Category: Book Reviews

Terrier (Beka Cooper Book 1) by Tamora Pierce

14+B
This book is another hit from Tamora, and I love how different Beka is from Alanna, Kennedy, Daine, and Aly. Unlike those series which are all set within a thirty-year time frame, this series is set hundreds of years before and stars Beka Cooper (yes she is George Cooper’s great great many greats relative) who is working as a Puppy. This is a trainee ‘Dog’ which is essentially Tortalls version of a police. Beka is a tough lead – I might even go as far as to say that she is one of the toughest heroines that i have ever read in the first book.
While this returns to the Tortall I love, Beka’s world is very very different from Alanna’s and Kennedy’s especially. It focuses on the Lower City and the crime within and the morally grey lines between being a ‘Dog’ and a criminal. Beka is older (16) than the other heroines have been in their first books, so she suits this darker representation of Tortall.
Characters – 5/5 stars – They are incredibly lifelike even though I would say that Beka isnt the most morally complex – i LOVE morally complex characters – which leaves room for the supporting cast to show the lack of set morals in the Lower City.
World – 4.5/5 stars – Tortall is amazing, but in this book, we only focus on a very small corner of it unlike some of the other books where we get to see different countries and customs.
Romance – NA – not present but there are sexual undertones to some of it.
Plot  – 1000/5 stars – It is complex it is twisty and it took a second read to see the clues to the criminal.
Things to be aware of: This was a tricky one to put an age rating on – but I had to add the B because it is pretty dark and there are a few sexual innuendos. As always the age ratings are just a guide so you can read it whenever you want as long as you are comfortable with a bit more violence than some of my recommendations.

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A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

15+

When I opened this book I was expecting the normal staples of a boarding school/magic school fantasy, but this book utterly flipped them on there head. Instead of a relatively safe on the surface this was blatantly dangerous, and all throughout there was a layer of threat made even more serious by the fact that everyone in the book was so accepting of it.

The Scholmance is a secondary school at least in its basics. The school is located in a void – which may be one of the most terrifying locations I have read yet – and is isolated from the outside world completely. Inside the school it isn’t safe, with monsters creeping out of pipes and the constant threat of death. However, outside is even worse, and the only way to survive when you graduate is to learn enough from the school – and I mean the school its self as there are no adults or teachers inside the school –.

The world is so complex of its self, and all the characters are opposites. The exploration of the difference in privileges between the enclave kids and the indie kids is intriguing and touches on an aspect that I always love finding in books. The enclave kids have so much more power and community than the indie kids who are basically sitting ducks for the creatures who roam the halls.

Characters – 4/5 stars – the focus isn’t on the characters for the first half of the book, it is on the world and how to survive in an environment that is ever-changing.

World – 100000000/5 stars  – I have gushed about this in my review but I have to say it again the world is amazing.

Romance – 4/5 stars – Soft Romance – the romance isn’t really prevalent in this story, but the little bit there is sets up delightfully for the next book in the series which I cant wait to read!

Plot  – 5/5 stars – it is beautiful in its simplicity, and then the shocking twist at the end. El the main character knows what her goal is and that is survival, even if her plans to survive may be counterintuitive.

Things to be aware of: It deals with constant threat, and is therefore a darker read than my usual picks, but it is worth it for the intriguing world. Its not the biggest book but it is quite description heavy in the beginning, which reflects how El is on her own and only talking to herself.

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Powerless by Lauren Roberts

14+B

First – the dedication – “for every girl who has ever felt powerless”. That dedication is the first thing you read, and it tells you the one of the most important and nuanced parts of the book, the push and pull between being given power by your birth and gaining power by hard work.

Paedyn has earnt her power, as she is an ‘Ordinary’ without any of the superpowers of the Elites. It means that she will be killed instantly and painfully if she is caught. However, she pretends to be a Psychic and is able to fake it by constant practice and hyperfocus on the tiniest details. Kai on the other hand is almost ridiculously overpowered, but by his own work (and the cruelty of his father) he is deadlier than his birth power would have normally made him.

The juxtaposition of the two fathers in the story shows the power of parents. Pae’s father Adam who taught her how to become powerful even through she was born without the superhuman abilities of her peers and the King, who took his two sons and made them into the perfect molds of what he wished them to become; Kai into a weapon by torture and constant forcing past limits until he kills for the crown, Kitt into the next king.

