Book Review: "Iron Widow" by Xiran Jay Zhao

Title: Iron Widow

Author: Xiran Jay Zhao

Series: "Iron Widow" #1

Genre: YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Page Length: 394 pages

Publication Date: September 21, 2021

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

You guys. This book! 

Iron Widow is one of those books that I was incredibly excited to release in 2021. I've had it sitting on my shelf since it came out and I consistently found myself looking at it with the burning desire to pick it up and read it. And I finally did. 

I loved this book. I had high expectations for it and I was not disappointed. While the book didn't exceed those expectations, it did meet them and I was quite happy. I feel like the best way to describe that feeling is that this book was exactly what I expected it to be (and what I wanted). The majority of my expectations did come from hearing so many people raving about it online and, I have to say, I think this book could be raved about even more. 

So, right off the bat, my favorite part of this book was the characters. I, personally, am a character-driven reader. A plot can be amazing but if the characters aren't written well then I tend not to enjoy it as much. But a 4-star plot could still lead to a 5-star rating if the characters are on point. This book had great characters.

My favorite was, of course, the main character Zetian. She is just...amazing. She's badass, she's angry, she's fierce but she's also at a huge disadvantage in this patriarchal world. I found her to be such a great character to read from and I cannot wait for more of her in the next book. It was also refreshing to read about a badass female character who does the wrong things because she's been pushed to the edge. I think the phrase that best describes my feelings about her are "I support women's rights...but more importantly, I support women's wrongs." Zetian, my murderous baby <3 Also, Li Shimin and Yizhi were so well written and I am very attached to this trio. 

Now, there's two love interests and one of my favorite parts of the book was that it flipped the traditional love triangle on its head and gave a poly romance to us. Now, this was heavily in the marketing and promotion for this book and I was incredibly excited. I've been reading reverse harem and poly romances in indie books for years now and I've always hoped it would become more mainstream. I will say, I did expect more of a focus on the romance from how talked about it was. I think the next book is set up to further explore this and hopefully have more of it developed on page.

The world was very intriguing. It's based off of precolonial China but does stand as its own fantasy/sci-fi world. There is a bit of world building to decipher but it was easy to learn. I don't read much sci-fi so this world and the way the battles were fought were brand new to me. It was really refreshing and exciting to read a story like this with technology and magic combining themselves. 

The writing style was perfect for me. I've been digging myself out of a reading slump and highly descriptive or verbose writing has been a struggle. This book and the way it was written was perfect for my brain. The pacing and writing had me reading hundreds of pages without even realizing. Combined with the plot and characters, this book definitely fits into the category of "books that made me forget I was reading."  

Overall, this book was amazing. It was queer, it centered a polyamorous romance, it was full of feminist themes and issues, and it was just amazing. It really highlighted the difficulty in dismantling systems of oppression and how deeply ingrained in people they can be. It was dark and painful but also full of passion and, dare I say, hope. I cannot wait to see where the sequel takes us and, once again, I stan Zetian and her murderous desires.

Please be aware that, although it is YA, this book deals with a lot of difficult topics and themes. Remember to prioritize your mental health first and foremost. Content and trigger warnings include: murder & death, torture, forced body modifications, abuse, violence, sacrifices, misogyny/sexism, alcoholism, depression, anxiety & panic attacks, themes of colonization, talk of sexual assault, and more. Please read responsibly. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "The Love Hypothesis" by Ali Hazelwood

Title: The Love Hypothesis

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Series: "Love Hypothesis" #1

Genre: Romance

Page Length: 352 pages

Publication Date: September 14, 2021

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

This is one of those books that I had high expectations for and was hoping it would live up to them. This book has been hyped up an insane amount on BookTok, Bookstagram, BookTube, etc. Basically, I've seen everyone and their mother loving on this book. 

The only thing that was holding me back from this book was that it was Reylo fanfiction originally, which isn't a ship I enjoy much. However, when I finally started the book I found it really easy to forget that fact and to visualize the characters separate from that ship (thankfully). 

The Love Hypothesis was like a warm hug. I felt so good while reading this book the entire time and was able to let all the stresses of the real world fade away. Basically, I loved every moment and wish I had even more. 

