As Ephraim gets up and Ayda can finally walk out of this damn room, she replies to SecUnit’s latest requisition form. It’s for a gunship nearly the size PortFreeCommerce’s transit ring: I think you made this one up.
Knowing what would happen, she wouldn’t choose a different planet, a different bond company. Because then SecUnit would still be someone’s property, would be waiting for the contract where the negligence or greed or indifference of its clients got it killed.
This short story directly follows the events in Exit Strategy and is told from the point of view of Dr. Mensah, who is still recovering from the events of that novella.
My Review
SecUnit is looking down at her. “You can hug me if you need to.”
“No. No, that’s all right. I know you don’t care for it.” She wipes her face. There are tears in her eyes, because she’s an idiot.
This review is gonna be pretty short, as Home – being a short story – is naturally short. Like, it’s only like 20 pages or so. So none of my section/heading breaks today.
Seeing as System Collapse’s release is imminent, I finally decided to read and review the only Murderbot Diaries thing I hadn’t yet. I don’t know why I never read it when I read the others – I guess that’s just life?
So yeah, this is a little Murderbot story – but instead of our favorite SecUnit narrating it, it was a 3rd person POV from Dr. Ayda Mensah. The story takes place very soon after the fourth novella, Exit Strategy, and is probably best read then.
I rather liked it – Martha Wells always has good prose, and it’s nice to hear from another character in this universe who isn’t SecUnit for once – as much as I love that construct. Mensah is also one of my favorite characters, and I really enjoyed seeing her relationship with Murderbot from her perspective. It was also interesting to see more of the PTSD that we heard about in Network Effect, but didn’t really see – at least Dr. Mensah’s since she wasn’t present much.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
It’s looking down at her still, and she could meet its gaze to make it look away, but that won’t make it retreat. “Is that a bribe?”
She can’t help a smile. It does sound like a bribe, just a little. “Depends. Will it work?”
“I don’t know. I never had a bribe before.”
So my final verdict is: If you have access to ebooks and stuff, and enjoy the other books in The Murderbot Diaries, then definitely pick this one up. It’s a quick and wholesome little read.
Thank you for reading, and I hope that you have a wonderful day/night!
Isla Crown has secured the love of two powerful rulers and broken the curses that plagued the six realms for centuries.
But few know the true origins of her powers. Now, in the wake of a crushing betrayal, Isla finds herself hungry for distraction, preferring to frequent Lightlark’s seductive haunts instead of embracing her duties as the newly crowned leader of two separate realms.
Worse, her fellow rulers haven’t ceded victory quietly, and there are others in Isla’s midst who don’t believe her ascent to power was earned. As certain death races toward Lightlark and secrets from the past begin to unravel, Isla must weigh her responsibility to her people against the whims of the most dangerous traitor of all: her heart.
Alex Aster’s intricate world expands after the riveting culmination of the Centennial games, delving more deeply into Isla’s memories of her past, as her future hurtles toward two possible fates.
My Review
“Nightbane,” someone whispered from a stall. She slowed in front of it, curious. There were small vials of something dark. The seller’s face lit up at her attention. “Takes away all troubles and pain…”
Goddamn this book. Lightlark was mediocre, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt, and bumped up the rating a bit because I thought that Alex Aster might be able to improve. There was just a little bit of promise – and I sometimes can’t help but give novels some slack.
I shouldn’t have.
Nightbane was a very, very bad book. It’s not my most hated read ever, and I’m sure I’ll read books I dislike even more in the future, but it’s not even close to remotely in the realm of good.
I could rant about how much this book just gets on my nerves for paragraphs, but I’m not gonna. Because that isn’t how I do things. Let’s start this review off proper with the only thing I can give Aster props for.
The prose has improved (…a little) ▼
The author has improved her writing. (Technically.) No more insert-adjective-here thing. But that’s really all that I can say. Aster could honestly do to improve more – a lot more. But I am surprised that she improved as a writer as much as she did – I really didn’t expect it, lol.
And that’s all for the pros. Nothing else about this book is good.
The writing still isn’t that good ▼
I know, I know. I just gave her some props for this. But the prose and dialogue still isn’t that great guys! Like, some of the descriptions are really weirdly worded, and the dialogue sounds somewhat unnatural some of the time.
Aster also makes some odd decisions when it comes to plot and pacing that I do not understand. I didn’t enjoy reading any of it. But the most annoying stuff was still her description choices. Here are some of my personal favorites…
Isla wondered if Grim was like that necklace- insistent and refusing to let her go. Would he kill people just to have her?
What does this mean? How is a necklace able to be insistent?
If the word debauchery had been a place, Isla was looking at it.