The romance is out of this world. Kai and Pae have the perfect banter and the iconic lines of the best couples. Usually enemies to lovers isnt my favourite trope, but here it works perfectly. The most delicate thing between them is the power balance, which I am very invested in. Kai Azer is a prince and he can take the ability of any Elite in the vincity, he is essentially a powerhouse assassin, and yet Paedyn holds her own despite being in some of the most deadly trials I have ever read about.

Characters – 5/5 stars

World – 4.5/5 stars  – it isnt an uncommon premise, a split society between people with powers and those without, but it is executed beautifully.

Romance – 100000/5 stars –Suggestive Romance – I love love love Paedyn and Kai

Plot – 4.5/5 stars – it is well done and it supports the characters perfectly. The plot develops in the later half of the book much more than the first, and that means that the characters are already so established that you are really rooting for them.

Things to be aware of: It is quite violent, and there is a lot of on page brutality and medium graphic description, probably a 4/5 which gives it the B. The romance is a 14+ because of the enemies to lovers trope throughout the book. They regularly kiss, and sleep next to each other a few times, but it is non romantic and mostly to offer emotional support around the deaths of other characters.

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Romance Rating Guide

Hi and welcome! Most of the Damsel recommendations are non/low spice but the romances maturity does fluctuate and evolve over the ratings, so here is a quick guide to what you can expect from a book that has a tag including the word “romance”.

At the bottom of this page1 is also my new addition of specific romance heat levels which come in for later reads.

10+ – doubt its present unless its a book that is mostly aimed at older ones but is also suitable in which case it will say in the review

10+ B – same as above

11+ – tiny tiny little amounts less than 0.5/5

11+B – usually this is if romance gets introduced later in the series (for example Anne of Green Gables is completely suitable throughout all seven books but there is a little romance in it)

12+ -tiny amounts of romance, hardly mentionable and rather insignificant over the plot of the book. These are likely to be sweet crushes or a slight blush and maybe a kiss.

12+B – a little more romance may be in the book, but in the end the B is focused on more the thematic content at a 12B than the romance. There may be a kiss or two if you look at the individual review, but in the end, romance wise the B doesnt matter much.

13+ – The romance gauge jumps up on a 13+. These are going to be developing relationships or established ones, and the romance will be slightly stronger and likely more influential in the plot. Kisses and hugs between love interests is to be expected unless stated otherwise.

13+B – If you are being careful about what romantic content is in your books, this is just going to be the bridge between a 13+ and a 14+. It is likely to be given a B for violence, so just check the individual review if you want to know more. Romance here may have a fade to black but usually with low heat!

14+ – By a 14+ we as the reader should expect the romance if present to be stronger and more mature. Kisses, hugging and sleeping next to each other should be expected. Around a 14+, the romances tend to get a little bit more complicated, and this is usually where an ‘enemies to lovers’ mentality will be introduced, if at all.

14+B – not much different from a 14 romance- wise, a few sexual inncendos may raise this or a love triangle if that is ever present in one of my reviews. Can have a Swoony A scene or a fade to black!

15+ – by a 15+ we are dealing with a romantic relationship that may directly mention sex, and even have it on page. Swoony A and B! Kisses and cuddling will be usually frequent.

15+B – same as any other B’s this just suggests a higher level of one or another of the content warnings/themes explored.

16+ – specifics in the review content warnings will always be present for any romantic/sexual things present. Usually, this is a step up from 15, containing content that is more sexually explicit and most Swoony C’s fall here purely for sexual content.

16+B – B’s are given for primarily violence in the lower age categories but these will be given now for sexual content more than previously.

17+ – another step up, this is where I will start adding in books classified as NA but there will always be a warning if they contain extreme graphic violence or sexual content.

17+B – check the content warnings, but it is practically Adult by this point.

Adult – by 18+ then the expectation that there will be sexual content that is higher than other recommendations, if you check the individual review it may be Adult just for content but also open door scenes are to be expected unless the individual review doesn’t say.

However, it is important to remember that there is more than just the romance that goes into my ratings of the books, and on some reviews they would be a 12 for romance but a 14 for violence and themes. It all depends, but my ratings are based on thematic subjects of the book, language, the platonic relationships (this may sound odd, but some YA novels deal with very acute betrayal and toxicity in platonic relationships so this is a consideration) and current/non current societal issues (slavery, racism, homophobia, sexism etc) as well as romantic relationships.

NA:– nothing is really present, it isn’t the focus or a subplot.

Soft: perhaps a closed mouth kiss or two, no detail.