One of the best things about it, though, was that I didn't get any secondhand embarrassment. A lot of times in romcoms, there's embarrassing moments that are put in for the humor. I usually cringe a lot because I feel the secondhand embarrassment but that was not the case in this book (and I'm so glad about that). 

The characters were intriguing and their personalities fulfilled one of my favorite tropes: grumpy and sunshine. Their chemistry on page was addicting. Olive and Adam were such an enjoyable pair and I would honestly read a million more books about them if I could. The side characters were also very enjoyable and I would definitely take a book on each of the side characters too. 

The plot, while unrealistic in some parts in my opinion (hello Title IX), was really fun as well. I also find that I quite enjoy romance books where the entire plot isn't focused solely on the romance. While, of course, romance should be the main plot of the book, I much prefer when there are other issues or smaller plot lines happening congruently. This book dealt with a whole range of things and I was incredibly happy that the main conflicts weren't centered around the romance itself. 

Overall, I loved this book. It was a breath of fresh air and I loved every moment of it. I read it in one sitting and cannot wait to reread it in the future. I also am very excited to see what Ali Hazelwood does in her novellas and next steminist novel coming later in the year because I am here for this content. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Series Review: "Fable" Duology by Adrienne Young

Book 1: Fable 

Publication Date: September 1, 2020

Page Count: 357 pages

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Book 2: Namesake

Publication Date: March 16, 2021

Page Count: 360 pages

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Series Goodreads

Overall Rating: 5 // 5 stars

I've been a fan of Adrienne Young's ever since her debut novel, Sky in the Deep. I absolutely loved that book and I really enjoyed her follow up, The Girl the Sea Gave Back. When Fable came out, I was really intrigued at the idea of a nautical fantasy duology from an author I'd only previously read standalones from.

It took me a while to finally start this duology but someone who's opinion I trust ended up reading it recently and recommending it so it got moved up on my TBR quite quickly. I read this duology in less than a weekend and I enjoyed every moment.

These books have not only an intriguing world and vivid setting but also interesting characters and an addicting plot. I've always found Adrienne Young's writing style to be very accessible to me, which helped a lot as I recently emerged from quite a long reading slump. All of these elements combined led to me being complete sucked in and forgetting that I was reading a book and not sailing on the seas with this cast of characters. I was fully invested in every moment. 

The only thing I will say is that the romance wasn't as big of a deal as I'd hoped, but I also wasn't let down by it so it's not a negative that I wasn't addicted to it. I think, for me, I really cared more about the narrator and how the entire cast of characters were, rather than the individual romantic relationship. In that regard, I found myself skimming over the romance-only scenes and favoring the scenes where all the characters were together, whether it be for witty banter or clashing opinions. 

I will say, I've enjoyed most nautical fantasies that I've read. I haven't read very many in comparison to, say, regular fantasy or romance books. However, I've always really enjoyed this sub-genre. I think part of this might be due to my obsession with Pirates of the Caribbean when I was younger. In any case, I think my past nautical story experiences allowed me to understand the settings a lot better and know what different terms meant. 

Overall, I absolutely adored this duology from start to finish. I can't wait to read the spin-off sequel about a certain family we met and see how the world and side characters are progressing. I also just am excited to get a copy of Namesake in the future when I have proper bookshelves again and display these gorgeous books. 

Fable and Namesake were enjoyable, addicting reads from Adrienne Young that has cemented her on my auto-buy author list. Having read 4 of the 5 books she's published, I think this is definitely a fair assumption to make.

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "We Free the Stars" by Hafsah Faizal

Title: We Free the Stars

Author: Hafsah Faizal

Series: "We Hunt the Flame" #2

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Length: 592 pages

Publication Date: January 19, 2021

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

I will say I was a bit worried going into this book. I enjoyed the first book but didn't love it and this one was quite a bit longer. I was worried my reading slump I'm trying to recover from would make it difficult to read. And I was also worried for all my favorite characters. It was a bit of a slow start for me but after around 200 pages I couldn't put it down. I ended up reading the majority of the book in one night and I really enjoyed it. 

