Jordan

First of all, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise of starting fresh in a new place and succeeding is so promising. However, this book really fell short for me. I don't want to bash it too much, so I will keep this review short. The writing felt amateur, the characters were 2 dimensional, and the plot was predictable. I understand that this is a debut novel, but I just could not get into this book. I had to make myself finish it. I was bored from start to finish.

The dialogue in the book was so flat, and made the characters seem uninteresting and all the same. The most interesting character was Rose, and she was a side character. Abbie and Kyle were so boring. They were like cardboard cutouts. I could tell where the plot was going from the beginning.

The author also said some cringy things, such as “American Indian” and “OCD” as a descriptor for cleanliness instead of as a mental health term. There was a cover up of sexual assault at the beginning of the book that Abbie was complicit in. She knew it was wrong, but really did nothing to stop the cover up from happening.

Overall this book was a let down for me. It was cringy and boring.

TW: sexual assault, abortion

I read this book for SPFBO! Team Bookborn!

This book was very enjoyable. It was a cozy, witchy story full of friendship, a sentient house, and ghost dogs. I thought the character work was really well done. I think the pacing could've been a bit tighter, with some of the plot feeling a little repetitive and drawn out, but this was only a few spots. The rest of the time, I was just vibing in this cozy space

I read this as part of SPFBO (Team Bookborn!). This was a fun story of life after the story of Peter Pan. At the core of the story, there was a missing person. But we also got an in depth look at Neverland and it's inhabitants, while also getting a full history on Captain Hook and the pirates. It added a lot of flavor to the story. I found the intrigue fun, and the stakes were high. I did feel like the cliffhanger ending was a little abrupt, but it did make me excited to read the next one!

Guys. Guys. If you haven't read this series, do it.

This book picks up right where the last book left off. We get sooooo much more in depth with these characters. They are all so superbly fleshed out and made real. I felt so invested in their relationships and character arcs. The plot wasn't super fast paced, but I didn't feel like it ever dragged. I was definitely never bored by any means. I was constantly enraptured by the story. This one somehow was even better than the last book in the series and I thought that one was a masterpiece. Now I'm dying to start the third one because I honestly don't know how else Robin Hobb will be able to top this one, but knowing how I normally am (a crying mess) at the end of a series, I'm sure I will love that one even more. No middle book syndrome here!

TW: rape, sexual assault, slavery, violence, blood, death, murder, misogyny, grief, adult/minor relationship, drug use, drug abuse, gore, suicidal thoughts, addiction

Update 09/22/23: y'all I could reread this book 100 times and still learn something new every time. My jaw was on the floor for the entire last chunk of this book. Tamsyn muir is a genius.

One of the absolute best books I've read this year.

In this follow up, from the beginning you really have no idea what's going on. You're following Harrow's point of view, with time jumps back from the past to the present, but the past isn't lining up with everything we read in Gideon the Ninth. Basically the first 70% is Harrow trying to figure out what is going on. Since Harrow doesn't know, it doesn't ever feel frustrating that the reader doesn't know because you're figuring it out with harrow. When you DO start figuring out what's going on, it's just back to back reveals with some of the most heart shattering lines. I started putting tabs in because I just knew I needed to come back to those moments. This book is an absolute masterpiece. The way Muir was able to keep me interested even though I didn't know what was happening is a masterful feat, but to also make me feel so invested in these characters outs her in the top of new favorite authors. Read this series.

I won't get into the plot of this one so as not to spoil the previous book.

I loved this book. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because of how slow certain parts felt. I think that's inevitable when such a large section of the book is spent on a ship. My favorite part of the book is definitely Locke and Jean's relationship. Lynch really dove into the dynamics and struggles of their relationship, and their constant need to save the other at the expense of themselves. I thought that their loyalty to each other was so admirable and wonderful. I did miss some of the fancy, white collar criminal activity we got in the first book. This one was a little more rugged and life threatening. However, the characters more than made up for it, and the ending had me screaming. I am very excited to continue on with this series. I'm getting even more nervous for the wait after the 3rd book the closer I get to it. I know Lynch is one of the author's notorious for taking forever to finish a series. We'll see!

