WRATH BECOMES HER By Aden Polydoros

October 2, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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.

WRATH BECOMES HER By Aden PolydorosWrath Becomes Her by Aden Polydoros
Published by Inkyard Press on 10/10/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 302
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Vera was made for vengeance.

Lithuania, 1943. A father drowns in the all-consuming grief of a daughter killed by the Nazis. He can’t bring Chaya back from the dead, but he can use kishuf — an ancient and profane magic — to create a golem in her image. A Nazi killer, to avenge her death.

When Vera awakens, she can feel her violent purpose thrumming within her. But she can also feel glimpses of a human life lived, of stolen kisses amidst the tragedy, and of a grisly death. And when she meets Akiva, she recognizes the boy with soft lips that gave warm kisses. But these memories aren’t hers, and Vera doesn’t know if she gets—or deserves—to have a life beyond what she was made for.

Vera’s strength feels limitless—until she learns that there are others who would channel kishuf for means far less noble than avenging a daughter’s death. As she confronts the very basest of humanity, Vera will need more than what her creator gave her: Not just a reason to fight, but a reason to live.

Short and Sweet Review

Vera is a golem and she was made for vengeance. The man who made Vera made her in his daughters image and he needs Vera to go after the men who killed her. Vera knows what her purpose is and because of the magic that was used to make her she is also able to see glimpses of Chaya’s memories. Vera meets Akira a boy she recognizes from the memories instilled in her. Vera finds out that there are other golems being made but not for the purpose she was but for destruction now Vera feels the need to fight for more than what she was created for.

Wrath Becomes Her is a very interesting book in that our main character is a golem, she’s not even human and she doesn’t really have her own will. Ezra is the man that created Vera and he made her after his daughter Chaya was killed by Nazis, now its up to Vera to use the memories she has to hunt down those men. Ezra goes missing and Vera wants to find him and that’s when she goes on this journey with Akira. I think Akira and Vera are supposed to be a romantic item but it didn’t work for me he was calling Vera by Chaya’s name and Vera only knew him because of Chaya’s memories. Anyway along the journey they encounter Nazis who Vera obviously kills, but during this journey Vera learns that she’s able to do more than what Ezra created her for. Vera may have been created just for vengeance but after learning that other golems are being made for nefarious reasons she takes it upon herself to do what she can to stop it. I do believe that Vera had some character growth, she wasn’t a character I really enjoyed but I did have to remember that she wasn’t human, she was made of clay and made for the purpose of killing.

Overall, this book had a unique story and I did enjoy the Jewish folklore that was included. I do think my biggest problem was Vera’s character and her lack of emotions and how hard it was for her to understand that she was able to do things of her own will. Some elements in the book didn’t work but it was still a good read.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE SCARLET ALCHEMIST By Kylie Lee Baker

September 30, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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 SCARLET ALCHEMIST By Kylie Lee BakerThe Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
Series: The Scarlet Alchemist #1
Published by Inkyard Press on 10/3/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Young Adult
Pages: 417
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.

When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.

The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.

Short and Sweet Review

Zilan’s dream is to become a royal alchemist, she wants to be able to provide for her family and make sure that they’re stable. But for now she lives in a village with her aunt, uncle, and cousins practicing an illegal form of alchemy, resurrecting the dead, for money. Zilan has the chance to take her imperial exams and she passes and along with her cousins they travel to the capital to complete more tests. Zilan has a reputation that has traveled far from her little village all the way to the palace, and the prince has asked for her help to stop a future assassination attempt on his life. At the palace Zilan learns that there’s a lot of politics at play and the palace is even more dangerous than she originally thought.

This book was addicting right from the start. We meet Zilan and learn that she’s an alchemist and is able to resurrect the dead. Zilan is also determined to pass a test to become a royal alchemist, after her first test in the village she’s surprised to learn that she was actually selected, but before that unbeknownst to her the prince asks her to come to the Palace to save his life but she declines. When Zilan and her cousins arrive in the capital they begin their training. Its obvious to most that Zilan will push herself and she’s very risky, she’s also looked down upon by the others testing to be an alchemist, it also didn’t help that it seemed like the prince favored her. Anyway we learn that those in line for the throne after the emperor dies are being killed off one by one and the next person in line is the prince (Hong). There’s a bit of romance between Zilan and the prince but I feel like he liked her more than she liked him, I feel like the conversations between them were always taken the wrong way by at least one of them. One thing I did enjoy was seeing Zilan with her cousins, I did enjoy the family dynamic and seeing that even though they were arguing they all cared about each other. It was interesting to see that this book involved monsters and a bit of mystery as to who was killing everyone and who was coming after the prince. I did like the alchemy aspect and seeing Zilan do her thing even though sometimes she went too far when she knows how much danger she’s putting herself in. Zilan is an interesting character in the fact that she doesn’t really come off as likable, she has a short temper and she’s very combative, but I really wanted her to succeed. The book is fast paced and I was loving it until I got to the end, everything just seemed to happen a little too quickly. I thought this book was going to be a stand alone but after getting to the end I realized there’s going to be a sequel.

