Mila

Usually sequels are very picky for me, more often than not, I would pick up the first book, like it and then not be even remotely interested in the sequel (even in a duology) but this one has got to be one of the most fascinating, fast paced, plot twist after plot twist book sequel I've ever read. I really enjoyed Six of Crows for them traveling and having a heist not in Ketterdam but I really enjoyed this one because it was rooted in Ketterdam and was less confusing in terms of visualization.
Love love love it!
Perhaps even more than Six of Crows but only time will tell :)

A Dragonbird in the Fern is a story about a girl who has to find her sister's killer before the sister (who has turned into an “Earthwalker”, a sort of spirit that hasn't moved on) becomes more violent (as Earthwalkers become the longer they stay on the side of the living and not move on) as well as marry the king her sister was supposed to (before she was killed) and figure out a whole new language along with all the new customs and traditions. Something I really enjoyed about this book was Jiara's dyslexia. She has always been made to feel stupid because she couldn't read as fast as her siblings but she never lets that discourage her. In fact, she figures out an important piece of information about her sister's killer despite her dyslexia.
Another thing that I really liked was that the reader comes to the same suspicions as Jiara as to who the killer is even though a lot of evidence, especially people defending the person/not entirely understanding Jiara because of the language barrier. It does end up the person Jiara thinks it is which was a good sort of conclusion to that question.
Lastly, I really loved the subtle, lovely relationship between Jiara and Raffar. Yes, Raffar was meant to marry Jiara's sister but honestly, I was rooting for both of them throughout the whole book!
I really loved the fact that Jiara has dyslexia and the subtle sapphic couple hehe. The beliefs were interesting and that plot twist at the end-
This was a really fun fast paced book that I highly recommend!
ARC was provided through NetGalley

This is book #1 for my little brother and book #5 for me out of the 18 Rick Riordan Presents books! Basically, to get my little brother to read chapter books, although he does read comic books and while that's great, I want to challenge his brain a little bit and he has agreed on the deal that after we finish all 18 RR presents books, we do a YT video to rank them, he has to read an RR presents books and I have to read it as well. Seeing as I have read 4 beforehand Sal and Gabi Break the Universe is my 5th and probably tied with City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda in terms of favourites. The funny thing is, I got the book on my Kobo and gave it to my little brother and he instantly comes to me saying a) He really really liked the book and I should also buy him the second one right away and “can you please get me a physical copy of this one? I will read it much faster” (which he did, he finished the book in 9 days)  b) He then comes to me and the first thing he says about the book is “there's a funny word here that they use instead of BS” and proceeds to show me the word “cacaseca” which, you guessed it, means “dry poop”.  I honestly didn't even blink twice because what more do you expect from a 9-year-old kid than one laughing about the poop joke.  After my little brother read it, he told me his rating would be 4 stars (which is up on my Goodreads!). Then when I started reading it and told him how much fun I was having, he agreed (which made my reader heart very happy that he liked a chapter book!) and asked me to change his rating from 4 stars to 5 stars! Here's a quick overview of his review: Things he liked:
- Cacaseca joke (typical)
- He liked Sal more than Gabi (not surprising)
- He thought Sal's powers were cool
- He liked that Gabi had a baby brother
- He liked the nickname Iggy
That's it :) Here's my review (which is frankly, a little longer haha) I thought the characters were really awesome. I really liked the diabetes rep because Sal has diabetes and my best friend does too and every time he mentioned him having to check and carrying around his diabetes bag, it reminded me of how my friend would always bring candy to class (or something sweet like grapes).  I really loved the Spanish bits even though, half the time I didn't understand anything (I speak French, not Spanish but they're both romance languages so not far off).  I really liked the science part. Sal's dad is a calamity physicist and while I am not good at math or science, the whole “Sal can rip holes in the universe and pull things out” thing was explained quite easily. I really liked how Sal had a good relationship with his stepmom (she was called American Stepmom)  because usually, stepmother's are portrayed as evil (maybe this is because we all grew up on those gruesome Grimm brothers fairy tales) and/or always trying to replace the mom (which thankfully the American Stepmom decided to not do and made it clear to Sal) In addition to that, I found it funny how Gabi had so many Dads and how sweet they all were to Gabi and her mom and of course her little brother Iggy (but I won't say more than that because otherwise, that would be very big spoilers). We actually don't know who Gabi's real dad is but hey, 6 dads is cool too! They're all a big family and I definitely vibed with that.  Even as a 19-year old (basically an adult?) I thought the sense of humour (and of course an honorary mention to the cacaseca and other poop jokes) were pretty spot on. Sal and Gabi are both in 8th grade (they are 13 years old) and the friendship between them (going from enemies to friends really) was really sweet and they both grew together as friends and as characters. I honestly don't think I have read such good middle-grade in such a long time (most MG books I have read are usually part of a longer series, 3-5 books) and so since the Sal and Gabi series is only a duology, there was meant to be very significant character development and I honestly think that Hernandez nailed it because this book is fricking awesome and was SUCH a joy to read. Culeco (the school) seems like such a fun place to be and honestly, even though I am a fairly shy person, I would probably be like Gabi: running something like a newspaper and being very knowledgeable because let's be real, I am a nerd (and I am proud of it!)  Overall, this book was really fun and awesome and I highly recommend it if you want a fast read (don't be fooled by the 400 pages because it is super fast-paced and I finished it in two days)