This one might be nitpicking, but don’t add “word” as a descriptor for “debauchery.” It messes the whole thing up.
He had relatively long black hair like spilled ink, falling across his forehead, curling around his ears.
This is not relatively long black hair. Relatively long black hair is black hair long enough to fall the down someone’s back. (Say long one more time, lol.)
And I can’t forget about…
The sound of his pants being discarded seemed to echo through the vast bathroom. Then, the sound of water parting, letting him in, settling around him.
WHAT?!? The sound of his pants?!?
The characters ▼
They aren’t any better here than in book one. Isla is still stupid and annoying, and still barely has a defined personality. The desire to root for her was even smaller than in Lightlark. She was also an absolutely horrible person to pretty much everyone around her.
Oro can hardly be called a character here. But at least he still has one. I was very worried about a Tamlin situation happening here, but was pleasantly surprised that Aster didn’t go that route. For now. (What she did do pissed me off though.) As of post Nightbane, Isla definitely does not deserve this man, cardboard cutout that he is.
Grim was still annoying. I can’t even think about him without being filled with rage. I hate Walmart Rhysand.
No one else matters. They just… they really don’t matter. As much as I wanted to like the new characters… they just don’t matter.
The romance ▼
Her nostrils flared. “You don’t respect me?”
“You don’t seem to respect your own life. Why should I?”
She scoffed. “Fine. Don’t respect me. I don’t care. You weren’t why I came here.”
“Clearly. Why are you here?” he demanded.
The romance here makes me gag. Like, thinking about it makes me have to swallow back bile. It’s disgusting. (Both the romance and the bile.)
Oro and Isla had the potential to build a sweet, healthy and wholesome relationship, but Alex Aster just went straight for the sex. Again. Just like with Isla and Grim.
Speaking of which, it was basically the same thing with those two in Nightbane. Except it started out a little less horny. Isla and Grim weren’t quite as ready to jump each other’s bones – they legitimately didn’t like each other to begin with. But like all good things, this quickly came to an end, and it was the first novel all over again. Except this time, it was in a flashback. That spanned half the book.
But yeah, Isla definitely doesn’t deserve Oro. Honestly, I don’t want her to end up with everyone. The only happily ever after I see possible is if Lightlark (the island) blew up. With Isla, Grim and everyone else on it.
Final Thoughts ▼
This book sucks. If/When a third one comes out, I’ll probably read it, because I enjoy my own suffering, apparently. I guess if you really, really, really enjoyed Lightlark then you might like its sequel. But that’s all I can say regarding recommendations.
Anyway, thanks to everyone so much for reading, and I hope that you have a much better day/night than I’ve had, lol.
And we’ve finally hit November. Well, almost a week ago, technically – but the last weekly wrap-up was in October completely, so yeah.
I think I’ve been decently consistent with my posting over the past week, though I haven’t been reading as much as I might’ve liked. I dunno why really, last week was a little bit busy with Halloween, and then I had hardly any free time this weekend. So that’s probably why.
Anyway, let’s get into it.
Tuesday 10/31: The Graveyard Book Review / Halloween
Last Tuesday, I finally uploaded my review for The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. A perfect little ghost story for Halloween. I gave it ★★★✯☆.
Tuesday also happened to be Halloween. So here’s a belated Happy Halloween🎃👻🐈⬛🕸️💀🦇 to everybody who missed the post!
On Wednesday, I posted my reading wrap-up for October 2023. To anyone who doesn’t know, it’s when I go over my StoryGraph stats. For the first time ever, I’m pretty sure I actually posted it on the first of the month!
Last Friday, I posted my review for Lightlark by Alex Aster. A somewhat controversial YA fantasy novel that was released last year, that I finally decided to read, just in time for the sequel. I gave it ★★✬☆☆.
Yesterday, I posted my contribution to Spell the Month in Books. (I know, it was a day late. Shut up.) Spell the Month in Books is a monthly post created and hosted by Jana @ Reviews from the Stacks.
So, even though last week wasn’t nearly as productive as I had wanted it to be, I’m still happy with what I got done, for once. This coming week, however, I’m definitely aiming to do way better.
Concerning books on my TBR, I’m gonna start reading Nightbane by Alex Aster as soon as it goes live on Kindle eReaders. Then I’m probably gonna read Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett – one of the books I got from my book haul this past weekend. I’m also planning on starting the second arc of One Piece sometime this week.
I don’t really know what else I’m gonna do this week. The only thing that I’m sure about is getting some of the ingredients for stuff I’m planning to make for Thanksgiving. I like to shop early for this holiday – we’re also gonna get almost all of our groceries for the next two weeks this weekend – because the grocery stores (and Walmart) are freaking insane the week of Thanksgiving. And I don’t want to get caught up in that.
