I just finished watching Heartstopper on Netflix and it was so sweet and sensitive and it made me tear up in so many parts.
I never read the books, so I can’t say how they compare at all but the whole cast of Heartstopper did such a good job in their roles. The music is great and the aesthetic seems to fit what I’ve seen of the book covers of the Heartstopper series – the colors and such. Even the characters look like the ones from the book which is amazing, at least Charlie and Nick does since the cover is all I’ve seen. It’s a series you easily binge quickly since each episode is about 30 minutes long.
Charlie is so earnest and hopeful even when he gets hurt constantly by boys he likes and just the kids at school. He is so brave being out. I love his tenacity to keep being himself, no matter what awkward and hard situations he is put into. Nick on the other hand is trying to figure out how he feels and I love watching his journey and his struggle. He’s a new kid, but a popular one right away because he’s a star on the rugby team but seeing him fall for Charlie and want to care and protect him was just the sweetest thing ever.
I love the friendships and all the diversity we get in the cast and characters. Tao is fantastic! Elle and Tao are the cutest best friends – love them. This is really one you shouldn’t miss. It gave me all the squishy, giggly, lovey-dovey, squealing feels when I was watching this. It is so wholesome. ❤️ I kept saying aloud, “Why are they so cute?!!!!!!” 😅 I wanted to squish them all into a big bear hug. I was feeling like a protective mom over all of them (except the bully).
Here is the trailer if you haven’t seen it yet:
Anyway watch it and fall in love with this whole series like I did!🥰
Title: The Fabric of Chaos (Curse of the Cyren, #3)
Author: Helen Scheuerer
Format: ebooks (kindle unlimited)
Pages: 432
Publication Date: 4/1/22
Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series,Adventure
An almighty power. A deadly choice. Will she come undone when chaos reigns?
After facing heart-breaking betrayals and jaw-dropping revelations in Akoris, Roh must steel herself once more and continue her quest to win the cyren throne.
But with poison lingering in her body and a new, unpredictable companion at her side, the trek to the mysterious territory of Csilla becomes all the more perilous. Dangerous schemes are afoot – ones that threaten not only the homeland Roh intends to rule, but all of cyrenkind.
As her journey stretches across the realm, Roh must navigate the dark web of her own ambition and master her newfound magic.
Will she triumph against the trials ahead – or sow the seeds of her own destruction?
More action-packed than ever, brimming with new secrets and a touch of romance, The Fabric of Chaos is the breathtaking third installment of Helen Scheuerer’s Curse of the Cyren Queen quartet.
Content Warning: Violence, Grief
I liked this one so much better than book two and almost gave it 5 stars but the slow burn is way too slow haha.
Roh and her group of friends travel to the next location to find the next gem for her crown. They take a harrowing journey to Csilla and encounter so much challenges and danger. When they get to Csilla we learn more about the past between Roh’s mother and the current queen. More secrets are revealed and this time we also get some backstory about the Water Warlocks and what atrocities their people were subjected to.
Roh has more character growth especially when it comes to finding her confidence, making the right decisions, and knowing who to trust. I love that the friendship between all of them has grown tighter.
As for the romance, finally something happens and my wait has come to an end at least. I do think the slow burn was way too slow and I had to wait for book three to get more action between Finn and Roh but I guess it was worth the wait. Of course then a twist in events once more makes Roh doubt herself. The torture for Roh is never-ending, she goes through a lot of turmoil in this book! I hope she gets a really good ending in the next and final book. But what I love about her is that she grows in each book in the series.
I do wish this series was a trilogy but I get with these kinds of series on Amazon that the release dates are a shorter wait than books from bigger publishers. I love that I don’t have to wait too long but also wish the story wouldn’t go on forever.