TW: alcohol, amputation, blackmail, death, gambling, kidnapping, murder, poisoning, profanity, sexually explicit scenes, torture, violence, poisoning, gore

Guys, this series makes me smile just thinking about it. Ugh.

Anyway, I'm giving this book 5 stars based solely on enjoyment. Do I think there were some drawbacks? Sure. And I'll discuss them here. But I was gushing and laughing and smiling the whole time I listened to this, and for that I give it 5 stars.

First, let's get the critcisms out of the way. The second book was hardly referenced in this book. Like, a ton of shit went down in the second book and there were no repercussions, or even really any discussion. You could almost skip the second book and go straight to this one, but you wouldn't know who Shepard is. While this can be frustrating for some people, I really didn't enjoy the second book as much, so it didn't upset me. Also, I really didn't think Agatha's chapters were necessary. While I think they were cute, they were a little more boring and didn't really add to the story as a whole. Then again, I never really liked her character, so that may just be a personal preference. Finally, I think the ending left a lot of questions unanswered and felt kind of lackluster. Like, I was loving everything and then it ended and I thought, “That's it?”

Ok, now to the positives. The rest of the book. The end.

In all seriousness, the biggest positive for me in this book, and in the whole series, is how incredible Rowell writes banter. The conversations between these characters is so heartfelt and funny and relatable that I smiled through it all. Simon's struggles throughout the book with his and Baz's relationship honestly felt so relatable and realistic. Fumbling through it is kind of what we all do in a new relationship, and love can feel very overwhelming at times. Basically, any time Baz and Simon are together, I had a huge smile on my face. I thought that Penny and Shepard were adorable and funny as well. The plot was interesting, but this is definitely a character-driven story. The plot was there to serve as a backdrop for the characters to interact on.

I love this series. It's so light and heartfelt and adorable.

TW: ableism (magical), childbirth (animal), blood, demons, homophobia, violence

I have a full review here on my YouTube channel.

Robin Hobb does it again. Guys, I know I've become a broken record player extolling Robin Hobb's virtues, but I can't help myself. These books are masterpieces.

This series finale was spectacular. There were so many satisfying conclusions, whether it be for a character arc or a plot point that we've been following from the beginning. Hobb's characters stay at the top of my list of best characters in fiction. Everyone is so well fleshed out and they each have their own thorough, well thought out character arcs. The plots never wandered or became boring. I was constantly enthralled by every single second of this series. I love series endings, and Robin Hobb nailed this one. There were no weird wrap ups or out of character decisions made. The word that I feel like best sums up this series is satisfying. I felt so, so satisfied finishing this book. Everyone, please read Robin Hobb's books.

TW: alcohol, animal death, assault, attempted murder, attempted rape, blood, child abuse, death, drugs, emesis, fire, hostages, kidnapping, misogyny, murder, pedophilia, physical abuse, poisoning, pregnancy, PTSD, rape, sexism, sexual abuse, sexual assault, slavery, slut shaming, violence

What an ending to a series! I won't get too far into the plot of the previous one for fear of spoilers, but this story picks up right where the second one left off. We follow Fitz on his quest to help save the world from fate and from the Red Ship Raiders.

The beginning of this book was definitely slow. Fitz is alone for a long time while he is on his journey. It isn't until later in the book that he meets his travelling companions. While there was intermittently some action, a lot of that beginning chunk is travel. I didn't feel bored throughout this because Hobb used it to really show the reader Fitz's state of mind and his struggles with the Wit and the Skill. However, it definitely was slower paced.

However, the last quarter of the book was jam-packed with action. I could hardly put the book down. Everyone I've see that's read this series says “Royal Assassin” is their favorite installment, but I really thought this one outshone that one. I liked this one more because it had what I thought the other 2 were lacking. This one really explored so much more magic and fantasy elements. The last 2 books didn't feel as much like fantasy besides the use of the Skill and the Wit. However, this one dove into the deep end of magic. I loved it. I am fascinated by the magic system and the lore of this world. The ending made me so excited to keep reading Robin Hobb's series set in this world.

Hobb is a titan in the fantasy world. These books perfectly mix characterization with plot. Everything is so well thought out, and every character is so unique, that you feel truly immersed in this incredible world she has created. I have officially become a Robin Hobb stan.