The characters were what really kept me going. I was invested in the plot but more than that I was invested in the characters I'd gotten attached to in the first book. Seeing the development and journeys they all went on was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the duology for me. I was also just really scared about what would happen to each of them that I couldn't put the book down until I knew the outcome. 

The romance aspect of the duology wasn't one that I felt as strongly as the rest. I think part of that was the fact I'm still recovering from a slump. I enjoyed the romance but I think a lot of people are more invested in it. What I will say, though, is that I think the romance was pretty realistic in terms of pacing and whatnot. I liked the pining, I liked the messiness, and I liked the angst between them. Also, the number of quotable lines about love was just...chef's kiss.

Like I said, I was really invested in the plot. While I am more of a character-driven reader, plot is still an important part of my enjoyment of books. The stakes in this book were high and that added to the burning need to find out the ending as fast as possible. 

Apart from the romance, what held the book back for me was the writing style. This duology has beautiful writing and so many beautiful quotes in it. It truly is top tier. However, the lengthy descriptions and internal thoughts/feelings were a bit difficult for me to stay tuned in to right now. This is 100% because I am still getting out of a slump. I know for a fact I'll reread these books in the future and I fully expect it to be easier for me to get along with the writing style and enjoy the book even more than I already did. 

Overall, I enjoyed this duology a lot. I think this sequel is my current favorite of the duology, but on future rereads that could change. The characters in this world were my favorite, but I also loved the world, magic system, and adventure that the reader goes on. I can't wait to see what else Hafsah Faizal writes in the future because I'm for sure a fan after finishing this duology.

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "We Hunt the Flame" by Hafsah Faizal

Title: We Hunt the Flame

Author: Hafsah Faizal
Series: "Sands of Arawiya" #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Length: 472 pages

Publication Date: May 14, 2019

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

One of my goals as I try to dig myself out of my reading slump is reading more of my backlist tbr. I've owned We Hunt the Flame since it came out and I finally read it! I will admit, it did take me quite a long time. I started it mid-December and just finished it the second week of January. It was my own fault for starting it before the holidays when I was so busy really.

I really enjoyed We Hunt the Flame but I do think me taking so long to read it didn't help. I truly think this book would have been five stars if I'd read it in a few days like I'd initially planned instead of almost a month. 

I liked the characters and have high hopes for the sequel. I find the world really intriguing and the legends they have fascinating. I want to know even more about the magic system. I just made the mistake of taking so long to read it that I forgot things a lot. 

I am so nervous for what the sequel will hold. The characters are what I enjoyed the most and I'm nervous to see how they're going to fare in the sequel with how things were left at the end of this first book. I just hope that my favorites all make it out alive and well. 

Overall, this was a rather short review but I think it gets the message across. I enjoyed We Hunt the Flame and can't wait to see how the sequel goes. Plus, I'm excited to finally check this book off of my tbr list. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Series I Finished in 2021

This is usually one of my favorite posts to do at the end of each year. However...I only finished one series in 2021. The reading year was dismal overall and reading multiple books in series was difficult for me. I'm hoping that 2022 will be better as there are so many series that have concluded recently that I've been excited for. To make this post a bit better, I am also going to discuss just a few of the series that I hope to complete in the new year. Let's go ahead and dive right in!

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The one and only series I finished was the These Violent Delights duology by Chloe Gong. It took me a while to get through the first one since I was slumping pretty hard but I really enjoyed it. I then had an advance copy of the sequel, Our Violent Delights, and read that in just a couple sittings. I absolutely loved the second book even more than the first and it has placed this duology into one of my favorite series of all time. I highly recommend it, though do be reminded it is a Romeo & Juliet retelling and prepare for any heartbreak that might come with that.

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Now that I've discussed the one series I finished in the past year, I'm excited to talk about the top five series I'm hoping to read in 2022. As there are over thirty that I have on my immediate series list, it was a bit difficult to narrow down to the ones I'm most excited for at the moment. 

The first is the Hollow Crown duology by Zoriada Córdova. I read Incendiary when it first came out and absolutely loved it. I was so looking forward to the sequel, Illusionary, in 2021 and then my reading slump hit and I never read it. I do plan on reading it ASAP, though, as it will be quite a quick series to finish. I even plan on annotating my reread of the first book which is really exciting.

