Tag: ya

Rapunzel’s Gambit by Mary Mecham

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

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

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

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

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

Also the drugged lipstick? Genius.

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

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

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

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

Romance Rating: Soft

Violence Rating: Level 3

Content Warnings: None.

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Voice of the Ocean by Kelsey Impicciche

ARC – coming out 22nd of April

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Violence Rating: Level 3

Romance Rating: Sweet

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

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A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizel

Let me start with wow and go from there.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Damsel Age Recommendation – 14+B

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

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

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

 

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Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lin

13+

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

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

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

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

To the star ratings!

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

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

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

World – 5/5 – gorgeous. Just gorgeous.

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

Romance Rating: Soft

Violence Rating: Level 3

Content Warnings: None

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Fire by Kristen Cashore

15+

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

World – 100000/5 – perfection. Literal perfection.

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

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

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

Romance Rating: Soft

Violence Rating: Level 4

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

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Ties of Starlight by Celeste Baxendell

13+

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Age Recommendation: 13+, YA

Violence Rating: Level 3

Romance Rating: Soft

Content Warnings: cheating, murder.

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

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Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume

13+

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

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This Rotting Heart by Celeste Baxendell

Thanks to Net Galley, Celeste Baxendell and Victory Editing for this ARC, as always every opinion expressed is my own.
 Pub Date: 1st of April, 2025
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Age Category: 13+ but with cross appeal.

 

13+

This was a quick heartwarming fantasy romance that I enjoyed! I just finished Ties of Starlight this morning and started this straight after (yes I read it in under 12 hours) and I loved the little cameo of the main couple from that book!

This Rotting Heart is a Persephone and Hades reimagining – and you know that sometimes these can go very wrong for me on the toxicity of the relationship but this one didn’t! The main element of a Persephone x Hades retelling is that the fmc is kidnapped and made to marry the mmc which can be a lot for me to get over – but I did for this one!

That the personality traits of the two were switched, the fmc was the death obsessed one and the mmc was the Sun king was such a gorgeous little touch which is why I love reading this myth and fairytale reimagining’s.  

World – 3.5/5 – the world isn’t the focus, this is a fantasy romance so I don’t really mind that much. We had what we needed for the story, the world was believable and I didn’t mind not having a lot of worldbuilding because this is more romance than fantasy.

Romance – 4/5 – I struggled with the kidnapping thing, to be honest she was stealing something sacred to his land and from his perspective she had agreed to marry him so I do get that!

Plot – 4/5 – it resolved pleasingly with potential for another book – perhaps with Callahan as the lead?? – and I have no complaints!

Characters – 4/5 – they felt solid and fleshed out and true to themselves. I enjoyed Hellsbore – what a name! I love it that the name ties in with the Greek myth itself! – she was very interesting as a character because she didn’t react to anything. As someone who has read a lot of annoying FMCS who react to the wrong things, blow up over tiny things and ignore big things it was refreshing to read a FMC who was actually the calculating alchemist she was portrayed to be! It may not be healthy to be so restrained but it was certainly fun to read for a change!

Romance Rating: Soft – a few kisses, closed mouth, no detail.

Violence Rating: Level 2 – minor injuries with small non graphic descriptions. Short combat scenes and limited threat.

Content Warnings: betrayal, kidnapping.

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Reckless by Lauren Roberts

13+

This was the March Damsel book club pick and I NEED fearless immediately! Powerless was one of my favourite reads of 2024 – I read it twice and bought a paperback copy – so Reckless had a lot of pressure going in and it held up!

Paedyn is running from the king she killed, and the princes she betrayed across the desert and Kai is forced to follow her at the orders of his brother, now king Kitt. The romance, the chemistry and the emotion between the two of them is undeniable – much as they try to pretend – and they may be enemies but can they truly forget having been lovers?

In the desert city of Dor, far away from the Elite kingdom and without any powers for Kai to wield he is just as Ordinary as Paedyn which levels the playing field. Paedyn does nothing better than survive, but Kai always achieves his missions even when they emotionally destroy him. From illegal fighting rings to a shady gambling brothel to sewers and cells we are taken on a gorgeously vivid romantasy adventure that I could have devoured over and over.

I also love how ‘pretend’ is repeated over and over especially in Kai’s POV chapters. He knows he isn’t pretending, he knows that everytime he kisses Paedyn he loves her more but ‘pretend’ is the shield they both hide behind as they know that both of them have hurt each other – and this book could end up with one of them dead.

I see a lot of people not liking Kitt but I totally get his perspective. He was betrayed by a girl he risked the security of his kingdom and personal safety for, he lost his father, his stepmother is dying and he knows that his brother might pick the girl over him. Of course he is out for revenge – but that ending!

Here are a few of my favourite quotes from the characters before we launch into the star ratings! Don’t worry, none of these are spoilers because they are out of context and I have removed any spoiling titbits!

Kai had some of the most gorgeously poetic dialogue throughout and these I couldn’t not include!

“Out here I am Kai and nothing more.” His throat bobs. “Out here I am powerless. A monster without an ability to hide behind. An Enforcer free from his masks. A man shouting his love for a women.” – Kai Azer

“Because the Beast doesn’t get the Beauty” – Kai Azer

“Oh, but you are my undoing. My deliverance. My downfall disguised as a deity. You are my ruin.” – Kai Azer

“Call us even. Call me crazy, I don’t care. Just…Just call me yours.” – Kai Azer

“I may be a monster, but if you cut me, I’ll bleed. And if you break my heart, Pae, you’ll break me. So, if even a sliver of your soul longs for mine, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to deserve it.” – Kai Azer

A few more quotes!

“A ballad of betrayal, a sonnet of sorrow. I’m tired of writing from the villain’s perspective.” – Kitt Azer

“At my weakest, I wish for him. And at my strongest, I wish I could say it wasn’t the same.” – Paedyn Gray

This book had the swooniest quotes ever! But on to the star ratings!

Romance – 100000/5 – Suggestive Romance – I love Kai and Pae so so much. That’s all. but I also like Kitt. And I cant decide.

World – 5/5 – its real, its present but the world is never the focus, it is always the romance so I cant say much more about it other than it feels so real!

Plot – 100000/5 – WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?? No spoilers just read it and then come talk to me – I need people to rant over that ending with!

Characters – 5/5 – I love them all, or I love to hate them. Just perfection.

Romance Rating: Suggestive – more physical making out, mostly clothed, discussions of sex, can have some innuendo. This is still VERY clean and YA appropriate.

Violence Rating: Level 3

Content Warnings: they do go to a brothel at one point, but it (or the women) aren’t described in detail. Threat of drowning. Child death.  

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