Overall, this was a fast paced book full of action, mystery, and fantasy. I haven’t read a lot of books about alchemy so it was fun to see how it was incorporated here and I enjoyed the historical setting. Definitely check this book out!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE FOREST DEMANDS ITS DUE By Kosoko Jackson

September 25, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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 FOREST DEMANDS ITS DUE By Kosoko JacksonThe Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson
Published by Quill Tree Books on 10/3/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, LGBT, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 426
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Regent Academy has a long and storied history in Winslow, Vermont, as does the forest that surrounds it. The school is known for molding teens into leaders, but its history is far more nefarious.

Seventeen-year-old Douglas Jones wants nothing to do with Regent's king-making; he’s just trying to survive. But then a student is murdered and, for some reason, by the next day no one remembers him having ever existed, except for Douglas and the groundskeeper's son, Everett Everley. In his determination to uncover the truth, Douglas awakens a horror hidden within the forest, unearthing secrets that have been buried for centuries. A vengeful creature wants blood as payment for a debt more than 300 years in the making—or it will swallow all of Winslow in darkness.

And for the first time in his life, Douglas might have a chance to grasp the one thing he’s always felt was missing: power. But if he’s not careful, he will find out that power has a tendency to corrupt absolutely everything.

A

Short and Sweet Review

Douglas attends Regent Academy, which is known for making its students into leaders. There’s also a forrest around the campus and Douglas can hear the forest talking to him. Douglas is just trying to make it through school, but one day a student is murdered and no one else seems to remember who that student was except for Douglas and the groundkeepers son, Everett. Douglas is determined to find out what’s going on around the school and the forest and he gets more than he bargained for.

The beginning of the book really pulls you in and makes you curious and eager to learn more about the forest and what’s going on with the student that was just murdered. Douglas is our main character and he has a bit of a reputation because of something that happened in the past, he didn’t have many friends and its also hard to be the only black student at the school. Douglas ends up going to the headmaster who informs him that he knows all about the forest and students being murdered and its because of a curse, and Everett and his mom and sister are like the protectors of the border. Anyway Douglas is dragged into all of the magical things going on and learns that things called perversions are escaping the forest and killing students. When students are killed no one on campus remembers that they even existed. Through this journey Everett and Douglas become closer and we see a romance form. The romance was okay I wasn’t invested in it, it felt like because they were both in this position to save the school that they gravitated towards each other. Douglas was tasked with breaking the curse on the school and we see him, Everett, and Emma go into the forest and deal with all the creepy things that are in there. I feel like in the middle of the book the pacing was a bit off. The ending was okay but also bittersweet.

Overall, the book was okay but it wasn’t anything I was wowed by. I’m not sure what I wasn’t vibing with while reading this book but the main thing was the pacing. There were some good moments with action and all the questions were answered so there’s that.

Filed Under: Reviews

NIGHT OF THE WITCH By Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

September 22, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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.

NIGHT OF THE WITCH By Sara Raasch and Beth RevisNight of the Witch by Beth Revis, Sara Raasch
Series: Witch and Hunter #1
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on 10/3/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 416
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Fritzi is a witch. The lone survivor of a brutal attack on her coven, she's determined to find her only remaining family member and bring the hexenjägers—zealot witch hunters—to justice for the lives they ended. To do this, she will need to take down their leader, the merciless and enigmatic Kommandant Dieter Kirch.

Otto is a hexenjäger—but that's just his cover. Years ago, the hexenjägers burned his innocent mother alive, and he has been plotting his revenge against the people who tore apart his family ever since. And now the time has come for them to pay for what they've done.

