Tag: damselindelight

Waiting on Wednesday: Meet Me at Midnight

Thanks to Net Gallery and Scholastic UK for this e-ARC read!

Pub Date – Apr 10 2025 
Age Category – YA
Genre: Romance

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!

Meet Me at Midnight by Brianna Bourne

13+

Beautiful – just beautiful.

I went into this expecting a fluffy dreamscape full of romance and while I got all of that I wanted I also got an amazing look into the dangers of erasing memory and also how difficult it is to truly see where your relationships went wrong. This book carried me through on a wave of constant enjoyment and it is definitely one I am going to be featuring for my April book club read.

The main character Aria is a joy to read, it is rare I have ever had such similar hobbies and likes as a character and I loved watching her growth throughout the book. Her struggles with her twin Cady who has swept her through life, making every decision for her naiive dreamer perspective of the word. However, her sister has gone into a coma and in this wake Aria has to unravel not only her feelings surrounding Cady but the boy who keeps turning up in her dreams and just may be more real than should be possible.

It had a slowly growing dystopian feel while keeping a really relevant feel – it felt like 2025 and whenever its set. It was a more subtle dystopian feel than most dystopian YA because it isn’t a full blown situationship after an collapse of society but it focuses on an invention that I can imagine a few hundred years later in a proper dystopian adventure and I really loved that.

World – 5/5 stars – it felt really realistic and warm (the best way I can describe it), the world, the dreamscapes and the entire world felt ethereal in places and then really acute at others.

Plot – 4/5 – I really enjoyed it, I cant say much more for spoilers but it was so good.

Characters – 10000/5 – they felt so nuanced especially Aria and Strat and their relationship (both previous and current) with each other. The supporting characters didn’t have as much detail but I felt that that was on purpose, the focus was Aria slowly removing the naive lense she had viewed the world through and acknowledging reality – both the good and bad bits.

Romance – 4/5 – Sweet Romance – I did like the romance, it had the feel of second chance while also maintaining the air of mystery of will their relationship survive the plot!

Things to be aware of: scientific mental manipulation

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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 –

New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2024

Lauren Roberts – I just love Powerless so much and cant wait for Fearless to come out this year!

Jennifer Lynn Barnes – I cant believe it took me so long to read the Inheritance Games, its so good and I cant wait for my TBR to get down to the next book!

Holly Jackson – a good girls guide to murder had been on my list since forever and I finally read it in early January (but I bought it in December and read half of it in a friends copy a few months ago!)

Naomi Novik’s Scolomance series – she has written the Temeraire series which I had read but I feel like this is such a different series it counts! A Deadly Education definitely stands out among this years reads.

K M Shea – At the beginning of the year I went through a huge K M Shea phase, reading through all her Magiford series and several of her fairy tales (I’m planning on writing reviews of the Magiford series soon because they are amazing!).

Tara Grayce – she wrote the elven alliance (which has a part two series which is going to get its third book this year!) Also planning to write reviews of these for the series before the new book comes out!

Casey Blair – I read Coup of Tea for the first time in 2024 and loved it!

Amelie Zhao – Blood Heir was so good and I’m midway through Red Tigress now!

Emma St Clair – Royally (re) arranged was really good and I’ve read several more of her books since (she has done a series collab with Jenny Proctor if you are looking for sweet romances).

Happy Reading!

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Faye and the City in the Sea, Nicole Bailey

13+

This book continues on from the battle at the end of the first book. usually, fantasy chosen ones just blaze around, killing people with any real remorse, guilt or horror. Faye, on the other hand, has PTSD and withdraws from the camp life. she is still part of the protectors, but the sights of any weapons freaks her out and yet she knows that she will be expected to lead the war as the most powerful being in the Ether. Telanes is the only one who she will let near her when she gets scared and their friendship (and maybe a little more) is cemented. Daron and Alec’s romance develops and the is a hint of a love triangle between Telanes, Faye and Marious (a merman prince) but as in the previous book, romance isnt used as the driving force and that makes far better than most YA. It is slower paced than the first book but that is needed as we explore more of the characters emotions. Most second books are worse than the first, but this is better!

World – 5/5 stars. just so gorgeous in general and i loved seeing the underwater world!