Listen, I definitely know that this series is intimidating because of the whole “oh my gosh, there are literally 14 books and each one is like over 500 pages, Ahhh”.  But hey, Lord of the Rings is also slightly intimidating and there are only 3 books. I think it comes down to how much the story captures your interest and attention as well as the time you can set aside to read the 3 (or 14) books and other factors. I am listening to The Hobbit audiobook (which is fantastic and I have almost finished it) but then again, there is a difference between The Hobbit being literally a Middle Grade and Lord of the Rings being adult fantasy (with a more descriptive and...dense, for lack of better word, writing style that takes quite a bit to get into. From personal experience).


Either way, let's get onto the review for the book and leave Tolkien and the World of Middle-Earth for another post :)


First off, a lot of plot points are probably very reminiscent of LOTR and The Hobbit. We follow ordinary characters (farmers and shepherds specifically) named Rand, Matt and Perrin (a.k.a my fave so far)  who live in a very detached place called The Two Rivers (very reminiscent of The Shire) and inevitably get attacked after a celebration (Bel Tine for EoTW and Bilbo's birthday party for LOTR). There are other aspects (keep in mind that the LOTR aspects I am taking from the generally known plot as well as from the movies. Horrible I know but I will read LOTR one day, hopefully) that I will not get into because I don't want to put out spoilers but I highly recommend trying out Eye of the World if Fellowship of the Ring seems intimidating. 


Continuing on...


Second off, the world-building. One thing that is so, so great about this book is the glossary! Honestly, all big fantasy books need glossaries, especially if they use made-up words. Seriously. I would be reading, see a word and be confused then go to the glossary at the back and bam! word has been found and I could continue with the story. The good thing is that the glossary does not spoil any part of the book which is always nice. I do, however, have to hold myself back from searching characters up on Google in fear of spoilers because I truly do want to continue reading the series knowing the littlest amount of information possible. I really like how much importance women are given and how they are the powerful beings rather than men which isn't something I really expected since so many powerful, magical characters are often men (an example being Gandalf. I do realize Galadriel is incredibly powerful as well but she is outnumbered by the likes of Elrond, Saruman and Gandalf.)


Third off, the characters! My favourite, as I have finished the first book is definitely Perrin. I am also a huge fan of Rand (as most farmer girls are apparently because I do live...around farms and honestly, if I were to say what the Amazon show did right, I would say it was the casting of Rand al'Thor that they did right. But then again, I can't form much of an opinion because I did only watch like the first 20 min of the show. MOVING on). I am genuinely feeling quite neutral about Nynaeve and Egwene. At first I didn't really like Nynaeve but liked Egwene but now I just feel more neutral about them both. I can see that they're definitely good characters and there is definitely room for more character development! I am really excited to get to the second book (not to mention the other 12 after...what a fun adventure THAT is going to be)


Well, this was a really fun read, much to my pleasant surprise and of course, my first 5 star of the year! 

