4.5/5 Stars: Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Normally I take a bit of a break between series books, but I enjoyed the 1st book to the Blood and Ash series so much, that I immediately jumped into Kingdom of Flesh and Fire. Poppy has found out that everything in her life was a lie, including her love interest, Casteel Da’Neer.

Watching Poppy come to terms with all of the lies she has been told was a fantastic moment spread throughout the book, and showed her growth from the first book. She’s strong, brave, and doesn’t back down from what she believes in. I’ve finally found a character I can appreciate. I also have my moments of annoyance with Poppy. She repeats herself (and her thoughts) a lot, and portions of the book were a slow read. It built up though, and the final quarter was amazing and over before I knew it.

Kieran is probably one of my favourite characters, despite his smaller role. The bond he has with Casteel and his friendship with Poppy is beautifully written. I’m expecting more of this in the third book – the author is very obviously building up to a threesome, I’m just not sure when it’s going to happen.

Keep in mind all of the triggers from the first book, because those haven’t gone anywhere. There’s a lot of violence, a lot of sex, and a lot of everything mixed together. I’m OK with it but you might not be, and that’s OK too.

4.5/5 stars

4/5 Star Review: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I’m not typically a fan of vampire stories, but the beautifully crafted world created by Jennifer L. Armentrout in this book was definitely worth exploring. That being said, a fair warning: this book deals with some intense themes and graphic scenes. It’s not for the faint of heart, and I appreciated the heads-up from a friend who recommended it to me. Knowing what to expect helped me prepare for some of the darker moments.

The story revolves around Poppy, who longs to experience life but has been raised as the Maiden, a sacred figure forbidden from engaging in much of anything. She spends her days waiting for her Ascension, a mysterious process, until Hawke enters her life and turns everything upside down. The book has a bit of everything—action, violence, passion, romance, friendship, and betrayal.

Initially, I didn’t really like Poppy’s character. She seemed weak, and I struggled to connect with her. However, as the story progresses, Poppy begins to grow and take control of her life. She slowly starts to question the truths she’s been told all her life, and watching her come into her own was satisfying.

The story begins at a slow pace, and I nearly put the book down. However, I’m glad I stuck with it because once the plot picks up, it becomes an engaging read filled with fantastic characters and a richly developed world. I’m now eager to pick up the next book in the series!

4/5 stars

4/5 Star Review: The Queen of Nothing, by Holly Black

If you haven’t read the first two books in this series, The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King, I highly recommend starting there before diving into this one. I was incredibly eager to return to the world of Jude and Cardan, and let me tell you—Holly Black did not disappoint.

As expected, the book is filled with fae politics, where conspiracy, deception, and manipulation are at every turn. At the end of the previous book, Cardan managed to persuade Jude to release him from his vows, only to make her his queen and then promptly exile her back to the mortal realm. Naturally, Jude was furious. But when her sister Taryn finds herself in a dangerous situation, she reaches out to Jude for help. Determined to protect her sister, Jude decides to return to the faerie world, hiding in plain sight as she navigates the treacherous landscape to assist Taryn.

The plot is packed with intensity, including themes of revenge, family turmoil, and the underlying tension between Jude and Cardan. Oak, who is still being safeguarded in the mortal realm, also continues to play an important role, adding depth to the storyline. The novel culminates in a thrilling and satisfying finale that ties up the various plot threads beautifully.

Overall, this was one of the most captivating young adult series I’ve read in a long time. The blend of high-stakes drama, richly developed characters, and unpredictable twists makes it a standout in the genre. If you’re a fan of complex fae worlds and intense character dynamics, this series is definitely worth your time.

4/5 stars

5/5 Stars: Nettle & Bone

This was my first encounter with T. Kingfisher, and it certainly opened the floodgates! After enjoying this book so much, I quickly dove into several others by her. The premise of a “chicken possessed by a demon” immediately hooked me, and I couldn’t resist picking it up.

“How did you get a demon in your chicken?”
“The usual way. Couldn’t put it in the rooster. That’s how you get basilisks.”

I was not disappointed at all.

T. Kingfisher has a unique talent for crafting vibrant worlds that come alive on the page. Her characters are equally memorable. Take Bonedog, for instance—if you’ve read the book, you know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t, I urge you to dive in! It was genuinely a pleasure to read, and I don’t often say that.

The story centers around Marra, the third-born daughter on a quest to rescue her sister, who has been married off to a truly terrible person. The first-born sister was married to the same prince, and let’s just say things didn’t go well for her. Marra’s journey is filled with twists and turns, and she encounters a Dust Wife along the way (no spoilers here, but trust me, that’s when things get really intriguing).

I’m thrilled that I discovered T. Kingfisher’s work. You can expect to see more reviews from me in the coming months, as I’m eager to share my thoughts on her other captivating stories. Each one has been a delight, and I’m excited to explore even more of her imaginative worlds.

5/5 stars

DNF? Absolutely.

In the past, I used to power through a book even if I wasn’t enjoying it, thinking I had to finish what I started. However, that’s no longer the case. My time is valuable, and there’s simply not enough of it to waste on books that don’t bring me joy or satisfaction. Now, if I’m not engaged with a book, I have no problem putting it down and moving on to something else.

