wendeedeedee36's reviews
229 reviews

It’s so awesome when a book lives up to the hype! This was SO good and had all my favorite things: Enemies to allies, marriage of convenience, he falls first, political intrigue/spying, and slow burn 🔥 The romantic tension is on point. The world building is also amazing. I love Alaric and his broodiness. Talasyn a fierce and snarky. She definitely starts off a little naive, but her growth with her magic and standing up for herself is very well written. These two really toe the line of the miscommunication trope, but we forgive them because they’re basically at war with each other, and still adorable overall. I have to admit, I was expecting a much worse cliffhanger, but the end was nice and mild. Don’t get me wrong though. I’m still super intrigued with what happened in the final chapter, and I REALLY need Monsoon Rising ASAP. 

I was warned going in that this book dealt with some heavy topics, and yet I was still not prepared for to in the end. Since finishing, I’ve just been sitting here trying to figure out how on Earth I could possibly write a proper review without giving everything away. Quite honestly, I still don’t really know how to do it. What I can say is that this story was incredibly well written. I think M.L. Wang’s prose and style might be one of my favorites for the year. It’s so nuanced and emotional, yet she captures brevity and annoying tendencies in characters really well. I wanted to smack Sciona many times at the beginning of the story because she is so unwittingly bigoted against the Kwen. Yet, that’s all she knows, so it’s hard to fully blame her (even though I really wanted to at times). It was refreshing to see her realizing these prejudices the more she interacted with Thomil. Thomil, who is my favorite character and also breaks my heart. His story is just so tragic from start to finish. The losses and hardships he go through are vast, and it truly made my chest ache a little. The ending was beautiful and painful, with a hopeful note for the future. All in all, this story didn’t quite fulfill my need for happy escapism, but I really don’t think it meant to, and I absolutely loved it anyways. 

This was a great story. You follow Dungray, the commander of the Cursed King’s undead legion, as her entire life is turned inside out. All she’s known and remembers is following the King’s orders, fighting, and murder. Suddenly m, her king is gone, and she’s living amongst the very mortals she’s spent her life killing. I really enjoyed her struggle with viewing the humans as mere bugs, while also finding they aren’t all the same and some have redeeming qualities. 
The prose is a little stiff and the omniscient, shifting pov, took a little getting used to. However, the plot is very engaging and the world building is detailed. Overall I think this is a very unique and intriguing read, and I cannot wait for the next book. 

This was fun and quirky. As with My Lady Jane, the references to modern pop culture was entertaining. I didn’t feel pulled in by Mary but I did rather like Francis. As a couple, they weren’t very compelling until the end. Overall, I was highly amused by the story and historical adaption, but Lady Jane is still my favorite. 

This story had me cracking up the entire time. I don’t really know for sure what I expected of, but I can guarantee it was beyond anything I could have imagined. I mean, I knew it was satirical and whimsical, but I had NO idea it had magic too! And the general zany tone of the whole book was perfection. I absolutely loved the sections when “we the narrators” broke in to speak to the audience. 
And if the story itself wasn’t enough, Kathrine Kellgren is an absolute wonder with the audiobook narration. The accents, inflection, emotions she brings out match perfectly with the aforementioned tone of the story. This honestly might be one of my favorite audiobook adaptations I’ve ever listened to. I cannot recommend it enough!!

This book brought out a whole slew of feelings in me! When the action is going, this book is absolutely great. I love the different factions and history involved, as well as the world building. The vibe is very apocalypse/dystopian. The society structure and cities almost remind me of early on in the Walking Dead series, but more technologically advanced. There is a lot of manipulation and corruption involved, of course, and it's hard to tell who the “bad guys” are because everyone is morally grey in their views and methods. I love political intrigue and the like so this was a huge plus. 

That said, I absolutely wanted to punch something every time we were dealing with emotions. I really struggled to like Sage for a long time because she comes off as very immature, naive, and inconsistent in her emotions, even though she is most definitely not a teen. She just felt too wishy washy and easily persuaded for this bad ass fighter who is over 100 years old. She grew on me but there were definitely eye rolls up until the end. Her relationships were still entertaining, and I really like Gertrude. 

Overall, I think this series has a TON of potential to become something really amazing, and there is plenty of room and groundwork for good character growth as we continue. 

This was a fun continuation of the series. The matchmaking took a backseat this time but I loved seeing Fanella and Rodger accept their feelings. And there was definitely some high stakes drama in this installment. I am very curious to see what happens for the Duke in the next book since his circumstances seem rather interesting.

Murder in Highbury transports you back into an Austen classic, staying true to the original tones and characters, while also bringing a fresh take on the world of Emma. When Emma Knightley and her friend Harriet accidentally stumble about the murder scene of the vicar’s wife, life as they know it takes a dramatic turn. Between dealing with the hysterics of friends and family, inept coroners and constables, and trying to investigate on her own without angering her husband, Emma has her hands full. I like how this book still portrayed the characters in much the same manner as Austen’s original novel, so it really does feel like a sequel of sorts. 

Polly Lee does a wonderful job bringing every character to life. I particularly liked her portrayal of Harriet and Mr. Woodhouse as her voices did a great job capturing their quirks and attitudes. 

All in all, this was a very entertaining return to a beloved classic setting, as well as a clever mystery that had me questioning my suspicions until the end. I am excited to see what comes next. 

This was very enjoyable. I wish there would have been a little more action/drama. It felt like the book just kind of ended suddenly with a bit of a rushed resolution. 

This was certainly a different vibe than the other three books. Very dramatic, and I think the climax was resolved a little quickly. That said, I love Bel and I am so glad we got his story. Him and Sage’s relationship had a very sweet aspect to it, in spite of the codependency they struggled to avoid. I absolutely LOVED the rest of the Clarksons coming to their aid and the conclusion of their family journey.