Tag: 13+B

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

13+B

This book is one I have wanted to read since Red Queen (honestly changed my brain chemistry and my shelves forever!) and so in true bookish fashion it has sat on my TBR for just long enough for me to get really worried I wasn’t going to enjoy it – but I did!

It was the Damsel book club read for February and so it will feature more details than usual mainly because I cant stop typing!

This is a gorgeous huge world that follows a large cast full of different characters on a physical quest and I honestly felt like any of them could have been the mc and from a single POV and I would still have 100% been there for that!

I love that the leading men had a conversation about grief and loss that was frank and open – we need more vulnerability and exploration of this in books – and not to a love interest. So many books have the love interest equal the therapist and it was so nice it separated from that!

There are a lot of different POVs and they are all in third person so I am not entirely convinced there needed to be that many especially when most of the companions were travelling together but I adapted to the format by the end of the book and cant wait to pick up the next two (I downloaded them instantly they are on Kindle Unlimited but I may need shelf trophies too!). This is a slower pace than Red Queen and focuses on a classic fantasy quest with several enjoyable twists and a romantic hint of a subplot instead of a high action dystopian revolution romance which wasn’t quite what I was expecting but I did enjoy it!

A little more on the characters (some not all and I could rant forever about these characters but here are five of them!) because they are the real driving force behind this book despite the solid plot!

Corayne an-Amarat is a pirates daughter who has never been to sea. That perspective of being the daughter of Hell Mel, of facilitating hundreds of illicit trades and doing everything she can to support a ship and crew that she will never be a part of was honestly heartbreaking. I need more of her – yes she is closer to the usual protagonist than the others but that is for a reason!

“Your blood is born of spindles, of distant realms and lost stars. You want the horizon, Coryane of Old Cor. You want it in your bones.”

Andry is the first character we meet in the prologue and as the usual main focus of the book (a young male squire trying to protect his mother and save the world) I was worried it would overfocus on him but it was nicely balanced! He was just adorable and had some of my favourite quotes!

“He doesn’t belong here with us, as much as he tries to. The end of the world is no place for Andry Trelland. He doesn’t deserve it.”

Dom is immortal a prince and wrestling with a loss and grief that his culture has no experience of. As the companion of Corayne’s father who dies in the prologue throughout he is absorbed with the idea of honouring him as well as comparisons with Corayne. I really enjoyed how Victoria Aveyard wrote it that he changed from seeing Corteal in her to seeing herself.

“Sorrow touches us all, Lord Domacridhan, whether we believe in it or not. It doesn’t matter what you call the things ripping you apart. It will still devour you if given the chance.”

Sorasa – the assassin mc I always love! She feels a little like Celaena Sardothian only more muted from her experiences! Throughout she is the character who knows what they are doing. the one who makes calculated decisions because this quest isn’t as close to her emotionally as the others. With her connections and her insane combat skills I would read a whole book of just her!

“The Amhara has great need for those who can pass unseen, and who is more unseen to men than a woman?”

Erida of Galland – I love her. I just love the character the complexity and the sheer frank honesty of her character which is hidden behind a calculating mask. I need more details of her I need a book from her perspective because she would usually be cast as the villain or the obstinate unprepared child queen but instead Victoria Aveyard makes her into the most stunningly complex character despite only a few chapters featuring her!

“History gorges itself on women raised high and then brought low by men grasping for power. I will not be one of them. I will not lose what my father gave me. I will make it greater”

VA has delved into a completely different genre here – this is epic fantasy, this is quests, this feels like classic fantasy I fell in love with in the beginning of my readers journey. If you compare it to Red Queen then it just cant because they are completely different genres.

This review is becoming overly large so let me continue to the star ratings and wrap this up!

World – 5/5 – As a fantasy reader who hates underdeveloped worlds – what do you mean you only have one location and no description?? – then VA hit me with the perfect world. it feels tangible and like I could chart it on a map!