Holy Mother of Zeus, I am going to be thinking about this book until it comes out and again when I read the finished copy.
This was definitely out of my usual comfort zone reading. I am picky with my books and even more so with ARCs that I hope to get but this one blew me away.
Joan He tells the story so masterfully: two sisters, worlds apart as well as secrets, memories, technology, disasters, a lot of which reflects, in a sense, today's world, or perhaps, the world we are heading into if we don't do something about our actions.
But that is a topic of discussion for another day.
I loved Celia, or Cee as she is called as well. But I also loved Kasey. I really loved the contrast between the two but still, they fit together like puzzle pieces.
I will probably be screaming about this book until and after it is published (Less than a month away! May 4th!) and people can buy it. This might become my new comfort book and it is definitely one of my favourites, despite reading only 2 other books and being in the middle of like 5.
Thank you to the published for giving an ARC

Following Alosa who, as the title suggests, is the daughter of the Pirate King. After being caught by another pirate, Alosa reveals that her kidnapping was the plan all along: she was supposed to find 1/3rd of a map to get to an island said to be full of treasure (Pirate of the Caribbean vibes, anyone?).

During her imprisonment, the reader sees that Alosa is more than meets the eye (no spoilers for that lol) and we meet the dashing Riden, Alosa's automatic enemy because said enemy is the First Mate of the Captain of the ship that Alosa is a prisoner on (unfortunately for Alosa, Riden is hot. Unfortunately for Riden, Alosa has a secret that puts him in danger...of falling for her).

Anyway, secrets are revealed, plot twists arrive and go quite quickly and of course, Alosa is a badass as usual (you can't expect anything less from the daughter of a pirate king, now can you?) and Riden is one hell of a charmer. Another thing I really loved, despite it being in the last parts of the book is how Alosa has an incredible bond and friendship with her crewmates and I love how they're all showcased for a bit towards the end (slight spoiler?)

Overall, this book was really great! Highly recommend

First off: I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS BOOK FOR FOREVER!!!!!!!!!Phew okay, I'm done yelling.

Daughter of the Deep takes Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues under the Sea and throws it into the modern world.

Sort of.

If you haven't guessed by now, I am a huge fan of Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson & The Olympians literally formed my entire personality and I have been following his releases ever since (I almost own all the Riordanverse books lol. So close!)

This is literally why I was super-duper excited about this book. While I have only read Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea was always a story I loved hearing about. I did start it but never finished it and will probably end up reading it in the original language: French (yes, this is 100% a flex, I spent 8+ years learning the language, lemme show off).

Here is a brief synopsis of the newest (not Percy Jackson related) Rick Riordan book:

Ana Dakkar is a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a five-year high school that graduates the best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers in the world. Ana's parents died while on a scientific expedition two years ago, and the only family's she's got left is her older brother, Dev, also a student at HP. Ana's freshman year culminates with the class's weekend trial at sea, the details of which have been kept secret. She only hopes she has what it'll take to succeed. All her worries are blown out of the water when, on the bus ride to the ship, Ana and her schoolmates witness a terrible tragedy that will change the trajectory of their lives.But wait, there's more. The professor accompanying them informs Ana that their rival school, Land Institute, and Harding-Pencroft have been fighting a cold war for a hundred and fifty years. Now that cold war has been turned up to a full broil, and the freshman are in danger of becoming fish food. In a race against deadly enemies, Ana will make amazing friends and astounding discoveries about her heritage as she puts her leadership skills to the test for the first time.

First off: Ana. She's Bundeli-Indian American!!!! Because Nemo a.k.a Prince Dakkar was also Indian!!! Thank you for that rep! There is other rep but I honestly don't remember all of it right now. I do know that one of Ana's best friends has autism and the friendship between them is incredibly sweet. I love the growing relationship Ana and Gemini have, being enemies at the beginning (well not full on but there is a mutual dislike that they put aside for the sake of the situation) and then a friendship that starts to grow.

The setup of the academy is incredibly interesting. The school is called HP for short (readers were told off about the Harry Potter jokes in the first few chapters lol) and it has four houses, each one pertaining to an important job that the students are trained in. Ana, for example, is a Dolphin (one of my favourite animals!) and her House (she's a Prefect) specializes in communications and stuff like code-breaking. They chose Irish as the main communication language between themselves (should they need privacy amongst other people) and that was super cool. There are also a few instances where Ana and her classmates use sign language such as with Socrates the Dolphin and another creature which I will not spoil lol but I think it comes in just in time, especially with the growing attention the new Marvel movie The Eternals has received for having a deaf character and incorporating sign language into the movie. I just thought it was super cool.

