Tag: reading

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

0

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)

0

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.

0

Fearless by Lauren Roberts

14+B

Wow. This only came out yesterday and my copy was only delivered at eight but I raced through this one in only a few reading hours! Let me just start by saying that Powerless as a series has been one of my favourites that I found in 2024 and I have been slightly stalking on all the socials any teasers or snippets but oh my goodness was it so much better than I could have dreamed!

This book returns to the format of Powerless with three trials, however these are centered around Bravery, Brutality and Benevolence which are the three things that the last king thought a good ruler needed to be. Paedyn is engaged to Kitt as we know from the last few pages of Reckless and this time she is solo tackling these challenges which will prove to the court that she deserves to be queen – even if she is Ordinary. I really enjoyed how Paedyn doesn’t flinch away from saying that she wants power, she enjoys it she says that it is everything she wanted since she was a child. In a league of romantasy books where the FMC wants to be a ‘normal girl’ Paedyns character has stuck out to me from page 1 of Powerless. She welcomes any power that she survives to get and she will become so powerful that the powerless like her have no choice but to be welcomed back into Ilya.

Of course this is a romantasy so how could I not chat a little about the romance! Kai Azer won my heart from the first page but this book really showed just how their relationship was in someways inevitable, in some ways because of other people’s decisions but overall the tension and chemistry that pulls them together even when she is engaged to his brother. All my reviews are spoiler free so I wont continue but oh my goodness did they have to weather a lot of storms but by the end I honestly don’t think any other ending could have worked as well as the one Lauren Roberts wrote!

Let’s go to the star ratings!

World – 4/5 stars – it is solid and I really enjoyed seeing a little bit more of it in the second trial but it is a relatively normal fantasy world that I have seen portrayed a lot before so I can’t say that it is completely original and new but I can say that it fits the story perfectly and illustrates the divide between powerful and the ordinary!

Plot – 5/5 – Romance may be the plot but the plot isn’t all romance! We have so many twists and turns and reveals that I am going to have to go back through and reread the first ones with new eyes!

Characters – 4.5/5 – I love them so much, Kai and Kitt really show the differences that an upbringing can make and also the different damages of psychological abuse and physical on how people grow up to view the world. Paedyn as always is amazing and her POVs are always so distinct in contrast to the royals Kitt and Kai as well as (little tiny spoiler here Edrics pov) which shows the divide in the world viewpoint very well!

Romance – Suggestive/Fade to Black after little buildup – 5/5 – it’s a romantasy this is what we are here for! We had some really great romantic moments that I definitely need to quote over and over again in all of my reviews forever more but I just loved this one!

Age recommendation: YA, 13+

Romance Rating: Suggestive/Fade to Black after little buildup. This is not steamy making out at all, it feels very soft and honestly it almost borders on sweet.

Violence Rating: Level 4. While violence does happen its not as much as a lot of books I read and it never feels graphic or gorey.

Content Warnings: Betrayal, infidelity.

0

March Booklist: Strong FMCs!

It is international womens day this month and so I have put together a booklist of my favourite FMCS that just scream female rage and power and radiate from every page. From assassins to knights to fallen queens this is a list of FMCs that don’t wait for people to save them and survive and thrive because of their tenacity and skill!

Paedyn Gray- Powerless – Lauren Roberts
How could I not include her? In a world of elites trained to kill any ordinary she not only survives trials designed to test the best of them but does it without any of their superpowers! Her incredible ability with weapons   as well as her insane ability to fake being a Psychic  – and fool a whole royal court! – makes this a must read!

Celaena Sardothian  – Throne of Glass – Sarah J Maas

Celaena is just everything I love in a fantasy heroine and even though a lot of characters have borrowed from her she cannot be replicated! Tough and yet soft, she can torture a man and then go home to cuddle a dog  and read! Assassin, reader and all round badass how could anyone not love her?

Evangeline Samos  – Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Honestly she stole the scene in every chapter she was in! From start to finish Evangeline had the magnetic pull of the main character and the villain while maintaining opposition to the mc! Ambitious and powerful she will remain one of my top fmcs no matter how many I read!

