ALL OF US VILLAINS By Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

ALL OF US VILLAINS By Amanda Foody and C.L. HermanAll of Us Villains by Amanda Foody, C.L. Herman
Series: All of Us Villains #1
Published by Tor Teen on 11/9/21
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 393
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins.

Every generation, at the coming of the Blood Moon, seven families in the remote city of Ilvernath each name a champion to compete in a tournament to the death.

The prize? Exclusive control over a secret wellspring of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world—one thought long depleted.

But this year a scandalous tell-all book has exposed the tournament and thrust the seven new champions into the worldwide spotlight. The book also granted them valuable information previous champions never had—insight into the other families’ strategies, secrets, and weaknesses. And most important, it gave them a choice: accept their fate or rewrite their legacy.

Either way, this is a story that must be penned in blood.

When the blood moon rises the blood veil falls and that means its time for the tournament to begin. Seven families choose a champion to compete in the tournament and the prize is the family gets control of the magick supply. But this year is different because a tell all book has been released sharing insights into each family, the book has also put a spotlight on Ilvernath bring tourist from all over to see the tournament.

Even though there’s seven competitors we only get the POV of four of them, Alistair, Gavin, Briony, and Isobel. They’re all very interesting in their own way. Alistair was raised believing that his family are monsters actual villains and most Lowes win the competition and he’s expected to win this years. Briony has always wanted to be a champion and represent her family so she’s pretty upset when her sister is picked instead of her, but after that she decides that she wants to end the competition instead of winning it. Isobel has never wanted to be a champion so she tries to find a way to avoid it but her dad is having none of that, so she goes into the tournament determined to win and not disappoint her dad even though she really wants to be anywhere else. Gavin is pretty much seen as weak and the other competitors don’t like him because the tell all book was written by someone in his family. Most of Gavins chapters are pretty short so I felt like he wasn’t as important as the other three characters.

The tournament was different there’s relics and landmarks for the competitors to go to and also its a tournament to the death so we see them throwing curses at each other. It was fun to see what they would curse each other with and how the magic system in this book worked. We also see a few alliances form and we read about why alliances don’t work for this kind of tournament, there can only be one winner. There’s also excerpts from the tell all book at the start of each chapter that gives us an insight to how each family goes about their strategies.

This was a good book and it’ll keep you entertained. The characters, the magick, the plot twists, all worked and it’ll keep you reading until the very end. I’m excited to see how everything is going to end in the next book!

LIGHTLARK By Alex Aster

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

LIGHTLARK By Alex AsterLightlark by Alex Aster
Series: Lightlark #1
Published by Amulet Books on 8/23/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 418
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Welcome to the Centennial.

Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die.

Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling—a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial.

To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray…even as love complicates everything.

Short and Sweet Review

There’s six different realms and every 100 years they are invited to Lightlark to participate in the Centennial a deadly game. The ruler who wins the game will end the curse that plagues their respective realm. Lightlark follows Isla our main character who is a wildling. Isla doesn’t have any powers like the other rulers so she has to be strategic to win.

Honestly there was a lot of controversy surrounding this book so as a disclaimer just know that I didn’t read anything about what was happening and I went into this book with an open mind.

I think the situation concerning the curses was interesting I don’t remember if there was a reason each realm was cursed but on Isla’s the Wildlings are not allowed to fall in love. Isla goes to the Centennial and she only knows one person Celeste from the Starling realm and they’ve decided to align themselves and work together without anyone else’s knowledge. Isla knows the other rulers by name and just hearing about them. So the Centennial is 100 days and no one is allowed to attack another ruler until 50 days has gone by. Each ruler comes up with a game or demonstration to know more about the other rulers and eventually the rulers will be paired up and try to win the game by solving a riddle.

This was a quick read for me. There was a lot of alliances and betrayal going on and it was interesting to see who everyone wanted to work with and who they didn’t. I liked seeing Isla explore the different places on light lark to try to find something to break the curse. There was more running around the island trying to find this thing called the heart and not that much action. I thought there would be more action especially after the 50 days ended, but I will say some of the backstabbing did surprise me. The ending was good I guess the only thing that stopped me from rating this book higher was that there wasn’t anything that spectacular about it.

THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS By Chloe Gong

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS By Chloe GongThese Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Series: These Violent Delights #1
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on 11/17/20
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Retellings, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 463
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Short and Sweet Review

These Violent Delights follow Juliette and Roma in the year 1926 in Shanghai. Both Roma and Juliette are involved in their families gangs and are the heirs, Juliette belongs to the Scarlet Gang and Roma to the White Flowers. Something strange is happening in Shanghai and people are claiming there’s a madness going around that’s causing people to kill themselves. Roma and Juliette have a history they were in a forbidden romance that ended in betrayal, now they spend their days staying away from each other. As the death toll increases Roma and Juliette realize they’ll have to work together to stop whatever is happening before neither of them can be the ruler of Shanghai.