Plot – 3/5 – I struggled with the plot a little. It starts of rapidly with action and adventure and then dips a little in the middle focusing on the characters before it picks up again when they visit Adira and from then on I read it in one sitting!

Characters – 4/5 – its tricky with such a huge cast to get a real feel for the characters as we are rapidly introduced to them in short succession however I do feel like I can differentiate between them and they are all very different. Let me just say that Sigil and Charlie’s relationship and introductions were just perfect and I love them so much!

Romance – NA – some crushes and flirting but the focus is on the quest not the romance.

Content Warnings: Nothing you wouldn’t expect in a high fantasy world – violence, death but nothing outside of the violence rating given! There is a scene where the current POV speaker expects to sleep with someone out of duty but it doesnt happen.

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Academy of Villains by Ever King

Thanks to Net Galley and Ever King for this ARC! All thoughts and views expressed are my own!

13+B

I had high hopes going into this book I love Greek myths and assassin mcs which can sometimes make it harder for a book to impress me but

I loved this one!

We have a dark academia world full of little Greek myth details interwoven into a background of power and secret societies and I was captivated.

A dual POV of Kiera and Lucian sweeps us into a world that is similarly split between mundanes and mages, rich and poor, oblivious and oppressed. Kiera’s detailed focus on the mission at the beginning soon expands into wonder as we see through her eyes the magic but also corruption of the world! I really really enjoyed Lucian’s interactions with the Raven Society – often the mcs are alone fighting a war they are unsupported in but Lucian has the support from his peers allowing him and Kiera to split of taking one part of the quest.

The celestial magic of Kiera was honestly my favourite part of the book. I love love love the backstory of how the witches were persecuted and how that magic that some mages wielded in a slightly altered form was also persecuted and in the end it was almost completely wiped out and with it Heartstrings. The idea of fated lovers/fated mates can be a really hard thing to integrate with a relationship because it takes away the choice but Ever King neatly avoided this by showing the Heartstring was potential not binding and it grew as they trusted each other more! I could keep gushing forever but I need to move onto the star ratings!

World – 4/5 – when it was marketed as throne of glass x harry potter with Greek myths I was expecting it to be a darker gritty retelling of the love story but instead the world completely surprised me with the freshness. There are little Greek myth elements but the world has also drawn inspiration from dark academia, witch/mage grimoires and the idea of a society where the upper class have no idea that the lower class is suffering. Any YA book which is set at a school seems to be compared to Harry Potter and I can see why but I would definitely say that in my opinion it leans more into the romantasy academia than that series or Throne of Glass.

Romance – Smokey Romance/Fade to Black – 4/5 stars – I often have to be convinced of enemies-to-lovers. It is a much loved trope and I get it and love it when done well (I think all of my greatest loved books which have this trope are closer to the rivals-> lovers, ignorance of different experiences-> love or forbidden love which is actually very close to this books romance!) At first I found Lucian enigmatic and it was difficult to get a feel for how he interacted with Kiera and what I thought of that!  Obviously she tried to kill him so that does put strain on the relationship at the beginning but I was convinced by the end that he was without a doubt a book boyfriend to add to the long list!  

Characters – 4/5 – I liked the characters a lot, we had the assassin mc (a favourite of mine), a royal love interest (another favourite of mine) but where this really stood out was that Lucian was supported by other peers that didn’t just exist to reflect his power back at him. Lucian was never presented as the most intelligent of the group or the clear overlord or the most powerful despite being the leader and I really enjoyed all of their interactions!

Plot – 3/5 – The plot seemed to become the romance by the end (I know it’s a romantasy) and we do get the final fight scene and the quest but I feel like there are a lot of loose threads that I cant wait to see be picked up in the next book like the orbs and Edmund shifting in his seat at the mention of heartstrings???

Content Warnings: Self Harm (on page, brief, no detail), Panic Attack, (on page, brief), death of parent.