Read her books if you like fantasy. The end.

TW: ableism, assault, awttempted murder, blood, bones, childbirth, death, famine, fire, gore, hallucinations, infertility, kidnapping, miscarriage, misgendering, murder, pregnancy, PTSD, rape (off page), slavery, torture, violence, war

Guys, Robin Hobb is a master at her craft and has been inducted into my imaginary Fantasy Writer HOF. This book was stunning.

Set in the same world as The Farseer Trilogy, but far away from the Duchies, we follow a family of traders who own a Liveship. A Liveship is basically an anthropomorphic ship that is created using a very rare wood called wizardwood, and then quickened by having 3 people from successive generations die on it's deck. Liveships are incredibly pricey. When the Vestrit family's Liveship is quickened, the youngest daughter Althea expects to inherit. However, her mother convinces her father to pass it on to Althea's brother-in-law. What follows is an expansive adventure as different branches of this family go their separate ways.

Guys, Hobb doesn't pull any punches. I always say a book needs stakes in order for me to enjoy it. And boy oh boy did this one have stakes. I felt so personally connected to every one of these characters. I was really nervous going into this book because it doesn't follow the same characters as The Farseer Trilogy, but I honestly think this book is better than the first 2 books in the Farseer Trilogy, and probably about tied with the last book. This book is definitely longer than the books in that series, and I totally understand why. By the end, I felt like these characters were my family and I was rooting for them every step of the way. They all had such well developed character arcs, and I am dying to continue.

I loved seeing the difference in this society than the society in the Duchies, as well as their opinions on that area. I also really loved exploring more of the magic in this world. Whenever something connected back to the farseer trilogy, this was me.

The tie ins were few and far between, but still made me very excited. I'm sure I missed a few too.

All in all, Robin Hobb is amazing and I will read all of her books.

CW: ableism, abusive relationship, alcohol, amputation, assault, blood, bones, bullying, child abuse, death, drugs, gore, misogyny, murderer, needles, physical abuse, profanity, sexism, slavery, terminal illness, violence

Guys. This series. I am in love with Michael Sullivan at this point. Like, these books just get better and better. This review will be a little brief because a lot of what I said in the last reviews still hold true. These characters are masterpieces. I love all of them so much. The plot keeps taking turns that I never would have expected. The magic is so cool. The plot twists are wild. Like, everyone should be reading Sullivan's books. I'm so excited to read his whole backlog honestly.

I went into this book with very high expectations. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year. And it did not disappoint.

This book was a spinoff of the ACOTAR series following Nesta and Cassian. The most prominent theme throughout the novel was Nesta's fight against her mental illness. The discussions and explorations of mental illness are so profound and impactful, which helped make me more committed to working on my own mental health.

While SJM definitely follows some similar tropes in all of her books, I do really appreciate that her male protagonists are always willing to uplift their partners and help them achieve anything they want instead of holding them back. Cassian gives Nesta the space she needs to explore herself and her relationships throughout the book without stepping in or judging her.

The found family Nesta makes for herself is so beautiful. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times at their interactions (the sleepover!), while also tearing up at all of their emotional, love-filled moments. It is so heart warming to see her create a life for herself here with people that don't judge her and make her feel welcomed and accepted. Everyone deserves that. The training scenes with these three were some of my favorite scenes in the whole book.

I wouldn't call this my favorite Maas book of all time, but it is definitely up there. I can't wait for the next spinoff, and I'm excited to learn who it's about.

TW: mental illness, descriptions of sexual assault, abuse, mind control, suicidal thoughts, violence, explicit sexual content

What an ending! I won't get too far into this review because I will be doing a full series review soon on my YouTube channel.

This series really went in a direction I didn't expect grimdark to go in. I'm relatively new to the subgenre, and I always assumed it was all blood and gore and dark themes. While there was some of that, this story was overall just really hopeless. I appreciated the way this story wrapped up in some ways because it really hammered home that this story was hopeless from the beginning and doesn't really get better. But for that same reason, it almost felt like I read a whole lot of pages for there to not really be much of a resolution. I'm torn on my feelings for it. Overall, these are incredibly written books. But I mostly feel apathetic upon finishing.

Please don't come for me.