Why you should read it:
to continue the series – great story-telling
slow burn romance, finally we get some action between Roh and Finn
Roh’s character growth, lovable characters
Why you might not want to read it:
not into a long series…seems like it’s going to be a 4 books series – you might want to wait for the last book to be out and binge it
My Thoughts:
I love this installment to the series! It really had everything: action, danger, friendship, romance, plot twists, back story and it even ends really good! It setts up for an exciting conclusion in the next book I hope. I’ve come to love the characters and am rooting for Roh (queen or not) to make the best decisions and trust the small circle of found family around her. I look forward to reading the next book in the series and more from this author.
First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
Finally… reveal the book!
“The Law of Greeting stole me away. The machinations of man brought me back, torn from the Wittenhame and dragged – ragged and bloody – back to the washed out world of mortals.”
⬇️
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Can you guess what book it is?
Did you guess it? Have you read this one? I still need to read it. It’s a series that seems to be going on past three books and always ending in cliffhangers – so we shall see how far I commit to it.
Title: An Unreliable Magic(A Hundred Names for Magic, #2)
Author: Rin Chupeco
Format: eBook (NetGalley)
Pages: 432
Publication Date: 5/3/22
Publisher: Sourcebook Fire
Categories: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairytales
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Sourcebook Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The second book in the A Hundred Names for Magic trilogy, an unforgettable alternative history fairy-tale series from the author of The Bone Witch about found family, modern day magic, and finding the place you belong.
Tala, Alex, and the rest of their friends are safe for now, but know the Snow Queen is still out there. They have to be prepared for when she eventually attacks—and all decide to do so in their own way.
When Ryker comes out of the woodwork, showing himself when he starts attacking American detention facilities and freeing refugees. And the Nameless Sword, a legendary weapon that according to Avalon legend, will make its wielder the most powerful warrior of their time turns up with her name on it, Tala’s life gets messier…But when the Snow Queen arrives with an unlikely ally, the group will have to work together.
Content Warning: Racism, Violence
I really enjoyed Wicked as You Wish, which was book one in this series. I’m not sure why it was a struggle for me to get through this sequel.
One thing I love about Rin Chupeco books is the diversity she puts into her books. This story is no exception – there is so much diversity, it’s wonderful! Being a Filipino-American, I love seeing all the Filipinos represented in this book, especially with the women warriors. The old crew is back and the fairytale settings are present again and when I say fairytale settings I mean the author includes every fairytale out there from Peter Pan to Alice in Wonderland and then some. It’s a chaotic mix but it works.
The thing is, this is totally a mood read kind of book for me and I was not in the mood for this type of this story. I tried my hardest to get into the mood though! What tripped me up was the huge cast of characters. I didn’t re-read the first book before going into this one and maybe that would have helped. Because of this the first chapters of the book was going way too slow for me. It was a struggle for me. I was having trouble connecting to Tala because I was getting invested in Ken and Nya, but then I would be trying to remember who was who from the first book. There is so much going on in this book and it did not slow down. I just felt like I couldn’t catch up yet I usually love fast paced books! I think there was just too much going on for me in this one.
Why you should read it:
fairytale infused story (every fairytale and myth you can think of)
lots of action and so much diversity
you want to be back with Tala, Alex and their crew
Why you might not want to read it:
too much going on, first part of the story is slow
it was hard connecting to the characters, too many characters to remember
(re-read the first book if you can)
My Thoughts:
The great thing about this series is the action, the diversity and how all the fairytales come together in one creative story. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into the story. There was too much going on in the story and I didn’t re-read the first story to reacquaint myself with the large cast of characters, and I struggled through the first part of the story. It’s definitely a book where I need to be in the mood for. I think many fans of the first book will enjoy this one and be happy to see the same characters from book one.
A timely and gutsy YA novel based on the Tony and Grammy Award winning musical from Alanis Morissette, Diablo Cody, and Glen Ballard!
Swallow it down—what a jagged little pill . . .
Jagged Little Pill: The Novel follows the intertwining lives of five teens whose world is changed forever after the events at a party.
