Category: Book Reviews

Rapunzel’s Gambit by Mary Mecham

(ARC personally sent by author, part of the All that Glitters release team, but all opinions are my own!)

Release Date – 24th of May – (it’s on KU so you can read it there if you have the subscription!)

This was honestly the Rapunzel retelling I NEEDED! Instead of a captive naïve princess held at the will of a witch we have a strong tactical princess who makes a deal with a dragon!

Pollux (the dragon she goes up to offer herself as the kidnapped to) is just so much more than I expected. Yes he is tactical and hoards gold like a dragon but he is also wickedly intelligent and genuinely cares for both Rapunzel and her ‘hoard’ or kingdom.

 The plot twists and turns and completely dumps the fairytale on its head, pulling out a few elements and weaving them into a fairytale retelling that feels like something new and nostalgic!

Also the drugged lipstick? Genius.

World – 4/5 – I will say that the world isn’t really the focus, it is the characters and the romance set within it but there were no moments it really made me trip up like some books and fit the plot perfectly.

Characters – 5/5 – This is the big change from the usual fairytale, it has been taken from Rapunzel being a naïve princess to one who is dangerously manipulative and I love both Griffin and Pollux so so much.

Romance – 5/5 – I am too worried I’ll drop a plot twist spoiler so let me just say wow – this was such an enjoyable change from predicable plots!

Plot – 4/5 – changes a few things here and there, but we kept the tower, we kept the royal heritage and I enjoyed it very much!

Romance Rating: Soft

Violence Rating: Level 3

Content Warnings: None.

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Voice of the Ocean by Kelsey Impicciche

ARC – coming out 22nd of April

Let me just say I loved that she made the prince a pirate! It changes the entire dynamic, making them at sea (a place where Celeste the little mermaid) is comfortable and experienced as well as adding extra to the tensions between the two kingdoms! I have read a lot of Little Mermaid retellings that don’t make sufficient changes from the original fairytale that the plot is still entertaining to follow but the reveal at the end (even though there were clues!) I was still surprised by.

I also really liked that Celeste was able to speak and just didn’t because she knew her accent would stand out.

World – 3.5/5 – I mentioned that it was at sea, we get to see a little bit of the palace as well as generally her on the ship and then on the land for a brief amount of time. There isn’t much word building, the focus is Celeste and her personal relationships.

Romance – 4/5 – It was predictable, after all one of the major points of the Little Mermaid is that she falls in love with the prince, but I still liked the journey to get there and Raiden himself was interesting and I would have liked more development of his morals and character.

Plot – 3.5/5 – there was a twist at the end, but the rest of the plot stayed smooth and predictable. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, one of the things of retellings is we know the plot but it’s the journey to get there!

Characters – 3.5/5 – Mauve the Cecaelia was actually my favourite despite her limited page time because she had the interesting position of agreeing with the siren properganda/beliefs but also being friends with someone who is muddying up the waters (sort-of-pun intended!).

Damsel Reader Recommendation: 13+, for lovers of fairytale retellings!

Violence Rating: Level 3

Romance Rating: Sweet

Content Warnings: she is stripped at one point, I was worried it would lean into SA but it balanced on the edge.

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A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizel

Let me start with wow and go from there.

This is a simply stunning book that felt like a piece of art to read. We had so many historical and mythical references, a real mix of genres and throughout a plot that I couldn’t predict.

Let me start with the world. We have a tinge of Arthurian Legend, one of our main characters is called Arthie and she pulls a pistol from a stone. The lore around that was just so intricate too – a few sentences that don’t matter much to the plot but really highlight how everything is machined in this city that is ruled by a masked king. And Arthie goes directly against all the rules that should oppose her.

The world doesn’t stop at a touch of the Arthurian though, we also have a gloriously vivid depiction of a empire and colonialism and the EJC (The East Javeet Company = East India Company!) which throughout ties to this depiction of a city which feels at once same to our world but yet so far away in others.

From vampires that lurk the street and the serial killer vampire that gave them their bad name, the daughter of the EJC being part of a huge heist and it all led by a main character who has built an empire of secrets in the empire that stole her family.

Simply everything, it feels raw and intricate and deserves so much more hype than it has!

Plot – 4/5 – It was slower in the middle but the first and last 100 pages were simply breathtaking.

World – 5/5 – I’ve already gushed about this and I am sure there are details I have missed because it is just so full of tiny details that I cant wait to pick up on my next read-through (because this is going straight back on the reread pile!)

