OCULTA By Maya Motayne

March 29, 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.

OCULTA By Maya MotayneOculta by Maya Motayne
Series: A Forgery of Magic #2
Published by Balzer + Bray on 4/6/21
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 541
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
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After joining forces to save Castallan from an ancient magical evil, Alfie and Finn haven’t seen each other in months. Alfie is finally stepping up to his role as heir and preparing for an International Peace Summit, while Finn is traveling and reveling in her newfound freedom from Ignacio.

That is, until she’s unexpectedly installed as the new leader of one of Castallan’s powerful crime syndicates.

Just when Finn finds herself back in San Cristobal, Alfie’s plans are also derailed. The mysterious organization responsible for his brother’s murder has resurfaced—and their newest target is the summit. And when these events converge, Finn and Alfie are once again forced to work together to follow the assassins’ trail and preserve Castallan’s hopes for peace with Englass.

But will they be able to stop these sinister foes before a new war threatens their kingdom?

Short and Sweet Review

After the events of the first book, Alfie and Finn haven’t seen each other in months. Alfie is preparing for a peace summit with Englass, a place where magic has been outlawed and their citizens are treated as less than. Meanwhile Finn is enjoying her freedom, but unbeknownst to her she becomes the new leader of a powerful crime organization. Alfie and Finn are brought back together when there are multiple murders occurring in the city and they seem to be attacking people related to the summit.

Alfie has a lot on his plate, the summit is actually something his brother Dez wanted to happen and Alfie feels an obligation to make sure everything goes right. It doesn’t help that there are murders occurring around Castallan during the time of the summit. Alfie and Finn try to find out who is calling the shots when it comes to these murders and they’re doing a lot of digging and at times I felt that this changed the pace of the book and things were moving so slowly. It doesn’t help that Alfie has to try to make the Englassian Royals feel welcome, he tries to make sure Prince Marsden feels the most welcome because it seems he’ll be the hardest to convince, Princess Vesper on the other hand seems to try to help Alfie with convincing her family that the summit is a good idea. Finn is on the other side working with a crime syndicate and she knows she needs to succeed in finding out who’s in charge so she can pass on the title of leader. Finn and Alfie obviously like each other, but they try to fight their feelings for whatever reason. They both know that they basically complete each other so this ridiculous take on we should fight our feelings didn’t work for me. The ending was intense and a lot of great stuff happened there, but I think it took way too long to get there. This book could have been 100 pages shorter.

This book had such a different vibe from Nocturna. I was waiting for more magic and fun but I think this book took on a darker tone. The ending was great the twists and turns were unexpected and I’m interested to see what the last book has in store.

Filed Under: Reviews

THUNDERHEAD By Neal Shusterman

March 24, 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.

THUNDERHEAD By Neal ShustermanThunderhead by Neal Shusterman
Series: Arc of a Scythe #2
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on 1/9/18
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy & Magic, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 509
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Humans learn from their mistakes. I cannot. I make no mistakes.

The Thunderhead is the perfect ruler of a perfect world, but it has no control over the scythedom. A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent.

As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the “new order.” But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change.

Old foes and new enemies converge, and as corruption within the Scythedom spreads, Rowan and Citra begin to lose hope. Will the Thunderhead intervene?

Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?

Short and Sweet Review

After the events of Scythe, Citra has become Scythe Anastasia and has Scythe Curie as her mentor, while Rowan has stolen Scythe Goddard’s ring and has become Scythe Lucifer. Citra tries to do her gleaning with compassion and her way of doing things are starting to rock the boat. Rowan on the other hand is gleaning scythes that he finds to be corrupt. The Thunderhead is also more engaging in this book. It still has rules it has to abide by but it uses one of its favorite people to try to be able to make sure that Citra is safe. The Thunderhead is also upset with all of the corruption that is going on around the world. We also see old and new enemies, and the question is will the Thunderhead do anything to help?

