimming simply because it had so many large paragraphs (maybe this is just because it's an ebook edition though). I was fascinated by the idea of finding the letters and then Abby going to Nantucket for the summer to solve the mystery of who sent them. It is REALLY fast-paced though - we're already in Nantucket in the second chapter. I will definitely pick it up because I see something between Noah and Abby, and I'm super curious to see if Abby finds out more about her O'Ma's secret Edward.
Finally, Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions. This one . . . wasn't all that great. It was very confusing with all of the fanfiction references and the names and such. It was definitely culturally-influenced, which I would've enjoyed . . . if I had known what it meant. It has POC characters, so if that's what you're looking for, this is it. There is some foul language too, which surprised me. I probably won't pick it up, despite my interest in what happened to Goldy - I think he got drunk and was in a car accident, but I'm not completely sure.
Overall, a great collection of swoon worthy reads with diverse characters and different tropes that will having readers do what we do best - READ.
This collection of previews was very modern and contemporary. I will be picking up several of the books from this collection because I enjoyed the previews so much! Most of them were LGBTQ+ and had diverse main characters. Normally I don't do reviews like this, but since it was only previews in this book, I tried my best to give reviews of each singular book included.
Here's a quick run down of the books in this ebook:
- [b:What's Not to Love|44044099|What's Not to Love|Emily Wibberley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600706240l/44044099._SY75_.jpg|68484114]
- [b:From Little Tokyo, with Love|55115173|From Little Tokyo, with Love|Sarah Kuhn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1605801772l/55115173._SY75_.jpg|84328437]
- [b:Perfectly Parvin|55835951|Perfectly Parvin|Olivia Abtahi|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1605867658l/55835951._SY75_.jpg|70603137]
- [b:Some Girls Do|53802072|Some Girls Do|Jennifer Dugan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1604597893l/53802072._SX50_.jpg|84120878]
- [b:The Passing Playbook|42969261|The Passing Playbook|Isaac Fitzsimons|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1612548191l/42969261._SY75_.jpg|66793068]
- [b:Heartbreakers and Fakers|55336511|Heartbreakers and Fakers|Cameron Lund|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1602530454l/55336511._SY75_.jpg|67819619]
- [b:The Summer of Lost Letters|55655115|The Summer of Lost Letters|Hannah Reynolds|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1605810460l/55655115._SY75_.jpg|82107141]
- [b:Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions|48735098|Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions|Navdeep Singh Dhillon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1620226865l/48735098._SY75_.jpg|74102054]
So I'll start off with What's Not to Love. I really enjoyed this preview! It is super relatable to me because the main character, Alison Sanger, is competing against a boy over grades. I can already see her and Ethan's relationship blossoming. So excited to see them go from enemies to lovers - I was definitely swooning! I will definitely pick this up when I have the chance!
Secondly, From Little Tokyo, With Love was culturally interesting. I would love to pick it up and explore more about the asian society in California. It made me angry when Rika's Aunt told her she couldn't fight for her judo, despite all her hard work to make it to the top. I'm so glad she found a way to still participate in the parade! I am curious to see why Grace reacted so violently to seeing Rika though. Her missing mom, possibly? And how will Hank Chen play into the story?
Next, Perfectly Parvin - I wasn't a big fan of this one. I've seen in on several sites but it was very contemporary and LGBTQ+ forward. The character on the cover, Parvin, looks to be in her junior or senior years. In the book, she's going into her freshman year. Parvin has caring parents and I'd actually like to see more of them. It is kind of a funny story and Parvin is the classic freshman girl. I probably won't pick this one up.
Then, Some Girls Do. Ruby has a rough home life, that much is obvious, but she is a witch at school. However, I AM interested in Morgan and her progression in track. I ran track in high school, so I'd be very interested to see how she does. Also, why did she have to change schools so quickly? What happened? I also had several lol moments already, such as when Morgan said this: "Yeah, hell hath no fury like a suburban mom late for her latte." I will definitely pick this one up.