So yeah, I hope to both read and post better this coming week. 🤞🍀 Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you have an excellent day/night!
Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood.
The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die. Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling—a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with.
They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial. To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray . . . Even as love complicates everything.
My Review
The Centennial was many things. A game. A chance at breaking the many curses that plagued the six realms. An opportunity to win unmatched power. A meeting of the six rulers. A hundred days on an island cursed to only appear once every hundred years.
So, I know that last year that there was quite a bit of drama around this book. And that it was cool to rag on Lightlark – a lot of BookTube was absolutely eviscerating it. But lemme tell you a little secret:
It’s not really all that horrible, guys.
Like, it’s not good. At all. But I’ve read far, far worse books, and I’ve hated novels more that I’ve disliked this one. So yeah, not too bad. It’s mediocre AF though. And it could have used another revision or two before publication.
I’m just gonna break it down now, if that’s okay with you…
[EDIT:The longer I’m away from this, the more I don’t care for it. Sorry that the rating changed again – I should have ruminated on this longer before posting. Plus, the sequel is making this retroactively worse.]
The rulers ▼
First off, before I get into these characters, I gotta let you all know how stupid it is that these people are referred to as simply “rulers.” Like, is it their title? Cuz Ruler Isla sounds kind of dumb, as does Ruler Cleo and all the other names. Plus, it’s not, like, a term of royalty or lordship or whatever. And it’s super vague.
But I digress. Let’s just move on to the “rulers.” AKA: The only relevant characters to the plot (and sometimes not even that).
Isla Crown often fell through puddles of stars and into faraway places. Always without permission—and seemingly on the worst occasions.
Isla Crown is a pretty dumb protagonist. She also kept changing her mind throughout the story waaayy too much – it was so annoying!! I really didn’t find her likeable, and I don’t understand why all the straight men were simping for her.
Oro was okay. He was just… okay. He didn’t feel as defined as he should’ve been – which is an ongoing problem for all of the characters in Lightlark, though some more than others. I kinda liked his and Isla’s relationship, though it needs a ton of development in the sequel(s). Cuz there was certainly not enough here. I’m not confident that he will, but I hope that he’s the guy that ends up with Isla. He’s the lesser of two underdeveloped evils.
Grimshaw is a ridiculous name. Like, I get it, he’s the bad boy with shadow powers, as well as Aster’s version of Rhysand. But really – Grimshaw? Ugh. He’s an annoying character too – and waaayy too horny. Like, dude – take a long cold shower please. And please, don’t ever come back.
Celeste was also irritating. Mostly because she has no purpose at first but to function as Isla’s best friend that she only occasionally talks to. And the so-called “twist” with her is so obvious, it’s as plain as the human heart on the cover.
Cleo was probably the most interesting character to me, if only because there’s so much character potential with her. Missed potential, of course, this is Lightlark, after all. She mostly kind of felt like a mean girl though, because of course she was.
Azul also had the potential to be interesting. Too bad he only has a few pages of pagetime.
The plot ▼
The plot was extremely underdeveloped and the pacing was terrible. There’d be pages where nothing really happens, and then suddenly there’s a hybrid scene of action and exposition. It was kinda ridiculous.
There were also some inconsistencies and plenty of plot contrivances. It was hell to read this book sometimes. And, of course, the biggest contrivance and ridiculous plot device is…
The curse ▼
This is one of the most specific and contrived thing I’ve ever read in a novel. Like, it’s really, really weirdly set up and executed. And incredibly specific in the strangest ways – if I didn’t mention that already.
Only joined can the curses be undone
Only after one of six has won,
when the original offense
Has been committed again
And a ruling line has come to an end
Only then can history amend.
Plus, as you can see, the way it’s written kind of (really) sucks too. It doesn’t flow at all. When prophecies (and curses too, I guess) are written in books, they have to have a poetic and/or lyrical quality to them. It’s not a rule, exactly, but it just reads so, so much better, and sounds better in your head.
The romance ▼
Alex Aster could do better. Chemistry is non-existent. I don’t want to talk about this aspect of the novel anymore.
The prose ▼
Lightlark was a shining, cliffy thing. Its bluffs were white as bone, and sunlight rained down in sheets of misted gold.
Singing was a Wildling thing, a temptress thing.
The sun had fallen. It was just a yolky thing, halfway consumed by the horizon, when Isla opened the double doors and stared up at the incoming moon.
This was one of the weaker things about Lightlark. (Did you see what I did there?) Aster needs to practice her synonyms, if I have to read something described as a _____ thing again, I’m gonna clae my eyes out.