Thunderhead was a pretty well written sequel. Now that Citra is a scythe we see how divided things are within the scythedom, every scythe has different opinions on how things should be conducted. We’re also introduced to a new character Greyson whom the thunderhead uses as a go between because it’s not allowed to speak to scythes. There was a lot of Greyson in the story but it made sense because I think this book really revolved around the Thunderhead and how it was feeling about the things it was seeing and Greyson was its way of trying to fix things. I do think there wasn’t a lot of Rowan we saw him go about taking out scythes that he found to be corrupt and then more towards the end when an old foe shows up to use him for their gain. There’s also a lot of Citra as she’s new to being a scythe and we see her new ideas aren’t going over well with other scythes and there’s someone trying to take either her or scythe curie out.

This book was so good and hard to put down. I remember some parts made my jaw drop because I just wasn’t expecting the book to take the turns it did. I enjoyed reading the little tidbits from the Thunderhead and seeing its reactions to the things going on. The ending was great and I’m excited to see where things will go from here. I would definitely recommend continuing on with this series as it only gets better!

Filed Under: Reviews

MY DEAR HENRY By Kalynn Bayron

March 20, 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.

MY DEAR HENRY By Kalynn BayronMy Dear Henry by Kalynn Bayron
Published by Feiwel & Friends on 3/7/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, LGBT, Retellings, Young Adult
Pages: 266
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

London, 1885. Gabriel Utterson, a 17-year-old law clerk, has returned to London for the first time since his life— and that of his dearest friend, Henry Jekyll—was derailed by a scandal that led to his and Henry's expulsion from the London Medical School. Whispers about the true nature of Gabriel and Henry's relationship have followed the boys for two years, and now Gabriel has a chance to start again.

But Gabriel doesn't want to move on, not without Henry. His friend has become distant and cold since the disastrous events of the prior spring, and now his letters have stopped altogether. Desperate to discover what's become of him, Gabriel takes to watching the Jekyll house.

In doing so, Gabriel meets Hyde, a a strangely familiar young man with white hair and a magnetic charisma. He claims to be friends with Henry, and Gabriel can't help but begin to grow jealous at their apparent closeness, especially as Henry continues to act like Gabriel means nothing to him.

But the secret behind Henry's apathy is only the first part of a deeper mystery that has begun to coalesce. Monsters of all kinds prowl within the London fog—and not all of them are out for blood...

Short and Sweet Review

The year is 1885 in London, and Gabriel Utterson is in medical school per his dad’s wishes. The medical school is predominately white, but Gabriel ends up meeting Henry another student who is black and they hit it off. Unfortunately, this time period doesn’t look to kindly upon the relationship these two boys form. Both of the boys are kicked out of the school and along with them Henry’s father, Dr. Jekyll. After being kicked out of school Gabriel is offered a position as a law clerk and he hasn’t seen Henry in quite some time, but Henry does make it clear that Gabriel should keep his distance. Gabriel begins watching the Jekyll house and comes across Hyde, a strange gentlemen who claims to be friends with Henry. Gabriel can’t understand why Henry would push him away but he’s not going to stop pursuing his friend until he finds out.

I can’t really say anything about Bayron’s take on the story of, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, because I’m not really familiar with the story unless you count that one episode of Scooby-Doo I watched as a child. That being said this was a book that held my interest, I wanted to know more about Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and what exactly was going on in that house. Gabriel and Henry had a sweet relationship, but they were really risking it all to have a same sex relationship in 1885 and I don’t think it made it any better to those around them that they were both black. I did like the representation and the fact that both boys were intelligent. We do see that Henrys father Dr Jekyll is a mad scientist. Also Hyde was just so mysterious that it made trying to figure him out more fun, like why is he always stalking around at night? I did like that even though Gabriel felt alone without Henry, he did have a good support system, his landlady, his cousin, and another friend from med school.

The mystery of Henry was great to solve and I also learned a bit about Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. This is the third book I’ve read by Bayron and I just think her writing has a way of sucking you into the story. I would recommend My Dear Henry, its a good remix on a classic and it was short, fast, and captivating.

Filed Under: Reviews

GREYMIST FAIR By Francesca Zappia

March 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.

