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.

February 17, 2025 2

The Storytellers Tale by Judith Bouilloc

Thanks to Net Gallery + Rivka for this e-ARC copy! As always all thoughts and opinions stated are my own.

13+B

I went into this expecting a sweet romance but this book was honestly amazing. I loved it from start to finish, it was quick paced but we also had lots of details and plenty of different characters. It was attually translated from French, and I was concerned that maybe some of the text might not run as smooth but there were no stumbling blocks!

Our main character, Illiad (can I just say how much I love that name?) is honestly the perfect mc for this book. She almost floats through the world, gathering words and books along the way. She is self confident, she knows her own power and I loved that. So many books have heroines learning about their power but Illiad already knows her power and it is just what she chooses to do with it!

The world of being a snatchwords (someone who can read words and they come to life in illusions) set against a truly historical (but with flying deer!) fantasy set in France with lots of true classics mentioned was just so good. I – the world is incredible so complex but then so graspable from page one because we understand the societal undercurrents of power.

It almost reads as a ‘if the French Revolution hadn’t be necessary’ narrative which I loved exploring and this is definitely an unexpected find – that should be all over Bookstagram, it is gorgeous – and it is just gorgeous.

I have said gorgeous several times now so I’ll go to the star ratings

World – 10000/5 – deceptively simple but we have so many different elements that I can rethink over and redefine and wonder what might happen in the story from another persons perspective if it continued. Also Babel? Libaries? Magic surrounding libraries? You know I have to read it.

Characters – 4/5 – I really enjoyed them, especially Virginia – Illiads sister/lawyer/activist. She avoided all the pit falls of a powerful older sister archetype and just glowed throughout the story.

Romance – 4/5 – Soft Romance (definition on the link through). When Advil was first introduced I thought he was going to become the stereotype of the grumpy x sunshine trope but he had more layers than I was expecting and seemed to actually care for the world around him in a way that is often missing from this character type. Their romance was warm but it also had all the tense moments and a flying deer and an arranged marriage and a previous engagement (Illiad’s) so gorgeous.

Plot – 4/5 – it was entertaining, it moved quickly and I wasn’t bored for a second. I do wish that it had a little bit more development of the aftermath of the ending but it is a fantasy romance so the romance deserved the limelight a little bit too!

Content Warnings: SA (someone kisses the mc without her permission) that is what the B is for, a few mentions of suicide/poison/manipulation. Also a bit of ableism, the mc has lost vision in his right eye and several people think he is unattractive (including the FMC in the beginning) I wasn’t sure if this was because of his injury or dislike of his reputation but thought it would be worth a mention if that would be triggering for you. She does see him naked accidentally but it isnt sexual so i just thought i would put that in.

February 12, 2025 0

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by the Broke and Bookish and now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl where bloggers are given a prompt that is usually a list of ten bookish things.

This weeks prompt was –

Love Freebie…. Top Ten Romance Tropes!

Rivals to Lovers – Celaena Sardothian and Sam Cortland are honestly one of the most beautiful couples I have ever read – just EVERYTHING about their relationship is swoonworthy. So Rivals-to-Lovers has to go to their romance in Assassins Blade.

Enemies to Lovers – Powerless, Kai Azer, Paedyn Gray. Everything about their relationship redeemed Enemies to Lovers for me, they are just such a swoony couple and I was supporting them from page one (that meeting scene….how could I not?)

Friends to Lovers – Changeling by Molly Harper (she is also best friends with his sister so we get the friends older brother trope in there too!)

He falls first and harder – Graceling, Kristen Cashore (tho Kat falls pretty hard for Po too!).

Flirty sparring – I think this again has to go to Powerless (I had to try really hard not to add sharing a bed non romantically and comforting them from nightmares because all of these are in the perfection that is Powerless).

Arranged Marriage – Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson – this was tricky, I love arranged marriage theoretically but it is rarely done well (if you have any recs I’d love them.) Arranged Marriage is a huge trope in it but not romantically.

Royalty/Aristocrat – I think that Jessica Day George’s couple from Dragonskin Slippers (review coming!) Luka and Creel might just have to take this one, the book is slightly younger than many of my other recs (still a 12+ because of violence etc) but it is 100% worth a read and it does hold up even as an older reader.