When Fritzi and Otto are unexpectedly thrown together, neither is sure they can trust the other. The reluctant truce fueled by their common enemy takes them from the city at the heart of the hexenjägers' power to the wild and mysterious Black Forest. As old truths come to light and new dangers are revealed, Fritzi and Otto uncover a horrifying magical plot at the center of the hexenjäger attacks that leads back to Kommandant Kirch . . . but their own growing feelings for each other may be the most powerful magic of all.

Short and Sweet Review

Fritzi is the only survivor after her coven was brutally murdered by the hexenjägers (witch hunters), and now she’s made it her mission to find her only surviving relative, her cousin Liesel. To accomplish her mission she’ll need to take down their leader, Dieter Kirch. On the other hand we have Otto who is one of the hexenjägers and Dieters second in command. Ever since the hexenjägers killed Otto’s mother he’s been planning his revenge. When Fritzi and Otto meet they’re weary of each other ones a witch and the other is a hunter but they both have a common goal.

I feel like Night of the Witch was predictable, We have Fritzi a witch teaming up with a rogue witch hunter and the villain was just weird and felt like his motive was just to be powerful and in charge. Fritzi encounters Otto and his fellow witch hunters while on the search for her cousin, which is when Fritzi becomes imprisoned herself. When the two have time alone Otto explains that he’s been working to free the other witches that are set to burn and he needs Fritzi’s help to do it. This is where things get weird because we learn how Fritzi and Dieter are connected and then Fritzi escapes with Otto and Liesel and they learn that they’ve been picked to be a Goddess’s chosen one and warrior. We also learn that there are different kind of witches, out main character Fritzi uses herbs to cast spells, while her cousin is able to control fire. I didn’t like the romance between Fritzi and Otto mainly because it felt too easy in a sense, they were supposed to be enemies but not really since Otto isn’t who he’s portraying to the world, but the romance between them felt forced and a little to instant for me. Honestly the book was slow and I think it was due to all the world building, but also the villain just seemed too predictable and the ending was ridiculous especially when you read the epilogue.

Overall, I liked that this book did have historical elements in it, but I wish there was more going on to keep my interest and hopefully in the next book there’s more action and character development. Night of the Witch was an okay book and I’m still on the fence of whether I would want to continue the series.

Filed Under: Reviews

IF I HAVE TO BE HAUNTED By Miranda Sun

September 13, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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.

IF I HAVE TO BE HAUNTED By Miranda SunIf I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun
Published by HarperTeen on 9/26/23
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Cara Tang doesn’t want to be haunted.

Look, the dead have issues, and Cara has enough of her own. Her overbearing mother insists she be the “perfect” Chinese American daughter—which means suppressing her ghost-speaking powers—and she keeps getting into fights with Zacharias Coleson, the local golden boy whose smirk makes her want to set things on fire.

Then she stumbles across Zach’s dead body in the woods. He’s even more infuriating as a ghost, but Cara’s the only one who can see him—and save him.

Agreeing to resurrect him puts her at odds with her mother, draws her into a dangerous liminal world of monsters and magic—and worse, leaves her stuck with Zach. Yet as she and Zach grow closer, forced to depend on each other to survive, Cara finds the most terrifying thing is that she might not hate him so much after all.

Maybe this is why her mother warned her about ghosts.

Short and Sweet Review

Cara is able to see ghost and its rough because on one hand her mom doesn’t want her to but her grandma is also a ghost that she can talk to and lives in their house and gives Cara advice. At school Cara has a rivalry with another student, Zach, and they’re paired up for a project. When Cara goes to meet with Zach she ends up finding his dead body instead. Now Cara is forced to embrace her ghost speaking abilities and try to help resurrect Zach. On their journey they encounter some crazy monsters and Cara starts to understand why her mom would try to keep her away from this world.