The dialogue could also be improved some. I’ve read some that felt more unnatural, but she could still do to improve. Oh, and work on character chemistry, too.
Final Thoughts ▼
So yeah, Lightlark really wasn’t nearly as bad as some reviews made it out to be. (And yes, I’m aware that it’s actually rated relatively high – those aren’t the people talking about.) I found it to be pretty mediocre, personally, as well as slightly less than average.
I firmly believe that fans of Sarah J. Maas, Serpent & Dove, Twilight and other romantasy stuff will like it. It appeals to this specific group of people.
(Also, I should mention that this is nothing like The Hunger Games and isn’t even all too similar to A Court and Thorns and Roses like one of the blurbs claimed. So don’t go into it thinking that it is.)
Anyway, thanks so much for reading, and have a wonderful day/night!
Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place – he’s the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians’ time as well as their ghostly teachings–such as the ability to Fade so mere mortals cannot see him.
Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead?
My Review
It’s like the people who believe they’ll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn’t work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you. If you see what I mean.
First off, before I start this review, I gotta acknowledge the day, so…
Happy Halloween to everybody!! 🎃👻🐈⬛🕸️💀🦇
This book was a nice little story to read right before Halloween. (Which is what I did.) It’s spooky, yet so very wholesome.
I’ve only read a couple of Neil Gaiman novels, but out of the two I read (this and Neverwhere) I’ve liked. He has such a weird brain and I love the campy ideas in these books.
Without further ado, let’s move on to the review proper.
Pros
Bod said, ‘I want to see life. I want to hold it in my hands. I want to leave a footprint on the sand of a desert island. I want to play football with people. I want,’ he said, and then he paused and he thought. ‘I want everything.’
• The characters ▼
I love all the characters. Nobody “Bod” Owens is such a cute little protagonist. I loved reading about all the hijinks and mischief that he got up to throughout the novel. It was great to watch all of his character development as he grew up.
The ghosts in the graveyard were the best part of the novel. I loved all of their weird personalities, and the way they interacted with one another. And they were all super defined as characters.
• The story ▼
This book is heavily inspired by The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, hence the title. So, as a huge fan of The Jungle Book novel and 1967 animated movie, of course I was gonna like the plot here.
I also really like ghost stories, so this was just a recipe for a book I’d enjoy. And I loved the parallels of the themes that the two share. There’s definitely a similarity between the spirit (*cough*) of both books.
We who make stories know that we tell lies for a living. But they are good lies that say true things, and we owe it to our readers to build them as best we can. Because somewhere out there is someone who needs that story. Someone who will grow up with a different landscape, who without that story will be a different person. And who with that story may have hope, or wisdom, or kindness, or comfort. And that is why we write.
• The atmosphere ▼
The atmosphere in The Graveyard Book is impeccable. Regardless of my feelings on the way that Gaiman writes, he skillfully weaves an excellent, mildly spooky ambience.
• The artwork ▼
The pictures within add so much to the story itself. Dave McKean does such a great job. I especially like the sketchy looking aspect to them, and how they set the tone for each of the chapters.
Cons
• The writing style ▼
This one is just a personal preference. I’m not the biggest fan of Gaiman’s writing style and prose. It’s not bad, not at all, I’m just don’t really care for the way that he writes.
I do like the way he writes dialogue, however. Gaiman’s dialogue is pretty good.
Final Thoughts
‘You’re alive, Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, make anything, dream anything. If you can change the world, the world will change. Potential. Once you’re dead, it’s gone. Over. You’ve made what you’ve made, dreamed your dream, written your name. You may be buried here, you may even walk. But that potential is finished.’
All in all, I really enjoyed The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It’s a quick and easy, mildly spooky read that’s great for all ages. It’s a nice and wholesome little ghost story with a bit of mystery plot floating in the background.
I definitely recommend this to fans of Gaiman’s other works, as well as those who enjoy a nice ghost story that isn’t really that scary. I think fans of The Jungle Book will also really like it. It’s a perfect read for the Halloween season.
Thank you so much for reading, and have a spooktackular day/night!
Last week was crazy. I read a lot, and I got a bunch of stuff done around the house. So, lots of different kinds of progress.
I can’t believe that Halloween is tomorrow. These past four weeks have gone by so fast. Soon enough I’ll be posting October’s monthly wrap-up!
But that’s for another time. Let’s get into this part week’s wrap-up.
Tuesday 10/24: Tasteful Tuesday
Last Tuesday I brought back Majestic Mondays – but now under a new name! I’ve also moved the day of the week that I do the post – hence why I’m now calling it Tasteful Tuesday!