Slow Burn Romance – This was tricky because slow burn can mean over the book, the series or whatever but I think it goes to Connor and Jade from KM Shea’s Magiford subseries! It is the only book I haven’t written a full review on yet but I promise its coming!

Academia Romance – Deadly Education, slow burn, subplot romance, dark but stunningly intricate and deadly.

Do you have any recs with these or other tropes??

Happy Reading!

Lottie

February 11, 2025 7

Mini Mention Monday: Mini Review

Mini Mention Monday

This is a new bookish meme I have created which involves a tiny review, callback to a favourite series or a mention of what you are looking forward too on your TBR! This is a chance to highlight things that are mini and not quite big enough to usually get their own post/video especially our favourite novellas/short stories.

This weeks Mini Mention is….A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons!

Just so adorable!

I loved Doli from the last book and peeling back the happy always glowing mask that she wore in the first book and allowing the reader to see that she was dealing with her own insecurities underneath was so nice to read.

Saxon her gargoyle was just so adorable – who doesn’t need a librarian book boyfriend who has shelves full of dragon books???

And there were dragons! An adorable little baby dragon that ensnared my heart from page one and I was 1000% in for the ride!

Also! At the end the author includes several recipes to make the delicious cakes and food eaten by the characters so if you find yourself starving reading a fantasy diet of cakes and buttercream just flip to the back!

February 10, 2025 0

The Runaway Offering by Alythia Connor

14+B

Thanks to Book Sirens and Alythia Connor for this ARC read and as always all opinions are my own.
Genre: YA Fantasy
Age Category: YA

This book follows a main character who is relearning everything she previously thought about the world and her place within it. Raised in an isolated village guarded by armed horsemen to keep out ‘sinners’ from interacting with the village folk Akedia has only ever been offered one perspective. That perspective seems to have been accepted by everyone around her without question – the human sacrifices which are beheaded become demigods. It is an honour. Right?

I found it really interesting how Akedia absorbed everything around her before making a decision about the truth at the end, but even then it was complex. The danger of a cultish religion and how much power isolation and twisted knowledge can have on people was explored thoroughly.

However I really struggled with the romance. Tamu her love interest kidnapped her and was forcing her to do ‘three favours’ which he refused to disclose or die by his magic. Akedia seems to quickly forget that she is essentially in a hostage situation and her feelings go from disgust to attraction very quickly.

That said there were several positives about this book and I would read another book by this author in the future.

Characters – 3/5 – they work, I liked Morra a lot, she would be a 5 star character on her own, the way she brought up morality vs the law was just beautiful especially considering the naiivity of the main character.

World – 3/5 – its good, we see several different locations in a dessert vaguely Eastern world and it never made me trip up on any of the details.

Plot – 4/5 – the premise is incredibly solid and I picked it up because I knew I would enjoy the plot however it did dip a little in the middle – the scenes with Tamu’s family were a nice break from the terror of fleeing the altar as a sacrifice but it sidelined from the plot a little bit.

Romance – 2/5 – Soft Romance – I’ve already said in the review that this is something I struggled with but I would still recommend this book just be aware that the romantic relationship is has toxic foundations.

Content Warnings: Sexual Assault (it is on the page, non graphic and stopped but still something to be aware of. It was quite sudden and random without being brought up again in the plot), Religious Abuse (non graphic, they are beheading people in the name of ‘religion’ and teaching them that it is right but it isnt graphic we just get told the mc can hear the axe).

February 10, 2025 0

January Reading Recap!

Happy 2025 Damsels! The first month has gone (slowly) but I have read some great reads fresh to my hoard from the Christmas presents! From sweet dystopian romance to high fantasy to booktok mystery-thrillers there is something for every reader!

These books have been all over the booksta for years but I somehow havent read them until now! I picked them up early in the month and devoured them in two days. I would 100% recommend and I have full reviews for 1, 2 and 3 for more details and content warnings. If you are looking for mystery thriller, a smart lead that doesn’t make you want to shake some sense into them and a really complex plot then GGGTM is everything!

This is a really fast paced read, full of Greek gods and trials in a gorgeous ancient Greek mythology inspired world. With revenge fueled participation in trials that are designed to be an amusing and violent gods entertainment and a unlimited wish at the end for anything but immortality and a little bit of romance its a great read. My full review is here

Stunning twist on the traditional damsel and dragon tale – this is YA fantasy at its best and Elodie is one of the most realistic heroines i have read in a while. This is going straight onto the best reads of 2025 – link to review here

I loved this from start to finish – super hero satire and a feminist take on the outdated ‘love interest’ trope? I was completely sold and read it in less than 48 hours it was just gorgeous. Full review here but let me heavily encourage you that this should go straight on your TBR it is a breath of fresh air all readers need!