This book was different then I thought it would be and I’m not sure why I thought that because I did read the synopsis before going into it. Anyway I thought Cara would find Zach and it’d be like a mystery and they try to find what killed him. Instead we find his body and learn that Cara can help resurrect him and they go on almost a week long adventure through different thresholds, running into different monsters to try to save him. It was a welcome surprise for me because it wasn’t what I was expecting. Cara and Zach have a relationship where they get on each others nerves and they have a reputation for doing this and everyone around them knows it, so this journey they go on gives them lots of time to cozy up to each other. Like I mentioned earlier the fantasy element was more prevalent then I thought it would be, we see our main characters travel to the liminal world which is like another dimension but using places from the real world that the characters recognize. We see different monsters and even a cannibal who was unhinged and very creepy, we even meet a new character. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this character tagging along but in the end I did like her involvement. I will say I’m not completely sure how I feel about this book, there’s things that I loved like seeing Cara embrace her powers for once and realize that the choice to be a ghost speaker is hers alone to make, and also the fantasy elements that were involved. When I didn’t like so much was how Cara and Zach conveniently overcame their years long issues with each other in a week but I guess things do change when someone is dead. I also didn’t like how quickly Cara and her moms problems were solved in the end. Lastly that last chapter didn’t feel necessary if anything that could have been the epilogue or it could have been omitted it was cringey and I didn’t like it. The epilogue did make it seem like this would have more books involved which could be interesting now that Cara is okay with being a ghost speaker and her mom is coming around.

Overall, this book had more good than bad for me but unfortunately I can’t get past the things I didn’t like. I will say this is a good book for the upcoming fall season and I did mostly enjoy it.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE SCARLET VEIL By Shelby Mahurin

September 11, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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 SCARLET VEIL By Shelby MahurinThe Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin
Series: The Scarlet Veil #1
Published by HarperTeen on 9/26/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 640
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Six months have passed since Célie took her sacred vows and joined the ranks of the Chasseurs as their first huntswoman. With her fiancé Jean Luc as captain, she is determined to find her foothold in her new role and help protect Belterra. But whispers from her past still haunt her, and a new evil is rising—one that Célie herself must vanquish, unless she falls prey to the darkness.

Short and Sweet Review

Six months ago Célie took her vows and became the first woman chasseur. Now she lives in chasseur tower with her fiancé Jean Luc, and she’s determined to prove herself worthy of the chasseur name. When Célie comes across a murder she sets into action trying to find the killer but darkness by the name of Michal finds her instead.

I loved the Serpent and Dove trilogy but I have a feeling that The Scarlet Veil is going to blow us all away when its finished. I may have liked the witches in the other series but they have nothing on the vampires that are introduced in this book. Célie is now to being a chasseur and she has to prove herself because its hard being the only woman in a place where men think they’re superior and are always in charge. There has been a string of murders around town and Célie is left in the dark about them until she finds one of the victims. This spurs Célie to try to find the killer but instead she meets Michal and his cousins Odessa and Dimitri who basically kidnap her and bring her to the Isle of Requiem. Célie learns that the island is dying and although he may be a brooding vampire Michal needs her help. On the island Célie learns that she can see ghost and that there’s something different about her but she’s not sure what exactly it is.

This book was so good! I haven’t read a book with vampires in a while and was a bit apprehensive but these vampires were serving and it reminded me of the vampires we would see in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Anyway there’s some tension between Célie and Michal and I loved every minute of it especially when one of them would give in. We see a lot of character growth from Célie and she proves that she’s stronger than people give her credit for and that she’s not only there to look pretty. Célie did annoy me a few times in her bid to be morally right mainly because she tried to do the right thing in every situation which is great and all but sometimes it would just be better if she chose the other option which is what other characters would try to get her to understand. We also get to see characters from the past books which was great and interesting to see how they still played a part. The quest Célie goes on here was so much fun the Island of Requiem was like a darker version of wonderland and even included a talking cat and I still can’t get over the vampires. The ending to this book was chaotic but in the best way and I want the next book immediately!

The Scarlet Veil was an amazing book and I could not put it down! If you loved the Serpent and Dove series get ready to fall in love with Célie and the vampires in The Scarlet Veil because they’re unforgettable and will leave you wanting more!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE TOLL By Neal Shusterman

September 8, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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 TOLL By Neal ShustermanThe Toll by Neal Shusterman
Series: Arc of a Scythe #3
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 11/5/19
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy & Magic, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 637
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Citra and Rowan have disappeared. Endura is gone. It seems like nothing stands between Scythe Goddard and absolute dominion over the world scythedom. With the silence of the Thunderhead and the reverberations of the Great Resonance still shaking the earth to its core, the question remains: Is there anyone left who can stop him?

The answer lies in the Tone, the Toll, and the Thunder.

Short and Sweet Review

It has been three years since Endura sank taking most of the scythes and Citra and Rowan with it, now Scythe Goddard is in charge and he won’t let anyone forget it. The only way people are surviving is by adapting and trying to avoid getting in the way. The only hope they have is that the thunderhead is still talking to Greyson and maybe a few people come back from the dead.