Tasteful Tuesday, if you aren’t aware, is when I highlight an awesome looking book cover and talk about what I like about it.
For my Friday post, I did something a little different. I wasn’t feeling a First Line Friday or anything like that, but I was having a time of figuring out what to do.
I eventually decided to give the blog a reading update. As of Friday of last week, I’d read 52 books within 43 weeks. I’ve never done that before (and I’ve read even more now!). I’m not gonna gush about it here, cuz I’ve already done so in the actual post.
Yesterday I posted another book review – the second of two last week. It was a book (and series) that I was actually excited to read, but was ultimately disappointed by, unfortunately.
Hounded was simply not for me. I don’t think it was necessarily poorly written or anything – I just think it just wasn’t my type of book. I ended up giving it ★★✯☆☆.
I know I’ve been talking a lot during this section of the post lately, but I’m going to cut it a little short this time. I’m tired and I haven’t been feeling well since last night.
This coming week I’m definitely going to post my review for The Graveyard Book. I’ve actually been saving it for tomorrow, since it’s Halloween and all – I wanted to do a spooky book review!
Aside from that, I’m gonna post my monthly reading wrap-up for October, and probably Spell the Month in Books. But I’m not sure about anything else.
But yeah, I don’t really have anything else to say. So this is the end… of this post.
As always, thank you so much for reading, and I hope that you have a great day/night!
The first novel in the New York Times bestselling Iron Druid Chronicles–the hilarious, action-packed tales of a two-thousand-year-old Druid pursued by ancient gods in the modern world
Atticus O’Sullivan is the last of the ancient druids. He has been on the run for more than two thousand years and he’s tired of it. The Irish gods who want to kill him are after an enchanted sword he stole in a first-century battle, and when they find him managing an occult bookshop in Tempe, Arizona, Atticus doesn’t want to uproot his life again. He just wants everything to end one way or another, but preferably the way in which he can continue to enjoy fish and chips.
He does have some small hope of survival: The Morrigan, the Irish Chooser of the Slain, is on his side, and so is Brighid, First Among the Fae. His lawyer is literally a bloodsucking vampire, and he has a loyal Irish wolfhound with opinions about poodles.
But he’s facing down some mighty enemies: Aenghus Óg, a vengeful Irish god, plus a coven of witches and even the local police. On top of all that, Aenghus has a direct line to the firepower of hell. Atticus will need all the luck of the Irish and more if he’s going to stay alive.
My Review
So, I really, really love the Dresden Files. Or, at least, the ones that I’ve read so far. And I was in the mood for another kick-ass and sassy urban fantasy series. So when I heard about the Iron Druid Chronicles, I was like: This seems right up my alley!
But, uh, it really wasn’t. Unfortunately.
I really wanted to like Hounded. I wanted to like it so much. But I didn’t, and I couldn’t. This book just wasn’t for me. It wasn’t right up my alley.
Let’s just get into it…
Pros
I’d have to ask Oberon to leave him a present on his front doorstep. He’d do it camouflaged too, so that even if Mr. Semerdjian was watching – and he probably would be – it would appear to be undeniable, physical evidence that, sometimes, shit just happens.
• The dog ▼
I really enjoyed Atticus’s (the main character) dog, Oberon. He’s just so funny and loyal. I really like dogs as a rule, however, so this isn’t a surprise at all to me. I do wish his dialogue wasn’t quite as… intelligent I guess, for lack of a better word. Like, he used some words from the English language that I’ve rarely seen in most books – and he’s a dog! Not even a magic dog! Manchee from Chaos Walking is how to write dog dialogue in my opinion.
• The way the different gods and magic interact ▼
This is a bit of a long way to word this point, I know, but I couldn’t think of another way to do it without getting the point I wanted across. I like how Hounded incorporates different religions and pantheons and magic, and then blends it together seamlessly. It really all feels very natural, like all of these different religions and magic are just coexisting somehow, all on planet Earth.
Like, it just works. Even though this novel focuses primarily on Irish gods and druidic magic and witches, other gods and supernatural beings appear too. For example, Jesus and Mary from Catholism are just casually band dropped, like yeah they’re here too. And vampires and werewolves also make several (moderately important) appearances throughout the book.
• (Some of) the narration ▼
Admittedly, though I had a bunch of issues with Atticus as a character, I really did enjoy some of his narration. It’s a little bit witty, and I also found it somewhat funny to read. I’ve definitely read better, but the way the book was written wasn’t the worst in the first person narrative department. This was at least sometimes entertaining.