Sweet: Kissing, cuddling, clothes on, mild innuendo.

Suggestive: The flirtation becomes more physical — making out, caresses, breathlessness, mostly clothed but doesn’t take it any further on the page, discussions of sex/sleeping with each other, can have some strong innuendo.

Smokey: Closed Door/Fade to Black: This can float between or slightly above Sweet and Suggestive but we don’t get any details beyond making out.

Swoony: This will have some sex on the page but it is going to be less than a paragraph – not some graphic sex scene. More and more YA seems to be having open door scenes now and sometimes the books are still ones I will recommend but I will definitely mention that they contain this content as always. By ‘low’ spice I mean it’s not going to be some detailed graphic scene and it will focus more on the emotional impact it has on the characters.

I am going to have Swoony A, B, C. A is less than a paragraph and euphemistic, B is less than a page with no graphic description at all, C is rarely used but means scenes of more than one page, with more explicit language and on page sex.

I am going to go back to my old reviews and add these in as much as I can but from now in the Romance star section I will include these so you can find exactly what you are looking for!

I will add these in addition to age ratings so you always know what you are going to be reading!

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Guide to the Damsel rating system

As you all know I make sure to put age ratings and why I have rated them a 12 or a 15 or a B as well as my favourite things about the books and the characters on ALL my reviews, but I thought i would define what I call YA and what my age ratings mean on Damsel in Delight.

YA means young adults and through this can be stretched to cover anywhere from nine year olds to twenty somethings, I focus on the middle around 12- 18 and will report back on books accordingly. Everyone’s reading levels and comfort levels with different topics are completely different, of course, and it is immensely difficult to pin down exactly WHEN you should read books on your tbr, but in the end I am just offering the information so you can decide what you would be comfortable reading.

So my age ratings and what they mean:

10+ – These are books that are about 1/5 on violence and hardly ever have any romance. My reviews mention things to keep in mind when you are choosing to read them so just check those out.

10+B – Might have a little bit more violence or a few darker themes

11+ – Pretty much the same as a twelve 1 but essentially its just what age group I think would enjoy that book the most!

11+B – Honestly down in the lower categories the B doesnt really up the violence/themes/topics and I wont use it often.

12+ – these are books that are about 1.5/5 on violence, and 1/5 on romance. The exact amounts differ, but there is no truly out there content that would not be suitable for most 12-year-olds. The main themes that absolutely will NOT be in twelves include SA and self-harm as well as tropes that can be morally questionable like assassins being portrayed as heroes or arranged political marriages (even through i love them in some of my older reads, i feel like in a 12 they often are a little too much for especially younger readers )

12+B – These are essentially the 12’s with more violence. Still very little romance, but that might go up to a 1.5 depending on the book (that will be in the specific review). The violence will usually be strictly fantasy violence, and nothing too graphic for most readers, however these 12’s may be a little older than some readers are looking for.

13+ – This is where some of the more complex decisions come in. 13+ on some websites can have some incredibly mature and dark themes, which I adore when I read them portrayed well, but i think its important to read them when you would enjoy them more, and perhaps understand them more than get scared or put off by them earlier. My 13+ does have more violence in general than my 12+B’s, about a 2 or 3 out of 5, but most of them are not too graphic. The romance/sexual context in my 13+ recommendations is slightly higher, but there will be NO smut (non of the books i recommend have anything other than clean romance – look at my other blog post for my definition of that and how they correspond to the age ratings!) and in general will not progress much further than a few kisses.

13+B – this is very similar to a 13+ but is for the books between a 13+ and a 14+. I would usually say that these books will have a 4/5 of violence but the romantic content will be at a 3/5 and a few more complex themes may come in.

14+ – my 14+ do raise the bar from the 13s as they will consider darker topics and tropes/themes. The violence here will rise to a 4/5 for violence, but the romance in each book will vary, however they will remain AT OR BELOW a 4/5 and of course will be clean (see my other blog post for this exact definition). These is the age rating that I start introducing some more mature themes/topics including mentions of prostitution/sex/extreme drunkard behaviour. These will of course have trigger warnings of the individual reviews themselves as 14+s could be solely for violence as well.

