Book Review: "House of Flame and Shadow" by Sarah J. Maas

Title: House of Flame and Shadow

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: "Crescent City" #3

Page Length: 838 pages

Publication Date: January 30, 2024

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

Book 1 Review

Book 2 Review

*Non-spoiler for House of Flame and Shadow but it will contain major spoilers for previous books in the Crescent City series*

Okay y'all, we're about a month away from me having finished this book and I think I've settled my thoughts enough for a coherent review. I have a lot of complicated feelings about this book and how the series has progressed from the first book. I'll start by saying that objectively this is a 3-star book. But I do have a lot of love for the characters and world so I rated it 4-stars. 

I'll start with my issues, of which there are plenty. First, Ithan and Tharion shared one single brain cell this entire book and it annoyed me to the point where I actively rolled my eyes seeing them on page. Ithan mostly got better but Tharion so far still annoys me. Bryce's characterization in this book also felt completely foreign to me. She didn't feel like the Bryce I'd known in the past two books. And, to be honest, there were times she annoyed me as well. 

The plot was confusing and convoluted at times. The big climax of the series fell flat, the ending was rushed and anti-climactic, the stakes never felt high, and overall I was just confused. I think it read like poorly planned fanfiction.

Honestly, my favorite scenes were the ACOTAR crossover scenes, which shouldn't be the case. I should enjoy those scenes, but Crescent City should be able to stand on its own without needing the support of her most famous series. I think it would have been far more intriguing to see a world that stood on its own where the conflicts didn't tie into ACOTAR. 

And, in probably one of my single biggest issues, the POV switches were absolutely insane. I don't mind multiple-POV books or switching POV's every chapter. But multiple POV switches in a single chapter felt like too much. We were getting POV switches after a single page sometimes. I can only imagine it was to build little cliffhangers or emulate the quick flashing between different scenes in movies or shows that builds tension. It did not work here. Instead, it just annoyed me. I don't mind every chapter or even two POVs in a chapter but there was absolutely no need to switch POVs so many times per chapter as often as they did. 

To me, this book (as well as House of Sky and Breath) didn't feel like Sarah J. Maas books. I think I read somewhere that she switched editors and that might be part of it but, for me, the things that make Maas books addicting weren't present here. The romance wasn't romancing, the plot was convoluted not layered in a fascinating way, the pacing was weird, shock twist moments didn't feel that surprising...it just wasn't executed well. 

Now, I didn't hate the book, even if I was left feeling disappointed. I enjoyed seeing the characters again and there were some that truly carried the book despite the flaws elsewhere. When I was actively reading it, I didn't want to stop, especially in the beginning. But overall I was left feeling disappointed, even though I was already apprehensive going into this book after House of Sky and Breath. That being said, the first book remains a top-tier book and I do love the characters a lot. Sadly, this book didn't do them or their stories justice. 

I'm sure this review is convoluted in its own way at this point. Overall, disappointed but didn't hate it. Four stars for nostalgia and the ACOTAR gang but three stars for literally everything else. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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My Favorite Books of 2022

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In many ways, 2022 was one of my most successful reading years. While the number of books I read might not be as high as usual, this reading year was successful for other reasons. I finally got out of a reading slump that had lasted over a year. I finished multiple series. I reread some long-time favorites. I discovered new favorites. Most of all, I enjoyed the vast majority of books that I read. My average star rating this year was 4.7/5 which is the highest it has ever been. A lot of that is definitely attributed to rereads of favorites but a lot is also due to embracing being a mood reader and only reading books when I was really excited for them. 

I read 63 books this year. I was hoping to get that number up to 70 but the holiday season snuck up on me. I'm hoping to start January off strong and keep that momentum through the year and all the stress that is ahead of me. Of the 63 books I read, 26 were rereads, which I typically exclude from this list as it's unfair to consider past favorites as new. Of the 37 remaining books, a lot of them were a part of series which I only give one spot each on this list. All in all, it wasn't too hard to make this favorites list. 