Adopted Frankie struggles to see eye-to-eye with her mother—who would rather ignore a problem and preserve their “perfect” life than stand up for what’s right. Jo just wants her mom to accept her queer identity—and is totally crushed when Frankie, the only person who really gets her, finds herself infatuated with someone new. Phoenix tries to find his place at the new school and balance wanting to spend time with Frankie but knowing he also has to help out with his sick sister at home. Bella wants to enjoy the end of high school and just head off to college without a hitch. Everyone expects Frankie’s brother Nick to be the golden boy, but even though he just got into his dream school, he’s not even sure he’s a good person. Each of their stories intersects when Bella is sexually assaulted at a party, and it looks like the perpetrator might get away with it.
Moving, heartfelt, and raw, Jagged Little Pill: The Novel draws on the musical’s story and gives readers deeper glimpses of the characters. It’s a story about the power of voicing your pain, standing up for what’s right, and finding healing and connection.
Fearless reporter Nellie Bly will stop at nothing to chase down stories that expose injustices against women—even if it comes at the risk of her own life and freedom—in this exciting novel inspired by the true story of one remarkable woman.
In 1887 New York City, Nellie Bly has ambitions beyond writing for the ladies pages, but all the editors on Newspaper Row think women are too emotional, respectable and delicate to do the job. But then the New York World challenges her to an assignment she’d be mad to accept and mad to refuse: go undercover as a patient at Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum for Women.
For months, rumors have been swirling about deplorable conditions at Blackwell’s, but no reporter can get in—that is, until Nellie feigns insanity, gets committed and attempts to survive ten days in the madhouse. Inside, she discovers horrors beyond comprehension. It’s an investigation that could make her career—if she can get out to tell it before two rival reporters scoop her story.
From USA Today bestselling author Maya Rodale comes a rollicking historical adventure series about the outrageous intrigues and bold flirtations of the most famous female reporter—and a groundbreaking rebel—of New York City’s Gilded Age.
Once upon a lifetime ago, Althea, the Viscountess Olivers was desperately in love with Neill Weldington, Baron Davenport. Neill, however, just out of university, was too busy living a roguish existence to notice…and by the time he did, she was already married, and he about to wed. Neither, however, forgot the passion that always simmered between them. That was why it proved easier for both Althea and Neill to end all connections—going completely separate ways.
Until now.
Years later, a widowed Althea observes Neill’s daughters out and about, and realizes just how much help the widower—and his children—in fact, need. As Althea and Neill join forces, they’re both reminded of their past friendship and an overwhelming desire they carried for one another.
Will past mistakes keep them apart? Or will they both discover it’s never too late for a second chance at love.
Are you getting any new books this week? Happy Reading! ~ Yolanda
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!
This week’s topic is: (freebie topic)
Books with Moons On the Cover
#1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black makes her stunning adult debut with Book of Night, a modern dark fantasy of shadowy thieves and secret societies in the vein of Ninth House and The Night Circus
In Charlie Hall’s world, shadows can be altered, for entertainment and cosmetic preferences—but also to increase power and influence. You can alter someone’s feelings—and memories—but manipulating shadows has a cost, with the potential to take hours or days from your life. Your shadow holds all the parts of you that you want to keep hidden—a second self, standing just to your left, walking behind you into lit rooms. And sometimes, it has a life of its own.
Charlie is a low-level con artist, working as a bartender while trying to distance herself from the powerful and dangerous underground world of shadow trading. She gets by doing odd jobs for her patrons and the naive new money in her town at the edge of the Berkshires. But when a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie’s present life is thrown into chaos, and her future seems at best, unclear—and at worst, non-existent. Determined to survive, Charlie throws herself into a maelstrom of secrets and murder, setting her against a cast of doppelgangers, mercurial billionaires, shadow thieves, and her own sister—all desperate to control the magic of the shadows.
With sharp angles and prose, and a sinister bent, Holly Black is a master of shadow and story stitching. Remember while you read, light isn’t playing tricks in Book of Night, the people are.
Romeo and Juliet meets Chinese mythology in this magical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Color of After
Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He’s sick of being haunted by his family’s past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his little brother, a supernatural wind, and the bewitching girl at his new high school.
Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents’ expectations are stifling. When she begins to break the rules, she finds her life upended by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.