14+B – These 14+Bs start drifting towards the significantly older category, but the violence and romance will remain the same, it will just be the darkness of the setting and world that will bump these up to a B. Darker worlds that have very in depth wars or brutal traditions or other themes that I feel justify a B just to let the reader know. (As a side-note, most dystopian books will float between a plain 14+ and that all important B because while they do have some similar topics to fantasy, they are the fictions satire and so are sometimes disturbingly close to reality)

15+ –  These are books that can approach a 5/5 on the violence scale and will have a 4.5/5 romance level usually – usually still clean! – but will ultimately be books that look at some of the topics of 14+ and 14+B in a greater depth, and expand them. There may, depending on the book, be mentions of toxic relationships but i will give warnings for those, and off the page SA.

15+B – This is mainly going to be for violent sexual content like SA and harassment which does come in to older YA reads.

16+ – a definite step up from a 15+ this will contain more betrayal/backstabbing and darkness than earlier ratings as well as more sexual content (check individual content warnings).

16+B – B’s are usually for violence, sexual or otherwise.

17+  – this is almost adult so it does contain more graphic depictions of violence etc.

17+B – B’s for sexual content and violence.

Adult –  by this point very mature themes are being explored and if you are on the younger end of adult I would definitely encourage a good read of the content warnings.

Some books are really hard to fit into these categories – eg the First Test by Tamora Pierce, i absolutely adore it and read it when i was about 12, but there is a lot of overt sexism towards the main character that may be too much for some readers, which is why I have bumped it up a rating to a 12+B just to be safe.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Different books in the series may have different age ratings, especially as the plot/romances/threat develops, so just make sure that you make sure that the further books in the series are also what you are comfortable with.

On a side note – my book ratings do not collaborate with movie ratings, movie twelves certainly have a LOT more in them violence wise than I would have in a book rec so if you are comfortable reading a little bit more violence or darker themes then have a look at some of the B reviews or go up a category, plenty of these books can be read earlier or later depending on your comfort level!

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The First Test by Tamora Pierce

12+B

This is an amazing series, with a glorious first book. Keladry is a strong female lead who is standing against a flood of sexism as she trains for her shield as the first openly female knight for centuries. This is a different series to the Alanna the Lioness series that is set in the same world but about two decades previously. It isn’t necessary to read Alanna the Lioness first, but the are a few spoilers, and I read this series first myself. One of the only problems with this first book is that Keladry is the only female character in the first novel. She is surrounded with hostile boys as she trains and certainly in the beginning, she is mostly alone. Nealan of Queenscove becomes her mentor and first friend, and later on several others spend time with her. I love Kennedy’s past as the child of a foreign ambassador and that she had been trained in a different cultures warfare.

I love this series and have reread it more times than i can count. I would recommend this as one of the great fantasy reads! On that note, I am off to go and find my copy…..

Characters – 5/5 stars

World – 5/5 stars – it is beautiful, and the depiction of such a complex and vast world is done without any info-dumps.

Romance – NA

Plot  – 5/5 stars – amazing, and 1000 stars if you read the whole series.

Things to be aware of: there are a few mentions from various male characters that Kennedy might sleep with the boys despite the fact she is only 10. There is some violence. It depends on what you are comfortable with, but I would say that you could read it around eleven if you are comfortable with fantasy violence. I personally read it about then and have reread it several times since and got just as much enjoyment as I did the first time.

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Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Rating: 14+ (i read it about twelve i think which was a little bit young so I would recommend waiting until you are comfortable with threat and violence and can enjoy the vivid fantasy world the most!)

This is fantasy. Pure fantasy. The main character is an assassin and she has so many layers you constantly discover more about her throughout the series. The world is GLORIOUS. Theres no other word for it. complicated and twisted with cities and underworlds and underbellies of pirates and assassins and the worse of the worse. And Caeleana is one of the most notorious. I love the political undertones and it has several of my favourite parts that make up the book.

Strong female lead. (that loves books! she is a fellow book lover!) Complicated plot. Layers and layers and layers! Prince Dorian has more to him than meets the eye, even through i am not a fan of the potential romantic relationship between them, he is a key character. Chaol is a little two dimensional, but it works perfectly for his part in this book and his development throughout the series. Plot is perfect, slightly slow in places because it needs to be to introduce the large and varied cast, but well thought out and well done. Sarah J. Maas doesn’t shy away from building a realistic world, and adds darker details that make it a 15 even more than the violence and gore and torture that goes on. the are mentions of off the page sexual assault and murder to a unnamed secondary character so if that would be triggering to you then maybe give it a few more years before you read it.

Characters – 5/5 stars – Caeleana is the perfect morally grey character, and she is delightfully flawed.

