Last week was alright. It was better than the one before in that I read something, but there was still stuff going on for me. It’s been a rough month, honestly. Hopefully I can end on a higher note, though.
Anyway, without further ado, let’s get on with the Weekly Wrap-Up!
Tuesday 4/21: Top Ten Tuesday
Last Tuesday, I participated in Top Ten Tuesday again for the first time in a few weeks. Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community. The prompt for last week was April Showers.
On Wednesday, I participated in Can’t-Wait Wednesday again. Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings. It focuses on books you’re looking forward to reading, usually new releases.
I also participated in WWW Wednesday. WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. It focuses on the Three Ws of Reading: What are you currently reading?What did you recently finish reading? and What do you think you’ll read next?
Yesterday, I participated in Birthstone Book Covers. Birthstone Book Covers is a fun little post created and hosted by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black.
Each month, for the post, you feature book covers that are either the same color of the month’s birthstone or include the color in the title. This month was April, and its birthstone is diamond. So the color I picked was white.
So yeah, last week was okay. I’m hoping this week will at least be just as decent, but I’ve got something going on, so I might not be as on top of the blogging portion, and I’m not sure how much I’ll be up for reading. Hopefully everything is all good, though.
I’m not quite sure what I’m reading next, as I’m kind of in-between choices, but I’ll figure it out soon. For blogging this week, I want to participate in a few of my favorite weekly posts, and do a book review for Dungeon Crawler Carl, hopefully before the turn of the month.
Outside of books and blogging, everything is kind of the same as last week. I still haven’t gotten that IRL thing I mentioned last week resolved, but I should be getting it done this week.
Anyway, as always thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!
Happy Tuesday everybody! It’s been a while, but I just wasn’t feeling the last couple of prompts (I don’t have a bucket list and I couldn’t think of ten books that described me). I’m cutting it a little close, but I really wanted to participate this week!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community. This week’s topic is April Showers. It’s a very open prompt, and can be anything from rainy day reads, to books that made you cry, to books that wash away a bad reading experience.
I’m going with Books That Washed Away a Not Great Reading Experience. And by this I mean: books I DNF-ed, books I read but didn’t like, or books I didn’t hate but were very slow for me to get through. (I consider a book feeling too slow to be a bad reading experience for me personally; even if sometimes I end up thinking the book itself is alright (around three stars) after the fact.)
Anyway, without further ado, let’s get into it! From most recent to least recent.
Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews: I didn’t really enjoy the book I read before it.
How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps by Andrew Rowe: It took me a while to get through the last two books I read before this one, even though I ultimately thought they were alright. It was a real slog for me to get through them though, and I was in a slump for a bit until I read this.
Dark Moon, Shallow Sea by David R. Slayton: I DNF-ed the book I read before this one.
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone: I didn’t hate the book I read before this one, but it irritated me a lot. This book being so good helped turn my mood around.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke: I DNF-ed the book I read before this one.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers: I didn’t really like the book I read before this one.
White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton: I didn’t really like the two books I read before this one.
The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan: I really didn’t enjoy the two books I read before this one.
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune: The book I read before this one was a slog for me to get through. This was a real pick-me-up.
In Deeper Waters by FT Lukens: I really didn’t like the book I read before this one.
What did you do for April Showers? What books washed away your not-so-great reading experiences?
As always, thanks so much for reading, and I hope that you have an amazing day/night!
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme that used to be hosted at A Daily Rhythm, but has been taken over by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. Now, without further ado, let’s get into the 3 Ws!
The 3 Ws of WWW Wednesday:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
What I’m Currently Reading
✯✯ I have to stop doing this post on Wednesdays where I’m not reading anything. I’m gonna read Dungeon Crawler Carl next I swear! …Though I’ve also been tempted by other books. (Ugh. This is what happens when I don’t read a book right away when it starts to call for me.) ✯✯
★★ Yeah, as I mentioned last week and in my review, A Widow’s Charm wasn’t quite what I was expecting and it didn’t do it for me. The cover art and writing were really good, though. ★★
“Why, do you find there to be something of the Reaper about me?” he said, trying to make it sound like a jest but failing utterly.