This book has a different tone than the previous two and I attribute that to our past narrators of Rowan and Citra being gone. We follow Greyson and see him become the toll a figure that can talk to the Thunderhead and relay messages, scythe Faraday is on an island trying to figure out the message past scythes left, and we see scythe Goddard and his reign of terror. This book reminded me of Avengers Endgame, with Goddard being Thanos and everyone else is an Avenger trying to figure out how to get things back to normal and get their friends back. Although it was a bit weird for me to read from the other perspectives and not see Citra and Rowan for a while I’ve come to appreciate it because we really get to see how desolate things have become in the three years since Endura has sank. I did like seeing the return of Citra and Rowan it was like they were ready to finish what they started and that meant taking Goddard down. I also enjoyed Greyson and Faradays plot lines and following them for a majority of the book. The ending was different than what I was expecting but it was still good.

Overall, this was a satisfying end to this series and I’m excited to read Gleanings and see what more this world has to offer!

Filed Under: Reviews

CHAMPION OF FATE By Kendare Blake

September 4, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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.

CHAMPION OF FATE By Kendare BlakeChampion of Fate by Kendare Blake
Series: Heromaker #1
Published by Quill Tree Books on 9/19/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 473
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Aristene are an order of mythical female warriors. Though heroes might be immortalized in legends, it’s the Aristene who guide their paths to victory. They are the Heromakers.

Raised by the order after being orphaned, Reed grew up surrounded by her future sisters-in-arms and the incredible stories of their quests. She’s been counting the days until her initiation, and now one final test stands in her way: shepherding her first hero to glory on the battlefield. Succeed, and her place in the order is secured. Fail, and she’ll be cast out of the only home she’s ever known.

But Reed didn’t count on Hestion, her assigned hero, being both infuriating and intriguing. When their strategic alliance turns into something more, it forces Reed to question the cost of becoming an Aristene. As battle looms and fate hangs in the balance, Reed must make an impossible choice: her hero or her order.

Short and Sweet Review

The Aristene are legendary female warriors who are the ones who guide every hero to their path to victory. Reed was orphaned at a young age and was raised by the Aristene and now its time for her to go on to her final test, guiding a hero to their path to victory on the battle field, if she succeeds she’s earned her place as an Aristene and if she fails she’ll be cast out. Reed’s hero is a prince named Hestion, he honestly has no desire to be a hero and that makes him infuriating to Reed but also she’s interested in him. Being around Hestion makes Reed wonder if she really wants to be an Aristene.

Champion of Fate is an amazing fantasy book! We follow Reed who is an initiate for the legendary Aristene, who took her in when her village was slaughtered. Reeds mentor and mother figure is a woman named Aster who happens to have a high ranking. I loved the relationship between the two of them, Aster had a tough love approach but Reed always knew she could count on her. For Reed’s test she has to help Hestion a prince becomes a hero and lead him on a path to glory, but upon meeting him she learns that Hestion really wants to be in the background and he’s okay with his brother Belden being the one to take the credit. We see Reed and Hestion spend a lot of time together and get to know one another and they end up developing feelings for each other, which is easier for Hestion than it is for Reed. Reed knows once the war is finished she can’t stay with Hestion and she’ll have to move on. I did like the dynamic between these two and how for a while Hestion had Reed questioning if she really did want to become an Aristene or maybe stick around and leave that life behind. We follow these characters as they go into war which was pretty cool to see how amazing Reed and her friend Lyonene were at fighting. We also learn something about Reed that ends up changing everything. I loved Reeds character, she was strong and thoughtful, but also she cares a lot for the people she loves, she also has a horse that has a big personality. I also thought it was pretty cool to see one of the queens from the Three Dark Crowns series make an appearance.

The ending was not what I was expecting but in a good way and now all I want is the sequel in my hands. The writing is amazing and it will have you hooked from page one. I think of Reed being the Phil to someones Hercules. Champion of Fate is a fantasy book that will have you blown away and leave you wanting more!

Filed Under: Reviews

A STUDY IN DROWNING By Ava Reid

August 30, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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.