The next series I want to finish in the new year is the Empirium trilogy by Claire Legrand. I was so excited for the final book, Lightbringer, to come out after the ending of Kingsbane. But it again came out during my insane reading slump and I never felt like it was the right time to reread the series and finish it out. I also have to admit that I'm a bit worried as to how this trilogy will end and how my feelings will be at the end.

The third series I'm talking about is the Shadow Game trilogy by Amanda Foody. I read the first two books last spring and absolutely loved them. However, the second book broke my heart and I couldn't dive straight into the third just yet. And then my slump hit again and I never actually read the third book. It's on my TBR for the next few months and I am so nervous for how this series is going to conclude.

Up next is the We Hunt the Flame duology by Hafsah Faizal. I started the first book at the end of the year and am still finishing. I'm really enjoying it and I'm really just interested to see how the rest of the story goes. I am slumping a bit right now but I'm hopeful that it's not impacting the book too much for me. 

Lastly, I want to finally finish the Veil Diaries by B.L. Brunnemer. This is a book series that I've been following from the very beginning many years ago. The final book came out a while back and I still haven't read it. I want to reread the entire series before getting to the end, but there's also nine books so it is a bit of a commitment. But it's also a story that I love and am looking forward to finishing (for now). There is a sequel series that is coming soon as well, so I definitely need to finish this series ASAP. 

So those are the top five series I want to finish in the new year, out of over thirty that I have on my immediate TBR. Basically, I just want to finish more stories that I've been in the middle of for years. Do you have any series that you want to read in the new year? Let me know in the comments!

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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December 2021 Book Haul

The final book haul of 2021 has arrived! Yes, 2022 has already begun but there's still some wrapping up of the past year to finish (including this haul). I will say, I got a lot more books this month than I planned and expected to. My total number is 14 physical books...oops? 

Additionally, there were some of these that I bought months and months ago (like before summer began) that I finally have in my hands. Others I bought secondhand, got in book boxes, or bought new. Whatever way I got them doesn't matter quite as much as my excitement for them. Let's dive in!

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Up first we have the UK illustrated signed anniversary edition The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. I have not yet read this book but I also had not yet picked up a copy of my own. I'm not a fan of the original UK cover in comparison to the US one but this new anniversary cover is a lot more my speed. I've heard mostly amazing things about this book so I am hoping to finally get to it in 2022. 

The next book I picked up was Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff. I had the biggest desire to reread this book and the ebook is horrendously formatted. The audiobook is fantastic, but a very different experience than reading the multi-media format. I like to think of the audio and physical books as the same story told in different ways. I love both, but I'd been craving to read the physical so I picked up a cheap secondhand copy just to get my fix in since my original copy is in storage in America.

I also got both the Waterstones and Fairyloot editions of Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard. These both have sprayed edges (though different covers) and are signed. I am quite excited about them as well. I have not yet read Realm Breaker but I did read Red Queen in the fall. I decided that I wanted to read all of Victoria's books then and I knew if I loved Realm Breaker I would be annoyed if I didn't snatch these editions while they were so affordable. I'll likely read this over the summer in preparation for the sequel coming out. 

Up next, I finally got my Fairyloot copy of The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni. This is one that I ordered over the summer and it finally arrived in December. I am quite excited to read this series but think I'm going to hold off until the final book comes out in just a few months to dive in and binge read them. I've heard so many amazing things by people that I trust so I may end up having to read it sooner. Lastly, this is an absolutely stunning edition and I'm so excited to have it on my bookshelf!

Then I picked up two anonymous copies of A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair. This book was originally published anonymously and went viral on BookTok for it. I heard a lot of good things and decided that I wanted to read it, so I put it on my Christmas list. Then it was announced that the anonymous version would be pulled when the author was revealed so I snatched one up. Then it arrived damaged and I ordered a new one with the intent of sending the damaged one back. However, I then started reading the book and realized that I wanted to annotate and tab all over it. I still have a problem with doing that for books I don't have multiple editions of so I just...didn't send the damaged one back and instead annotated it. But I loved this book so much and I'm pretty happy with having more than one edition.