She immediately abandoned the bread, coming to his side.
“The very opposite,” she said, taking his hand in hers, despite the fact that they were both sticky with bits of dough. “Your Charm doesn’t bring death, Elmwood. It brings back life. And I believe that reflects you perfectly.”
In this witty fantasy romance, a widow blackmails her rakish necromancer neighbor to bring her husband back to life and save her home – only to find herself falling for him instead.
Lady Hildegarde Croft is accustomed to changes in position. After all, she rose from maidservant to lady of the manor when she married Lord Thorgoode Croft. But when he drops dead quite unexpectedly, the plans that would have protected her and the people of Croftholde from her malevolent brother-in-law die along with him. What’s a widow to do?
Fortunately, potential salvation arrives in the form of Lord Erol Elmwood, who is fleeing the consequences of using his forbidden Charm to raise the dead and save his own life. Now he’s injured, destitute, and miserable, stuck hiding out at the neighboring estate.
For Hilde, blackmailing Lord Elmwood to resurrect Thorgoode seems like the perfect solution. For Elmwood, beautiful Lady Croft seems like the ideal distraction from his troubles. The problem is, all she wants from him is the horrifying power he knows he can never use again.
My Review
It was never the people who died peacefully in their beds at the end of a long life who needed resurrecting. No, it was always some wretch pulled untimely from their mortal coil. Whether their death was from the violence of another person’s act or the violence of a body succumbing to illness or accident, it was all violence. It left its indelible mark.
A Widow’s Charm was… okay. It just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, and didn’t really hit for me, unfortunately. The writing wasn’t bad, and I liked the general premise and a few of the characters. But it just didn’t live up to what I was hoping for.
Our dual protagonists were Lady Hildegarde Croft and Lord Erol Elmwood. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t really get invested in either of these characters. I preferred Hilde, though. I liked her initial motivations, and I thought she was a strong person. Elmwood just kind of annoyed me, however, I did kind of feel for him s little more near the end of the novel.
I much preferred Winthrop, Elmwood’s bestie. His friendship with Elmwood was great. I also liked Hilde’s sister Han, as well as Lady Isobel Warrit. Both seemed more interesting, though Lady Isobel seemed rather childish for her age, and was more often than not treated like an obstacle for the romance than a character. Han was awesome though, and she and Isobel were cute. Apparently, the next book in the series is going to focus on them, which is cool, but I’m currently unsure if I’ll go for it.
I was also more interested in Thorgoode, Hilde’s recently deceased husband, as well as intrigued by their relationship. The Croft servants were also more engaging characters to me, as well. The villain is the Harrier, who was also almost comically evil. I didn’t really like him as an antagonist.
“Stop manhandling me! I met Lady Croft by chance, and she’s been quite neighborly, that’s all. There’s been no cozying.” It was surprisingly difficult lying to Winthrop, but it couldn’t be helped.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t having it. “You’re a terrible liar, Elm-wood, and you should know better than to attempt to deceive your closest friend.”
“What about my lawyer?”
“Even worse!”
The plot was decently interesting, but stalls for much of the book. Fair warning to those who enjoy a mix of story and characters – there isn’t much of that here. A Widow’s Charm either focuses on characters or the sexual tension between Hilde and Elmwood.
Speaking of that, the romance between the two POV characters annoyed me. I’m not always big on dual point-of-view books where both of the characters are two sides of the same romantic relationship, and this was certainly one of those times. The almost constant misunderstandings and thinking things are sexual innuendos was also tiring to read. I audibly sighed quite a few times throughout. It also irritated me how immediately horny Hilde and Elmwood were for each other, particularly Elmwood. I hate insta-love and insta-lust. Plus, I don’t think these two had that much chemistry. I just wasn’t into Hilde and Elmwood as a couple, and since that was like 90% of the book, it was kind of hard for me to take.