GREYMIST FAIR By Francesca ZappiaGreymist Fair by Francesca Zappia
Published by Greenwillow Books on 3/28/23
Genres: Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Retellings, Young Adult
Pages: 310
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Two roads lead into a dark forest. They meet at Greymist Fair, the village hidden in the trees, a place kept alive by the families that never leave. The people of Greymist Fair know the woods are a dangerous and magical place, and to set foot off the road is to invite trouble.

When Heike, the village’s young tailor, discovers a body on the road, she goes looking for who is responsible. But her quest only leads to more strange happenings around Greymist Fair.

Inspired by the original, bloody, lesser-known fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, acclaimed author Francesca Zappia crafts an enthralling murder-mystery that will keep readers turning the pages. Told from multiple points of view, with each narrative building on the crime discovered by Heike, Greymist Fair examines the themes of childhood fears, growing into adult responsibilities, and finding a place to call home amid the trials of life and death.

Short and Sweet Review

Greymist Fair is a village hidden in the trees. There’s only two roads that led into Greymist and the villagers know that leaving will only cause trouble. Heike, one of the villagers finds a body on the road and she decides to find out who is responsible, but on her quest she learns that there are other strange things happening in Greymist.

Greymist Fair is one interesting book. There are seven Grimm fairytales that are being retold and each story is told as a short story and they are all interwoven. Even though all of the stories connect I still felt like this book was disjointed. Heike is a character that is shown throughout the whole book and her story is the first one told, but she finds the solution to her mystery pretty quickly. If I’m going to be honest I think the rest of the stories are there just to show the other people who are in Greymist Fair and how it got to be the way it is. The other stories do tend to have different timelines than the one we originally started off in. I liked that the book was retelling lesser known Grimm fairy tales and I think that’s where the book shines, in its telling of short stories, but the way it was all supposed to come together it just fell short of what I think the author was trying to achieve.

Overall, Greymist Fair was an easy book to breeze through and I love how Zappia made the fairytales her own. The book would have been more successful if the stories came together in a better way, otherwise I think it would have been better if it wasn’t short stories but just one story and some of the characters had their own POVs. I would still recommend this book, I would just suggest going into it with a very open mind.

Filed Under: Reviews

FOUL LADY FORTUNE By Chloe Gong

March 10, 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.

FOUL LADY FORTUNE By Chloe GongFoul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
Series: Foul Lady Fortune #1
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on 9/27/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 525
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue.

Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption for her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.

Code name: Fortune.

But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind’s new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed.

To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion’s cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.

Short and Sweet Review

Four years ago Rosalind was brought back from the brink of death and after an experiment Rosalind can’t die. After the things she’s done she’s looking for redemption so she uses her new abilities to act as an assassin for her country. The Japanese is beginning to march into Shanghai and people are being murdered by chemical attacks and that causes Rosalind’s mission to pivot. Now Rosalind has to infiltrate foreign society to find who is behind these murders, but to avoid suspicion Rosalind is teamed up with Orion and they have to pose as a married couple. The more these two unravel the layers to this mystery the more they realize that this mission isn’t as open and shut as it first seemed.

First of all, I love Chloe Gong’s writing. I loved the These Violent Delights Duology and it was interesting to see where some of the characters we know from that series ended up. Rosalind kind of reminds me of Black Widow, trying to get some redemption for mistakes made in the past. It was interesting that Rosalind was working for the Nationalists while Celia was a working for the Communists, they’re on opposite sides but I liked how they still looked out for each other. We also see Alisa, she’s a few years older and ends up running into Rosalind at the office building they’re both infiltrating but for the opposite sides. The partnership between Orion and Rosalind was great, they’re both obviously hiding things from each other. We have multiple POVs which I liked because it just added to how crazy everything going on was, and it was interesting to see how alliances shifted and who might be a double agent. We have some characters we recognize, but there’s also some new comers like Oliver and Phoebe, Orions siblings.

This book brings us back into a world we know and love but with something different. I loved the element of spies and traitors and a whole new era of panic in Shanghai. Orion and Rosalind did a good job at being undercover and investigating the people they worked with and also each other. The chemistry between these two just worked, Rosalind may have been annoyed with Orion at first but throughout the book you could feel the slow burn.