Up next I picked up Whatever Happens by Candace Buford and We Got the Music by G.M. King. When it was announced that Julie and the Phantoms was not getting a season 2 renewal at Netflix I was devastated. This is one of my favorite shows and I was so looking forward to getting more content and music. In my feels, I decided to finally pick up the last two companion novels I hadn't gotten yet. One of these is a novel that adds even more extra content than what is seen in the show. The other is a peek inside Julie's notebook with her thoughts, song lyrics, pictures, etc. I am so excited for both.

I finally got my Fairyloot copy of Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin. These shipped a while back but not to my current address. I waited until Christmas to go to that address and finally get my copy. It's very pretty and I'm excited my Fairyloot Serpent & Dove collection is now complete. I only wish my other editions of this series were here with me and not in storage so I could photograph them all together.

Then I snagged signed editions of Seige and Storm and Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo. These were sold for list price on eBay and I knew I had to snatch them up for two reasons. The first was that they didn't have the stupid Netflix permanent stickers on the cover and also because signed Leigh Bardugo books are pretty hard to come by at the price I paid. I'm really happy to have these on my shelves now and I can't wait to read them this year. 

The last two books I got this month were in my December Fairyloot box. The first was The Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier. I heard about this book a few months ago and added it to my wishlist then. When the December Fairyloot theme was announced, I was so happy to already be interested in the book as sometimes their books can be hit or miss for me. This edition is absolutely stunning as well and I can't wait to read it. 

The second book they included was an exclusive edition of The Coldest Touch by Isabel Sterling. While I haven't read anything by Sterling yet, I do own copies of her other books and they all sound right up my alley. A little bit of paranormal and contemporary mixed together? Yes! I'm still not sure if I love this edition or find it a bit ugly but I am excited about the story either way. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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December 2021 Wrap-Up

The final reading month of 2021 has concluded (finally). This month was an interesting one for me. I read very little but also found a brand new favorite, so there's that. I can only hope that after a year of mediocre reading that 2022 holds better things. 

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1.

Title: Plants vs. Zombies: Lawnmageddon

Author: Paul Tobin & Ron Chan

Rating: n/a rating

*Please don't judge me*

2. 

Title: Monstress: Volume 1

Author: Marjorie Lu 

Illustrator: Sana Takeda

Rating: n/a rating
Review

3. 

Title: A Broken Blade

Author: Melissa Blair

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Review

4. 

Title: Merry Inkmas

Author: Talia Hibbert

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

5. 

Title: A RomaJuliette Christmas Special

Author: Chloe Gong

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November 2021 Wrap-Up

November 2021 Book Haul

End of the Year Book Tag: 2021 Edition

Hit or Miss? Popular Booktok Romances

Book Review: "Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard

Most Anticipated 2022 Book Releases

Book Review: "A Broken Blade" by Melissa Blair

Bookish Resolutions for 2022

Disappointing Books of 2021

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Favorite Books of 2021

Every year, one of my favorite posts to do is where I discuss my favorite books of the year. Usually, it's a very tough list for me to make when I have to narrow down all the dozens of books I read to my top 10 or so. However, this year I was actually struggling to fill this list. 

Throughout most of the year, I was in a reading slump. While I read 43 books overall, a lot of those were rereads or just mediocre reads in general. Additionally, I don't count multiple books in a series as separate items on my favorites list which made it a bit sparse this year. I have 8 books and series to discuss today. Like I mentioned, I do keep series confined to just one list space and talk about them altogether, otherwise this list would be a bit longer. 

I do think I was a bit pickier with my list this year. Instead of just taking the top 10 of the year and putting them in a list, I decided to pick books that have ended up on my all-time favorites list. Keep in mind, I'll be working up to my top favorite at the end of the post as well. Now...without further ado...here are my favorite books of 2021. 

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Coming in at number eight, we have Dear Love, I Hate You by Eliah Greenwood. This is a romance I discovered through TikTok and absolutely adored. It's quite long but I ended up reading it in one sitting. This was everything I wanted Punk 57 to be and more. The entire book just kept me engaged throughout reading it and I think that's why I loved it so much. After struggling with reading so much recently, the books that pull me in to make me forget I'm reading are the ones that I've loved the most and this one was no exception. If you'd like my full thoughts, check out my review here. 