This was such a different a unique take on Romeo and Juliette but it worked. I wasn’t sure how much I would like the gang aspect but I think with the setting and time it worked.

Juliette is the heir of the Scarlet gang and she’s sometimes not taken seriously by her family members mainly because of the fact that she’s a girl but she’s tough and willing to do what she needs to for the gang. Over the course of the book she kind of drops the ball on her duties but only because she’s out investigating the madness. Juliettes right hand women consist of her cousins, Kathleen and Rosalind although Kathleen seems to be more of a ride or die kind of person while Rosalind questions Juliettes choices.

Roma is the heir of the White flowers although his dad prefers someone else in the gang. Roma’s right hand guys are his cousin Benedikt and his friend Marshall. Roma is more willing to work with Juliette than she is to work with him. After Romas sister Alisa gets infected with the madness its basically a race against the clock to find who’s causing the madness and to find a cure. I will say that reading about these people ripping and tearing at their throats was brutal and kind of graphic.

I liked seeing Roma and Juliette sneak around the city so that their gangs wouldn’t know their working together. It also gave us an insight on their past and what went wrong but they really do make a good team. I liked seeing their right hands go on separate missions to follow other leads. The ending was so good and it just makes you want the second book in your hand to find out what’s going to happen next. I love these two characters but after this ending I wonder how they’re going to handle everything and I can’t wait to find out!

THE ASSASSIN’S BLADE By Sarah J. Maas

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE ASSASSIN’S BLADE By Sarah J. MaasThe Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
Published by Bloomsbury YA on 3/4/14
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 446
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes-and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches-and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . .

Short and Sweet Review

The Assassin’s Blade is a collection of 5 Throne of Glass novellas. I usually don’t review books with novels but I thought these were pretty important in seeing how Celaena was trained and how she got to where we saw her in the beginning of Throne of Glass.

Celaena is a notable Assassin, no one knows her true identity but they know to fear her and Celaena likes it that way. Celaena is apart of the assassins guild and works for Arobynn Hamel, we see him send her on missions and the more time away from Arobynn the more Celaena begins to question his motives.

Each novella really gives the reader an insight into how Celaena has been living, she’s ruthless but she also has morals and cares about things that she knows shouldn’t be happening, and unfortunately her good hearted nature is what gets her betrayed in the end. We also meet Sam, a fellow assassin and Celaenas love interest in this book. I will say that Sam deserved better than what happened. I loved the chemistry better Celaena and Sam. I liked seeing Celaena fight for what she wanted and figure out that she deserved better than the Assassins guild and the way Arobynn treated her.

I loved each of the novellas, and it made me love Celaena more, she’s been through a lot but she’s still a fighter. I’m excited to finish this series!

STRANGE AND EVER AFTER By Susan Dennard

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

STRANGE AND EVER AFTER By Susan DennardStrange and Ever After by Susan Dennard
Series: Something Strange and Deadly #3
Published by HarperTeen on 7/22/14
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 405
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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It has been a tumultuous time for Eleanor Fitt since life as she knew it in Philadelphia came abruptly to an end. Although the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and Daniel—have helped her survive, Eleanor has lost just about everything.

And now, Jie is missing—taken by the evil necromancer Marcus. Eleanor is determined not only to get her back but to finally end this nightmare. To do so, she must navigate the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt amid the rising Dead, her unresolved feelings for Daniel, and her volatile relationships with Joseph and Oliver, her demon. And it won't be easy. Because Allison, her friend from Philadelphia, has tagged along, becoming strangely entangled in Eleanor's mission.

Short and Sweet Review

Eleanor and the remaining spirit hunters (Joseph and Daniel), and her demon are on their way to Egypt to follow Marcus who has also kidnapped Jie. Also joining this little group is Allison who came all the way from Philadelphia to find Eleanor. Anyway Eleanor is determined to stop Marcus once and for all.

I’m going to be honest, nothing in this book redeemed Eleanor for me. I thought after the second book that she was insufferable and that maybe just maybe she would be better in this final book, but I was wrong. Her dialogue was just awful she comes off as mean, selfish, and someone who won’t even listen to those around her. Eleanor did whatever she wanted to do and didn’t think about how her decisions would effect those around her. I don’t really know what happened during most of this book, it was boring and I would read and then not really care about what was happening because I just wanted it to be over.

Out of the trilogy this is the worst book. The ending wasn’t that good but I guess if you’ve read the first two books you might as well this book like I did just so you can have closure. Maybe this would have done better as a duology I feel like things could have been wrapped up nicely in two books.