I wasn’t sure about following Rosalind’s story at first but she’s a badass and she makes you fall in love with her one page at a time. The ending was mind boggling and it just made me want the next book in my hand immediately, I can’t wait until Foul Heart Huntsman is released.

Filed Under: Reviews

EMPIRE OF STORMS By Sarah J. Maas

March 3, 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.

EMPIRE OF STORMS By Sarah J. MaasEmpire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #5
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on 9/6/16
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 703
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Short and Sweet Review

After the events of Queen of Shadows, Aelin learns that the path to the throne is going to be a long and hard one. War is also coming and now its up to Aelin and her friends to find allies that will fight alongside them.

This book is on par with the previous books and is filled with action. Aelin meets with some Lords who won’t accept her as queen, while at this meeting they hear that Rifthold is under attack so Rowan is sent there to get Dorian and make sure he’s safe. Elsewhere Elide is trying to make her way to Celaena who is Aelin but she doesn’t know that and she meets Lorcan and they start traveling together. Eventually Aelin and her group meet at Skulls Bay and make some more acquaintances along the way. Also Maeve is looking for Aelin and will stop at nothing until she gets what she wants.

I loved this book and the characters just make it everything that it is. Aelin is just so smart and calculating and even when it seems like she doesn’t know what she’s doing she’s actually 2 steps ahead. The ending was just jaw dropping and it set up the ending of the series beautifully. I’m excited to read Tower of Dawn and see what Chaol was up to while everyone was getting ready for war in this book. This series just gets better and better and I love the characters and the set up.

Filed Under: Reviews

REVELLE By Lyssa Mia Smith

February 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.

REVELLE By Lyssa Mia SmithRevelle by Lyssa Mia Smith
Published by Balzer + Bray on 2/14/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 459
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

On the island of Charmant, magic flows like bootlegged champagne, and fantasies can be bought for the price of a gemstone.

Luxe Revelle, star of her family’s fantastical show, knows the splendor is just an illusion. With Prohibition threatening their livelihood, her family struggles to make a living, watering down champagne and patching holes in their sequined costumes. So when the son of Charmant’s wealthiest family makes her an offer—everything the Revelles need to stay in business, in exchange for posing as his girl and helping him become mayor—she can’t refuse.

The moment Jamison Port sets foot in Charmant, he can’t shake the feeling of familiarity. An orphan with as few memories as gemstones, he’s desperate to learn what happened to his parents. But as he delves into the island’s secrets, he risks angering the wrong person and discovering a truth that just might break his heart.

When Luxe and Jamison accidentally meet, the sparks that fly are more than her magical enchantments. But keeping secrets from powerful people is a dangerous game . . . one that could destroy them both.

Short and Sweet Review

On the island of Charmant magic is flowing. There’s different families who have different abilities and for Luxe she has the ability to charm people with the Revelle family magic. Luxe uses her power at her family’s fantastic shows convincing tourists to give her jewels and with those jewels she can make their fantasies come true for a moment. But as great as the show is the family is running out of alcohol and that’s a problem because her family is struggling financially. Luxe ends up making a deal with Dewey Chronos a resident bootlegger and he’s running for mayor. He tells Luxe he’ll give her family alcohol if she poses as his girl and helps him win his bid for Mayor. Jamison Port is in Charmant for the first time or at least he thinks so, until he feels like there’s things that he recognizes. Jamison has a few memories but not enough to have the full picture. The main reason Jamison is in Charmant is to find out what happened to his parents. Jamison and Luxe meet and sparks fly but they’re players in a dangerous game and don’t even know it.