Being someone who wanted to be a marine biologist growing up (but then discovering I needed science and math which were...not my strongest points), I was definitely geeking out about all the descriptions. I have a soft spot for dolphins and Socrates the Dolphin definitely stole my heart in the first few pages. After the big twist at the beginning, I really admired ana for her intuitiveness and her willingness to lead her classmates despite the situation that literally no freshman (14-15 year old?) should be in (despite the fact that they were going to their trials that every freshman has to go through, things do not go exactly the way they were supposed to for the freshman class that Ana Dakkar is part of. )

I really loved how Riordan managed to weave the story of 20,000 Leagues under the Sea and Nemo's inventions into the modern world. While there was no from-scratch world-building, there is still a build-up for every chapter and Riordan delivers.

Given the fact that I read this book in 2 days, you can tell that I really liked it. Like a lot.

I highly recommend it for those who want to go into Rick Riordan's writing but do not want to commit to his series' (which he has 5 of all based on different mythologies) because, as far as we know, Daughter of the Deep is a stand-alone.

I loved this book!

Following Wu Zetian, we enter a distant world where these giant robots called the Chrysalises are the only ones that can defeat the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. Inspired by Ancient China, Chinese culture and history and China's only female emperor, Zhao creates a masterful sci-fi story with amazing world-building, an amazing set of characters, an equally stunning romance and of course masterfully weaving East Asia myth creatures. Zetian is a strong female character who, despite all the obstacles years of history and the society has put up against her, gets what she wants in the end and wins, despite it all. Following the premise of The Handmaid's Tale, the treatment of the girls in society will definitely open your eyes. Zetian is aided by two male characters who then are entangled at first, in a sort of love triangle typical in YA: both boys are in love with the girl and the girl has to choose. Zhao, on the other hand, puts an even better perspective on it: she makes it a polyamorous relationship, something rarely seen in YA but she weaves it into the story so incredibly well that you don't even need to blink twice.
I really enjoyed this book and Zhao's writing is so powerful and they really manage to capture female rage through Zetian because of the lies that the leaders have been telling the society. It is incredibly masterful, I loved all the characters and the story was so rich and imaginitive and definitely different than that of what I usually read. I didn't even realize it was 400 pages long, I just got sucked into it and now I want more tbh.
Thank you the publisher for sending an ARC in exchange of an honest review

Following Anya who grew up on a farm in Russia, the reader is met with a cast of characters and a wonderfully built world inspired by Russian and Finnish folklore. The found family trope is something that slightly appears in this book: an array of characters meet up to protect Anya from the Darkness, a group of magicians and other mythological creatures that want to take Anya to their side because she is a very powerful shamanista.
I especially liked how Anya was referred to as a shamanista
I really enjoyed all the references to the Russian folktales and folklore because I knew what and who the story talked about! I really enjoyed that the author not only added russian and finnish folklore but also creatures from Greek mythology such as the “thanatos” and the “keres” which were interesting takes on these myth creatures. The book really kept me on the edge of my seat and the characters are very well built out. The different romances, with their different histories and all their friendships were an equally nice addition. I found myself really rooting for all the romances which does not happen very often, especially with more than one couple. Overall a really wonderful and fun book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of the book

Following a strong character that Lim has obviously crafted with much care, Six Crimson Cranes follows Princess Shiori: a princess, the youngest out of her and her 6 brothers who does not want to marry and let go from the pleasures of royal life. Having been promised to a Prince from another kingdom, Shiori wants nothing to do with him. After a chance encounter with a dragon draws the unwanted attention of her stepmother. After being cursed to not speak or else her brothers will die and her brothers being turned into cranes during the day to then turning back to humans after sunset, Shiori makes a surprising alliance with the one person she hates, finds out the truth about her stepmother and the truth about her blood, this blend of The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen and East Asian folklore makes for a stunning first book in a new series. Highly recommend for those that want a refreshing re-telling of The Wild Swans with hints of East Asian folklore featuring a strong main character who would do anything to break the curse on her and her brothers and protect her family.
Thank you to the author and publisher for sending an e-ARC