Cons
• (Almost all of) the characters ▼
I didn’t like any of the characters in Hounded. Like, at all. (Save one.) It was hard to find any of them to be likeable, especially when we don’t really get to know too many of them.
Atticus O’Sullivan is our main character, and I didn’t much care for him. He’s too overpowered for my tastes and not in a good way. Because there is a way to write a likeable OP character – Atticus just isn’t done right. He’s also not a very interesting character to me, for whatever reason. Probably because he isn’t very interested in the stuff happening around him for a good portion of the book, even though it’s threatening his existence.
I also found it kind of annoying that he has sex with several goddesses throughout the novel. Like, I didn’t really understand why they were all so horny. Atticus my look 21, but he’s over two millenia old. He’s therefore had plenty of time to master his libido. And the goddesses weren’t really interesting either – they were basically non-characters, which was probably what annoyed me the most about the sex thing. Oh, and none of the other characters were really compelling or interesting either.
When he said to give him the sword, I don’t think he meant for you to stick it in his guts.
• The storytelling ▼
This was probably my biggest gripe. The storyline, and the flow of the novel in general, really sucked. To me, at least. This book started off kind of slow, and the pacing never got any better. Atticus himself didn’t even seem to be interested in the book’s story until at least a third of the way through either, and that’s not a good thing.
Not to mention the constant interruptions to the flow of the plot. It seemed like every time a new character was introduced, Atticus or the character themselves had to regale us with their entire background. I hated it. I hated it, hated it, hated it so much. It was extremely irritating. I didn’t care about these characters enough yet! At least let me get to know them first, before you dump their history all over my eyes in the worst expository way possible! (I have very strong feelings about this if you couldn’t tell, lol.)
Final Thoughts
I believe that this first book – and series thereafter – have a ton of potential. In fact, if I would somehow, someday decide to continue the Iron Druid Chronicles in the future, I might enjoy future installments more.
But I don’t think that this series is for me, and I’m honestly not at all interested in continuing beyond book one. So this is probably where Atticus O’Sullivan’s adventures are gonna end for me.
I think that some of the people that enjoy the Dresden Files and other popular urban fantasy books might enjoy Hounded. But since I didn’t even care for it myself, I can’t really say anything else.
Have you read any of the Iron Druid books? What did you think of them? Did you enjoy them more than I did?
Thanks so much for reading, and have a wonderful day/night!
Two villains, one girl, and a deadly battle for happily ever after…
Evangeline Fox ventured to the Magnificent North in search of her happy ending, and it seems as if she has it. She’s married to a handsome prince and lives in a legendary castle.
But Evangeline has no idea of the devastating price she’s paid for this fairytale. She doesn’t know what she has lost, and her husband is determined to make sure she never finds out.
But first he must kill Jacks, the Prince of Hearts. Blood will be shed, hearts will be stolen, and true love will be put to the test.
My Review
The air crackled with something that made Evangeline think of little sparks. Then she felt a tingling on her wrist in the shape of her broken heart scar.
Jacks had arrived.
A Curse for True Love was… okay. I don’t know, maybe I’ve just kind of gotten tired of this trilogy, but it didn’t do too much for me.
Then again, I’ve had a lot of time to ruminate on the first two books. And I gotta say – I think a few of my opinions have shifted a little. That, and I just can’t with the stuff about this series that has been annoying me, anymore.
I honestly don’t have a lot to say here. Let’s get on with this review.
Pros
“This is a very bad idea,” Jacks murmured.
“I would have thought you liked bad ideas.”
“Only when they’re mine.”
• The setting ▼
The thing that I’ve always enjoyed the most about OUABH and its sequels has definitely been the setting. I love the way that Garber describes the world that she’s created. It just sounds so beautiful and mystical. Like a fairytale (which is almost certainly what she was going for, judging by her main character).
I still love the Magnificent North. It’s still one of my favorite new worlds that I’ve read about in the last few years. I love how it just reeks of magic, and I feel like we’ve only scratched the surface with this mystical land in this trilogy.
• The pacing ▼
The pacing of A Curse for True Love and its predecessors has always been nice and brisk, which has always been one of my favorite things about them. I love a good fast-paced book. It’s just so… fast. Which makes it a pretty quick read – I’ve never taken more than like three hours to read any of the OUABH novels.
Cons
She needed to back away, to call her for guards, to tell him to leave. Her heart pounded impossibly fast.
But she found herself saying, “You’re not here to hurt me.” “You don’t know that.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “This morning I nearly tossed you over the side of a bridge.”
“You also just killed someone to save my life.”
“Maybe I just enjoy killing people.”
• The characters ▼
Even though I enjoyed a few of the characters a lot in the first book, and even a little bit in the second, I’m kind of just done with them now. My irritation has reached a crescendo.