Next, The Passing Playbook. This one was . . . weird for me to read. I totally support people who are trans, because that's who they want to be, but I'm not comfortable with reading it. I did read this preview still though. I was honestly surprised that Spencer was trans, but I guess it made sense. This whole collection is almost ALL LGBTQ+. Spencer is nice and sweet, but I HATE Justice. He is such a mean guy. Spencer deserves better than him. The best part about this preview - definitely Theo. He's a mini-genius. But alas, he is not the main character, so I will not be picking up this one.
Next, Heartbreakers & Fakers. This one was very confusing at first. I didn't like the time jump really, but I do understand why it was needed. Olivia is pretty cool though. I hated Kai. Penny was an idiot teenage girl, but I can respect her for how she thought too. THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T DRINK Y'ALL! Despite it being confusing, I'll still probably pick this up because I LIVE for drama and I want to know what happens between Jordan, Olivia, Penny, and Kai - will they work their problems out or will they remain broken up?
Then, The Summer of Lost Letters. "but honestly, who wouldn't at least consider a whether a storm heralded a serial killer?"This is one is very intriguing, but also VERY wordy. I started skimming simply because it had so many large paragraphs (maybe this is just because it's an ebook edition though). I was fascinated by the idea of finding the letters and then Abby going to Nantucket for the summer to solve the mystery of who sent them. It is REALLY fast-paced though - we're already in Nantucket in the second chapter. I will definitely pick it up because I see something between Noah and Abby, and I'm super curious to see if Abby finds out more about her O'Ma's secret Edward.
Finally, Sunny G's Series of Rash Decisions. This one . . . wasn't all that great. It was very confusing with all of the fanfiction references and the names and such. It was definitely culturally-influenced, which I would've enjoyed . . . if I had known what it meant. It has POC characters, so if that's what you're looking for, this is it. There is some foul language too, which surprised me. I probably won't pick it up, despite my interest in what happened to Goldy - I think he got drunk and was in a car accident, but I'm not completely sure.
Overall, a great collection of swoon worthy reads with diverse characters and different tropes that will having readers do what we do best - READ.
Cold Hearted by Serena Valentino
4.0
I received an eARC via Netgalley from Disney Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for the opportunity!
"I was lost in the past, and perhaps the future. I'm careful not to linger there too often for fear of being lost there forever."
*3.5 stars, rounded up*
In "Cold Hearted", we follow the other side of the Cinderella's story - the one of her evil stepmother. I believe Valentino managed to capture the correct before and after persona of Lady Tremaine in Cold Hearted and definitely made the before realistic and understandable. I have never thought I'd say this, but I feel BAD for Lady Tremaine, Cinderella's evil stepmother, after reading this book. Lady Tremaine is known for being one of the cruelest, coldest villains in Disney. However, Valentino allowed me to see what CAUSED her to be so evil. She was once a kind mother to her daughter's Anastasia and Drizella, but after her husband died she became lonely. Around 6 years after her husband's death, Lady Tremaine seeked companionship. When she met Cinderella's father, she thought he was perfect (although I hated this - love at first sight is such a terrible and unrealistic trope) - they seeked parent figures for their daughters and wanted love. When Cinderella's father turned out to be . . . how do I put this delicately . . . an a**hole, Lady Tremaine turned evil. She was just repaying what Cinderella's father did to her and her girls back to Cinderella. Although it was WRONG to do so, as Cinderella was clearly manipulated, I have never hated Cinderella so much in all my life (and she has NEVER been my favorite princess) - despite HER being what spurred the recounting of Lady Tremaine's story on in the first place.