Characters – 4/5 – yes. Just yes. They all have personalities and they all have secrets and they all have motivations and honestly I just need the sequel now!

Romance – 5/5 – Sweet – oh this gave me all the butterflies. Honestly the wait was worth it and I need all the details because the last few pages have me in a whirlwind of theories!

Damsel Age Recommendation – 14+B

Romance Rating: Sweet (kissing, cuddling, clothes on, very mild innuendo) – honestly this one almost felt Suggestive but that’s just because the characters had such chemistry –  in actuality there is hardly any kissing just all the chemistry in the world!

Violence Rating: Level 4 – but there is no SA in it, this is for the violence!

Content Warnings: Colonalism, genocide, blood (minor descriptions).

 

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Best Book Reviewing Sites?!

The top 3 at the moment seem to be Goodreads, StoryGraph and Fable so here are a few pros and cons for each of them I have found so far

1) _📖Goodreads📖

So this is the biggest one and a lot of readers (especially when starting) use this because of its popularity and familiarity. I personally have used this since forever but I personally prefer other reviewing sites now even if I still use this one trequently!

💚PROS💚

so many reviews! Thousands and hundreds of thousands of opinions to go through!

on the browser version you can search for specific words which helps when figuring out content of books!

❤️CONS❤️

No half or quarter star ratings which as a reviewer and a reader means that books often are bumped up and down instead of being precise.

no content warnings slot. Just your review, doesn’t take any other stats or opinions on your book that other readers can easily find.

I know there are people on Goodreads but it is REALLY hard to find them on the communities unlike Fable!

📚StoryGraph📚

Up until trying Fable this was absolutely the best no questions asked (opinion is still out on which is better because I have only had fable for a few days).

💚PROS💚

Content Warnings

Fun quiz you can do to get recommendations!

Stats from readers like the diversity in the book and pacing as well as characters etc.

book clubs/readlongs that are easy to join and have multiple little sections which can be locked to avoid spoilers!

❤️CONS❤️

Less social media/connection with other readers. (Which might also be a pro!) If you just want to log your books then it’s great but it can feel a little lonelier if you aren’t doing a readlong/buddy read with active participants! It all depends because personally I think the pros are so great l use it all the time to make a quick decision in the bookstore whether to buy a book or not!

📖Fable📖

I just started Fable but it feels so easy to use and really user friendly. It is a microblogging platform and full of reviews with a organised profile that you can fill with lists as well as seeing stats!

💚PROS💚

Microblogging part means you can see what other readers think and post in a chattier way than other platforms!

A gorgeous layout with a reader summary (so cute!) that updates regularly with your new and different reads!

you can review and rate with emojis and on various different parts of the book including content warnings!
❤️CONS❤️

I have been hearing online that there were some insensitive and insulting comments made by Al summaries a while ago? I think those have been removed since and I haven’t seen any recent complaints. I haven’t been on it long enough to notice anything off about the way it handles topics yet.

So what do you think? Do you have a book reviewing site you love that I haven’t mentioned or any pros and cons you think people should know?

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The Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

16+

Wow!

While I don’t read Adult fantasy usually (especially because of the sexual content) I did enjoy this one and picked it up because I had checked it didn’t have a lot of open door scenes.

The complicated politics and morals of the main characters was really interesting especially as Kel (the sword catcher) refused to adknowledge that he was essentially a slave to die for the prince. This idea of a child being chosen from an orphanage and sent to essentially make friends with a prince so he can die for him is stunningly executed. Kel himself is so interesting because he almost sees himself as one of them, until later on he doesn’t even realise that people don’t see him as him, they see him as his persona of the princes cousin. He has been raised as a noble – but never as one of them. He exists in their society as a shadow of Conor, the prince, and even when he interacts with ‘their’ friends, they are Conor’s friends and it is always in defence or to aid Conor.

Conor himself who is the other end of this Sword Catcher relationship is so interesting because he is cruel and thoughtless and for a lot of the book drunk but his actions have such huge ramifications that he is completely unaware of. He has Kel’s complete loyalty because Kel loves him like a brother and hasn’t realised yet that the boy prince he knew has grown up to be honestly one of the most complex and hatable yet pitiable characters I have read for a while!