I've got my top 10 new reads of the year here. If you'd asked me for my top 10 predictions at the beginning of 2022, I would have had a drastically different list for you. But I discovered new authors and new series that have brought me a lot of joy and hours spent on the couch reading. So, without further ado, here are my top 10 of 2022...

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Coming in at number 10, we have Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong. This is the first book in a spin-off/sequel duology to These Violent Delights, which was a series that featured on my top book of 2021 list. Foul Lady Fortune was definitely one of my most anticipated books of this year and I was lucky enough to read an advance copy over the summer. 

This book surprised me in many ways. I wasn't sure where the story was going to go when I started it, but the path it took me on was nothing I could have imagined. I loved the characters, though that's unsurprising as many of them were side characters in These Violent Delights. I don't want to ramble too long, so if you want more of my thoughts you can check out my non-spoiler review here. I am very much looking forward to the sequel and a companion novella bind-up in the new year! 

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At number 9, I have Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. From even before this was released, I was excited to read it. Everything about this book sounded epic, from the characters to the plot to the sci-fi/fantasy world. It feels like it's been so long since I read this (almost a year at the time of writing this post) and I long to return to this story. 

The sequel is coming in 2023 (finally!) and I am so excited to see how things progress. The way this first book ended absolutely shook me to my core and with the release coming over a year and a half after the first book, the wait has been intense. There's still eight months of waiting but I'm very much looking forward to Heavenly Tyrant. For my full non-spoiler thoughts, check out my review here. 

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Coming in at number 8, we have House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas. This may be a surprising placement, seeing as her books are usually my top books of the year when they release. But even though I enjoyed it overall, I did have some issues with this book that have knocked it out of the top spot. You can find my immediate non-spoiler thoughts in my review here, though I will have to say I've thought a lot about it over the past few months and my thoughts have definitely changed a little. 

All in all, the majority of the book I enjoyed. The characters, specifically, are what earned it a spot on this list as I loved being reunited with them. Through all the secrecy and the spying and the drama, this book is definitely a new move for Sarah and I am eagerly anticipating the next book's release (hopefully in 2023 though it may be 2024). Most of all, I'm still just caught up by the ending and how it shook me to my core. 

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The number 7 spot goes to The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. I loved it. There's not much else to say other than it was just fun and light and warmth in a time when I was stressed and just down. The actual story was so fun and enjoyable and I couldn't put the book down. I most loved the focus on science and STEM and badass girls doing badass academic things. I am eagerly looking forward to reading more books by Ali as, so far, I've enjoyed everything I've read. Plus, here's my full review if you want to know more of my thoughts! 

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Number 6 goes to the The Bonds That Tie series by J. Bree. I've finished the first three books, Broken Bonds, Savage Bonds, and Blood Bonds and am currently reading the fourth. This is a "why choose?" urban fantasy romance and I'm obsessed. It's very much enemies-to-lovers and very slow-burn, which is one of my favorite breeds of "why choose?" romances. 

I've not yet posted an official review as I'm waiting to do a full series review when I'm done but all I can say for now is that I'm obsessed. The main character is so much fun to read from and I adore the slow-burn romances and the conflict that comes with it all. I'm very much looking forward to the rest of the series, which means you might see the rest on my favorite books of 2023 list next year! 

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At number 5 I have the Fable duology by Adrienne Young. These are not the first books I've read by Adrienne and I've enjoyed all the ones I've read previously. But this duology was completely different than her other books I've read thus far yet still the same comforting writing. What made me enjoy these books so much was the escapism I got from them. I experience escapism with most books and it's why I love reading so much. But there are some books that just suck you in so hard that you can barely remember you're reading. 

This duology was that for me. The world, specifically, was so vivid and bright. I felt like I was swimming in the ocean and baking under the sun. It was so amazing. I love swimming and I love nautical stories. I think a strong plot combined with those elements featuring heavily made me love these books so much. You can find my full gushing review here. What's even better is that there's two spin-offs that I haven't gotten to yet that I am so eagerly looking forward to. 

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The number 4 spot goes to the Dragonwatch series by Brandon Mull. This series is a spin-off/sequel series to Fablehaven, which is probably my favorite middle-grade series from when I was a kid. I've known about this sequel series for ages but hadn't really felt the urge to finally dive in until this year. I reread Fablehaven this year, which was so much fun, and knew that this series had finally released the last book. So, when I finished Fablehaven, I decided to keep the momentum going and just dive straight into Dragonwatch. 

This series felt like returning home. It felt like a warm hug. I'm sure that so much of my enjoyment came from nostalgia but it was just so much fun getting to revisit these characters and go on new adventures. We visited a lot of new parts of the world, encountered new magical creatures, and made new friends that I loved. It was just so much fun and I'm looking forward to revisiting it in the future yet again. You can find my full review here. 

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The number 3 spot goes to Triply Duty Bodyguards by Lily Gold. This is a why choose romance standalone and I am obsessed with it. I was wanting a bodyguard romance and this one with multiple love interests fit the bill. I was hoping for an enjoyable story to pass the time and satisfy my bodyguard-trope craving. But this book absolutely blew me away. 

I loved the characters, I loved the slow-burn, I loved the story...it was just great. I think what made it amazing for me was that there was conflict and plot that was outside of the romance alone. I always like when there's conflict the protagonists have to work against together and this was one of those. Plus, the love interests were swoony and it was just so much fun seeing them all figure things out. You can find a mini-review here.  

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Coming in at number 2 is a new all-time favorite that I haven't stopped thinking about since I finished it: the Mindf*ck Series by S.T. Abby. Now, I've read other books by this author (may she rest-in-peace) under her other pen-name Kristy Cunning and enjoyed them. But this has to be my favorite of them all. 

This is a dark (and when I say dark I mean dark) story about a serial killer who falls in love with an FBI agent (who's hunting her). The romance is a big driving point of the story, but honestly it's not even remotely why I loved it so much. Before I get into a long ramble, you can find my review here. All that to say, I stayed up literally all night (until 8 AM) to finish this series and I loved every moment.  

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And for my number 1 read of the year we have City of Gods and Monsters by Kayla Edwards. Rarely does a day go by the I don't think about this book, honestly. It's a fantasy romance set in a modern urban city with the bodyguard trope, slow-burn romance, and found family. Honestly, as much as I enjoyed Crescent City this book is actually what I wanted from it and I'm so glad I got it in this one. 

I loved every moment of this book. I didn't want to put it down. And this book, like many on this list, was a stellar reminder of why I love reading so much. It's because of stories like these...the ones that suck you in and grip you tight and don't let you go. Honestly, having to put the book down and go to work was one of the hardest things I'd done. I loved it so so much and I'm just so happy that the sequel is out in January as I need MORE. You can find my full review here. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag: 2022 Edition

This book tag is one that I've enjoyed doing over the years. Last year, due to my reading slump, I skipped doing it as I couldn't answer all of the questions. However, I have read a lot more this year so I'm actually able to finish this tag. I've read some great books this year but I've also reread a lot of books. So I realistically only have about half the books I've read overall to chose from. Anyway, without further ado, let's go ahead and dive into the tag!  

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1. Best Book You've Read

When I originally drafted this tag, I had two books tied for first in this category: House of Sky and Breath and Foul Lady Fortune. While I loved both of those books, I read a book after I'd drafted this post that is my definite favorite of the year so far over both of those. And that book is City of Gods and Monsters by Kayla Edwards. 

CoGaM is truly a masterpiece. I loved every single moment of it. While I know it's objectively not perfect as no book can be, it was a perfect book for me. Everything from the characters to the romance to the plot to the magic and world building created such an amazing reading experience. I truly never wanted to put it down and I loved every second. This book reminded me why I love reading. How I felt reading it was exactly why I fell in love with reading in the first place. I cannot wait for the sequel, but even more so I cannot wait to reread this. I did post a full review with all of my gushing feelings if you'd like to read those as well. 

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2. Best Sequel You've Read

I've decided to go with two for this one. The first is going to go to Namesake by Adrienne Young. I absolutely loved this duology with my entire heart. It was so much fun and I was engrossed from the beginning to end. I love nautical stories and this one felt so vivid. I felt like I was the one swimming below the surface, the one standing on the boat deck with the wind in my hair, the one sneaking through towns. It was amazing. I truly think this is some of Adrienne Young's best works and I can't wait to reread it in the future. 

The second is going to be House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas. I truly couldn't put it down and, even though there were some complicated plot lines, I overall just loved reading it. The ending especially was absolutely insane and I'm so excited to see where the series goes in the next book. I just love the characters in Crescent City and it was a great time being back with them. Though I will say that there were some elements that could have been better, overall this was an excellent sequel from SJM. 

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3. New Release You Haven't Read but Want To

There are so many but I think a recent one on my high-priority TBR is The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I loved the first three books in this series and I'm very much looking forward to continuing on with the series, though I have heard mixed things about this installment. I also know that I want to read A Shadow in the Ember, the first book in the spin-off/prequel series to From Blood and Ash first as that's what has been recommended. Either way, plenty of content to get through soon. 

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4. Biggest Disappointment

My biggest disappointment so far would have to be Priest by Sierra Simone. I truly wanted to love this book, I'd heard such good things, and it was so hyped up. I was so bored, I hated the characters, I had zero connection to the story, and it was just overall a poor time. I think that was partly on me for not having the right expectations as to what type of story it was. But I think the way it was hyped and discussed led to that. It just...I hated it. But I think part of that feeling is just because I so badly thought I was going to love it. 

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5. Biggest Surprise

On the other hand, The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood is one that really surprised me. I was hesitant about this but not because of the extreme hype. Well, I always take hype with a grain of salt. But the main reason I was hesitant is because this originally was a Star Wars fanfiction for a pairing I don't much care for. However, I was able to look past that fact and could picture the characters as their own person and not a fanfiction portrayal which meant I was able to enjoy it for what it was: a fun romcom. While there are certainly some aspects that aren't perfect, overall I just had an amazing time and loved reading it.  

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6. Favorite New Author

A favorite new author I think is going to be Katee Robert. I've only read one book by her so far, Neon Gods, but I loved it. I am so excited to read the rest of the series and I cannot wait to see how it continues on. I'm even excited to read some more of her backlist that I've heard great things about. I don't think I will read every single thing she's written but I do think that I'll enjoy what I do. 

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7. Newest Fictional Crush

I don't really do fictional crushes, which I guess sets me apart from a lot of readers. I can love a character but not be attracted to them in a crush way? I guess when I was younger (like elementary/middle school) that might have been different, but I've not really gotten fictional crushes in ages. However, I'll take this prompt to talk about one of my favorite new fictional relationships instead: Zetian, Li Shimin, and Gao Yizhi from Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. They are a polyamory trio and just a great set of characters to read about. They all just seem to fit really well together and I am so excited and nervous to see what happens in the next book. 

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8. Newest Favorite Character

I think for this one I'm going to pick Fable from Fable by Adrienne Young. As I said earlier, I just absolutely loved this duology and I loved getting to read about Fable. She's such a fun protagonist to read from. I definitely will be revisiting the duology soon just so I can be reunited with this character. 

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9. Book that Made You Cry

For this one, I'm going with Dragonwatch: Return of the Dragon Slayers by Brandon Mull. This is the fifth book in the Dragonwatch series and the tenth book overall within the Fablehaven world. I had a blast reading this series. For me, it was so nostalgic to return to the world and go on new adventures with characters I've been reading about for almost fifteen years. I loved every second of being back in it and getting to explore new magic and creatures. When I finished, I cried. Not because it was a sad ending but because this is now truly the end of these books. While Brandon Mull has said he might return to the world, it would be in books that focus on different characters or adventures. I would love that. But at the same time it was very emotional to truly be done going on new adventures with Kendra and Seth, who I felt I've grown up with. Anyway, a bit of a sappy answer there but it's true. 

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10. Book that Made You Happy

On the flip side, to keep from repeating individual books in this tag, a book that made me happy is Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull. Well, the whole series really. Like I said in the previous question, this series is so nostalgic for me. I didn't realize how exciting it really was going to be getting to return to this world with characters I love so much. I just realized how much joy I felt while binging these books and I cannot wait to return to them in the future. 

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11. Favorite Book to Movie Adaptation

I have to go with Heartstopper for this one. It was adapted by Netflix from the graphic novel/web comic series by Alice Oseman. I love this series so I was very interested to see how a show would be. I have to admit, I was nervous. But I loved every second of the show and I cannot wait to see more seasons and just more of these characters. I also am 100% going to finally finish reading the comics because I am a bit behind the published ones. 

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12. Favorite Review You've Written

I think this is going to be my review of The Love Hypothesis. I just find, looking back, that it is a very well-rounded review. Sometimes I ramble on my reviews but I like the balance on this one quite a lot. 

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13. Most Beautiful Book you Bought

Hands down this is going to be the Fairyloot edition of Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. I got this in my February Fairyloot box and it is so spectacularly stunning. It features a redesigned cover in a blue and purple pallette (which are two of my favorite colors), embossing on the hardcover, artwork on the endpages, stunning stencil sprayed edges, and is signed. I haven't yet read this one, but I am obsessed with this gorgeous edition. It has to be one of the most beautiful books that I have on my shelves. 

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14. What do you need to read by the end of the year? 

There are so many books that I need to read by the end of the year. I doubt I will get to all of them, but my hopes are to get through a good number of them. I just have to hope that I am able to make the time to read them and that I can get my current mood reading self to give them a go. The majority of this list is for books that will finish out series I've already started, but there are also some new books I'm hoping to get to as well. Here's a brief list of what I'm hoping to tackle (excluding any potential rereads): 

• Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody
• Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin
• The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
• The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
• Lightbringer by Claire Legrand
• Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova
• Husband Material by Alexis Hall
• The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody
• It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
• Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
• All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman
• Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
• Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
• Electric Idol by Katee Robert
• A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "House of Sky and Breath" by Sarah J. Maas

Title: House of Sky and Breath

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: "Crescent City" #2

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Page Length: 805 pages

Publication Date: February 15, 2022

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

Book 1 Review

It's been over a month since I finished this book and I think I'm finally able to talk about my feelings around it. Overall, I loved it. But I also wanted more from it. 

I do have to say, this is not my favorite Sarah J. Maas book. I have been reading SJM for seven years now and have come to expect a lot from her books. At bare minimum, I expect to love all her books. I also had very high expectations for this book. However, while I loved this book, it didn't hit those expectations (which is partly on me for having such high ones). 

Like I said, I did love this book. There were a lot of parts that I loved. There's a lot I can't wait to reread.  But this book was also long and didn't quite grip me the same way as the first book did. I'm wondering, though, if this is a series where I need to reread the book in order to fully appreciate. Seeing as I loved the first book more on the second run than the first read through, I think this might be the case? 

The first book set up a very intriguing world where I wasn't sure where the story was going. I basically went into this book not knowing what to expect. That being said, this plot was very different than anything else I've ever read from SJM. However, I also think that the plot dragged a bit, which is strange for a SJM book. I can only chalk it up to the new style of story she's written here.

There were some elements that were supposedly important yet ended up not playing any role in the final bit of the book. This felt like a bit of a waste for now, though I can only assume it's leading up to something in the next novel? SJM does like to leave breadcrumbs and foreshadow books in advance. 

We also got two new POVs for a total of five POV characters in this book. This was a lot. I loved these characters in the first book and was hoping they'd get more page time in this one. However, I think the fact we had five different POVs but the same page count meant that we got less time with each individual character. SJM likes big ensemble casts but I also don't think that each POV needed equal page time. In my opinion, even if these are setting up big character arcs for the rest of the book, this book would have benefited from the POVs being more varied in page time. 

That being said, I enjoyed how we got more of the ensemble cast of characters in this one. There were some group dynamics that I loved in the book as well. I can only hope we'll get to see these groups grow closer in the next book.

The ending was a wild ride. SJM's final 100 pages are always a wild ride and this was no exception. I think I would have rated this book less than five stars if the ending wasn't stellar. There were some things that I was picking up throughout the book that I figured was SJM setting something up and I was right! It was very satisfying to finally start noticing these things in advance after years of reading her books. 

There were so many different elements to the ending. But if anyone has read the book, they'll know the biggest part. I'm actually not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, I love it and am incredibly excited to see where the next book goes. On the other hand, I'm not quite sure if I like it at this point in time or ever. 

Overall, I did love this book. But this definitely has not knocked any books off the top spots of my favorite SJM books list. I think a reread will be very beneficial and I cannot wait to see where the third book goes (hopefully we get it in 2023). 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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February 2022 Book Haul

February was a really interesting month for book hauling. I was supposed to have quite a few more books for this haul but between shipping delays and carriers losing my packages, I have a more reasonable number (though this sets up March for a big haul). I got seven physical books this month and the majority of them were new or recent releases that I'm very excited about. Let's dive in!

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The first book I got this month was the Illumicrate edition of The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman. This has an alternate cover and sprayed edges. It's overall just stunning. While I do prefer the US cover overall, I much prefer the Illumicrate cover to the regular UK edition. This is a new release I've been looking forward to for a while so I'm thrilled to finally have my hands on a physical edition.

The next book I picked up was the tour edition of House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas. However, I also picked up the signed Waterstones edition with bonus content and the regular UK hardcover. This is just the start of my multiple editions of this book and I'm thrilled to have them. SJM is one of my favorite authors and I've been looking forward to this book for two years now. At the time of writing this, I've also already finished reading this one and it was phenomenal. Thus begins the wait for the next one...

I finally got my Fairyloot January box this month as well. The book this month was Only a Monster by Vanessa Len. This edition is absolutely gorgeous with special endpapers, signed and stencilled edges, embossing on the book, and is signed by the author. This is a release I've been looking forward to and I'm thrilled to have this gorgeous copy. Also, I don't quite understand why everyone doesn't like it because I'm obsessed with the purple edges. 

Then I picked up a hardcover of Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout as these finally came back in stock in the UK. I've been monitoring this series since I got here and it's been ages since this one was up for sale. I am quite excited to have this in the lead up the fourth book's release in March. I also plan on annotating these copies or spraying the edges myself (or maybe both?). Either way, I'm quite happy to have this one added to my physical shelves finally. Now to get my hands on a copy of A Shadow in the Ember...

Lastly, I got my February Illumicrate book which was A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross. This edition is gorgeous, though I honestly think I prefer the regular UK cover (don't come for me lol). This cover is gorgeous, but when I look at the original UK one I do prefer that. However, I don't like the US cover at all so any beautiful UK edition is one I'm excited for. Plus, the extra art, edges, etc make this book absolutely stunning to look at. 

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Well, those are the seven books I picked up this month. Did you get any exciting books in February? Let me know in the comments below!

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

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February 2022 Wrap-Up

Another month of 2022 has gone by and I think it's safe to say it was another month of up and downs. There were some low points but I think, overall, that February was a good month. A lot of good things happened and I read some great books. There was not a single book this month that I didn't love, which is so rare! I only read six books, but half of those were over 700 pages long. So I'm pretty happy with that, even though I was hoping to get through a few more as well. I have high hopes for March's reading month, though we'll see how that goes with university ramping up quite a bit. Anyway, let's dive in!

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1.

Title: A Court of Silver Flames

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Review

-reread-

2. 

Title: When the Dead Come a Knockin'

Author: B.L. Brunnemer
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Review

-reread-

3. 