 Author's Note: I was given a chance to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review! First point of order: Go Pre-Order this book. No “buts”, go pre-order this book. And then you can thank me later after you've read it in October 2022. Links: Barnes and Noble, Amazon US, Amazon Canada, Indigo, IndieBound, Kobo.  Second point of order: This is one of my favourite books I have read so far.  Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria, as I pointed out in my very quick book review on Goodreads before being able to write out a whole review, is like a “warm hug” and I describe it as such because it really did feel like a warm hug, one I definitely needed amidst all the chaos in my student life and in the world in general.  The book follows Shad (this is the moment of dramatic gasps please) who is a 12-year-old Lebanese-American who never seemed to fit in (sobs in first-gen immigrant because same). So, to cope with this and the periodical bullying, he cooks and bakes for his Teta, and hangs out at the local Lebanese bakery, dreaming of opening his own.  All is well, as well as it could be, until one day Shad is attacked by a shadow, a necromancer to be exact. After being saved by the baker Kahem, Shad learns that he is descended from a long line of alchemists and that Kahem can teach him.  “Mila, what on earth is an alchemist?” Well, it's a scientific magician who uses things like spices and flowers and such to create spells and mixtures. I know saying “scientific magician” might be seen as a juxtaposition  (my HS English teacher would be so proud) but trust me, it works.  So, Shad learns alchemy and then he gets whisked away to the magical Alexandria Academy in order to truly hone his alchemist skills. Weirdly enough, no one knows what alchemy is, he still has to put up with lessons of math and chemistry (which Shad isn't great at) and whenever he does demonstrate his alchemy, no one seems to remember it the next day.  When Shad discovers a sinister plot with his friends, and he sees several familiar faces (much to his disdain), he needs to get all the help he can find, even if that means teaming up with someone he was not particularly stoked to see.  That's all I can say, as far as the synopsis goes. As for my review, here it is: I read this book in a matter of about 4 hours, maybe even less. Usually, I tend to drag books, especially ARCs till the release date but I was just so sucked into this world, and the writing, that I couldn't focus on anything else. Yes, I did drop all my current reads just to read this book. Jrieje's writing is so refreshing, especially the descriptions of food (it made me want baklava even if I am not a big fan of it) and his characters are so well-written. Shad is not your typical protagonist, he is fiercely protective of his family and friends and extremely quick on his feet. And he's a very talented baker (and alchemist or something) His friends, Donny, Rey, and Hayati were super fun to read about! I honestly laughed when I saw how Donny was always asleep (this was me in like 11th and 12th grade a lot of the time because I was so tired). I also really loved the bond Shad had with his Teta, it was very sweet and reminded me of me and my grandmother. Kahem was a really cool character as well, I love how he just took Shad on as an apprentice and the way he became so protective of him, it truly warmed my heart. The plot! The reveals! The characters! Honestly, this book was truly so, so much fun and a great pick me up in between the incredibly heavy and long fantasy books I have been reading.  GO! Pre-Order! Otherwise, I will send necromancers after you. (lol, kidding. Or am I?) Yeah, I  am definitely going to get my brother to read this one as well.  Love,  Mila 

So, how do I start this...uh...gimme a second.

I heard all the hype about this book.
1920s Shanghai...Romeo and Juliet retelling...the author is literally a uni student as well as a bestselling author...Chinese Juliette and Russian Romeo...slow burn...enemies to lovers...
I heard it ALL.
I was convinced from the start really but my library didn't have a copy yet so I either had to wait ages for an e-book OR I could spend money and buy it.
I did the latter. And oh boy am I glad.
I was in a reading slump when I first started this book so it felt slow and tedious to read (at that point, all books did because despite reading books on and on, I still felt like I was just in such a slump) so I put it down temporarily and I focused on my other books.
Y'all I am going to scream about this book till the end of time.
First off, the White Rose gang. Something I am incredibly picky about are Russian characters in a book. These were perfect.
The reason I say this is the author used the correct last name ending for the different characters. Roma's, obviously a guy, last name is Montagov. Alisa's, his sister, a girl, last name is Montagova. The correct ending! And I cannot stress this enough!
I really loved the Russian words thrown in because I actually understood them haha. Re: the word “chudovishe” which means monster. Also Roma calling Juliette “dorogaya” had me in my FEELS. Dorogaya means dearest btw.
I can't exactly comment on the Chinese representation but I did enjoy Gong's representation of being Chinese (or simply Asian) in America/The West and then coming back home and feel alienated in a different way. I think, no matter where from Asia you are, that is something that Asians who come to “the West” all feel. That they are obviously different and are often made fun of, either for their looks, their language, their food or their name. And then if we ever go back home, relatives might make fun because you are now too “westernized”. But I think that is a conversation for another time.
I loved the allusions to Romeo and Juliet even though the play definitely isn't my favourite from Shakespeare (Macbeth still remains superior) and I enjoyed guessing which characters from this book lined up with the characters from the original play.
I also got an ARC of Our Violent Ends which, I believe, comes out in November (not too long from now actually) and I read like the first two chapters and let me tell y'all...