Evangeline Fox has always annoyed me somewhat, but I’m just tired of her. She was essentially reset at the end of the last book (spoilers?) and I hate that trope. Ironically enough though, she actually seemed to be more proactive than she’s ever been before, which is something that I found hilarious. But yeah, she’s probably in the bottom half of my protagonist rankings.
Jacks was interesting to me at first, and I still find him to be entertaining at times. But even his character has worn me down. I also don’t really understand why Evangeline is so into him – he’s such an ass. Like, he’s flirty and a douchy kind of charming to read about, but if he was a real life romantic prospect… ugh. No thank you.
Apollo also had a very interesting character assassination at the end of TBONA (book two). And now he was a total piece of work here – an even bigger a-hole than Jacks. But he was entirely devoid of personality, and frankly, a actual character the first two books, so it didn’t feel like I got ripped off or anything.
• The plot ▼
The plot has always been a little bit nonsensical and convoluted, but I found it to be the most noticable here. It also brought more attention to the storytelling flaws retroactively in the books one and two.
Even though the novels in this trilogy are very fast-paced, the plot ebbs and flows strangely. So there are parts where nothing happens, and then suddenly too many things are happening too fast. And nothing really has time to breathe.
Also, the OUABH books have a problem with major plot threads being ultimately pointless. For example, many of the events of book two. These problems continue in A Curse for True Love.
• The romance ▼
The romance in this trilogy has always been slightly ick to me. Jacks has never read like a healthy romantic partner, and there has never been any chemistry between Evangeline and Apollo.
And that has not changed in book three, believe me. If anything, the relationships are even more toxic. Jacks seems excessively unhealthy at a few points here, and Apollo is straight up Tamlin on steroids. Seriously, if you thought Tamlin from ACOTAR was bad and you hated him, you will absolutely despise Apollo here.
Final Thoughts
She remembered telling herself that night not to turn around. Not to look. And when she had looked at him, she’d tried to glance for only a second.
But it had been impossible. Jacks had been the moon and she’d been the tide, controlled by his impossible force. That much had not changed.
Even though the list of stuff I didn’t like is longer than the things I did like, I still found myself rating this kinda high. I think it’s because I loved the Stuff I Liked, combined with some nostalgia. All in all, A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber is an okay book.
If you liked the Caraval trilogy and the first two books in the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy, you’ll probably enjoy this one. Also, if you like whimsical, mystical fairytale-like stories, you might like this too.
Have you read A Curse for True Love yet? What did you think of it? Have you read any of Stephanie Garber’s other novels? What did you think of them?
Thanks again for reading, and I hope you have a whimsical day/night!
Guys. Last week I read so much. So much bookage. I can’t remember the last time I read so many books during one week. Sure, most of them were graphic novels – but it still totally counts! And I had a 9 day reading streak on The StoryGraph. Oh, and I brought back Weekly Wrap-Ups last Monday, too!
I really don’t have too much to say in my little makeshift intro this time. So let’s get on with the post!
Tuesday 10/17: The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch Review
Last Tuesday, I reviewed a great October read – one that’s a new release to boot. It was The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub. Perfect for Jane Austen (as it’s a reimagining of Pride and Prejudice), as well as fans of historical fantasy and retellings. I gave it ★★★★☆.
Wednesday 10/18: 1st Year Blogging Birthday / Can’t-Wait Wednesday
On Wednesday I ended up doing a rare double post, but it was a very special occasion. October 18th of 2022 is the day that I posted my first post on this blog, so it was my first blogging anniversary.
I also participated in Can’t-Wait Wednesday. Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings, and is where the books we’re all excited to read are spotlighted and discussed. The book I focused on was A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber.
A few days ago on Friday, I finally, finally posted my book recommendations for fall. There are so many spooky novels that I’ve had the pleasure of reading, as well as a ton of books that just have great autumn vibes that I love.
I didn’t even mean to post it on the year anniversary of my Fall Book Recommendations from 2022, but sometimes these weird coincidences just happen. (I had actually hoped to get it posted earlier.)
Yesterday, I reviewed the absolute cutest graphic novel – and one that has some of the most fall of fall vibes to boot! I really, really enjoyed it. Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur is a treasure. I gave it a median rating ★★★★✯.
So I did the posts that I’d hoped to do this past week, which makes me really happy. I feel like I’m starting to get back into the groove of things. I also did a ton of stuff outside of the blog that I’d wanted to get done as well, which made me feel great too.
Still reading One Piece 👒🏴☠️🌊🗺️, and I’m planning to for the foreseeable future. (It’s long AF, after all.) I finished the first arc – the East Blue arc – though. I’m planning on starting the next arc in November.