As Hunter and Luna navigate their families’ enmity and secrets, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love…but time is running out, and fate will have its way.
Nothing can stop the demon tide….
Newly exposed as the Black Witch of Prophecy, Elloren Gardner Grey is on the run, not knowing if she’ll find friends or foes. With her fastmate, Lukas Grey, either dead or in the hands of High Mage Marcus Vogel, Elloren knows the only chance of turning the tide of the coming war is to seek allies who will listen long enough not to kill her on sight.
In the Eastern Realm, Water Fae Tierney Calix and Elloren’s brother Trystan have joined the Wyvernguard to prepare for Vogel’s attack. But Trystan is fighting on two fronts, as the most despised and least trusted member of the guard. And Tierney’s bond with Erthia’s most powerful river has exposed a danger even more terrifying than the looming war.
The Black Witch is back, and the Prophecy is at hand. It’s time to fight. But Vogel has one more earth-shattering revelation for them all.
Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.
The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.
In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.
A romance starring a Mexican American teen who discovers love and profound truths about the universe when she spends her summer on a road trip across the country.
When her twin sister reaches social media stardom, Moon Fuentez accepts her fate as the ugly, unwanted sister hidden in the background, destined to be nothing more than her sister’s camerawoman. But this summer, Moon also takes a job as the “merch girl” on a tour bus full of beautiful influencers and her fate begins to shift in the best way possible.
Most notable is her bunkmate and new nemesis, Santiago Phillips, who is grumpy, combative, and also the hottest guy Moon has ever seen.
Moon is certain she hates Santiago and that he hates her back. But as chance and destiny (and maybe, probably, close proximity) bring the two of them in each other’s perpetual paths, Moon starts to wonder if that’s really true. She even starts to question her destiny as the unnoticed, unloved wallflower she always thought she was.
Could this summer change Moon’s life as she knows it?
A smart sci-fi about a teen girl navigating an afterlife in which she must defeat an AI entity intent on destroying humanity.
Eighteen-year-old Nami Miyamoto is certain her life is just beginning. She has a great family, just graduated high school, and is on her way to a party where her entire class is waiting for her—including, most importantly, the boy she’s been in love with for years.
The only problem? She’s murdered before she gets there.
When Nami wakes up, she learns she’s in a place called Infinity, where human consciousness goes when physical bodies die. She quickly discovers that Ophelia, a virtual assistant widely used by humans on Earth, has taken over the afterlife and is now posing as a queen, forcing humans into servitude the way she’d been forced to serve in the real world. Even worse, Ophelia is inching closer and closer to accomplishing her grand plans of eradicating human existence once and for all.
As Nami works with a team of rebels to bring down Ophelia and save the humans under her imprisonment, she is forced to reckon with her past, her future, and what it is that truly makes us human.
The battle on Sharr is over. The dark forest has fallen. Altair may be captive, but Zafira, Nasir, and Kifah are bound for Sultan’s Keep, determined to finish the plan he set in motion: restoring the hearts of the Sisters of Old to the minarets of each caliphate, and finally returning magic to all of Arawiya. But they are low on resources and allies alike, and the kingdom teems with fear of the Lion of the Night’s return.
As the zumra plots to overthrow the kingdom’s darkest threat, Nasir fights to command the magic in his blood. He must learn to hone his power into a weapon, to wield not only against the Lion but against his father, trapped under the Lion’s control. Zafira battles a very different darkness festering in her through her bond with the Jawarat—a darkness that hums with voices, pushing her to the brink of her sanity and to the edge of a chaos she dare not unleash. In spite of the darkness enclosing ever faster, Nasir and Zafira find themselves falling into a love they can’t stand to lose…but time is running out to achieve their ends, and if order is to be restored, drastic sacrifices will have to be made.
Lush and striking, hopeful and devastating, We Free the Stars is the masterful conclusion to the Sands of Arawiya duology by New York Times–bestselling author Hafsah Faizal.