A DARKNESS STRANGE AND LOVELY By Susan Dennard

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

A DARKNESS STRANGE AND LOVELY By Susan DennardA Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard
Series: Something Strange and Deadly #2
Published by HarperTeen on 7/23/13
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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With her brother dead and her mother insane, Eleanor Fitt is alone. Even the Spirit-Hunters—Joseph, Jie, and the handsome Daniel—have fled to Paris. So when Eleanor hears the vicious barking of hounds and sees haunting yellow eyes, she fears that the Dead, and the necromancer Marcus, are after her.

To escape, Eleanor boards a steamer bound for France. There she meets Oliver, a young man who claims to have known her brother. But Oliver harbors a dangerous secret involving necromancy and black magic that entices Eleanor beyond words. If she can resist him, she'll be fine. But when she arrives in Paris, she finds that the Dead have taken over, and there's a whole new evil lurking. And she is forced to make a deadly decision that will go against everything the Spirit-Hunters stand for.

In Paris, there's a price for this darkness strange and lovely, and it may have Eleanor paying with her life.

Short and Sweet Review

After her brother’s death and having to put her mother in a mental facility, Eleanor has nothing left for her in Philadelphia so she decides to leave for Paris and find the Spirit-hunters. On her way to Paris, Eleanor meets Oliver who claims to have known Elijah and he’ll begin teaching Eleanor necromancy and things that go against what the spirit hunters stand for.

This is my second time reading this book and I never made it to the third and final book, and after reading this book for the second time I know why. I found Eleanor to be insufferable. She meets Oliver which was Elijah’s demon and he soon becomes Eleanors because she needed help escaping hell hounds. Eleanor promises Oliver to practice her magic and necromancy so that she can free him but Eleanor is basically using him and it seems cruel because she can command him to do things that he doesn’t want to. Obviously Eleanor knows that the Spirit hunters would have a problem working with a demon so she tries to keep that hidden which doesn’t work out so well, eventually she feels alone because everyone feels betrayed by her. I didn’t feel bad for Eleanor she brought everything that happened in this book upon herself. Joseph tries to help Eleanor control her magic but she ignores him because she thinks she knows everything and she throws a lot of tantrums. I feel like Eleanors character development decreased in this book, she made it hard to read and hard to root for her. In Paris the spirit hunters are looking for someone who is able to control the dead and also they have Marcus in the back of their minds because he’s still around somewhere. I thought this book was just okay. The arguments Eleanor had with everyone made me roll my eyes and her whole attitude and approach in this book was trash for a lack of better words. I do plan on finishing this series but I will say this book was a let down compared to the first.

THE TIMEMATICIAN By Steven Bereznai

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE TIMEMATICIAN By Steven BereznaiThe Timematician by Steven Bereznai
Published by Jambor on 8/2/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 194
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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The Genetic Wars have left the planet an apocalyptic wreck. All it needs is one final push from mad genius Doctor BetterThan to finish the job.

With his unique time abilities, he has all the power he needs to thrash pesky superheroes intent on thwarting him—and make them pay for decades of disrespect. “Triumphi!”

Destroying the world solves everything. Until she comes along.

On the cusp of total victory, fellow tech maniac Mairi Lin Monroe plays her surprising hand, and sparks fly as she and her cybernetic lady-matons threaten to transcend Doctor BetterThan's grand plan.

Can he achieve new depths of deceit to defeat her and be the last person standing? Can he become THE TIMEMATICIAN?

Or has he finally met his match?

Short and Sweet Review

The Timematician is about Doctor BetterThan, his plan is to be the only person on the planet and it’s going well until Mairi Lin Monroe comes along. Mairi Lin and her cybernetic lady’s plan on thwarting Doctor BetterThan’s grand plans.

I read the first Gen M book and this one is supposed to be a prequel/sequel or can be read alone. I don’t think it makes sense as a prequel or sequel I don’t see how it would fit. I think Doctor BetterThan is a character from the first book I can faintly remember a character that shares the same attributes but I don’t remember his name. Honestly this book was ridiculous. Its basically just Doctor BetterThan trying to be the last man standing but he meets Mairi Lin and learns that she’s not going to let him be and they end up battling and falling in love. Doctor BetterThan wasn’t a good character he was supposed to be smart but he acted like a child and when he didn’t get his way he would stomp his foot and it was just too childish. The story was boring it was just Doctor BetterThan and Mairi Lin going back and forth and it was predictable. The only thing that was redeemable was the fact that this was a short book.

THIS WICKED FATE By Kalynn Bayron

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THIS WICKED FATE By Kalynn BayronThis Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron
Series: This Poison Heart #2
Published by Bloomsbury YA on 6/21/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, LGBT, Mythology, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 313
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she'll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart. To locate the missing piece, she must turn to the blood relatives she's never known, learn about their secret powers, and take her place in their ancient lineage.
But Briseis is not the only one who wants the Heart, and her enemies will stop at nothing to fulfill their own ruthless plans. The fates tell of a truly dangerous journey, one that could end in more heartache, more death. Strengthened by the sisterhood of ancient magic, can Briseis harness her power to save the people she loves most?