Lin is the other POV in this book and her perspective is so much different from Kels and Conor’s that we really get to see just how oblivious the Hill are to the politics and what is happening in the city. Lin’s goals are so clean cut compared to the other characters and whenever she enters a scene she changes it because Conor and Kel and the other nobles don’t know how to react to a woman who doesn’t care about their power plays and reacts to injustice as injustice not twisted protection.

I am so bowled over by the characters that I havent talked much about the world while is so eqistiately done or even the plot which was aborbing and had me reading for hours none stop but I need to move on to the star ratings so let me just say this! All the minor characters were fledged out and I really enjoyed some of them like Antonetta and Vivanne and loved to hate a few of the others! If an author can make you feel such strong things about side characters then the main characters’ arcs and morals and complexities are even more delicately done.

Romance – 3/5 – Swoony B – I’m not sure if you can call it romance, there is just a lot of sexual references and presence throughout which does give it this romance rating. The shortfall of romance ratings is that when there is sexual content out of a relationship or even the named cast it can be tricky to define so look at the content warnings!

Plot – 4.5/5 – I was captivated from page one, this is political fantasy but it doesn’t feel hard to read or understand. I would say that if you are looking to read an adult fantasy then this is probably a good place to start!

World – 4.5/5 – honestly stunning I loved it so much and I cant wait to return to it!

Characters – 5/5 – oh you know I gushed about them in my answer and honestly I cant deny that these are some of the best characters I have ever read. So I loved it and I need to read more of them!

Genre: Adult Fantasy, Political 

Damsel Reader Recommendation: 16+B but only if you are comfortable with the content warnings!  

Romance Rating: Swoony B

Violence Rating: Level 4

Content Warnings: there is a lot of prostitution and brothels present on page, (many of the main characters hire courtesans regularly and spend time in brothels), naked portraits of women are passed around at one point (minor detail, just says they are nude). The amount of courtasans on page made it definitely worth a Swoony B rating even if we get few romantic moments between the characters it is happening around them. There is also racism between different fantasy cultures. 

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Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lin

13+

I wasn’t expecting this but oh my goodness did I love it! We have this gorgeously vivid world full of little details and quirks that make it fantasy. It reads like a fairytale especially closer to the end – I read it was a beauty and the beast retelling but honestly it is so far away from the original and improved that I wouldn’t have made the connection otherwise! When I did realise it made for a happy discovery because then I could link all the little bits and pieces!

Tru as a heroine is so delightful to read because she bonds two of my favourite heroine attributes together: she is strong and has been strong in her own right for years and her ability is not ‘discovered’ by the romantic interest, it is something that she has already wielded for years on her own. She is a painter, forging early masters in dead artist’s style so that her and her family can survive on the little food and shelter that she can work for. Unlike a lot of heroines who are warriors she is a creative which was so lovely to read and definitely memorable!

The imagery and world of this book were honestly just exquisite especially for the first 30% or so when we were in Tru’s world. It felt so real and all the little details that had been added as we jumped into Tru’s ‘just on the slight side of illegal’ life style was honestly flawless.

I also love that Elizabeth Lin didn’t make Tru’s sisters unlikeable or vain or shallow like a lot of retellings and original versions do. It made it so much sweeter of a read for me that I wasn’t annoyed over that.

To the star ratings!

Romance – 4/5 – Soft Romance – This was such a lovely romance, I really loved the scenes they got together and the ending was just *chefs kiss*

Plot – 4/5 – While it was relatively predictable I still enjoyed it and as the focus was on th relationship and the resolution of the enemy I didn’t mind it!

Characters – 4/5 – honestly these characters were beautiful they were so distinct and yet tied together by various things that honestly I can remember them all – which I always like to be able to do by the end of a book! Some books characters just fade away instantly but these were really good and I enjoyed them!

World – 5/5 – gorgeous. Just gorgeous.

Age Recommendation: YA –  12+ – while I think that older readers would also enjoy this it is a romance that I would be happy to give to a 12 year old and it feels on the lower age end of YA.

Romance Rating: Soft

Violence Rating: Level 3

Content Warnings: None

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Fire by Kristen Cashore

15+

This reminded me what fantasy truly can and should be. I had a stream for the last few months of okay books that weren’t quite bad enough to put down but not overall worth remembering after I closed the last page so this really stood out and I am so glad I picked it up.

This is the second book in the Graceling Realm Series but you could also read it first as it has no spoilers and chronologically comes before Graceling. I would however recommend reading it second because not only does it give us a new world it also gives  a villain origin story.