I feel like I have barely stepped into this rich world and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

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Galdoni by Cheree Alsop

13+B

I just love this world – honestly this trilogy is one I never tire of. I reread it and reread it (sometimes back to back) and it always holds up. We have a dystopian America, perhaps a few hundred years ahead where scientists have genetically adapted test tube babies into winged humans.

Originally designed as military scouts, the Galdoni have too much of the animal need to survive to be successful to the governments plan. The Galdoni are taken by the Arena a gambling corporation focused on entertainment. Told they are fighting for their place in the afterlife and raised in a harsh training environment manned by guards with whips the Galdoni have no idea that their lives are bringing the American government and corporations millions.

However activists have pushed hard enough that the Galdoni have been released into society – including our main character KL426. Beaten up in an alley during the first chapter and left to die by angry gamblers who lost money on fights KL426 (later called Kale) is rescued by the children of a doctor.

In a family environment for the first time KL426 begins to reveal the true nature of the gambling facility and what they do to the Galdoni inside there. Society has been told they are no more than animals but as Kale interacts with the family and especially the eldest girl Brie it becomes clear that he and the rest of his race are just as human despite their horrific upbringing as the rest of the world.

And then the Arena starts hunting them down to begin the fights again.

Plot – 10000/5 – we have everything I want in dystopian in a deceptively simple plot and as the rest of the trilogy continues we get more and more depth on this world that ignores basic humanity in favour of profits (it’s a little close to the bone when I put it like that) but I would 100% recommend it.

World – 10000/5 – I love it! Winged Gladiators in a dystopian world that is still recognisable is something I didn’t know I needed but I absolutely do.

Characters – 5/5 – From Kale our mmc who we follow as he learns about the world outside the Arena to Brie and her little sister to the found family in the doctors children I love it so much.

Romance – Soft Romance – Brie and Kale are so sweet and they may be my favourite dystopian couple just for the humanity in their relationship. Brie has her own past but neither hers nor Kales interfere with their budding relationship.

Content Warnings: Death, Violence, Gaslighting, Domestic Violence, Gladiatorial Battles, attempted Rape and assault, Suicide

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The Sleepless by Jen Williams

Pub Date: 22 May 2025
Publisher: Macmillian Children’s Books
Genre: YA Fantasy, Romance
Age Category:  YA

13+B

Such a good read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of its little fantasy elements mixed in with an original but yet familiar mythology and god based magic system.

We start with a prologue five years earlier that introduces us to Elver. Elver was sacrificed to a sea serpent (yes we have sea serpents and a Queen Serpent) when she was twelve but the Queen of the serpents filled her blood with poison. Flash forward five years and Elver has been living feral in the woods surrounded by fellow jih because her touch is poison to anyone.

We then get introduced to the Sleepless – people who have two souls inside them and when one goes to sleep the other wakes up. It is a very Jekyll and Hyde style situation but neither of the souls have any control over it. The Sleepless are kept inside a monastery guarded by archers because their secondary souls are a danger to society. Artair/Lucian was just perfect and honestly I need more double soul love interests in my fantasy reads because why not?

Artair gives us the good dutiful love interest and Lucian the dark wild one and they share a body so Elver isn’t quite sure when she is dealing with whom. All of the characters were so well developed (I loved the twisty god Tisk) and even the villain has fully developed reasons which by the end we can not only understand but kind of support (at least I did).

Characters – 4/5 – 1000/5 for Artair and Lucian, they just reflect each other so well and I love that we get both love interests.

World – 5/5 – The world never stumbled! We had so many different locations (a physical quest allows us to see lots of the land) and I love the wild woods and then the busy town and how we see it through Artair’s naivety and Elver’s cynicism.

Plot – 4/5 – It was rapid paced in the beginning and then slower as we understood the complex world and how the Twelve gods ruled over it. And the twist at the end!

Romance – 5/5 –  Soft Romance – love it! It was less of a focus than I was expecting but I am 100% hooked for the sequel.

Content Warnings: violence, mentions of child death.

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A Good Girls Guide to Murder, Holly Jackson

13+B

Okay so I have heard so much about this series, people are talking about it all over booktube and several of my friends have loved it. And it held up.