How Valentino delivered this story was pretty good overall except for the same adjectives and verbs used, the long descriptions, inconsistencies, and the characters themselves. Surprisingly, there was a LOT of backstory at the beginning, which is usually bothersome, but it somehow worked for "Cold Hearted." I also enjoyed the third person omniscient point of view. On the downside, Valentino used the same words several times throughout the story, and I spotted them almost immediately. It's just something my writing brain goes off at. These words include "rattled," "stoic," "livid," "drifted," "amused/amusing," "by the book." One of the main phrases that was reused quite often was "that is a story for another time" or something along the lines of that. It just got a bit annoying. Another one was calling the women "handsome" which just didn't sit well with me. With just a little bit more research (and probably the help of a dictionary), Valentino could've given the reader a better experience with word diversity. In addition, there are long descriptions of locations used in the beginning, which made it a little difficult for me to get into.
Next, the way Valentino wrote Lady Tremaine. Overall, she was written well, but there were MANY instances where Tremaine would just trail off and get distracted easily by her own thoughts. Maybe this is purposeful, but I doubt it since it happened so frequently. Finally, the inconsistencies - there weren't many of these but the main one I took note of was how Lady Tremaine treated her daughters after only being at her friend's estate for two days - she was calling them "hellions" and "troublemakers" when she left and only two days later, she was calling them "my darlings." In such a short amount of time, there is NO way the whole purpose of Lady Tremaine's trip to her friend's estate was accomplished (to get away from her girls and reevaluate how she treats them).
Overall though, this was an enjoyable book and I'm glad I picked Cold Hearted up because it gave me such an interesting and different view of Cinderella's tale.
"I was lost in the past, and perhaps the future. I'm careful not to linger there too often for fear of being lost there forever."
*3.5 stars, rounded up*
In "Cold Hearted", we follow the other side of the Cinderella's story - the one of her evil stepmother. I believe Valentino managed to capture the correct before and after persona of Lady Tremaine in Cold Hearted and definitely made the before realistic and understandable. I have never thought I'd say this, but I feel BAD for Lady Tremaine, Cinderella's evil stepmother, after reading this book. Lady Tremaine is known for being one of the cruelest, coldest villains in Disney. However, Valentino allowed me to see what CAUSED her to be so evil. She was once a kind mother to her daughter's Anastasia and Drizella, but after her husband died she became lonely. Around 6 years after her husband's death, Lady Tremaine seeked companionship. When she met Cinderella's father, she thought he was perfect (although I hated this - love at first sight is such a terrible and unrealistic trope) - they seeked parent figures for their daughters and wanted love. When Cinderella's father turned out to be . . . how do I put this delicately . . . an a**hole, Lady Tremaine turned evil. She was just repaying what Cinderella's father did to her and her girls back to Cinderella. Although it was WRONG to do so, as Cinderella was clearly manipulated, I have never hated Cinderella so much in all my life (and she has NEVER been my favorite princess) - despite HER being what spurred the recounting of Lady Tremaine's story on in the first place.
How Valentino delivered this story was pretty good overall except for the same adjectives and verbs used, the long descriptions, inconsistencies, and the characters themselves. Surprisingly, there was a LOT of backstory at the beginning, which is usually bothersome, but it somehow worked for "Cold Hearted." I also enjoyed the third person omniscient point of view. On the downside, Valentino used the same words several times throughout the story, and I spotted them almost immediately. It's just something my writing brain goes off at. These words include "rattled," "stoic," "livid," "drifted," "amused/amusing," "by the book." One of the main phrases that was reused quite often was "that is a story for another time" or something along the lines of that. It just got a bit annoying. Another one was calling the women "handsome" which just didn't sit well with me. With just a little bit more research (and probably the help of a dictionary), Valentino could've given the reader a better experience with word diversity. In addition, there are long descriptions of locations used in the beginning, which made it a little difficult for me to get into.
Next, the way Valentino wrote Lady Tremaine. Overall, she was written well, but there were MANY instances where Tremaine would just trail off and get distracted easily by her own thoughts. Maybe this is purposeful, but I doubt it since it happened so frequently. Finally, the inconsistencies - there weren't many of these but the main one I took note of was how Lady Tremaine treated her daughters after only being at her friend's estate for two days - she was calling them "hellions" and "troublemakers" when she left and only two days later, she was calling them "my darlings." In such a short amount of time, there is NO way the whole purpose of Lady Tremaine's trip to her friend's estate was accomplished (to get away from her girls and reevaluate how she treats them).