These are gorgeous books set in a fantasy world with lots of magic centered around tea and its ceremonies. With a sweet romantic subplot, an self-exiled princess learning about the realities of the oppression refugees in her kingdom are facing and a gorgeous tea dragon in the second you NEED to read this series. Its just gorgeous.

Books I read that are coming soon!

Meet Me at Midnight by Brianna Bourne

Nightweavers by RM Gray

Heir of Storms by Lauryn Murray

February 9, 2025 0

Dragon Recs

This is the first of my new series of recommendations based on the animals they have in them! We all love our furry, scaly and feathered friends in our reads and I’m starting off with dragons.

There are so many different types of dragons. We have the classic evil one who eats maidens and must be defeated by the knight. We have the greedy gold hoarding ones. We have intelligent dragons and animalistic dragons and dragons with magical powers. We have dragonriders, dragon trainers and dragon fighters. But I digress.

Our first dragon rec is quite a famous one but it is honestly one of the books that really got me into the fantasy genre and Saphira is just perfect dragon vibes throughout the series.

The Dragon book is, of course, Eragon by Christopher Paolini!

From this beautiful illustrated edition to the beaten up paperbacks I read over and over Eragon never fails a reread!

Happy Reading

Lottie

February 9, 2025 0

Sasha vs the Whole Wide World (and dragons) by Rachel Taylor Thompson

Thanks to Net Galley for this e-ARC read and all opinions are my own!
Pub Date: Apr 01 2025
Publisher: Rachel Taylor Thompson
Genre: Alternate Reality, Heist, Urban Fantasy
Age Category: YA

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme that originated at Breaking the Spine but has now linked up with Waiting for Wednesday at Wishful Endings. It is always a fun chance to display books that are going to be joining our bookshelves very soon in 2025!

13+

This was so good!

I went into this expecting a fun frolic and it didn’t just deliver it gave me everything I wanted and DRAGONS. I know it was in the title, but I had expected a few dragons, not a glorious world full of different varieties. We have seadragons, truedragons, even beedragons!

Sasha was driven character from the beginning, and we are swept into her delightfully morally askew world as she witnesses a seadragon die and steals it’s Semis. The Semis is something huge in her world – the last time it happened there was a huge man hunt and several deaths but as far as Sasha is concerned there was also millions.

Throughout Sasha had a really fun narrative voice to read, rampant with ‘Clemisms’, sayings her (just a little crooked) family have raised her on which support all of her decisions in the beginning. It was really lovely to see her motives change and grow over the course. At the beginning of each chapter she keeps track of her finances (such a lovely way of reminding about her motives and how money is such a huge thing because of the lack of it in her life) but it also reminds us of the ticking clock behind her – the whole country is out for her, the whole world’s governments are looking for her and the Semis and she only has a few grand with which to avoid them with. oh and that’s all that’s left of her collage money too!

Plot – 5/5 – it was fast but we also got all the details that my little worldbuilding heart needs so just perfect!

Romance – 4.5/5 – Soft Romance – I just love a good dreamscape scene, when both lower their boundaries and just talk without the pressures of the real world and this had several glorious examples of how well this can be done! Ari was adorable too – and how sweet he was with the dogs! (did I mention that there are three dogs named after the Bronte sisters along for the heist???)

Characters – 4/5 – I loved Sasha, she was such a good character and I love that Rachel Thompson didn’t make her family too likeable (they had flaws but still came out to support Sasha in their own non law abiding way)

World – 5/5 – DRAGONS! I have mentioned the dragons but they were glorious so I will mention it again! The rest of the world was really well defined too – Sasha crosses huge swathes of land but every place she goes to has its own feel even through she never goes to any huge landmarks.

Content Warnings: some sexual harassment to the mc, but she gets out of the situation quickly so only 1/5. Threat.

Such a fun read and 100% worth it this needs to go on your TBR for 2025!

Happy Reading!