(Han and Isobel appeared to have a more appealing dynamic, but we got only glimpses here so it was hard to tell. I’m sure it will be central to the next novel, as it’s their book. But I’m not sure if I’m gonna read that, so…)
The thing I liked the most about the book was the art. I liked it so much I added a star. The cover art is so, so pretty, and the interior chapter headings are also gorgeous. The magic system and the world were also cool. And as I mentioned above, the writing also wasn’t bad. In fact, it was pretty good; the prose was fine. Honestly, some of the lines were truly beautiful.
Death slipped in at the end of a perfectly ordinary day, creeping over the threshold of evening as if it might go unnoticed-as if the consequences of it would not shape all that was to come.
The climax of A Widow’s Charm was also pretty awesome, and the ending was sweet, even if it felt very rushed. Part of it really seemed like the author remembered that there were conflicts that needed resolving, and just spedran it.
This is definitely a more cozy read. It’s perfect for a gloomy day on the couch, if you’re into the sort of stuff it brings to the table. If you like books that focus more on characters, romance, sexual tension, and romantasy, you’ll probably like this one. There’s also going to more to this universe, as I’ve previously mentioned, as this seems to be the start of a series, even if it doesn’t appear to have a name yet.
Anyway, thank you all for reading, and I hope that everybody has an amazing day/night!
First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words, but I saw it over at One Book More.
What if instead of judging a book by the cover, author or most everything else, we judged it by its content? Its first lines?
If you want to join in, all you gotta do is:
📚 Take a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open it to the first page 📝 Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first 📙 Finally… reveal the book!
Here’s the first line:
My name is Rune Saint John.
Do you know what the book is? If not, here’s a couple of clues…
Still not know? Here’s another hint or two to give you an assist…
Are you still considering? It’s cool – here are some wonderful photos of books to look at while you think some more…
Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 The Last Sun by K.D. Edwards!
Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment’s missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home.
With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam’s relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune’s Court.
In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family’s death and the torments of his past?
What books have you been reading lately? What’s on your TBR that you’re currently the most excited about?
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!
Happy Wednesday everyone! It’s been a few weeks since the last time I partook in a Can’t-Wait Wednesday. It’s just all the books I’ve been interested in all came out on the same days this month! There’s still one last book coming out that I’m looking forward too, though, so I’ll be happily focusing on that today.
But yeah, Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings (and was previously hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where it was known as Waiting on Wednesday) to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. They’re usually books that have not yet been released.
This week’s book is:
A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson! 🍄🍋
I’m really looking forward to this one! So many things about the book description are hitting for me, and I can’t wait to crack this book open next week!
In this witty fantasy romance, a widow blackmails her rakish necromancer neighbor to bring her husband back to life and save her home – only to find herself falling for him instead.
Lady Hildegarde Croft is accustomed to changes in position. After all, she rose from maidservant to lady of the manor when she married Lord Thorgoode Croft. But when he drops dead quite unexpectedly, the plans that would have protected her and the people of Croftholde from her malevolent brother-in-law die along with him. What’s a widow to do?
Fortunately, potential salvation arrives in the form of Lord Erol Elmwood, who is fleeing the consequences of using his forbidden Charm to raise the dead and save his own life. Now he’s injured, destitute, and miserable, stuck hiding out at the neighboring estate.
For Hilde, blackmailing Lord Elmwood to resurrect Thorgoode seems like the perfect solution. For Elmwood, beautiful Lady Croft seems like the ideal distraction from his troubles. The problem is, all she wants from him is the horrifying power he knows he can never use again.
Are you looking forward to A Widow’s Charm? What books are coming out in the near future that you’re looking forward to?
As always, thank you all so much for reading and have a fantastic day/night!
Hey all and Happy Friday! It’s been a few weeks since I last did this.
First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words, but I saw it over at One Book More.
What if instead of judging a book by the cover, author or most everything else, we judged it by its content? Its first lines?