The world in this book is magical, we meet different families that have different abilities. The Revelles are able to charm people, the Chronoses can time travel, the Edwardians can hear thoughts, and the Strattori can heal by transferring wounds to other people. Things are really interesting because not only does Luxe have her normal family magic but she’s able to sway people’s thoughts and this second ability is actually blood magic. When Luxe agrees to help Dewey she does it because she wants to help her family, but she doesn’t really know what she’s getting into with Dewey. Dewey starts off as your typical nice guy but deep down that guy has some serious issues. He’s very possessive and insecure and the things we find out that’s been doing are really twisted. Jamison on the other hand comes to Charmant with Roger Revelle and Trysta Chronos, they both left their families behind to see what’s outside of Charmant and I love that they’re Jamison’s best friends, they were ride or die until the end. Jamison has been searching for answers about who his parents were and what happened to him and he feels like Charmant has the answers to those questions. There’s a lot going on in this book with the mystery of people disappearing, family members trying to assassinate each other, and the craziness the time traveling can have on what happens. The characters were great, Luxe is motivated by making sure her family will be okay and Jamison is like a protector, Dewey is someone you just don’t want to like his villain origin story was crazy. I also loved the secondary characters like Millie and Collette, Luxe’s cousins that she hasn’t really hung out with but is trying to reconnect with them and Trysta and Roger. This group really came together to try to right the wrongs that were happening and look for answers.

There was a lot of action in the end and it was a little dramatic but it was still so good. I loved the plot and the characters and the magic just took this book to another level. Get ready to be swept away in the magical world that is Revelle!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE ZEPPELIN DECEPTION By Colleen Gleason

January 28, 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 ZEPPELIN DECEPTION By Colleen GleasonThe Zeppelin Deception by Colleen Gleason
Series: Stoker & Holmes #5
Published by Avid Press on 8/22/19
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 360
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

It’s a cold, blustery day in January of 1890 when Mina Holmes receives an invitation to Evaline Stoker’s wedding. The two young women—partners and occasionally friends—haven’t spoken for nearly two months, since the events at the Carnelian Crow.

Shocked, Mina is still looking at the invitation when constables from Scotland Yard begin pounding on her front door. They’ve arrived to arrest her for the murder of a man she’s never even heard of.

Meanwhile, Evaline has her hands full with wedding plans (boring) and an overbearing sister who wants to manage her every move—including a dizzying array of social activities. In the midst of all this, she receives an invitation to visit Lady Isabella Cosgrove-Pitt, a most villainous woman.

With Pix in jail, Mina being hunted by Scotland Yard, and Evaline dining with the murderous Lady Isabella what more can possibly go wrong? Plenty.

And when the mysterious black zeppelin appears once again in the night sky, things are about to get even more dangerous than ever for Miss Stoker and Miss Holmes...

Short and Sweet Review

After the events of the Carnelian Crow, Mina and Evaline haven’t spoken in two months, so Mina is surprised when she gets an invitation to Evaline’s wedding. Mina doesn’t have long to think about how strange this is because the constables from Scotland Yard are pounding on her door waiting to arrest her for murder of a man she’s never even heard of. Evaline on the other hand is planning a wedding she doesn’t even want to have, but when she gets an invitation to go to Isabella Cosgrove-Pitt’s house she accepts, because what’s the worst that could happen?

I thought this last installment in the Stoker and Holmes series was probably one of the best, I liked it a lot more than the Carnelian Crow. I thought it was interesting to see how Mina and Evaline were without each other and the realization that they really do like to work together and care for one another. My favorite thing about this book was that it was the ending and we see these girls tackle their final case and will finally take on the Ankh for the last time. The Ankh really is one of their toughest villains and it was interesting to see how she was still pulling the strings in this final book. We also get to see some of the characters that we’ve come to love like Grayling, Pix, and Dylan.

The Zeppelin Deception was a great send off for Mina and Evaline, thought the series we’ve seen them work together and really form a bond. The plot in this book wasn’t lacking and it was fun seeing our heroines tackle one last case before moving on.

Filed Under: Reviews

SORCERY OF THORNS By Margaret Rogerson

January 26, 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.

SORCERY OF THORNS By Margaret RogersonSorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Series: Sorcery of Thorns #1
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on 6/4/19
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 457
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire, and Elisabeth is implicated in the crime. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

Short and Sweet Review

Elisabeth has grown up in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, the libraries contain grimoires that can whisper and shake on the shelves and if they’re provoked they can turn into monsters of ink and leather. One night someone releases one of the library’s most dangerous book and Elisabeth is blamed for the crime. Unfortunately Elisabeth has no one to turn to except for a sorcerer named Nathaniel Thorn and this is hard for Elisabeth because she has grown up thinking that all sorcerers are evil. Now Elisabeth is entangled in a conspiracy that spans centuries and she has to figure out how to make things right before the world incinerates around them.