 

At number seven, I have Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I was hoping to finish off at least the sequel as well this year but, sadly, my reading slump isn't fully gone yet and my binge-reading skills aren't quite up to par. However, I was blown away by this book. I was scared the simultaneous hype and criticism was going to make this book disappoint but I was surprised (and happy to be). This book was nothing like I expected and I was so intrigued by a modern fantasy society with both science and magic. I'm very eager to head into the rest of the series (despite already being spoiled for the final book). You can find more thoughts and a complete review here. 

For number six, I have the first three books in the Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L. Armentrout: From Blood and Ash, A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, and The Crown of Gilded Bones. I've been a fan of Jennifer since I started my blog and got back into reading all the way back in 2015. I was around when From Blood and Ash was surprise dropped but I didn't get around to reading it until the third book released earlier this year. These books surprised me. They were definitely different than what I expected and very different from anything else Jennifer has previously written. However, I loved every moment of them despite the fact they're objectively not masterpieces. I do not have reviews for these, though, because I was also in the midst of a blogging slump when I read them (oops). 

Coming in at spot number five is Ace of Shades and King of Fools, the first two books in the Shadow Game trilogy by Amanda Foody. I'd been wanting to read Ace of Shades since it first came out but never managed to find a suitable copy or time. This year, after reading another of Amanda's books I'll be discussing a bit later, I finally had the urge to dive in and I'm so glad I finally did. I absolutely loved these books and how unique they were from anything I'd ever read before. I don't want to end up on a long tangent, so I'll leave it by saying here are my reviews for Ace of Shades and King of Fools. 

At number four, I have These Violent Delights (TVD) and Our Violent Ends (OVE) by Chloe Gong. Now, I'll be honest, if it weren't for OVE then I'm not sure this duology would have made the list (based on TVD alone). I enjoyed the first book, but it was definitely difficult for me at times during my reading slump due to the slower building plot. However, OVE blew me away and I read it very quickly. This duology is supreme and I love OVE with my entire being. I cannot wait to reread it in the future but also to get into Chloe's future books. For more thoughts, here are my reviews for Our Violent Ends. 

Picking up at number three, I have The Accidental Apprentice by Amanda Foody. This is Amanda's middle-grade debut and the first book I read by her. I was hoping for a light middle-grade to help with my reading slump at the time (that didn't go away but at least this book was a shining light in the dark). I absolutely fell in love with this one. I read it in one sitting and became fully invested in the characters, world, magic system, and story. This book truly was what I needed at a very difficult time and I still often think about how much I love it (in fact, I'll be rereading it in a few weeks for the release of the sequel). At this age, middle grade books are hit or miss since I'm not the target audience but this one blew me away more than I ever expected. You can find my full review and gushing here. 

Coming in at number two, we have A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair. This was surprising to me because I hadn't even heard of this book at the beginning of December and had no idea it would pop into my life and shove every other book out of the way. This book simultaneously pulled me out of my reading slump before shoving me right back in. I was initially interested due to the hype surrounding its release on BookTok, but then I picked up a copy and annotated as I read and absolutely fell in love. This book was so good and everything I wanted in an accessible, easy to read way. I cannot wait for the sequel and I highly encourage everyone to pick up a copy. To prevent myself from gushing too much here, though, I'll drop the link to my full non-spoiler review. 

And, lastly, my number one book of 2021 should come as no surprise...A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas. This book...it was everything. While I can objectively say it's not a masterpiece, it was exactly what I wanted (well, almost). I can acknowledge there were aspects I didn't like and found lacking, but overall I just loved this book so much and never wanted it to end. I wanted angst, I wanted bitchy characters, I wanted tension and fighting and messiness. This book delivered. It ripped me (and the character) apart and put me back together. It was so different than what I was expecting but so amazing in all the ways that mattered to me. I think about it constantly and look forward to hopefully rereading it soon. As always, here's my full review if you want more of my thoughts. 

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So, those were my favorite books of 2021 and some books that have made it into my top favorites list. While I read a lot of good books this year that I ended up loving, there were also a lot of mediocre books. I'm hopeful for 2022 to be a better reading year with a lot more new favorites from my backlist TBR and (hopefully) completed series. 

What was your favorite book of 2021? 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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