If you want to join in, all you gotta do is:
📚 Take a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open it to the first page 📝 Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first 📙 Finally… reveal the book!
Here are the first lines:
The transformation occurred at approximately 2:23 AM, Pacific Standard Time. As far as I could tell, anyone who was indoors when it happened died instantly.
Know the book? If not here are a few clues…
Still got no idea? Here’s an extra hint or two to help you out…
Are you still thinking about it? All good – here are some lovely pictures of books to admire while you do so…
Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman!
The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman—now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition.
You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.
Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.
Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.
What books have you been reading lately? What’s on your TBR that you’re currently the most excited about?
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!
GENRES: Fantasy, Horror, LGBT+, Young Adult, Fiction
PUBLISHER: Feiwel & Friends
RELEASE DATE: 29 October 2024
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him. Protect him. Lie for him.
Kill for him.
High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality – Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.
But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won’t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork – whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew’s wicked stories.
Desperate to figure out what’s wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster – Thomas’s drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator…
My Review
Below them something scraped softly over the snowy path. The world smelled of sweet cloying decay, rotten leaves, and earth.
Happy Friday the 13th! What a perfect day to review a horror novel! Anyway, I really liked Don’t Let the Forest In. I had a feeling that I would, but my gut isn’t always correct when it comes to books, so it was nice that I was right this time.
The characters were all very compelling. I liked the main character, Andrew Perrault. From the get go, it’s immediately apparent that he has flaws and that there’s a lot going on with him. He’s a more reserved protagonist, but I didn’t mind that at all. He’s also one of my new favorite unreliable narrators. Thomas Rye was also a great deuteragonist. His personality both contrasts and complements Andrew’s very well, and they match each other nicely. They’re a writer and an artist – a perfect pairing. I enjoyed the side characters as well, like Lana, Chloe, as well as Dove, Andrew’s twin sister.
I really liked how surreal the story felt, both because of the prose and because of the way the narration is. There’s something not quite right about everything going on and it itches at the back of your mind throughout most of the plot, until things finally come to a head near the end of the novel.
“I think someday you’ll hate me.” Thomas’s voice stretched with a loneliness Andrew had never heard before. “You’ll cut me open and find a garden of rot where my heart should be.”
Andrew let the silence sharpen between them, waited until Thomas’s breath caught in quiet anguish from being made to wait. “When I cut you open,” Andrew finally said, “all I’ll find is that we match.”
The romance was also well done. I’m not always into books where most of the romance is just yearning. But because of all the horrific things going on, it felt fitting. It really fits in well with the rest of the narrative. And it also helped that Andrew and Thomas both had a lot of natural chemistry.
The horror aspect was probably my favorite thing about Don’t Let the Forest In. I preferred it over the last book I read that focused on horror, Snow Drowned.(Though I do appreciate Eldritch horror sometimes as well.) I tend to prefer it when it’s macabre and surreal like it is here. The way the writing is also accentuates this facet of the novel really well, with the unnatural line breaks within sentences and paragraphs, as well as emphasized and repeated words. I’ve heard people found it reminiscent of E.E. Cummings, and I find that I agree.
Sometimes there was no stopping pain. There was just seeing how much you could swallow before it spilled out your throat.
I also found several elements about the book reminiscent of The Other by Thomas Tryon, an old horror book from the early 1970s. (If you’re also read it, you’ll know what I’m getting at.) And because parts of this book reminded me so much of it, I was able to catch many of the twists extremely early on (I figured out one of them by chapter two or three). This isn’t even close to a bad thing, because I love getting to the end of a book even if I’ve figured things out and being validated that I guessed correctly. The author’s writing style itself is entertaining enough where it also kept me very engaged through the whole novel, as well.
Last but certainly not least, the art here was also amazing, and not just the cover either (though I love that the most). The interior sketches are phenomenal, and they help highlight so many of the scenes that they’re included in. It was great to get a visual of some of the monsters. I also liked the little writings from Andrew’s notebook scattered throughout most of the book, too.