I used to read a LOT of mystery – I mean a lot, I still have an entire three deep shelf of enid blytons mysteries – and this is a nice step up and it does hold up! The investigation style with Pip conducting various recorded interviews, getting access to police logs and cross examining different peoples accounts unfurled an insane story about Andie Bell and Sal Singh two teenagers who died five years ago.

It is a cold case Pip takes on as a summer project because the inaccuracies have always nagged at her. Sal is universally believed to have done it in her town and yet Pip’s personal experience of Sal isn’t one of a boy who could kill his girlfriend in cold blood. It is complex, the logs, Pip’s own life apart from her investigation which starts to overlap more and more and then the realisation that several people she knows had a very intimate part in the lead up to Andie Bell’s murder. I am trying not to give too many spoilers and that is so hard in mystery so I’ll stop there!

Plot – 1000000/10. I did predict a few things but the lies and the coverups had my doubting myself several times before I realised I was right!

Characters – 5/5 stars. They are nuanced and none of the main cast feel like a recycled archetype while they still show all the different things that have lead to a seemingly simple cold case. It is horrifying how the police didn’t even bother interviewing several people surrounding her because they just instantly assumed it was Sal, her Indian boyfriend who committed suicide. i am diverging from characters here so I will just say that I appreciated Pip calling the reporter out on his racism and prejudice he was insufferable and it is people like him that meant Sal would never have got justice for something he got caught up in.

World – 5/5 stars.  well its our world! I love it being set in England tho – so many books are sent in America it is always nice to have a British book. It felt realistic, Holly Jackson didn’t end up ignoring the natural assumptions and darker side of mystery while not making it glorified or graphic.

Romance – 4/5 – Soft Romance – *giggles and kicks feet in the air* just adorable

Things to be aware of: Racism, sexual assault, rape, murder, police injustice, drugs – none of the SA is on the page or the murder. Animal death (specifically a dog)

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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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Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

13+B

Wow, this book is a rare find! I read it in one sitting and have since read the rest of the series. The heroine Elisa is not the typical YA character and super realistic, especially in the first book. Her character arc is one of the standout points in this book and it is a joy to read as she grows into a true heroine.

She begins the book as a sixteen year old princess destined for a political marriage far away, and is constantly comparing herself to her older sister. She is special, she has a Godstone. she has a destiny. This sounds kind of familiar, right? The premise is a well known one, but from then on I was hooked. She starts as a character we all can relate too. She is overshadowed and has an insane amount of pressure on her. Because of this she comfort eats and has low self confidence, which is understandable and makes her character believable. Because she isn’t sassy for the sake of being sassy and immature as many YA heroines are, she is a breath of fresh air to read.

Even the minor characters are well developed and with backstories. Her relationship with her new husbands child Roserio is interesting, especially considering there is only about ten years between them, and it really shows another side of Elisa’s character. Althrough the is minor romance, it isn’t spicy at all and it takes a backseat to her personal journey. The world is an original mix of Spain, the middle east, colonial times and just good world building.

I adore that the author isn’t afraid to remove characters and the characters who die are often close to the heroine, which gives the war a layer of bitter heart -breaking reality.

Characters – 5 stars – while some of the characters are dislikable, all of them, even the most minor are fully developed and fleshed out.

World – 5 stars

Romance – 5 stars – Sweet Romance – like I said further up, the romance isnt spicy, just a few kisses – and the author has made it very natural and it happens over time.

Plot – 5 stars – complex and develops nicely.

Potential triggers/things to be aware of: Elisa has a political marriage to a widower king much older than her (they don’t have sexual or romantic relationship, even through she fears that he might expect one in the very beginning). Several characters die, and in mediumly graphic descriptions. The topics of betrayal, love and loss are explored. Self doubt especially at the beginning althrough we get to see her grow out of that and understand her own power. The King she marries does have a mistress which is an interesting detail which supports Elisa’s emotional abandonment by the King.

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