World – 4.5/5 stars  – the world develops even further in the next books, but in this first one we get a glorious look at the lives of the court through the eyes of an scornful assassin.

Romance – 4/5 stars – Sweet Romance – Caeleana does have a few romantic moments, but they are not overly done and quite subtle as well as important to the plot.

Plot 4.5/5 stars – Because it is a series, Maas is setting up for the whole series plot so while this one is satisfying, there are some clear ties to lead to the next book.

Things to be aware of: It is quite violent 4/5 because the main character is an assassin in a series of trials. Mentions of empire building. SA (of the page) murder (some on some off the page)

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Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

10+

I adore this series. Some aspects (and the characters) are younger than some of my other key bookshelf dominators, but everything else makes up for it! The main character Sophie is delightful and the secondary characters are perfect. I adore the characters and they will always be a model of the personalities a truly great author can create. The are no words for how perfectly created the characters and world are. The idea of Sophie being unknowingly adopted from the elf world to the human world and then adopted back again is perfectly done and i love that she brings her stuffed animal with her to her new world. it is so real! If the is one fault with this series it is that everyone is described as flawlessly beautiful and able bodied and are young for eternity. However, I can over look that because of the way that everything else is done so well. I love the tiny details and quirks of the characters and the huge plotline. This is a wow from me and I am definitely going to reread this several times.

Characters – 4.5 stars

World – 5 stars

Romance – NA

Plot – 4 stars – 5 if you read the whole series

Potential triggers/things to be aware of: like I said, the cast of characters are described as being a traditional Western beauty – and even through this is explained away slightly it still is a consideration or something to bear in mind when reading this book. There is no extreme violence.

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Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

14+

Amazing series that I love and is on my reread list! Red Queen is a dystopian fantasy with a sprinkling of romance. A 14+ as a warning because the are parts that are quite dark. The Red Queen is Mare Barrow, a red girl from the Stilts that is going to be force conscripted into the army if she doesn’t get a job and quick. She gets a job as a servant in the palace and during the Queentrial, falls onto the lightning shield. She survives the electricity which should have killed her on impact as she is a Red. The Silver Elite, who are supposed to be the only people with powers, pretend she is a long lost generals daughter to cover up what they think is an anomaly. She is engaged to the youngest prince, Maven and is introduced to a court of betrayal, politics and an country on the brink of revolution. Mare is a strong character with clear aims. Survival for herself and the protection of her family and Kilorn, her friend and a boy that she might have married, had this not all happened. the secondary characters are well developed, and all have their agendas and aims, as is only right in a political fantasy like that. The world of Norta is vivid and well thought out and i would love to see more series set in this universe. The romance is well done, a little wince worthy in places because of the love triangle aspect, but Mare holds true to her usual characteristics around her love interests, which is nice to read.

Characters – 5 stars – just gorgeous, they all live rentfree in my head.

World – 5 stars – perfect dystopian/fantasy world, I LOVE it.

Romance – 4.5 stars – Sweet Romance – it is worth mentioning there is a slight love triangle between Mare, Cal and Maven which is done incredibly well but it still is morally messy in the first book as Mare is engaged to Maven.

Plot – Can I give it a 1000? The plot is out of this world, it is complex, intriguing and we see every part of society through the eyes of Mare, a girl from the slums.

Things to be aware of: it is very violent as it is set during a civil war and a wider war as well as a revolution. There is extreme racial separation and discrimination between the Reds and the Silvers, which is one of the reasons it is a 14+.

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Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

13+B

Amazing book. Rick Riordan has written a book solely from the point of view of a female character for the first time and it is amazing. It has loose ties to Two Thousand Leagues under the Sea, but only minor spoilers if you haven’t read it. Ana is an amazing protagonist and the secondary characters are hardly secondary! they feel just as solid and thought out as Ana. I love the premise and the idea that two high schools are fighting a war with better than millitary grade weapons. the plot is great, quick pased and perfect with moments of glorious rest before we launch into the action again. the world is insanely good. Rick Riordan excels at magic realism, and this skirts the edge, while keeping the best parts of sci-fi.

Characters – 5 stars

World – 4 stars

Romance – NA

Plot – 4 stars

Things to be aware of: In the beginning an entire high school is blown up by their rivals, and the whole cliff crumbles. There is betrayal and a huge secret is revealed at the very beginning. There is a constant stream of threat throughout the book which is why i have awarded it that B, but despite this the characters still act normal and manage to make the book – which only lasts about five days – seem like a lifetime of relationships and trust.

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