Keladry of Mindelan  – Protecter of the Small – Tamora Pierce
More of a classical heroine than most of my assassin mcs Keladry is one of the first to ensnare my heart and never let go! Fighting against prejudice in a world on the brink of a war as she becomes the first female knight in a hundred years her courage, stubbornness and justice make her probably the most moral of those on this list!

Mare Barrow – Red Queen – Victoria Aveyard
Teen revolutionary leaders aren’t a new thing in dystopian but Mare does it like no other! From the slums to the Silver court to chains and revolutions she radiates through the pages of her series and remains my Roman Empire (along with the rest of her world) despite reading many more similar fmcs no one can do it with the power of Mare!

Katsa – Graceling  –  Kristin Cashore
Katsa is one of the toughest characters I have ever met! I am wrestling with spoilers because her power just grows and grows! Her sheer tenacity and stubbornness is a superpower in itself and I love her from start to finish.

Manon Blackbeak – Throne of Glass – Sarah J Maas

I haven’t finished this series yet (I read the first few a while ago on borrowbox but the series is insanely expensive so I am keeping an eye out for second hand copies in bookstores!) but Manon was an instant fmc forever. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks, is dangerous and incredibly intelligent. She feels like Celeana and yet not, she is harder, less colourful and I just love her!

These FMCs are my favourites from the hundreds of books I have read and I 100% recommend them joining your TBR this March!

Safe Reading

Lottie x

3

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

1

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I have Never Reviewed

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 –

Books I Never Reviewed (Share the titles of books you never reviewed on your blog/tiktok/insta/etc. and if you liked them or not!)

Okay so this was actually a really easy prompt to start (and a really hard one to finish I could keep going forever) because I have just started and there are sooooo many books that I haven’t reviewed yet. I am going to tweak the prompt a little to SERIES that I haven’t yet reviewed or finished reviewing.

  • Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce – I love Tamora Pierce’s world so much and I am much due a reread of her series!
  • The Twelfth Keeper series by Belle Malory – the final book is out! It came out late January and my fyp didn’t think to tell me this until I randomly looked it up (i have been waiting for this book for at least three years) and its out! So reviews are coming for the whole series and the new book Until the Sun Rises!
  • All of KM Shea’s Magiford series and the individual trilogies – this is sweet clean paranormal fantasy with a new couple every trilogy (I have my favourites but honestly they are all five star couples).
  • Three Dark Thrones Series by Kendare Blake –  (and the prequal! Which is on my TBR as well as a complete reread of this epically dark fantasy).
  • Kirenmala and the Kingdom Beyond by Sayantani DasGupta – Indian mythology, vibrant worlds and a really cute demon prince this should have been reviewed by me before but I am 100% digging it out later for a reread.
  • Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger – I have only reviewed the first! I have read the rest before but now I am going to go back and revisit them (I can barely remember all the complexities of the plot!) and this time review them too!
  • Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard – only reviewed the first one which is a travesty because this series is honestly in my top reads of all time and I am always thinking about it so I should have!
  • Eragon by Christopher Paolini – I haven’t reviewed any of these books but I really am going to because he was the author that got me into fantasy and dragons and without this series I would not have so many cluttered shelves of epic fantasy! I also got the illustrated edition that I need to show of so a review for this is definitely coming.
  • Elven Alliance by Tara Grayce – currently on my third read of the entire series and there is a new book coming out so I need to catch up on all my reviews for then!
  • Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas – again only reviewed the first book but I am going to buy the series in paperback for my third reread (I originally read them on Borrowbox) and then reviews upon reviews and book lists are coming.
  • Galdoni by Cheree Alsop – this whole trilogy is just gorgeous (and she has written another sci-fi book that I also loved!). We have winged gladiators, a sweet romance and a beautiful exploration of the best and worst of humanity, even if the protagonists are regularly told they are less than human. Reviews are coming!

This is more than 10 now so I am going to stop now but this post really reminded me of all the reviews and books I want to share with all of you so its now a 2025 goal to review all of the books on this list!

3

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.

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

7

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).

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