zoeelizabethk's reviews
610 reviews

The Last Gifts of the Universe was at times sweet, reflective, tense, and mysterious as we follow two brothers and their cat as they investigate what has happened to their world. There's a secondary story going on that I really loved and was invested in. Ultimately I wasn't as invested in the main story and would have preferred the second story to be a larger part. I do recommend The Last Gifts if you're looking for a short sci-fi that explores the meaning of life and what it means to be human.

Merry Kismet was such a sweet, second chance romance. I really enjoyed the relationship and the characters. It's a short romance at just over 200 pages, but the development was really well done and nothing felt too rushed or too dragged out. And I loved that there was no 3rd act drama and communication was prioritized. The Christmas aspect is not overwhelming, but people who love really Christmassy romances may find this isn't enough for them. Overall, a very enjoyable read, and I recommend to fans of clean romance and second chances.

I listened to the audio and the narration was fine, but the speed and volume of the narrators did not match and I had to adjust speed and volume whenever the narrator switched. Hopefully this gets evened out before publication.

Thanks to Dreamscape Select, Anneka Walker, and Negalley for an audioARC in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 50%. I think I’m just not in the mood for this at the moment. It’s very Hadrian-centric and I’m finding the lack of other foils is making it hard for me to be invested. I think I’ll like this a lot more at another time when I’m in the mood for sci-fi

DNF at 20%

The Witchwood Knot will be perfect for fans of Susanna Clarke! I absolutely adored this book. Olivia Atwater can do almost no wrong for me and this might be my favorite of hers so far!

Winnie starts a new job as a governess as a favor to Lady Longfell, but when she arrives, all is not as it seems at Witchwood Manor. Faeries and even darker forces are at work and Winnie gets sucked into a knot of plots and dangerous secrets while finding herself inexplicably drawn to the mysterious Mr. Quincy. But Mr. Quincy has his own secrets as well.

I loved the creepy, haunted house atmosphere of The Witchwood Knot, loved Ollie as a familiar, loved that we got a different, darker side to human magic than we got in The Recency Faerie Stories. I also really loved how Atwater wove in faerie tales, lore, and references to her Regency stories. It made for very effective storytelling. And the way all the character backgrounds, romance, and plotlines came together at the end was fabulous.

Obviously I loved this book and if the things I've said above appeal to you, I HIGHLY recommend you check out The Witchwood Knot. That being said, there's a few things that might not fly quite as well for some readers.
- The pacing is slower and the plot is a bit meandering at times. For me, the thriller-like feeling I got from it more than made up for any lulls in action and I was hooked throughout.
- The side character characterization is not a main focus, so if you prefer a full cast of vibrant characters, this may not be for you
- You don't need to have read the Regency stories to read The Witchwood Knot, but I think having that background is really rewarding and it helps make the world feel fuller and more lived in cause Witchwood Knot just isn't able to do all of that in a single book.

I'm still thinking about The Witchwood Knot over a week later since I finished it, and I'm eagerly awaiting what the next book will do!

Thanks to Olivia Atwater, Starwatch Press, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Guns of the Dawn is one of the most harrowing and powerful books I've ever read and addresses the complexities and horrors of war and the narratives civilians and soldiers are told about war. 

While this is not strictly historical fantasy as it's not technically set in our world, it's clear Tchaikovsky was heavily inspired by WWI and WWII as well as the Napoleonic wars, and the Gulf Wars. I've read accounts as a history student of wartime and battle and the terrible atrocities. But fiction and memoir have a powerful way of revealing the ordinary people caught in the midst of vying powers and the very human emotions and struggles that come with that. Guns of the Dawn is not a book that follows the warring kingdoms and the politics and machinations. Instead we see the war through common soldiers' eyes as they are moved around - sometimes like chess pieces, sometimes simply as cannon fodder. And yet the lowly remain loyal to their powers that be because of the narrative fed to them. And nothing is scarier than that. But in the end, how can a civilian or a soldier decide between patriotism and loyalty and what is right? 

For me, the thematic work in Guns of the Dawn was the most impactful, but Tchaikovsky does equally well in his characterization and his writing. All together, Tchaikovsky has crafted an impressive and thought provoking book that I will be thinking about for years to come.

If you're wondering about whether you should pick up this book, this book would be great for people who like All Quiet on the Western Front, Deathless, Ursula Le Guin's sci-fi, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and the Temeraire books. I would also highly recommend it for those who
- love historical fiction/historical fantasy
- like military fantasy
- like character focused stories
- don't mind some meandering plot (Tchaikovsky does a great job giving you enough direction to stay anchored even when the plot meanders a bit)

I can't wait to try more of Tchaikovsky's work soon.

I have loved almost all of Sajni Patel's books Sleepless in Dubai was no exception. It was a such a great friends to broken friendship to lovers story. I loved the generational dynamics in this, especially that Nikki enjoys so much about her culture and wasn't trying escape her parents' clutches. It was also quite refreshing that Nikki's parents were so supportive of her dreams. I really liked Nikki and Yash together. Overall Sleepless in Dubai was a great, clean, YA romance that had a big emphasis on family and culture and I loved it!

Soneela Nankani's narration was, as always, fabulous and she's become one of my favorite narrators.

Thanks to RB Media, Amulet Books, and Netgalley for an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.

The First Step is my first cultivation novel, and I honestly wasn't sure what to expect as I have no relevant background that would have helped me. That said, I think Tao Wong's book was a great intro to cultivation fantasy as I had no issues following the story or worldbuilding for the most part. I don't understand everything about the worldbuilding and magic here, but enough was explained throughout that I never felt like I was lost or floundering. 

Wu Ying is considered to be too old to start developing his cultivation, but a series of events gives him the opportunity to train and level up in a variety of ways. I'm just going to say this now: if training montages are not your thing - this book is probably not for you. It also is not plot dominant, although I feel like it had plenty of plot for what it was. We follow Wu Ying around as he learns, trains, has adventures, and overcomes obstacles. The book overall felt like a comforting adventure read that is perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce.

Seasons of Albadone was not at all what I was expecting but I really ended up liking it. This is a series of interconnected short stories themed around seasons in this world. Despite the constraints of short stories and collections, Marche and Warman did a good job with making the world feel vibrant and got the right amount of worldbuilding in to support the story they were telling. I would have enjoyed more worldbuilding, but the space constraints just make that impossible. I also enjoyed the prose and enjoyed the folklore elements woven into it. It didn't have quite enough impact or emotional connection for me for it to become a favorite, but I'll definitely be continuing on with the related collection soon. 

I listened to the audio narrated by Elan marche and Michael Highman, who did an excellent job!