Short and Sweet Review

This Wicked Fate picks up right where This Poison Heart ended. Circe is alive but Briseis mom is dead, but she does have a chance to get her back if she can get all of the pieces of the Absyrtus heart together. With the relatives she’s just met Briseis will go on a journey to places that people thought were just stories to get her mom back.

This was such a good conclusion! Breseis gets to meet Circe her maternal aunt and Persephone a family member who like Marie has immortality because of the Absyrtus heart. There’s a lot of teamwork between the characters and even some of the secondary characters offering their support was heartwarming. I love that this feels like a scavenger hunt and at some points some of the tasks may have felt impossible for the characters but they never gave up. My favorite thing about this book was the mythology that was mixed in, I learned a lot about mythological characters that aren’t mentioned or are very popular. There was a lot of sacrifices that were made and forgiveness given. I loved that Marie and Persephone were willing to give up certain things they were both very selfless. Breseis also learned that its okay to have both, that it was okay to love her moms but also let in the relatives from her birth moms side, the connection Breseis makes with Circe was beautiful.

Overall this book was epic and I loved every minute of it! If you get a chance put everything down and read this duology it’s worth it!


THIS POISON HEART By Kalynn Bayron

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THIS POISON HEART By Kalynn BayronThis Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
Series: This Poison Heart #1
Published by Bloomsbury YA on 6/29/21
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy & Magic, LGBT, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Briseis has a gift: with a single touch she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms.

When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents hope that surrounded by plants and flowers, she will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they never expected―it comes with a mysterious set of instructions, a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world, and generations of secrets. There is more to Bri’s sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it.

Short and Sweet Review

Breseis has a gift, she can make seeds bloom into plants and plants call to her like Moana calls to the ocean. Breseis birth mom is dead and her sister Circe dies to and in Circes will she leaves Breseis an estate in rural New York. When Breseis and her parents arrive they find the place surrounded with plants and a closed apothecary. Bri was left a set of instructions and she’s determined to uncover the secrets that this estate is holding and at the same time learn more about herself and where her powers came from.

This was an amazing book. It was interesting to see Bri learn more about herself and the fact that she was immune to poisonous plants. When Bri first comes to the estate most things regarding her birth mother and her family are a mystery and I love that through the course of the book Bri learns more about her family and some mythology. Rhinebeck is a small town and there’s some strange things going on like people just showing up on the property trying to get things from the apothecary. Bri made some friends Karter and Marie and it was interesting because both of them knew more than they were willing to share. There was a lot that went on in the end but in a good way and it gave me chills, because just thinking about the lengths some people will go to to get what they want is creepy! I loved the ending and I’m so excited to pick up the second book and see how this story concludes. I would definitely recommend this book, it kept me hooked from beginning to end and that ending left me wanting more!

KATZENJAMMER By Francesca Zappia

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

KATZENJAMMER By Francesca ZappiaKatzenjammer by Francesca Zappia
Published by Greenwillow Books on 6/28/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 304
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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Cat lives in her high school. She never leaves, and for a long time her school has provided her with everything she needs. But now things are changing. The hallways contract and expand along with the school’s breathing, and the showers in the bathroom run a bloody red. Cat’s best friend is slowly turning into cardboard, and instead of a face, Cat has a cat mask made of her own hardened flesh.

Cat doesn’t remember why she is trapped in her school or why half of them—Cat included—are slowly transforming. Escaping has always been the one impossibility in her school’s upside-down world. But to save herself from the eventual self-destruction all the students face, Cat must find the way out. And to do that, she’ll have to remember what put her there in the first place.

Short and Sweet Review

Let me start of with saying this was one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read and I’m still not sure if it was good weird or bad weird. I feel like when people say their on an acid trip that’s what reading this book was like.

Our main character Cat lives in her high school she doesn’t remember how or why that is. Cat isn’t the only one who lives in the high school there are other students and they’re separated based on whether they still look normal or have been “changed.” When students are being murdered Cat takes it upon herself to figure out who’s killing the other students and stop them.

Honestly I don’t even know what was happening it was that trippy. The book goes back and forth between past and present so we can see what Cats life was like before she was stuck in the school and changed. In the present we see that the school is a living entity and some of the students had strange changes or powers. The book was okay I just don’t think it worked, maybe it would have been better if they were trapped in the school and it was the school that was alive and murderous but having the students have cardboard boxes and tentacles for arms just wasn’t it. Overall this was a fast read and definitely one of the strangest books I’ve read this year.