To write something nice, he’d need something nice to say. But his ribs were a cage for monsters and they cut their teeth on his bones.
So yeah, Don’t Let the Forest In was an absolutely solid book. I enjoyed basically everything about it honestly, though not quite enough for a perfect star rating. I’m not sure why – maybe because I’ve read The Other already, and that had already set such a high standard. This was still an excellent novel though. Definitely recommend it.
Anyway, as always, thank you to everyone so much for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!
The first in a new magical young adult romantasy duology from the New York Times bestselling author of To Kill a Shadow. A palace darling and a thief join forces after he unwittingly steals a necklace with the power to change their world forever.
In the city of Andalay, the ruling Fates bestow gifts among society’s most favored. When Damien, a cold and hardened thief, is hired to steal one of those gifts – meant for the “princess” of Ward One, Wren Hayes – he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets.
The gift? A locket containing his own photograph.
Once the locket is opened, hidden truths unravel, shedding light on the ruthless ways of the upper class. Yearning for the three Fates and the magical gifts they bestow, the lords of Andalay will go to any length to keep their power – including murder.
Brought together by destiny, and fighting a dangerous temptation that’s becoming harder to resist, Wren and Damien navigate a seedy world where the truth can destroy not only their lives, but the city itself.
My Review
When the clock chimed midnight on an Aurilian’s eighteenth birthday, a remarkable and utterly beguiling event would occur.
It’s a little later than I intended, but it turned out I had a lot of feelings about this book. And unfortunately, for me at least, Stolen Midnights didn’t quite live up to my expectations.
Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely some things to like – and even love – about this book. But I found myself annoyed more often than not by just as many other things, if not more. I have a lot to say about this novel, as I mentioned, so strap in!
The Characters and Story
There was no question in my mind that Wren Hayes and I had been destined to meet. And without a doubt, our lives were now tied together in a way that would be impossible to unravel.
Wren Hayes is our female lead. At the start of the novel she’s a rich girl expecting the accustomed gift of a magical object that the elite receive on their eighteenth birthdays. But she is left wanting, as it has been stolen by Damien, the male protagonist to this story. He’s basically your typical thief character, sassy and suave (or at least he thought so) with a vulnerable side. And unfortunately, I didn’t care much for either of them. Especially early on – Wren is pretty bratty and naive, and I don’t like the way Damien flirts with Wren for the first half of the novel. But, I do think both of them grew some by the climax of the novel, and I was rooting for them at that point a little. I just wish they’d both stop making stupid decisions.
I found the side characters more interesting this time around, like Ruby and Grayson and Everett, and I was honestly more interested in their backgrounds and stories than I was the MCs. The antagonist kind of came a little out of nowhere for me, though it made sense it was them, but I was screaming at the characters constantly about how the villain’s accomplice was right there stop being stupid it’s so obvious. But I digress – that’s how it goes sometimes with these kinds of novels.
The plot for Stolen Midnights was pretty decent, though it got bogged down a little bit by the main characters and their antics and stupidity. It’s also a relatively simple story with a bit of a mystery going on throughout, and the latter is honestly the only thing that kept me going for a while. Until the missing persons part of the plot was introduced, then I had to know what was up. The author was pretty good at seeding along a mystery, and I wish that that had more focus on it. But instead it was the romance.
The Romance and Writing
A finger pressed into my chest, startling me. “You’ve been watching me,” Wren accused-correctly-doing her very best to sound intimidating. Such an adorable yet incompetent attempt.
“Obviously.” I shrugged, pressing deeper into that little finger of hers. “You were practically begging to be robbed.” Again.
“You would be the expert,” she snipped.
I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t like the romance here. I didn’t think Wren and Damien had any chemistry with each other, at any point in the novel. I also hated how they were constantly sniping at one another. And yes, I get that this was (an attempt at) an enemies to lovers plot, but then I’d rather there wasn’t literal immediate insta-lust happening. Like seriously immediate – basically as soon as they have their first proper conversation. And then it just didn’t stop. This should’ve been more of a slow-burn. But it wasn’t, and I think that the romance suffered for it.