This shift in mindset doesn’t necessarily reflect poorly on the author. Sometimes a book just isn’t meant for me; I’m not the target audience, and that’s completely fine. When I decide not to finish a book, I won’t leave a star rating. After all, how can I fairly rate something I haven’t completed? For me, the key to sticking with a book is a sense of enjoyment. I don’t need a masterpiece of literary prose, but I do need the story to flow well and keep me interested.

Occasionally, I’ll mention books I didn’t finish on social media, not to criticize them, but to share my experience with like-minded readers who might relate. It’s interesting how some of the books I don’t finish are quite popular, which makes me wonder if it’s just me who didn’t connect with them.

As a result, there are a few books on my GoodReads list marked as “completed” but without a star rating, flagged as DNF (did not finish). This is more for my own organization, so I don’t mistakenly add them to my to-read list again. Ultimately, it’s important to remember that it’s perfectly okay to stop reading a book if it’s not bringing you enjoyment. Life’s too short to spend on something that isn’t worth your time!

2/5 Stars: The Woman in Me

Note: The star rating is not for the story itself, or a reflection on her as a person. I did not enjoy the act of reading the book because of the layout / grammar / disjointed thoughts. Her situation is of course horrific, the author obviously went through some traumatic stuff that no one should have gone through. But it was a bad read. It was all over the place, and didn’t flow. I felt like I was reading a high school student’s diary – which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it was awkward.

She came off as a spoiled immature spiteful entitled person. That was the view I got going in, and going out. She repeats over and over on all the monetary things she does for other people, and at one point even says she dreamed of her family to bowing to her because of what she had provided for them.

Yes, parts of her life have been unfair. Her family were not the best people. She never ever takes responsibility for any of her actions or reactions to these things, and constantly places the blame on what everyone else has done to her.

I’m of course, glad, that her life is finally her own – the conservator should have never ever been a thing. She is perfectly right in the fact that she shouldn’t have been forced to perform for others while at the same time being told she was too sick to pick out her own food. That’s pretty messed up.

The formatting (or lack there of) and grammar of the book were hard to digest, but I’m sure fans will appreciate its simplicity. It was insightful to hear things from her own perspective, and I hope it brought her a little bit of closure to get it out in the world.

2/5 stars

2/5 Stars: The House in the Cerulean Sea

I keep wavering over what to rate this, and there’s one reason for it, really.

I loved the writing. I even loved the story.
What I didn’t love, was afterwards, when I learned the true inspiration for the story, from the author himself. That, I really didn’t love.

Others have already said it more clearly than I ever could, so I’m going to link to this reddit post that goes over the specifics of why I’m uncomfortable, and why despite having finished this book, and enjoying it, and the author’s writing, I just can’t give it the rating I thought it deserved, now that I have a better idea and a bit more education on the subject.

Reddit post explaining the 60’s scoop in Canada, and branching into why it’s bad that a non magical dude ‘rescued’ these children.

2/5 stars

4/5 Stars: The Wicked King

This is my first full read of 2024 – there were a bunch of DNF books on my list, which I’ll write about a bit later, but this is the first one I just couldn’t put down.

This is the second book in the Folk of the Air series by Holly Black, and I was absolutely ready to continue the story of Jude, and her family. The book moved away from some of the teenage drama that we saw in the first (I was personally glad to see this) and into more politics – which I personally found refreshing.

This is one of those rare books where I couldn’t actually tell you what I thought the twists and turns of the plot would be or where they would end up – which is probably why I found it so fascinating, it has been a long time since a book enticed me in quite that way. Jude has done some growing up – she’s stronger, but she maintains her sense of loyalty at the same time.

Make sure you read the first book to the series before this one, they don’t work as stand alone books and brace your heart.

4/5 stars

2/5 Stars: The Inheritance Games

Another one of those books that I actually heard about on BookTok first, and decided to try out. I’m not sure why I thought the book would appeal to me but I decided to give it a go.

I enjoyed the writing style of this book. It was easy to read and beautiful – however. I absolutely did NOT enjoy the story, or the characters, at all.

“Traps upon traps… and riddles upon riddles”

There were no traps, no riddles. The book spent so much time focusing on drama between Avery and the other teenagers that sometimes I forgot what it was about. None of it made sense, and I didn’t enjoy the characters.

The dialogue didn’t hit any of the right notes with me, and the conclusion was underwhelming. I’m sure many others out there enjoy this read – but it was just not for me.

3/5 Star Review: Yours Truly

I’m not usually a huge fan of contemporary romance, but ‘Yours Truly’ by Abby Jimenez hit all the right notes, and was exactly the book I needed at the time that I read it. One of the main things that stood out is that the characters were relatable. There were situations that involved anxiety, and I could see myself in them. The characters were believable, and the story didn’t try to play down to a certain intelligence level.

There were some TW mentioned by the author, including cheating, medical issues, depression, and a mention of pregnancy loss & suicide. I appreciate that the author put this information forward, I wish more books would do that.

Over all, it was a good book to curl up with on a rainy day and just let my brain slow down – sometimes that’s exactly what I need.

3/5 stars