I thought this book was ok. I went into it with VERY high expectations, but I don't think I actually started enjoying the book until about 50% in. This book had a slow start. There wasn't much happening plot wise, and there wasn't enough context given for me to even know what was going on with the characters. I felt like around the halfway point was when I even really started to understand a little of what was going on and who these people were. I think the last half was fun and interesting and set up for a hopefully fun second book, but I felt like this one was just one big set up. I'm hoping that what it is and the next 2 books are super fun and interesting. I still have very high hopes for the next book!

TW: ableism, abusive relationship, alcoholism, assault, blood, cannibalism (mentioned), death, decapitation, emesis, gore, kidnapping, misogyny, murder, physical abuse, profanity, racism, slavery, torture, violence

I enjoyed this addition, but there were some drawbacks in my reading experience. I think some of it is just me being an adult reading a middle grade book. Most of these are not knocks on the book, just subjective opinions I had while reading.

First, I really enjoyed the character dynamics throughout this book. All of the character and relationship development that happened felt very rewarding as a reader. The plot was interesting, but I think there wasn't enough stakes in the Labyrinth. The way it was described, it was this terrifying, ever changing place that was near impossible to traverse. One camper went mad from being in there. However, Percy and co. all got through basically unscathed. While they faced challenges, they all seemed easily bested. I know this may be a product of the genre, but I feel like with Percy getting older, the stakes should also get higher. They felt pretty high in the last book. Maybe I'm just being picky.

I also find the narrator of the audiobook frustrating. Now this I know is a product of the target age group. The villains all just have very stereotypical voices and it makes them seem way less scary and evil and they just sound comical. Again, this is just me reading as an adult. I understand why this would appeal to a younger age range.

Overall, I did actually enjoy this book. I liked the character progression and I think the plot is going in an interesting direction. There were just some things that annoyed me within.

TW: abelism, death, depression, fire, grief, loss of loved ones, manipulation, PTSD, sexism, skeletons, suicide (mentioned), torture, violence, war

This book picks up right where the last book left off. I won't get into the plot so I don't spoil the first book.

This book was such a good sequel. Now that the world is set up, we really get to dive down deep into the political intrigue and the relationships. Fitz is a little older now, and we get to experience him trying to figure out how to not only do the multiple jobs he has, but also keep up with all of his personal relationships. The magic system really comes into play more in this book more, as well. We get to explore the depths of what Fitz can do, as well as the people around him. The magic system may be pretty simple, but I think the way Hobb uses it really makes it something special to the story.

My favorite thing so far about Hobb's books is how personable all of the characters are. Even Regal has some understandable motives, even if he's a nasty character. She really makes you think about motivations, as well as intent/impact. Fitz almost always means well, but his plans backfire multiple times. This concept of actions/reactions/consequences is executed so wonderfully. I highly recommend this series to fantasy lovers. It is a delight so far, and I'm incredibly excited to continue.

TW: ableism, alcohol, alcoholism, assault, attempted murder, blood, bones, death, drugs, gore, miscarriage, murder, poisoning, pregnancy, terminal illness, torture, violence

I've been meaning to start reading Robin Hobb's books for some time now. I always see people talking about how incredible her books are, but I've always found them daunting. There's so many and most of them are very long. However, I shouldn't have waited this long. This book was a true delight!

This book follow Fitz, the bastard son of the King-in-waiting. When his maternal grandfather drops him off at the palace, saying he wants nothing to do with him, the stable master, Burrich, is placed in charge of the boys care. We follow Fitz as he grows up, always an outcast, but always willing to work. You see him train in fighting, managing the stables, using his powers, and learning how to be an assassin for the King.

This book, being the first book in the series, really sets the reader up for understanding this world and understanding the characters. The development of all of the characters is so expertly done. There is so much nuance to all of the characters, big and small. Since this book covers many years, you really get to grow up with these characters. The plot was a little slower until the back end of the book, but that is to be expected a lot of times with the first book in a series. However, I was never bored because of how much character work Hobb puts into the story.

I'm so excited to continue this series. I've heard the next book is even better than the first. Waiting for my library copy to come in!

TW: animal cruelty, animal death, child abandonment, parental abuse, poisoning, suicide (attempted/assisted)