I remember around June 2021, I had stumbled upon the title “JADE FIRE GOLD” by June CL Tan and I was intrigued when reading the caption because the book was pitched as “What if Katara was the Dark Avatar and Zuko had to hunt her down?”.
I had grown up watching Avatar: The Last Airbender and always felt very close to Katara's character (very much the rational mom friend over here), so the fact that this pitch existed, I got super excited.
I followed the author on Instagram and slowly became friends with her! I constantly hyped up the book and when I bought myself (on pub day) a regular copy from Indigo (I have not received my signed copy. Yet) I even managed to convince a friend to buy it as well (Shout out to Matthew who puts up with my book nerd self haha). I didn't get the ARC (still kinda salty about THAT but it's okay) but I was still incredibly excited about the book. June shared snippets of quotes and of course the character art! It was amazing. I really loved the queer representation and the characters were just so amazing.

This book was so, so good and I cannot stress it enough. I really loved how much Ahn cared for her grandmother because it very much reminded me of me and my grandmothers who I care for very much (despite them being very, very far away from me). I really loved Altan's character and he reminded me very much of Zuko (kudos to the author haha). My favourite character was probably Linxi because she very much reminds me of me (again, very much mom friend vibes. I have been told I am literally the mom friend haha) and Linxi and Tang Wei were very, very adorable (including Linxi slightly over-exaggerating her and Altan's adventures which was very much a mood). I enjoyed the characters of Lieye and Tai Shun but frankly wished their relationship was explored a bit more (to be fair, with a dual POV, it's difficult to completely flesh out every single character which I understand but hopefully we'll get more of these two in the future! I am looking at you June!)

I really loved the world-building as well. The plot twists were there and I did not see them coming. It might seem that this book has 0 flaws but I don't think there is such a thing as a flawless book but, that being said, it is very evident that the author very much put her heart and soul into this book (not saying that every writer doesn't but in some books, it is very much more obvious than others that the books mean a lot to said author) and a debut book is always very, very special. Additionally, I really loved this book and my one true criticism is that I would have liked much more of Lieye and Tai Shun. I love all the characters very much and the world that June has created is astonishing. Perhaps it will be a great movie one day (given that it's not screwed up haha).

This was truly the first book I have ever pre-ordered. I usually take the book from the library and read it before deciding to buy it but I had become very good friends with the author and I figured I would pre-order it. I usually went to the bookstore on the day of the pub date or a few days after because I wasn't on Instagram when I first really started getting into books and had grown into this habit. I figured that since I am older, I have the chance and money (most of the time) to pre-order once in a while, I will, to give extra support to my favourite authors! I pre-ordered a signed and personalized copy that should get to me very, very soon and it comes with the pre-order swag which I am incredibly excited about.

Rating: 5/5 stars

I hope you enjoyed this review!

Love,

Mila

Thank you the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book
I have bumped this down to a 4 from a 4.5 after further thought.
Τhis was a very wonderful sapphic novella reminiscent of one of my favourite Greek myths, that being the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Unfortunately, while this was a fun, short read, I would have longed for it to be longer. Underhill creates this incredibly interesting world with witches and princesses and destruction (or so everyone thinks) but doesn't really build on it. Had it been a non-established relationship, perhaps the Teagan's quest to save Cress might have been more believable, might have made me believe more in the power of their love. We do get flashbacks which help understand how the couple met and what led to Cress leaving for the Shadow Realm and Teagan following behind. There is a spoiler section, feel free to scroll down past it for the rest of my thoughts.
In addition, for a being as feared as the Shadow Princess, her story arc fell sort of flat.
Spoilers ahead
I really thought there would be more to the Shadow Princess and their deal instead of just her (Shadow Princess) having a very selfish ruler of a husband and her not wanting to be his crown jewel and therefore she gets her revenge by putting this whole Shadow Realm between her and the other people of the world. Also the deal? Her saying that T and C can't touch each other and then showing up at the end and then one of them saying “you only said it for so-and-so road' was a bit of an easy win.
End of Spoilers
I think this novella would have benefited from seeing parts of the journey from Cress' perspective and part of it from Teagan's. In result of the 3rd person POV centering on Teagan, I didn't feel much connection to Cress and while I could see that Teagan did love Cress, I wanted to see that same love, that same feeling from Cress as well.
I think that is all I can think of for this novella. This was a fun short read, as mentioned before and thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC.