Book Review: "Check & Mate" by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Check & Mate

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Genre: YA Romance

Page Length: 352 pages

Publication Date: November 7, 2023

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

Dare I say Ali Hazelwood can do no wrong? Once again, I am obsessed. 

Check & Mate is Ali Hazelwood's debut into the YA romance sphere. On the surface, it's a gripping romance between two rival chess players. But underneath, it's a story about family, self-identity, the transition into adulthood, and sexism in organized competition. This, to me, is one of Ali's most balanced books in terms of plot, romance, self-exploration, and secondary characters. 

I was sucked in from the beginning. We're introduced to a very compelling main character that you can see is having a rough go of it. She's trying to support her family, often at the expense of her own happiness and fulfillment. Playing chess, and the cash rewards that come with tournaments, is a way for her to support them, despite all of the complex emotions around the sport.

It's hard to pick what I loved most about this book. I know that I was laughing and giggling and kicking my feet often. I also know that it dealt with a lot of complex situations and emotions in a thoughtful way. Yes, the main plot was about the main character playing chess tournaments and getting closer to a rival player, Nolan (swoon!), but it was also about so much more. 

Check & Mate somehow managed to address so many topics including the transition of growing up into adulthood, complex and differing family dynamics, friendship strains and changed, sexism and misogyny in sports, self-identity exploration, and even the issues with class and money. If I even try to address all of them I'll end up writing an entire essay. 

All that to say, I loved it. Mallory and Nolan were delightful to read about. Nolan is so unlike any of Ali's other male leads (and that's not to say I don't love the others too) in a refreshing way. Mallory is so focused on everyone but herself and it was beautiful to watch her put herself first finally. This was just a pair of characters who are flawed but beautiful and kind and I loved watching their romance bloom.

The side characters were equally interesting and compelling. Each one had such a unique voice and distinct impact on the main characters. I loved them all, especially as the story went on and we got to see how each of their relationships with Mallory evolved. 

Overall, this was one of Ali's strongest novels to date and has become a new top favorite of mine. I'm quite excited to get a copy for my shelf and read it over and over again in the years to come. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "Divine Rivals" by Rebecca Ross

Title: Divine Rivals

Author: Rebecca Ross

Series: "Letters of Enchantment" #1

Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance

Page Length: 368 pages

Publication Date: April 4, 2023

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

I'm sure by now you've all seen the hype for this book all over BookTok and Bookstagram this year? It is one of the biggest books of the year in my corner of the book world and...well...I knew I had to read it and see for myself if it was worth it or not. And y'all...this book was amazing! For me, the two main things that I loved about this book were the characters and then just how beautiful the writing was. I read it one sitting and it was absolutely stunning...

So obviously the main thing that drives me when I read is the characters. A strong plot is, of course, essential to my enjoyment but even more than that are strong characters that I can really get attached to. My favorite books, the ones that stick with me long after I read them, are the ones where the characters burrow deep into my heart and refuse to leave when I finish the last page. 

Iris and Roman are two such characters to me. Reading about them...about their desires and fears and what they long for...was incredibly special to me. These two characters are so full of love and passion and just sheer goodness. I am desperate to know how their story wraps up. If it seems like I'm being vague, it's mainly because I don't want to give much away about this book because I truly think it's best to go into it without knowing too much. To let the twists come as they may...

The writing is absolutely beautiful. I believe Rebecca Ross is known for beautiful writing and I can definitely see why. Beyond the plot and the characters, this book truly felt like a love letter to words and the power they hold. Between the love letters and the general writing, I was consistently blown away. As a lover of words, this book felt so special. 

Overall, I am incredibly excited to read the next one, especially after the pain of the cliffhanger in this one. I completely understand why this is such a hyped book and I think it deserves all the excitement and love that is has been getting. I highly recommend it to everyone who loves a romance, a fantasy, or just a compelling story about family and loss and the consequences of war. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Unboxing: Fairyloot's "Farewell My Love" (September 2022)

Another month, another Fairyloot. From the moment they announced this box, I was excited for it. It shipped quite early this month, which was a real treat, and I was so excited when it arrived. They announced there would be a blanket in this box, as well as the last trinket dish in their collectible series. Additionally, this is the first month of there only being four items instead of five. To be honest, I didn't really notice. Between the bigger, high quality items, tarot cards, extra prints and bookmarks, and the book, I think we still get a lot for our money. I really liked this box (it was one of their better ones I've gotten recently) so let's just dive in! 

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The first item was a set of botanic themed coasters designed by @stellabookishart. These are quite pretty and I do think they're a useful item. I like that they're fandom neutral as I can definitely use them around our home. However, I am not quite sure when I'll get use out of them as I have a lot of coasters but not enough space to need that many just yet. 

Up next was the final trinket dish in the collectible series designed by @arz28. This one features Cardan from The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. These dishes are gorgeous but I'm not sure if I'll get much use out of them. I have other trinket dishes but I tend to prefer covered storage to prevent dust on things. Also, I've not read any of the books that are featured with the trinket dishes, though all are on my TBR. In that, maybe on day I'll be able to display these on bookshelves when my stuff is out of storage but for now these will stay boxed away with other book merch. 

Then there was a tea tin inspired by this month's book, Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, that was designed by @chattynora. It is another beautiful tea tin that Fairyloot seems to really enjoy including in their boxes. I think this is the fourth tea tin I own from them now? They're pretty cute and I like that they have lids so I can keep dust out of things. I think I'll store various bookish merch items in them or I might even use them for stationary stuff. 

The last full item was a blanket designed by @afterblossom_art inspired by Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim. This and the book of the month were the main reasons that I got this box. I've gotten Fairyloot blankets in the past and I was quite excited. I haven't yet unrolled this fully as we're in the process of moving, but I've seen pictures of it online and it's beautiful. Plus, it's super soft and fluffy. It'll definitely come in handy this winter when it's too expensive to turn on our heating. 

The tarot cards this month were also themed after this month's book, Belladonna. We have Signa as The Hanged Man and Death as the Death card. These, like usual, are beautiful. I'm actually really enjoying collecting the tarot cards this time around. I say this every month but I really like that the tarot cards are themed after books they include in their boxes.  

This month's book was Belladonna. It came with an exclusive cover, stencil sprayed edges, artwork printed on the hardcover designed by @taratjah, artwork on the endpages by @monolimeart, and was signed. I've read books by Adalyn Grace and really enjoyed them, so I was definitely looking forward to her newest book. I was quite excited that it was going to be in this box and this edition is stunning. I much prefer this darker, purple themed edition over the standard UK edition. Plus, the edges are stunning. The art print was designed by @kudriaken. 

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Overall, I loved this box. I think Fairyloot have really upped their game the last couple years and I've enjoyed all their boxes since I resubscribed last December. I will be skipping all subscriptions in October, as I will be in the process of moving, but I am eagerly looking forward to my next box in the future (hopefully November). I think my favorite items were the blanket and the book for sure. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Series Review: "Raybearer" by Jordan Ifueko

Series Title: Raybearer

Author: Jordan Ifueko

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Reading Order & Individual Ratings:

1. Raybearer - 4.5 // 5
2. Redemptor - 4.5 // 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

This duology is so slept on and I cannot believe more people aren't talking about this! I thoroughly enjoyed it and am definitely looking forward to revisiting this world in the future.

So I hadn't heard much about Raybearer online, just a few posts here or there which is strange as it is a NYT Bestseller. But it was always on my radar to eventually pick up. When it went on sale, I snatched it up quick. A few months later, here we are. 

I binged this duology back to back and it was wonderful. I was sucked in from the beginning and binged both books in about one sitting each. I was so invested in this duology and I just had to know how things ended. The first book was such an insane conclusion and the sequel picked right up off that energy and just kept that pace up. It was an addicting story that I couldn't put down.

This world is so vibrant and fascinating. I absolutely loved the magic system, world building, and just overall writing. I especially love the focus put on family and strong relationships and how magic was used within them. The world is a lot to take in, but we're given what we need to understand it and it's easy to understand once you get it down. Additionally, we don't get more information than we need to understand the story. This just means I want to know more about the world (through additional novels, informational guides, etc) outside of this story.

I loved the main character. Her internal struggles, her growth, her love for those around her, her desire to make the world a better place...she was great. I was sucked into her journey and she was such a compelling main character. Of course, I enjoyed the side characters as well. Overall, I just think that the entire cast of characters were really well written and fun to read. 

I will say, there were a couple things I wished were a little different. The first is that I felt like the story in the second book happened incredibly quickly for how built up it was. The second, more importantly, is that I wanted the found family to be a bigger focus. 

Now, so much of the plot of the two books focuses on the found family and how our main character interacts with them. Especially in the second book, everything she does seems to be primarily to preserve those around her (specifically this found family). However, the actual page time of the found family was a lot less than I expected and wanted from everyone raving about it. I loved the found family but I wanted more. For a duology focusing so much on found family, it felt like so much of it was the main character doing her own thing. That's not a bad thing, but I was expecting more of the found family dynamic at the forefront. 

Overall, this duology was incredible. The writing was beautiful, the story was addicting, the magic was fascinating, and the characters were compelling. I am so happy to have finally read these two and see what everyone else raved about. I also cannot wait to see what this author does next! 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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April 2022 Wrap-Up

How are we already done with four months this year? 2022 seems to be flying by but it also feels like the start of April was ages ago. Either way, this month was pretty eventful, both in terms of reading and my personal life. I read a total of ten books this month, though I definitely could have read way more if I'd watched less TV...Either way, I'm really happy with what I read. 

I enjoyed every single book this month and didn't rate a single one less than 4.5 out of 5 stars. This year I've been mood reading a lot and I think that's why my ratings have been so high. I also finished three series this month! Two were brand new but I also reread the entirety of one of my favorite series. I guess you could say I'm pretty happy with how this reading month went. Hopefully this momentum carries into May! 

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1. 

Title: Legend of the Dragon Slayer

Author: Brandon Mull

Review

2. 

Title: Champion of the Titan Games

Author: Brandon Mull

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Review

3. 

Title: Return of the Dragon Slayers

Author: Brandon Mull

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Review

4. 

Title: Raybearer
Author: Jordan Ifueko
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Review

5. 

Title: Redemptor

Author: Jordan Ifueko

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Review

6. 

Title: Trickery

Authors: Jaymin Eve & Jane Washington

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Review

-reread-

7. 

Title: Persuasion

Authors: Jaymin Eve & Jane Washington

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Review

-reread-

8. 

Title: Seduction

Authors: Jaymin Eve & Jane Washington

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Review

-reread-

9. 

Title: Strength

Authors: Jaymin Eve & Jane Washington

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Review

-reread-

10. 

Title: Pain

Authors: Jaymin Eve & Jane Washington

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Review

-reread-

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March 2022 Wrap-Up

March 2022 Book Haul

Unboxing: Fairyloot's "Monsters Within" (January 2022)

Unboxing: Fairyloot's "To the Moon and Back" (February 2022)

Unboxing: Fairyloot's "Threads of Fate" (March 2022)

Book Review: "Neon Gods" by Katee Robert

Book Series Review: "Dragonwatch" by Brandon Mull

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "These Hollow Vows" by Lexi Ryan

Title: These Hollow Vows

Author: Lexi Ryan

Series: "These Hollow Vows" #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Length: 464 pages

Publication Date: July 20, 2021

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to see where the sequel takes the story!

I'd seen These Hollow Vows floating around online for a while and decided to pick up a copy a few months ago. Originally, I was going to just wait until the sequel comes out (summer 2022). Then one of my good friends read it and was raving about it and then I felt I had to read it sooner rather than later. 

This book, despite being almost 500 pages, was a really quick read for me. The writing style was really easy to follow, the pacing worked for me, and I was able to fall into the story and stay in it for the most part. There were a few parts where I was just stressed from real life but once I allowed myself to let all that fade away I was able to fully immerse myself in this world.

The world was intriguing and not too hard to understand. I also really enjoyed there was a map in this one (as I think is becoming mostly standard in fantasy?). A big part of the story is the emphasis on the importance of stories and tales. We got a lot of world building for the fae lands in the form of these tales which I think was rather interesting as it added an element of us having to question the validity behind them. 

The actual plot itself was interesting, if a bit predictable. I love thief and heist stories, though I did think that thievery would play more of a role in this one. There were plenty of times I guessed the plot twist or big reveal but that isn't a negative at all as I do like the satisfaction I get of guessing right. That being said, there were a few that I didn't see coming. 

My favorite part of this book was definitely our main character. Her motivations, her personality, etc. She's in a difficult situation and I think many criticisms of this book don't take into account she's a human in a fae world at a disadvantage. I enjoyed the side characters and I definitely am interested in how all of the relationships progress in the next book. There are a few that I really want to see get more page time as well. 

I am torn on the romance. There is a love triangle, which is something I really haven't read in a long time. I will say, the romance aspect wasn't as strong to me, likely because it was split trying to make us love two different characters. What was interesting, though, is that who I wanted the main character to end up with from the beginning of the book was completely different by the end. I was so sure going into the book that wouldn't change and...it did. 

That being said, I have very strong feelings about who I want our character to end up with if she has to end up with anyone. I knew from about halfway through the book which of the love interests I liked better and I truly hope it continues that way in the future. I think part of why I rated this less than five stars despite enjoying it immensely is because I didn't really like some of the romance bits with the love interest I don't like. 

And it's not even that I don't like him for the main character. I just flat out don't like him at all. He's an interesting character, but in terms of likability, I spotted some things and got the ick pretty early on. Obviously there is an entire book left to go and things could change in that regard. However, for now, I much prefer the other love interest (and I'm sorry if that's too vague...I just don't want to spoil anything!). 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading this book. It's nothing revolutionary or genre-breaking but it does exactly what it is supposed to do and is the YA fantasy it's supposed to be. The writing is strong, the story is interesting but not overly complicated, the magic system is (so far) intriguing, and the characters were well-developed enough for me to connect with them. I can only imagine what the next book will be like after that ending!

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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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 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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Book Review: "Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard

Title: Red Queen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Series: "Red Queen" #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Length: 383 pages

Publication Date: February 10, 2015

Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

*Non-spoiler*

I bought Red Queen years ago, right after the release of Glass Sword. I had every intention of reading it then and there, but for some reason fell into a reading slump and put it back onto my shelf. Now, five years after originally trying, I have finally read it. And I loved it.

Red Queen, I feel, is pretty well known as a classic YA fantasy. I'll admit, the hype and the criticisms both made me nervous that I wasn't going to like this book. But WOW I loved it. I was sucked in almost immediately and read it so quickly. This book was so fun, engaging, and just a really great time.

I love all types of fantasy worlds but in recent years that has pretty much been worlds without modern technology. Getting to read about a fantasy world that has technology and modern luxuries and whatnot but that still retains the things that make me love fantasy was wonderful. I'm eager to see more of this world and how things work as I continue reading the sequel. 

The characters were very enjoyable. My favorite was obviously our main character, Mare, but I found all of the side characters to be engaging and interesting. I've already started the sequel and I'm thrilled at how some of these side characters have gotten more page time already. 

Now, part of being in the book community for years and being exposed to fan edits, reviews, discussions, etc about this book meant that I did have a bit of knowledge on when plot twists were coming, characters, etc. I did see most of the plot twists coming simply because I'd been minorly spoiled and was able to draw hypotheses from those spoilers. This include outright spoilers but also when people put "Omg page ### shook me!" where I can then expect something to happen. However, I still enjoyed this book so much despite having those inklings of what was going to happen. And getting to try and find all the foreshadowing was fun, too. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's definitely in my top favorites of the year and I'm so excited and nervous to continue on with the rest of the series. 

Have you read Red Queen? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "King of Fools" by Amanda Foody

Title: King of Fools

Author: Amanda Foody

Series: "The Shadow Game" #2

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Length: 602 pages

Publication Date: April 30, 2019

Rating: 4.5 //5 stars

Goodreads

Ace of Shades Review

*Content Warnings for this series: violence, death/murder, addiction and drug use, torture, gambling, pedophilia (it is completely condemned in the novel but there are mentions of it occurring off-page)*

It's been a while since I finished King of Fools so I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on my feelings surrounding this book. I alternated listening to the audiobook and reading the physical copy and I'm 100% happy that I did it that way. If I'd had the time I would have loved to listen to the entire novel in audiobook, if I'm being honest, because I felt like I got such a better understanding of the characters and connected with them so well. 

King of Fools, the sequel to Ace of Shades, takes everything from the first book and multiplies it by ten. Ace of Shades was a wild ride on its own, but King of Fools was something else. It was darker, the stakes were higher, and I was terrified the whole time. 

We get a ton of character development in this book. It was actually amazing seeing how much these characters grew in this book from the start of the first. Hats off to Amanda Foody because the range and growth has been amazing and so interesting to read. These characters also aren't perfect and they're very morally gray. They make a lot of mistakes, both in terms of personal relationships and when it comes to the overall plot, and they're literal gangsters. I just love them all so much.

I will say, a big part of why I loved the first book was the character interactions between our main leads. While we got a bunch of exciting new side characters in this one, I wish we'd gotten just a bit more interaction between our main characters (if only because the angst would have been supreme). 

I did get a massive spoiler for this book before I went into it. I will say that probably made me disconnect a little bit because my subconscious was like "don't get attached when you know what happens at the end." However, even if in the moment I wasn't devastated, when I looked back on the book as a whole, I cried a lot over that ending. 

The plot itself was also really interesting. There was a lot more politics in this book than the first one and it helped open up New Reynes and the world a lot. I will say there were times I was a bit confused, but that could be because I'm not great at remembering names of people or groups. But overall I thought the addition of politics (both governmental and in the street gangs) was great to dive into. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this second book. It was a lot grittier than the first one but there were still some moments of humor in them. The ending devastated me and I'm so scared for the final book but also hopeful for how it will turn out. 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "Shadow and Bone" by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series: "The Shadow and Bone Trilogy" #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Length: 358 pages

Publication Date: June 5, 2012
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Goodreads

Well folks...it finally happened. I finally read Shadow and Bone. In some ways, I wish I had read it sooner. But in other ways, I think this was the perfect time for me to read it. 

I will admit, part of why it took me so long to read it was because the hype is extreme for any of Leigh Bardugo's books. I'd read Six of Crows previously and, while I enjoyed it, I didn't love it. I had to read it for class and that dampened my spirits. So when everyone was saying Six of Crows was a million times better than Shadow and Bone, I'll admit it put me off for a while.

However, with the release of the show in April and all of the hype surrounding it, I started getting more excited. I had been gifted the boxset years ago and I told myself I'd read all the books before the show came out. Obviously, that did not happen. But between the trailer that looked amazing, the hype around the show, and just my own personal interest, I started being drawn more and more towards reading Shadow and Bone.

As I write this, it's only been a few hours since I picked Shadow and Bone off my bookshelf and randomly started reading it out of the blue. If I had not had a night class, I would have devoured the entire book in one sitting. It was exactly what I needed and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to.

The characters were interesting and I really enjoyed our main protagonist. I will say that I wish I'd seen more depth to a lot of the other characters, though I can't tell if I just read it too fast or not. I think that with future books this will happen though, so I'm not too worried about this.

One thing about having waited so long to read these books was that I have gotten small spoilers over the years regarding different characters. Combined with trailers and clips from the show that pop up on social media, I had some vague expectations for what things were going to happen. That's why, even though I don't know exact plot or story details, I wasn't surprised when the big plot twist came because I was expected a certain character to do something like that.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I will say that having been exposed to so much discussion about the characters and why people like/dislike different ones definitely impacted how I read it. I subconciously pulled back from connecting with certain characters because I'd heard things about them. I do think it would have been reader if I'd read these years and years ago when I could have avoided spoilers, but I also really enjoyed reading this book at this time in my life.

I have high hopes for the next book. Now that a lot of the stuff I was expecting has been dealt with, I truly have no idea what will happen plot-wise and between most characters (though I still have some suspicions on a few of them). I'm starting the second book today and hopefully will enjoy it even more than I did the first. Hopefully, I'll read these quickly and be able to jump into the show ASAP! 

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Review: "Ace of Shades" by Amanda Foody

Title: Ace of Shades

Author: Amanda Foody

Series: "The Shadow Game" #1

Genre: YA Fantasy

Page Length: 411 pages

Publication Date: April 10, 2018

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Goodreads

*Content Warnings for Ace of Shades: violence, death/murder, addiction and drug use, torture, gambling, pedophilia (it is completely condemned in the novel but there are mentions of it occurring off-page)*

Do you ever have those books that you know you'll enjoy but put off for ages? Ace of Shades is one of those books for me. I've been following the author since her debut novel, Daughter of the Burning City, released and was interested in Ace of Shades from the beginning. Now, three years later the trilogy is complete and I have just now finally started it. 

Ace of Shades was somehow completely unexpected and exactly what I needed and wanted. I didn't really know what I was expecting going into it, but it was not what we got. I loved every single minute of this book and it definitely will on my top favorite books list for this year. 

For me, what makes this book special is the characters. Our main characters, Enne and Levi, are very far from perfect. They make mistakes, are morally gray, and go through a lot of trials throughout this book. I loved both of their developments but I think I loved Enne's even more. She's very much a prim and proper lady who gets thrown into a world of debauchery and sin. It was wonderful to watch her navigate it all.

We also have an eclectic cast of side characters that really added an extra layer of depth to the story that I very much enjoyed. I won't get too much into them, either, but just know I loved how unique and well-written each one was! 

The magic system in this book is another reason why this book stands out to me so much. Magic is currency and everyone has different talents in this story. Magic is also passed down through family and some is more rare than others. I won't dive too deep in because you really do have to read the book to understand fully but I will say that it's one of the most intriguing magic systems I've ever read about.

When it comes to the world and setting, I think Amanda Foody knocked it out of the park. There's gang politics, a corrupt city, a terrifying game, and a sinful feel. In fact, the city is literally nicknamed the City of Sin. I was getting magical Las Vegas vibes if I'm being honest. I'm really intrigued to learn more in later books about how the city came to be the way it is.

Lastly, the story itself was fascinating. There were humorous moments but there was also a lot of tension, action, etc. I loved how we had a bunch of small storylines along the main plot line as well. It was also a lot darker than I had originally anticipated, which I'm very glad for. This book is definitely more upper-YA in my opinion, so make sure to take note of the trigger warnings I added at the top.

Overall, I just really loved this book. I'll also admit that I've already finished book two and am hopefully starting book three soon. I'll refrain from discussing either of those, though, since I will have a full review for the second book coming within the next few weeks. However, I will say that I am so intrigued and nervous for the final book. Amanda Foody truly knows how to write tension and high stakes in her stories.

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Book Spotlight: "Where the Road Leads Us" by Robin Reul

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! Today I am so incredibly excited to be doing a book spotlight for Where the Road Leads Us by Robin Reul, an upcoming YA contemporary focused around a road trip! This book releases April 6 from Sourcebooks Fire so there's still time to preorder a copy. Until then, here's everything to know about Where the Road Leads Us...

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Sometimes the best path is the unexpected one.

Jack is on the verge of leaving for college, but before he does, he wants to track down his estranged brother, Alex and find some closure in the wake of their father's death. Meanwhile, Hallie has just found out some upsetting news about a friend in Oregon, and she has a small window to go see him before it's too late.

Jack and Hallie are practically strangers. They shared a class together years ago and haven't seen each other since, though they have more in common than they'd ever imagine. And when fate puts them into the same rideshare to the bus terminal, it kicks off an unconventional and hysterical adventure that may lead them to their own true selves…and maybe to each other.

GOODREADS

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: April 6, 2021

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AMAZON     |     BARNES & NOBLE     |     BOOKSHOP     |     INDIEBOUND

BOOK DEPOSITORY     |     VROMAN'S BOOKSTORE

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Robin Reul has been writing since she was in early elementary school, when she used to make her own book club flyers for her classmates and then pen them original stories. At thirteen, she had her first meeting with a major publisher, and the dream of someday being a published author firmly took hold.

As the daughter of a film producer, she spent her childhood on location, growing up on movie sets, and developing a fine appreciation for strong black coffee. She graduated from Boston University with a degree in Broadcasting and Film, and worked for many years in the film and television industry, both as an actress and in motion picture development. One of her favorite jobs was working as an Outreach Assistant for the Disney/PBS show “Bill Nye The Science Guy.” Ultimately, Robin decided to return her focus to writing young adult novels full-time. She likes to write the same sort of stories that helped get her through her teenage years: funny, honest stories filled with quirky, memorable characters that at the end of the read, make you feel like you’ve just had a visit with a good friend.

When she’s not writing, Robin can be found singlehandedly driving up the profit margin of her local Starbucks and indulging her love of baked goods, particularly those in the key of pumpkin.  She lives in Los Angeles suburbia. Her first novel, MY KIND OF CRAZY, debuted in April 2016 followed by WHERE THE ROAD LEADS US in April 2021.

Author Photo & Biography from www.robinreul.com

GOODREADS     |     FACEBOOK     |     INSTAGRAM

TWITTER     |     WEBSITE

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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You can follow my bookstagram here for more bookish content!

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