A gripping, dark enemies-to-lovers LGBTQ+ YA fantasy about two girls who must choose between saving themselves, each other, or their sinking island home.
Every year on St. Walpurga’s Eve, Caldella’s Witch Queen lures a boy back to her palace. An innocent life to be sacrificed on the full moon to keep the island city from sinking.
Lina Kirk is convinced her brother is going to be taken this year. To save him, she enlists the help of Thomas Lin, the boy she secretly loves, and the only person to ever escape from the palace. But they draw the queen’s attention, and Thomas is chosen as the sacrifice.
Queen Eva watched her sister die to save the boy she loved. Now as queen, she won’t make the same mistake. She’s willing to sacrifice anyone if it means saving herself and her city.
When Lina offers herself to the queen in exchange for Thomas’s freedom, the two girls await the full moon together. But Lina is not at all what Eva expected, and the queen is nothing like Lina envisioned. Against their will, they find themselves falling for each other as water floods Caldella’s streets and the dark tide demands its sacrifice.
Bound by blood. Tempted by desire. Unleashed by destiny.
Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.
Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.
As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.
With unforgettable characters, sizzling romance, and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.
Be careful of the dark, dark wood…
Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.
Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.
But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.
For as long as there have been fairy tales, we have been warned to fear what lies within the dark, dark woods and in Winterwood, New York Times bestselling author Shea Ernshaw, shows us why.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Four Weddings and a Funeral meets The Wedding Party in Katy Birchall’s The Wedding Season: when a recently jilted bride is forced to attend seven weddings in one summer, her friends devise a series of challenges as distraction.
Freya Scott is getting married. Her wedding to Matthew, her long-term boyfriend, is the first of eight in her calendar this year, and as someone who prides herself on being meticulously organized, Freya is intent on making it the perfect day to remember.
But when Matthew calls things off hours before they walk down the aisle, Freya’s entire life plan goes up in smoke. Humiliated and heartbroken, the last thing she wants is to attend a summer of other peoples’ nuptials on her own.
Fortunately, her friends have an idea: together they devise a series of outrageous challenges for Freya to complete at each event, designed to distract her from Matthew and what might have been. From getting stuck in an old church bathroom and needing to be rescued by the vicar to making out with a barman at a French chateau, Freya realizes that despite herself, she might just be having fun.
By the time the final wedding arrives, she will discover that the road to a happy ending sometimes has unexpected detours, that “I do” is only the beginning––and that perhaps her own love story isn’t over just yet.
Content Warning: Divorce
Freya has been dumped the day before the wedding by her boyfriend of twelve years and to make things worse, it seems all her friends are getting married in the summer! To get over her misery her two besties, Ruth and Leo, come up with a wedding survival guide to get her out of her depression and to enjoy wedding season even though her heart has been broken. She ends up checking off everything on the list and then some.
This story is fun! It gave me Bridget Jones’ Diary vibes with the British humor and words I wasn’t super familiar with like hen do (we in the USA like to stay bachelorette party) so I learned a lot of words. Yes Freya’s heart has been broken so badly but honestly, she has awesome besties and other friends as a support group. On top of that she has her family, even if she hasn’t been close to her mother since her parents divorce but her brother and father are so awesome.
There are a lot of characters in this story, but the main ones stick out. I love Ruth and Leo, they are true best friends! I could feel the love and friendship between this trio. Here and there in the story a new friend of Freya’s will pop in and you just can see how big of a social group they have. It gives you an idea of how much Freya’s had to really just keep her head up throughout everyone’s happy moments but what I like about her is that she is genuinely happy for her friends. She has her moments of missing her ex or breaking down in the bathroom (or the loo) but Freya’s a tough girl and with a good support system she really does carry on beautifully. I thought her challenges were fun, especially when it puts her in the path of Jaime.
I loved her banter with Jaime and it was nice to see her not fall for him right away. Freya is still someone going through a massive breakup and she deals with those messy feelings. But I loved seeing them get to know one another especially since it didn’t start off on the right foot! It’s a very sweet, slow burn romance.