Fire is such a different lead to Katsa but I don’t love her any less! As a ‘monster’ she has such beauty that people around her become entranced and often attack her or stalk her for her beauty. She can read minds and so she is constantly surrounded by a barrage of people who hate her for the beauty she possesses and yet love her because they are attracted to her.

As you can probably tell this book does have more sexual harassment than Graceling (check the content warnings!) and yet it never feels overpowering just an exploration of how even a girl who can see everyone’s intentions is often ensnared in their predatory desires.

The rest of the cast are honestly great in their own right. Most of them I love to hate like Nate and Archer (the later of whom the narrator Fire never holds fully accountable because they used to be lovers and she still views him very fondly but from a readers perspective he is absolutely abhorrent by the end). Others I love to love and I am definitely going to have to reread this one very soon because it is just so so so good.

And the world. That animals could manipulate humans with their minds? That the whole world revolves around monsters and humans yet Fire is somehow both? And above all Fire’s determination to use her powers for good after she saw what her father used them for.

Read this. Honestly one of the best series I have ever read.

Romance – 5/5 – Soft – not really heavily present in the story but I love what’s there.

World – 100000/5 – perfection. Literal perfection.

Characters – 100000/5 – EVERYTHING I WANT AND MORE. I am obsessed with these characters and I think I may continue to be until my dying day (Taylor reference!).

Plot – 5/5 – it isn’t a quest plot, a romance plot or a become powerful plot it’s a plot which incorporates war, politics, self discovery, betrayal and a terrifying magic that only you believe is happening.

Age Recommendation: 14+B/Upper YA/Adult Crossover

Romance Rating: Soft

Violence Rating: Level 4

Content Warnings: Rape (mentioned in the past to other characters), Sexual Assault (happens on page to the MC in various degrees of severity but she is able to extract herself before it goes very far) Teenaged Pregnancy, Animal Abuse (past)

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Ties of Starlight by Celeste Baxendell

13+

This was a quick fun read and I am glad I picked it up!

Honestly I admire the author so much for making her MMC relise in the first part of the book that he had been completely of the charts in his relationship with the FMC and he had made mistakes. The premise is a couple who are supposed to get married and perform ceremonies so that the magic of their eleven tribe is renewed for another period. However when the groom flees the morning of his wedding King Nyrunn decides to step in. WITHOUT TELLING HER. I wholeheartedly hated him at that moment but by the end I had relaxed a little in my hatred even through I still don’t like his actions.

The FMC was the really interesting point of this book – she had lived multiple lives and in all of these lives she had been chosen to perform the ceremony. She and the man who ran from the wedding had been constantly engaged and married over the years and he had repeatedly cheated or ignored her in their marriage. Obviously this treatment especially as she was murdered in her previous life as led to her being guarded and wary of anything that changes from the perfect ceremony which would allow her to end this cycle.

Romance – 3/5 – Soft Romance – I just cant get over his actions.

World – 3/5 – it is there in the background but we don’t get much details of it – but it also isn’t very relevant too. This is a fantasy romance so the focus is all on the ROMANCE not the fantasy world itself which is a background detail.

Characters – 3.5/5 – Nyrunn is a good character even if I don’t like him, the FMC was engaging enough to the plot and the supporting characters worked well however I didn’t have any characters that I loved but they did work for the plot.

Plot – 4/5 – intriguing plot, I liked the many lives thing and will probably look for it in more of my reads because it does add an extra level.

Age Recommendation: 13+, YA

Violence Rating: Level 3

Romance Rating: Soft

Content Warnings: cheating, murder.

Overall it was a 3 star read (which means good, i finished it easily and dont regret picking it up, i would recommend to specific people and maybe read the author again) and I think other people who want a more romance heavy book would enjoy it more than I did.

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Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume

13+

Okay so this is a YA classic, Judy Blume has wrote so many YA books and so far this is the third of hers I have read! I whipped through this in a few hours, it was easy to read and yet the emotional impact behind the story was really powerful and honestly when it finished I would have read another 300 pages of Daveys journey.

To me this book felt like a snapshot of a time which Davey will never revisit again in her life, a time of upheaval and grief but also one of the most important periods of her life with people she will never forget. Grief is something that is really explored in this book, Davey’s father has been shot in his convienence store and the entire family is left in shambles after this.