Overall though, this was an enjoyable book and I'm glad I picked Cold Hearted up because it gave me such an interesting and different view of Cinderella's tale.
Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart
2.0
"If my past has taught me anything, it's that the brave act without thinking, and the clever avoid all acts of bravery."
This is not a drill, y'all, this is not a drill. Another OVERHYPED book has appeared on my Goodreads.
Witches Steeped in Gold's premise sounded right up my alley. Pity the author failed to deliver a good story - it didn't keep my attention and BARELY kept my will to continue. I wanted to DNF but I thought it'd get better - it didn't.
For starters, NOTHING, and I mean nothing, happens the first 200 pages. All Ciannon Smart does is set up the plot and worldbuilding- it was boring and very confusing. Imagine an info dump of 200 pages. It had a good plot AFTER the first 300 pages, but I was ready to DNF by then (I kept going though because I HOPED it would get better). Secondly, I could not tell the difference between the two characters' POVs and I don't give a crap about either of them. They were both w*tches (you know what I mean) and I hated them. In fact, I WANTED them to fail at their mission. In addition, Smart FORCED their character arcs onto them and they weren't even well-established arcs. I legitimately only cared about ONE of the characters and that was the pirate, Roje, who the reader only saw, like, twice, maybe three times.
The one thing I DID like were the subplots - they were much better.
Also, I just need to rant - there are FEW Jamaican things in this book, despite how the synopsis made it sound - the food is the ONLY thing I could identify as Jamaican. Throwing random "Jamaican" words into the story, does NOT make it Jamaican.
Overall, good concept but TERRIBLY executed. Please do not waste your time on this book. And if you do, borrow it from the library.
This is not a drill, y'all, this is not a drill. Another OVERHYPED book has appeared on my Goodreads.
Witches Steeped in Gold's premise sounded right up my alley. Pity the author failed to deliver a good story - it didn't keep my attention and BARELY kept my will to continue. I wanted to DNF but I thought it'd get better - it didn't.
For starters, NOTHING, and I mean nothing, happens the first 200 pages. All Ciannon Smart does is set up the plot and worldbuilding- it was boring and very confusing. Imagine an info dump of 200 pages. It had a good plot AFTER the first 300 pages, but I was ready to DNF by then (I kept going though because I HOPED it would get better). Secondly, I could not tell the difference between the two characters' POVs and I don't give a crap about either of them. They were both w*tches (you know what I mean) and I hated them. In fact, I WANTED them to fail at their mission. In addition, Smart FORCED their character arcs onto them and they weren't even well-established arcs. I legitimately only cared about ONE of the characters and that was the pirate, Roje, who the reader only saw, like, twice, maybe three times.
The one thing I DID like were the subplots - they were much better.
Also, I just need to rant - there are FEW Jamaican things in this book, despite how the synopsis made it sound - the food is the ONLY thing I could identify as Jamaican. Throwing random "Jamaican" words into the story, does NOT make it Jamaican.
Overall, good concept but TERRIBLY executed. Please do not waste your time on this book. And if you do, borrow it from the library.
The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
4.0
*4.2 stars*
I don't want to give a long review for this unforgettable book so here are my thoughts:
- LOVED the amount of Norse mythology
- LOVED the banter between Loki and Angrboda
- Disliked the focus on the children to be honest
- Believe Angrboda should've shown more anger towards Loki after he got married to another woman while they were still married
- Would've liked to see Angrboda flashbacks to her past lives
- Enjoyed the old way of speaking
I don't want to give a long review for this unforgettable book so here are my thoughts:
- LOVED the amount of Norse mythology
- LOVED the banter between Loki and Angrboda
- Disliked the focus on the children to be honest
- Believe Angrboda should've shown more anger towards Loki after he got married to another woman while they were still married
- Would've liked to see Angrboda flashbacks to her past lives
- Enjoyed the old way of speaking