Title: These Hollow Vows

Author: Lexi Ryan

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Review

4. 

Title: House of Earth and Blood

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Review

-reread-

5. 

Title: House of Sky and Breath

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Review

6. 

Title: Neon Gods

Author: Katee Robert

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Review

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January 2022 Wrap-Up

Blog Tour: "The Weeping Tide" by Amanda Foody + Giveaway

January 2022 Book Haul

Book Review: "These Hollow Vows" by Lexi Ryan

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Most Anticipated 2022 Book Releases

A new year of publishing is almost upon us! While 2021 has sucked for many reasons and I'm hesitant to hope that 2022 will magically be so much better, I am looking forward to a lot in the new year. More specifically, I'm looking forward to a lot of exciting books. There's plenty of backlist titles I want to finally read but there's also tons of upcoming releases I've got my eye on. I have a list of dozens of new releases that interest me, but today I've compiled my top seven most anticipated releases. While these aren't in a specific order, I am working up to my most anticipated at the end. Let's go ahead and dive in! 

Up first, I want to talk about The River of Silver by S.A. Chakraborty. This is a compilation of a bunch of stories from the Daevabad world. The Daevabad trilogy is one of my favorites and I'm so excited to be getting a lot more bonus content. This one first releases on audio in March but is also getting a physical release in the fall, which I am quite excited for. (I even already have my copy preordered)

I am also looking forward to Extasia by Claire Legrand. Claire is one of my favorite authors and I'm intrigued about her new upcoming horror novel. While I'm not a big horror fan, I find YA horror to be a lot easier for me to read and I am excited to see what this one is like. Claire has written a couple spooky books before with good reviews so I hope that this will be a good one for me.

Up next, I have Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li. I saw this floating around on Twitter a few times and, once I read the synopsis, I knew I had to have it. This is about a heist and a crew of characters as well as a critique of colonialism. The reviews have been great for it so far and my excitement just keeps growing the closer to release that we get. I am quite excited to read it and have already preordered a copy. 

I am looking forward to the next From Blood and Ash book, The War of Two Queens, by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This is the fourth novel in the series and I am eager to see what happens after the cliffhanger in book three. Now, I do have the spin-off prequel series to dive into while I wait but I do have to say that I am currently more excited for this one than the prequels. 

Boyfriend Material was one of my favorite books of last year and I am so excited that it is getting a sequel. Husband Material by Alexis Hall doesn't come out until later in the summer but I have been looking forward to it ever since it was announced months ago. This is a queer romcom series set in the UK and I've fallen in love with the characters so much since I read it for the first time. However, I hope this book doesn't contain a breakup trope because I'm not sure if I could handle these characters being separated.  

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal is another one that I am looking forward to. I have not yet read Hafsah's other series, We Hunt the Flame, though it is on my TBR for January. However, I am still incredibly excited for A Tempest of Tea later in the year. This was pitched as Peaky Blinders meets King Arthur with vampires and contains a heist! All of that just sounds amazing to me and I can't wait until it releases. 

Up next, I have Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong. This is the spin-off/sequel to the These Violent Delights duology that just concluded last month. I absolutely loved this duology and cannot wait to see not only who this spin-off is about but also more of this world. The only thing I really know is that there's a marriage of convenience and the out-of-context snippets Chloe has posted online are amazing. 

Then I have The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody. This comes out very soon into the new year and I am so incredibly excited. It's the second in a middle grade series, the first of which is on my top books of 2021 list. I loved the first book so much and find so much comfort in this series. This next book is going to expand the world, give us more character time, and will no doubt be an exciting adventure.  

Lastly, my most anticipated release of the new year is House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas, the second book in the Crescent City series. It comes out in just two months and I'm quite excited to see what happens next after two years of waiting. I enjoyed this world a lot the first time around and I'm eager to reread the first book to see what I've forgotten since the first time I read it. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

To get more awesome posts like this post, click the follow button to the right!

Get free worldwide shipping with Book Depository using my affiliate link

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