Sorcery of Thorns was an intriguing book. I loved the fact that Elisabeth worked in one of the libraries and its not a. normal library it holds magical grimoires. Elisabeth knows a lot about the grimoires and treats the books with respect because she knows what will happen if she doesn’t. When Elisabeth is implicated in the crime she is forced to go with Nathaniel who will take her to her trial. Nathaniel is the best I love his dialogue, he’s smart and quick with his replies. Obviously Nathaniel shows Elisabeth that not all sorcerers are alike. Nathaniel also has a demon named Silas who is just as great he’s basically Nathaniel’s right hand. Anyway things really start picking up in this book when Elisabeth realizes that the grimoire that was taken from her library isn’t the only one and that more of these incidents are going to happen at the other great libraries. I liked Nathaniel and Elisabeth’s teamwork and how it went from skepticism on Elisabeth’s side to learning to trust Nathaniel.

I loved the characters in this book and the world building, the magic system is pretty great too. Elisabeth’s quest to save the world she loves is endearing and I liked how she was able to expand her horizons and understand that things she might have first believed can be wrong. This book was amazing and I loved how different it was from the books I’ve recently read.

Filed Under: Reviews

CITY OF NIGHTMARES By Rebecca Schaeffer

January 18, 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.

CITY OF NIGHTMARES By Rebecca SchaefferCity of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer
Series: City of Nightmares #1
Published by Clarion Books on 1/10/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 381
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Ever since her sister became a man-eating spider and slaughtered her way through town, nineteen-year-old Ness has been terrified—terrified of some other Nightmare murdering her, and terrified of ending up like her sister. Because in Newham, the city that never sleeps, dreaming means waking up as your worst fear.

Whether that means becoming a Nightmare that’s monstrous only in appearance, to transforming into a twisted, unrecognizable creature that terrorizes the city, no one is safe. Ness will do anything to avoid becoming another victim, even if that means lying low among the Friends of the Restful Soul, a questionable organization that may or may not be a cult.

But being a member of maybe-cult has a price. In order to prove herself, Ness cons her way into what’s supposed to be a simple job for the organization—only for it to blow up in her face. Literally. Tangled up in the aftermath of an explosive assassination, now Ness and the only other survivor—a Nightmare boy who Ness suspects is planning to eat her—must find their way back to Newham and uncover the sinister truth behind the attack, even as the horrors of her past loom ominously near.

Short and Sweet Review

Ever since Ness’ sister became a man eating spider Ness has been terrified of nightmares. Ness lives in the city of Newham where she works for the Friends of the Restful Soul, which may or may not be a cult. Ness is on her last straw with the friends organization for her inability to be brave. Ness goes on what should be a simple task: delivering mail, until it all blows up. Ness meets a nightmare named Cy, who’s a vampire, who may be trying to eat her. After Ness and Cy realize that the boat was blown up intentionally, they make their way back to Newham to try to find out who was behind the attack.

The world building in this book is great. When people have dreams they could end up waking as their worst fear. Ness has tried to avoid anything that scares her, she even leaves her friend to fight a nightmare by herself. I did like Ness she may have started off as a coward but through the course of the book she becomes less afraid of things that would normally send her running. I liked seeing the dynamic between Ness and Cy mainly because she wants nothing to do with him because he’s a vampire but he saves her life so that kind of changes things in her mind. I liked seeing how the nightmares worked and we even see what’s called a nightmare phantom in Ness’ dreams and he basically makes becoming your worst fear possible. Anyway Newham is filled with corruption and the assassination attempt was only scratching the surface. Ness doesn’t have any family, so it was nice seeing her friendship with Priya and her new one with Cy. The ending of the book was good and it sets up the sequel well. I’m excited to see what the sequel has in store and what decisions Ness will make.

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