Lottie

February 7, 2025 0

Waiting on Wednesday: Shades and Shadows

Thanks to Net Galley and Amazon KDP for this e-ARC read and as always all opinions are my own.
Pub Date **20 Feb 2025**
Publisher: Own Voices
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Age Category: 13+

13+

I really enjoyed the world on this one! It felt like a combination of paranormal/urban fantasy and the more biblical demons/angels urban fantasy. It launches us into a complex world that we only see parts of through the perspective of the mc, who isn’t particularly focused on the world. Her focus is rescuing her dad which means that the world and all the details have been woven in on a ‘ari needs to know’ basis which keeps the pace rapid throughout the different worlds.

However despite the worldbuilding details I struggled to interacted fully with the main character. While several of the supporting characters brought their own interesting stories to brush against Ari’s, I felt like Ari reflected the world around her instead of being her own distinct identity.

Despite this it is a rapidly paced paranormal read that has an excellent world and a series I will continue!

World – 4/5 – the world was solidly developed and I would enjoy to see it taken further (maybe Ari visiting hell??) in the next book.

Characters – 3.5/5 – I enjoyed some characters like Ceph and Lena but struggled to connect fully with the main character like I said above (this might just be me not quite fitting with the book tho so give it a try!) One of the prominent races shown in the book are angels, but they aren’t the biblical angels, they seem to follow a different harsher kind of rules and yet some race expectations like being able to fall from heaven do exist. The Darklands have a biblical feel, but religion is never mentioned in it.

Romance – 3.5/5 – Soft Romance – the love interest seems stereotypical in some ways in the beginning, but then he does separates from the mass of paranormal love interests with his own personal quirks through still fulfilling paranormal genre expectations.

Plot – 3.5/5 – the plot seemed relatively simple at the beginning, and it maintained that ease of understanding and reading throughout despite a few plot twists.

Content Warnings: some fantasy violence. I really struggled putting an age recommendation on this book – it almost felt like slightly middle grade and YA? I would say it rests on the border in some areas and then more YA in others but 13+ seemed a good age rating to settle on.

February 5, 2025 0

Damsel, Evelyn Skye

14+B

This is just so so so good.

I read it in one sitting! It has dragons, princesses, mazes and above all a really intelligent main character who was such a joy to read. Elodie’s love for her people guided so much of her decisions and the rest were made up out of love for her sister Floria. Throughout all of this there was the feeling of nostalgia but also of something new. Of something I hadn’t ever really seen done before. Evelyn Skye creates a vast world and timeline, introducing us to specific pinpoints that show who came before and how their path has molded Elodie’s. I love the message throughout that Elodie, intelligent strong and resourceful as she is couldn’t have survived without the sacrificed princesses that came before her and all of their research and experiences was building up and then culminating in her.

The theme of doing the honestly abhorrent thing for ‘the greater good’ was an idea that was explored through different characters, and its rare that I honestly am not sure who is the villain. I hate some of them yes, love others but in the end the true villain is the circumstances that have lead them here. The history that has ended up with a whole kingdom believing it is the right thing for three princesses to be sacrificed to a dragon every year for eight hundred years (don’t worry I’m not giving spoilers, anything I mention I make sure is the first few chapters or the synopsis).

Its just so beautiful, the exploration of this golden kingdom which is built on the blood and pain of young naive girls because no one questions it. Arranged marriages are common among royalty, you pick the brides from lower noble families from starving duchies and no one ever notices.

This book is one I will remember forever and honestly could write forever on but I’ll go a head to the star ratings (and gush some more in them!).

World – 5/5 stars, its explored beautifully we really get the impressions of all the different locations and landscapes from the dusty dessert that is Elodies home to the glittering palace to the darkness of the lair.

Plot – 1000000/5, its not just the story of Elodie its the story of all the princesses before her and it’s the story of a stepmother who knew something was wrong and was ignored and a royal family who had been raised in such a mess they didn’t know what was right anymore.

Romance – NA

Characters – 1000000/5 – just so good. We have so many different characters, some of which get a pretty limited amount of page space but we never feel that they aren’t real. They are always so realistic and we can always feel their dilemmas and pain even if they are not one of the multiple POVs throughout the book.

Things to be aware of: Threat, death (mentioned and avoided but only moderate on the page), corpses and flashbacks of death.

This needs to go on everyone’s TBR!

Happy Reading

Lottie

January 31, 2025 3