Characters – 5/5 stars – I just love them so much especially the minor characters and Telanes. Telanes might have to take a spot on my favourite love interests of all time list he is just so sweet.

Romance – 4/5 – Sweet Romance– love this so much, Daron and Alec are the sweetest (the only actual romance in this) and like i said above Telanes is just so perfect for Faye and I really hope that they become more than friends!

Plot – 4/5 – like the previous book, the plot is mostly driven by the characters and I enjoyed this on both my first and reread (and possibly third read i’ve lost count).

Things to be aware of: PTSD surrounding blood and battle but nothing too graphic. Some fantasy violence but not much 2/5.

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Faye and the Ether, Nicole Bailey

13+B

Amazing read! It only takes a few things to change the normal genre of YA, and this book does it perfectly. I have read this a few months ago and reread it since. The story starts normally. Faye finds out that she is from another world. Handsome guy called Daron takes her there and shows her around. but what makes this book standout is that Faye herself doesn’t have a romantic relationship that dominates the book. In most YA, Daron would be her love interest, but in this other love stories surrounding the heroine provided the romance. That changed the entire book, the reader wasnt fretting or getting annoyed about who she was going to get with and so you were fully submerged in the story. Daron and his love interests romance is perfectly done, and it is nice to see gay representation in YA fantasy. I adored Daron’s relationship – and it made so much more sense as they had known each other for years and had had time to develop feelings and know each other.

Characters – 4.5/5 – Adore the main cast, Daron and Aaron are an amazing couple, and Daron is very sweet towards Faye as well. Faye is an excellent main character and not an insta-warrior which supports the story very well.

World – 5/5 – A fantasy world based of mythology? Yess!!!

Romance – 5/5 – Swoony A – Alex and Daron do have one scene where they sleep together, but less than a paragraph and very very euphemistic – I honestly would say that some Sweet make out scenes have more details but I still give it the Swoony A because they do technically sleep together on page.

Plot – 4 stars – it was a good plot, but the main focus was on Faye and the adjustment between two worlds and how she was leaving everything behind back home.

Trigger warnings/things to be aware of: Faye’s mother is brainwashed into not noticing that her daughter is missing for months on end. Centaur culture is very close to mythology’s wild representations and there are mentions of their ‘reputations’ which could be a suggestion at SA. Their culture also has a ‘mating circle’ that is never seen on page but mentioned in passing. Because of these, i have bumped up a 12+B rating into a 13+ but it isnt a violent 13+. There are two f-cks in case you mind the profanity but it isnt excessive. Alex and Daron do have one scene where they sleep together but is not described in any real detail and I wouldnt classify it as even 0.5/5 for spice as it is very very vanilla but that also bumps it up to a B.

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Graceling, Kristen Cashore

14+

Okay so first I LOVE the covers. ‘dont judge a book by its cover’ may be apt but i certainly do judge the cover if it doesnt fit the book. Both the first and second versions of the covers really fit the essence of this story and I love how they are both on opposite style sides. I first read it with the cover with her standing against a gray background which really captures the characters internal separation from the people around her but the latest cover is more of a traditional fantasy vibe with just a few simple elements tied together that really scream the book.

I have just reread this book for the third time and to my delight the plot still holds up. I dont know quite how to describe the plot. The book is split up into three different sections, The Lady Killer, The Twisted King and The Shifting World and they all have their own plots and storylines within the overarching story which keeps it from dragging and becoming boring.

Katsa is a truely strong heroine and I enjoyed how Cashore showed us that she still has her limits, (especially emotionally and psychologically) but despite that she does choose to do the right thing. I almost feel like there could have been a book before this about how Katsa slowly realised just how much the king was using her but this story launches us right in at the perfect point as the seven kingdoms change forever. I found it a quick paced read, especially in the later two sections which improved massively. In the beginning I felt it lagged a little but gave us some interesting world-building details.