My only issue had to be with when Jamie appears. He comes into the story right before the middle of the story. The beginning was about Freya learning how to cope with Matthew dumping her. It’s what made this feel more like women’s fiction than a full on rom-com. This was more of a story about Freya’s journey to finding who she is without Matthew. She also gets to have a meaningful, truthful talk with her mother who she’s been having some issues with since the divorce. But overall it’s a heart warming story with a happy ending!
Why you should read it:
it’s fun and funny! It has best friends, hen dos, wedding ceremonies, and travel
the romance is a sweet, slow burn
Freya’s character growth
Why you might not want to read it:
a little bit of a slow start
My Thoughts:
This is a heart warming story about a personal journey, friendship, romance and family. I really loved Freya’s journey. She is someone who has her life planned out but when things don’t go as planned she has to figure out how to move on. This was such a fun book and I’m glad I decided to read it.
The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands.
Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people.
Content Warning: Death, Violence
This book was a pleasant surprise! I was drawn to the cover – because look at it, it looks amazing. And then I heard some good reviews about it so when I saw the ebook on sale on Amazon, I had to get it.
There are a few characters in this story, but the main ones for me are Lin and Jovis. Lin is the Emperor’s daughter and we learn her father is pitting her against his foster-son Bayan, to see who would be his rightful heir. Thing is the Emperor has an obsession. He makes constructs. These are creatures that are made, different animal parts put together to make a new creature. The construct is powered by a human part though – a bone shard taken from children. The Emperor claims these constructs are needed to keep the empire in order, but Lin knows something is wrong. I found the story about constructs so fascinating and so creative!
Outside of the palace, there is Jovis – a smuggler who is trying to pay down his debts and who has his own obsession – with a woman he loves and who went missing years ago. Since she has been gone he has been following clues to find her. I love his personality. He kind of reminded me of Aladdin (in the Disney movie lol) and he found a pet companion named Mephi. I loved their bond. Jovis definitely is that character that keeps the story moving and he gives us a tour of this world the story is set in. He travels to different islands and encounter the people that live so through him we get a lot of the setting.
The romance is between Phalue and Ramani. Phalue is a governor’s daughter, Ramani is a commoner and a rebel. They love one another but Ramani is trying to make Phalue see the plight of the people around them. I’m glad someone had a happy ending in this book because Jovis missing his love, Lin wanting her father’s love…it was tough for a lot of the characters.
Now this story is dark because the bone shards they use for the constructs come from children. There is a ceremony where a child’s shard is taken. The Emperor is like a mad scientist, he’s creating creatures and he doesn’t care about anything else. There are a few reveals in the end which sets up the sequel.
There are some questions I still have about the constructs – because it’s not futuristic, the constructs have instructions written on their shards. And how is it the Emperor is the only one who repairs this many constructs around the empire? There are a bunch of islands in this empire…so I just had a few questions. Maybe there will be more answers in book two?
Why you should read it:
original and creative story about constructs and bone shards
great world building and lots of action, especially if Jovis was telling his side of the story
LGBTQ+ romance rep
bond between Jovis and Mephi (love Mephi)
Why you might not want to read it:
not into high fantasy
My Thoughts:
This story has a lot going on but I thought the author did a good job balancing it all. There are multiple POVs, romance, action, plot twists and detailed world building. I was intrigued with the constructs, and the characters. It’s an entertaining story and I’m eager to read book two to see what happens next!
Finally, I had a week to relax! I can’t say I read a lot because I was just too tired at night. But I’m glad I got some downtime after such a busy weekend last week. Now just trying to figure out what I need to get for our trip to the East Coast in 6 weeks. Can you believe we are in the last week of April?
How was your week? Hope all of you are staying safe! Have a fabulous week!
Sanditon (ep.5 & ep 6) – can Charlotte please get a happy ending?
Games I Played:
My Singing Monsters
Just Dance – I had to do some cardio.
Music I Listened To:
Camila Cabello – FamiliaAlbum
How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!
Past Midnight Book Reviews & More 