The writing was… okay. It certainly could’ve been better, but it was YA, which doesn’t always have the best quality. It’s not an excuse, because I think YA deserves better, but it is what it is. The prose seemed almost middle grade though, which felt at odds with the numerous cringe worthy lust filled scenes throughout. What I mean to say is: the writing felt like it should’ve been more mature, to match Stolen Midnights tones and themes.
The Cover and World Building
One day our world would change, and all it took to start a revolution was one person.
I know it might be hard to believe at this point, but there were things I quite enjoyed about this book. The cover art and sprayed edges for one thing, are absolutely phenomenal. I almost passed on this novel, or at least put it on my tentative TBR for later, but I couldn’t just walk by that book cover art and ignore it. And combined with the title, there’s a downright lethal combination there. This book was very, very pretty. But I’ve already gushed about the cover art enough in another post.
The world building and the magic system are also interesting. I really liked how the characters frequently talk about places outside of the city of Andalay, and that there’s a map at the beginning of the book. I love maps in books.
The magic system is also intriguing. I found myself invested in the way the knowledge of it evolved as the characters discovered more about how it worked.
The lore and history sprinkled all over Stolen Midnights was also fascinating. I loved the little excerpts at the beginning of some of the chapters, predominantly Wren’s. Not just because it distributed relevant lore for each chapter or two, but also because it tells the reader that Wren is also interested in the history of her world, and that’s one of the few things I liked about her.
The only thing I felt was odd about it was how the lore and the divine leaders of Andalay – the Fates – affected the way the city was run. It’s a patriarchy and women seem to have hardly any rights, but the Fates are women as well. It just seems weird to me that the society is structured that way, especially since the Fates themselves also live in the city with everyone – it doesn’t seem like it should be a patriarchy at all. I understand that they manipulate certain things about how Andalay is run, but nowhere in the book is it mentioned that they’re manipulating it into a patriarchy. I guess we as the reader are just meant to infer that? I don’t know, it seemed a little sloppy is all.
Final Thoughts
But I often got ahead of myself. First I needed to find where Wren Hayes had run off to.
Something told me I should’ve had one more glass of whiskey.
Though I didn’t enjoy a lot of what Stolen Midnights had to offer, there were a few things that I really liked about it. There’s a lot of stuff set up for the sequel here, too, and it seems like it might be more lore and magic focused (though there’s definitely still going to be a lot of romance as well), so I might enjoy it more, if I decide to read it. This book really feels like one half of a whole, or a very long prologue.
Also, I couldn’t find a place to mention this earlier, but several aspects of this novel reminded me of Once Upon a Broken Heart and its sequels. Down to one of the big twists in the book, as well as the big event that happens at the ending. I think it shares the most similarities with the second book, and I suspect the sequel to this book might share some with the last book in the trilogy. They also had a lot of the same vibes and some of the same tropes. I think that a lot of that stuff, however, was executed a little better in Once Upon a Broken Heart. If you like Stephanie Garber’s works, though, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this book.
Anyway, as always, thank you to everyone so much for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!
It’s been quite a long time since I last participated in this post. There were a couple of reasons, but I think the biggest one was that I’d mention most if not all of the Three Ws in my Weekly Wrap-Ups every week, so I thought it was a little redundant.
But I’ve missed it, so I’m back! I can’t believe it’s been over a year. The other big reason I stopped is that I was in-between books half the time whenever the middle of the week came around, so hopefully that stops happening. 🍀🤞
Also: I made a new cover image!!
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme that used to be hosted at A Daily Rhythm, but has been taken over by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. Now, without further ado, let’s get into the 3 Ws!
★★ I’m conflicted about this book, and my star rating keeps changing. It’s why it’s taken me this long to review it, (which I’m angling to do tomorrow) even though I finished it last weekend. ★★