The world premise is a fantasy/historical feel with the fantasy Graces. People (seemingly at random but i am hoping we learn more in the next book!) are Graced with supernatural abilities, some relitavely innocent like being able to hold your breath for a very long time and some very dangerous like strength, perfect aim, heightened senses and in Katsa’s case a Killing Grace. Gracelings are easily picked out because they have different coloured eyes, like Katsa’s blue and green, and Po’s silver and gold. I also enjoyed seeing how Katsa’s relationship with her power changed as she used it further and further out of her uncle’s control and it struck a very delicate balance; having an assassin/kings executioner as the main character means the reader expects them to already have a lot of training and have a firm grasp on their power but Cashore also balanced that with Katsa’s power being stretched in other ways.

World – 4.5/5 – Love the concept of the Gracelings, we get a good look at different kingdoms and different types of people in it.

Characters – 4/5 – I do love Katsa’s strength and resilience, and Po is a very sweet cinnamon roll of a love interest even through he can hold his own. Bitterblue is a character we have only just started to explore (and one of the books on my TBR is titled Bitterblue so I can guess we’ll be seeing more of her!) but the rest of the supporting characters felt a little flat. I enthusiastically loathed King Leck but I did wish we learnt a bit more about his backstory as the main antagonist.

Romance – 4/5 – Swoony Romance A – I enjoyed it again! Their romance is somehow deeply entangled in the story and yet barely a subplot. They do sleep together on page, but it is barely anything and I honestly think it could have been removed or you could skip it (its only about half a paragraph) and it isnt graphic at all. It does push up the rating a little but I would say you could read it a little earlier if you dont mind/skip that.

Plot – I have gushed about it up there so I’ll just say 4.5/5 stars!

Things to be aware of: There is a bit of violence – it is quite a high tension novel and several people do die. There are a few sexual innuendos and threats as well as mentions of SA. Power being exploited and a very potent form of propaganda/metal control is explored (i am trying really hard not to give a spoiler here) but all of that only makes it up to about a 3/5 of violence. Two very vanilla sexual scenes that border on fade to black (click on the orange link to see what I mean by Sexy Romance).

3

Squire by Tamora Pierce

13+

This is the third book in the Protector of the Small series and I absolutely love this one to bits.

We start with Keladry walking through a near empty palace as all the knights have come and picked their Squires already. As the only girl she hasn’t even got any interviews with potential knight masters and has to acknowledge the fact that despite all her struggles she might end up being assigned to a desk knight. That is one of the things that Pierce does so well, she really shows how slow change is and how even the most powerful people inciting that change sometimes struggle against the tide of opposition and yet it never feels like a lecture or even a large facet of her characters.

This book takes us so much further than the palace complex, introducing us to the difficulties that had never been discussed with the pages at the palace among the privileged elite. Travelling under Lord Raoul and working alongside the Kings Own Keladry gets to experience why she wanted to be a knight so much – to protect people and achieve justice. I feel like Keladry’s experience really grows throughout this book, she gains the battle knowledge and experience that she is going to need and we get to see her take on some leadership.

This book also has the terrifying caveat of the Chamber at the end – all the work Keladry has put in, all the sacrifices she has made of her future will all be for naught if the Chamber finds her unworthy. Squires die in the Chamber, she is the first female knight to openly go through the Chamber in a few hundred years and all eyes are on her.

World – 5/5 – I love it so much and we get to see such a wide range of different terrain across Tortall.

Romance – 5/5 – Sweet Romance – there is a little romance in this one, Keladry has an adorable relationship with someone we have met in previous books. However it never becomes the focus although we see Keladry thinking about how it relates to her career as well as how people view her (the small adknowledgement from Raoul that it will always be harder for her to court among her peers because she is a woman and there are a lot of people eager to besmirch her reputation was a delightful small detail.)

Plot – 5/5 – it never drags, there are multiple different subplots and plots and so many different characters that interact with Kel but yet they never feel bland.

Characters – 5/5 stars – I love the characters. They are so realistic even the ones I hate and they all have such depth to them.

Happy Reading!

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2024 Swoony Awards Results!

The results are in for the swoony awards! Several of my favourite reads (KM Shea’s Blood and Ruin series especially which I loved soooo much) are on this list and I have certainly added a few feet to my TBR reading list!

2024 Swoony Awards (589 books) | Goodreads

Award Hosts: Kathy from Bookworm Nation and Katie from Hiding in the Page

Let me know which ones you have read or are planning to read in the comments below!

Happy Reading!