Going to live with their relatives in New Mexico to live out the aftermath and get away from the horror of what happened Davey and her family are introduced to this really capsule town. Everyone works at the Lab, everyone is defined by were and what position they work in the Lab and even the houses like Bathtub Row are linked to the ever present factory. The paranoia of her aunt and uncle, the alcoholism of her new friend Jane, the mysterious boy Wolf and above all dealing with the fact that her father is not coming back.

I honestly have no words for this book, it is raw, it is full of grief and exploration of what it means to be safe in a world that has shown you betrayal and in the end I am going to have to read more of her work!

Romance –5/5 Soft – barely present really and not the focus of the book.

World – 1000/5 – I have talked about it above but the idea of going to live in a town that is full of people who create bombs and other warfare and are incredibly paranoid because of that is something I havent seen explored before.

Characters – 5/5 – all of them are so distinct and real except Wolf who isn’t supposed to be. I really want to know what happens to Davey after the events of this book, after she returns to New Mexico and her old life and how much her time away changed her.

Plot – 5/5 – I was there, I loved it, the plot isn’t as driven as some books I have read recently and that’s because its not supposed to be an adventure its supposed to be the story of violence and grief and yet everyday teenager experiences.

Age Recommendation: 12+ is when I think you would probably enjoy it best but honestly this book feels so timeless that I think you could read it earlier around 11 if you wanted to.

Romance Rating: Soft – as in barely there, I honestly debated putting a NA on it because it really isn’t very relevant to the story.

Violence Rating: Level 2 – this was tricky because it does have Gun Violence in it and a lot of grief however on the page there isn’t much violence.

Content Warnings: Gun Violence, Death, Grief, Child Alcholism, mention of SA (briefly mentioned by a character as something that happens) Racism (one mention, less than a sentence.)

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Aphrodite by Bryony Pierce

16+

I loved this one so much! The rapid plot takes us from Aphrodite’s birth from the sea and we get to see not only a retelling and a delve into Aphrodite’s myths which are often ignored in mythology retelling but Pierce also doesn’t flinch away from portraying a heroine who is vengeful and dangerous. Aphrodite herself narrates this tale and as she learns more of the world her perspective changes and we get this glorious depiction of Olympus in the eyes of someone who is on one hand only a few weeks old and yet cynical and powerful.

I love how other characters – especially her handmaidens reflect the world of Olympus. Anyone who is powerful, any woman who could be anything other than a marriageable pawn is reduced to a shallow facet of their true power and there is nothing better than seeing it unfold. Her handmaiden has experienced it before and yet Aphrodite is now experiencing it first hand but she can be supported by her.

I honestly can say that this will stay with me for a while! I can’t wait for another reread once it releases and a sequel because this stunning masterpiece has me hooked!

Bold, powerful and still loyal to the cruelty of the original myths with an exploration of personal power and patriarchy.

World – 5/5 – oh my goodness was the world beautiful and stunning in the cruelest of ways! Greek mythology retellings always have to bridge the gap between changing the myths beyond recognition and setting them in a time that allows the story to flow. Myths come from over thousands of years and so it is set in a relatively timeless but pre-Roman empire Greece just before the Trojan War.

Plot – 5/5 – how could it end like that? My one qualm with this book was the abrupt ending, I honeslty would have loved to see Aphrodite continue on her journey. We know from myth what happens but I would have loved to see Bryony Pierce’s interpretation of it.

Romance – 4/5 – Swoony B – Ares and Aphrodite is a couple that have gone down in myth for their affairs and yet their devotion to each other (if you ignore other paramours which aren’t present in this book) and the cruel separation by Zeus. The most infamous Aphrodite/Ares scene is present for fellow myth lovers but you could also read this if you know nothing!

Characters – 5/5 – complex, cruel and sadistic, these are the Greek gods and I love that they haven’t been changed because that is one of the things about the Greek myths. Their gods often were the worst of humanity and I enjoyed the parallel between what Aphrodite made the mortals do and what Zeus made her do which was very interesting.

Age Recommendation: Upper YA/Adult – 15+

Romance Rating: Open Door – Swoony C – very euphemistic, less than a page for one, less than a paragraph for another

Violence Rating: Level 6 – there is both physical violence throughout and fights as well as sexual violence which happens regularly and there is the threat of it throughout.

CW: SA, Rape, a lot of sexual undertones and innuecendo. If you are familiar with the golden net entrapment of Aphrodite and Ares naked from the myths that does happen and it is a particularly nasty bit because of the embarrassment and nudity and shame of Aphrodite.

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