A STUDY IN DROWNING By Ava ReidA Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Published by HarperTeen on 9/19/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Gothic, Mystery & Detective, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Short and Sweet Review

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales, and since she was a young girl she has been haunted by the Fairy King. Her favorite author Emrys Myrddin wrote a book about a mortal falling in love with the fairy king and it just happens to be one of Effy’s favorite books. When Myrddin’s estate puts out a concert to redesign the late authors estates Iffy jumps at the chance. When she gets to Hiraeth Manor, Effy learns that her task is nearly impossible, the house is built near the sea and its close to falling in. She also meets another university student from the Literature college who is planning on exposing Myrddin as a hack but to do that he needs Effy’s help. There’s a lot of forces coming together to stop Effy and Preston, and they have to keep their wits about them to survive.

A Study in Drowning, is a scholarly mystery combined with dark fantasy elements. Effy is a student at the Architecture college and unfortunately she’s the only girl in that college and there’s some rumors or maybe truth to her being with a teacher. Effy is often looked down on because of her gender, so when she’s picked for the contest she’s ready to go and prove herself. Iffy meets Preston the other college student and finds him insufferable but they’re just two very different people who believe in different things which is why I did like this romance, because they took the time to understand each other and see things from the others point of view. Our setting is a decrepit manor on a cliff near a sea and even the writing makes you understand how dark and dreary this place really is. When Preston asks for Effy’s help, we see them both put their selves at risk to discover the truth. Ianto is Emrys’s son and there’s definitely something off with him, we see glimpses of the Fairy king in him. I could never tell whether or not to trust what Effy was seeing. Effy is one of those characters you end up falling in love with, she’s lived a life where a lot of people put her down and don’t always believe her so I’m glad in this book we see Preston coming around and having her back.

This book was an interesting combination of mystery and fantasy and I liked the characters and their determination to uncover the truth. I enjoyed this book and everything it had to offer.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE LIBRARY OF SHADOWS By Rachel Moore

August 14, 2023 by Leave a Comment

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 LIBRARY OF SHADOWS By Rachel MooreThe Library of Shadows by Rachel Moore
Published by HarperTeen on 9/5/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Radcliffe Prep. The third most haunted school in the country, where a student disappearance isn’t uncommon and no one dares stay in the library after dark. And Este Logano enrolls with the hopes of finding her dead father.

Not literally, of course. She doesn’t believe in ghosts. Going to her dad’s school just seems like her best hope at figuring out who he was.

But then Este meets Mateo, who is maybe—probably—definitely—a real ghost. And an annoying one at that.

When Mateo frames Este for the theft of a rare book from the library’s secret spire and then vanishes, Este will have to track him down or risk being expelled and leaving Radcliffe early just like her father did.

Except following her father’s footsteps might be more dangerous than Este ever anticipated. As she investigates the library with its secret passageways, hidden tunnels, and haunted halls, she learns that the student disappearances aren’t just myth. And if she isn’t careful, she’ll be next.

Short and Sweet Review

Este has enrolled at Radcliffe Prep one of the most haunted schools in the country in hopes of finding her dead father. Instead she ends up meeting Mateo who frames Este for stealing a valuable book, now Este has to find the book or risk being expelled. Este wants to follow in her father’s footsteps but she didn’t realize how dangerous it could be. The more Este investigates the library she learns that the school has a dark past that includes students going missing and if she isn’t careful, she’ll be next.

The Library of Shadows was an engrossing book. Este wants to figure out what happened to her father and that leads her to Radcliffe Prep. While investigating the library and finding a book called the Book of Fades, Este meets Mateo who eventually steals the book. Este is forced to find the book or get expelled. Mateo and Este eventually work together and she finds out that he’s a ghost and he’s missing his soul. Mateo isn’t the only ghost, there’s a few more in the same predicament as him. The Book of Fades is the solution to their problem and learning about why every ten years a student disappears. Este also has a pretty cool roommate, Posy, who starts a paranormal investigation club. I do wish that Este was nicer to Posy but Este is used to living a life where she feels that she can only depend on herself. I’m not sure how I feel about the romance seeing as though Mateo is dead. Mateo and Este have an interesting back and forth, she’s stubborn and Mateo isn’t exactly forthcoming with information. I did like the cast of characters and the mystery. The setting of the library with secret passageways was fun and set the mood. There are a lot of twists but they were good and keeps you on your toes guessing what could really be happening.

Overall, this book was great! I enjoyed the plot and the pacing and the thought of hanging out in a library full of ghost makes this the perfect book for the fall season!

Filed Under: Reviews