 “The Swoony Awards are a Reader’s Choice Award recognizing excellence in clean secular, wholesome romance. We wanted a way to show our appreciation to these awesome authors who write the kind of books that we love. It’s also a great way to find new books and a good go-to when looking for something fun to read.”

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Succession: deep dive review

A deep dive into the world of the Castle by Jessica Day George and just how simple a name can be in worldbuilding.

It can be incredibly easy to take middle grade fantasy worldbuilding at a basic face value and not really decode and appreciate just how much depth it often has. Jessica Day George has written several series, two of which are in my top fifty all time reads. I can reread and reread and love and love them forever despite having left the target age back a few years ago.

In Tuesdays at the Castle, Celie’s father is Glower the Seventy-Ninth. We also get told that the name is inherited with the throne, not given at birth to denote the heir. Celie herself doesn’t know (or never on page says her fathers name) which just highlights how much the name Glower really covers up whom actually has taken the throne. The people of that kingdom if they lived further away might not even know that there had been a coup, a new king can just take over assume the name as all of the heirs do at their coronation and that’s that. There is no huge change of dynasty name, just a swap out of the person who takes on the name of Glower.

It means that the kingdom of Sleyne looks like they have had an incredibly stable reign of the same dynasty to foreign countries. They have had seventy-nine kings when the book starts which to the outside world all bear the same name. In the old world, and in fantasy, sharing a family name often shows whom is eldest, heir and offers a common link to tie people together. Think of people sharing a surname. If there is a King Tristan the III whom dies and his heir is called Tristan the IV then it lends the heir a legitimacy. It also ties the heir to the throne, being christened the royal name that will inherit means that there is no switching around of heirs (or at least if it is then it is a more visible situation).

We learn almost instantly that Celie’s father has already swapped around his heirs at the Castle’s desire. His oldest son Bran’s room had been filled with wizardry things and astrology, so Glower the Seventy-Ninth makes his second son Rolf heir and sends Bran of to the collage. This shows not just the power of the name being given at the coronation not christening but also of the Castle.

Glower makes a decision that will change the history books, and he does it because his Castle swaps around a few rooms. The Castle always selects its kings, and in fact we learn that Glower himself is only the tenth in his direct bloodline. The Kings barber was crowned as Glower the sixty-ninth, instead of the late kings heir. The Castle has almost complete control (at least in the beginning) over the kings ascension.

When (spoiler if you haven’t read the book) the Vhervhish prince Khelsh tries to take over, it is mentioned that he will be crowned after Rolf is assassinated during the ten year period of his regency. What will he be crowned as? Glower the Eighty-First.

Such a small detail, made to supplement the power of the Castle over its residents and its sentience. But such an important one.

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The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J Maas

14+

This collection of novellas is where Celaena’s story starts and it is definitely my favourite book in the series.

There are several different novellas within, and they all outline the day to day things Celaena experienced during the last year or so of her life as Ardalans Assassin. We get to really experience the varied and detailed world that Celaena has travelled so widely, and her relationship with Sam as it grows and develops.

Each Novella builds on the one before and sets up the devastating stage for Throne of Glass – the first full length novel in the series. I cant say much more without spoilers, but this is honestly a great read that creates every emotion as we are swept into a fantasy land where even if Celaena is one of the most feared things in it, danger and intrigue is everywhere in a land where the players are constantly changing, and the rules are changed before you know they exist.

Characters – 5/5 stars – I LOVE THEM – also if you like morally grey main characters then well, the two main characters for most of the novellas are assassins so…

World – 5/5 stars – Its perfect, this entire world has been so well thought out and in this novella collection we really get to see just how diverse and complex her world is.

Romance – 1000/5 stars- Suggestive Romance – Sam and Celaena are the ultimate couple I love them so much

Plot  – 5/5 stars – Its complex, and each novella has its own plot as well as an over arching plot of the book and then the huge plot of the entire series. I love series that are multi-faceted and where while everything means something, so much you dont understand or notice until later on.

Things to be aware of: It is quite dark in places, especially at the end, but that is to be expected in a 14+. Personally I read this when I was 13, and adored it so it all depends on what your comfort levels are on violence.

Also on a side note, this book and the rest of the series are all on Borrowbox, so if you are willing to wait a few months then you can read it on there.

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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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