Regarding the books on my TBR that I’m gonna read next, well, A Curse for True Love 🦊🃏🏹💘 is coming out tomorrow, so that is definitely next next. After that, I’m planning on starting the Iron Druid Chronicles. 🪄🗡️ Ever since it caught my eye a couple months ago (the series has bright and beautiful eye-catching colors!), it’s been on my radar. The books totally look right up my alley, and I’ve finally decided to start the series. I hope that I like it! 🤞🍀
LOOK AT THEM – SO BRIGHT!!
Concerning non-book stuff that I did last week… there’s honestly not really anything. I just spent so much of it reading. I’ve been watching YouTube in some of my spare time not spent time reading or hanging with my spouse, and I mostly watched creepy videogames or continued with my Twilight Saga 🩸🧛🐺🌚 deep dives/roasts/in-depth plot summaries. I just finished the Eclipse one and am planning on moving to The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, before Breaking Dawn. It’s been a little thing I’ve been doing throughout the month of October to celebrate Halloween. 🎃🕸️ I’ve been watching one Twilight book analysis a week.
Other than all that… Hmmm, I haven’t been doing a ton else aside from the usual life stuff. Oh! My spouse and I picked up Super Mario Bros. Wonder 🐘🌈 yesterday to play, and have been enjoying it! It’s a lot of trippy fun, and is has some unique ideas. Other than that though, not a lot went on. I mean my spouse and I hit a relationship milestone, but that’s super personal so I’m not gonna be talking about it.
Anyway, what books did you read last week? What did you think of them? Have we been reading any of the same stuff lately?
As always, thanks to everyone so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night! ☀️🌙
Two twins. one prophecy, and a whole lot of hijinks. From WEBTOON, the #1 digital comic platform, comes a fantastical story about twin siblings Dani and Dorian who have missed the bus to magic school and scramble to find a mentor to teach them before their parents find out. Perfect for fans of THE OKAY WITCH and the 5 Worlds series.
When Dani and Dorian missed the bus to magic school, they never thought they’d wind up declared traitors to their own kind! Now, thanks to a series of mishaps, they are being chased by powerful magic families seeking the prophesied King of Witches and royals searching for missing princes.
But they aren’t alone. With a local troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher who can see the future on their side, they might just be able to clear their names…but can they heal their torn kingdom?
Based on the beloved webcomic from WEBTOON, Hooky is in stunning print format for the first time with exclusive new content sure to please fans new and old.
My Review(s)
Hooky was absolutely the cutest little set of graphic novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading so far. The art and the characters are both so completely adorable. I love so much about this comic.
Since it was three different volumes, however, and since I gave each volume its own rating, I’ve decided to give each book a mini review and rate them individually. They’re all more than novel length anyway, so it feels completely okay to me to treat them as three installments of a series. Kind of like what I did for the Murderbot Diaries last year.
But I’ll stop blabbering. Here’s the full review.
Hooky: Volume #1
{Dorian} “Oh, Nico… So you were playing hooky?”
{Nico} “I can’t go to class like this!”
Out of the three volumes, the one is probably the most adorable. It’s also definitely the most lighthearted. So much of it gives me Kiki’s Delivery Service vibes, and I’m all here for it.
The art is so pretty – the author is very, very talented. The art style in general is very Ghibli-esque, which is why it probably reminded me of Kiki. That, and the whole witchy theme going on.
The characters were also very loveable. I love it when stories have twins, and especially twin protagonists. This aspect of the novels honestly reminded me of Gravity Falls (an American cartoon) a little bit. Especially with Dani being the more outgoing of the two, and Dorian being more bookish and shy – it seemed a similar dichotomy to Mabel and Dipper. Of course, they are still very different characters despite their similarities.
I also really enjoyed the other protagonists – Monica, Nico and Mark. They added an additional flavor to the cast, and helped the twins come out of their shells. The characters and character and friendship development were definitely the strongest part of the book, after the artwork.
This is a very festive read for spooky season – even though it’s not at all scary. Fall in general is perfect to read this graphic novel in, perhaps with a pumpkin spice candle burning in the background and with some hot chocolate or tea.
Hooky: Volume #2
{Dani} “I love you so much.”
{Dorian} “…I love you too, silly.”
In volume two, things start to heat up. The plot definitely begins to move more and become more defined. The author also starts to lay down a little bit of foreshadowing, which is always appreciated.
The art is still just as cute and pretty as it was in the first volume, but then I didn’t expect it to change at all. There’s also more character and relationship development here then before, but then the story has also moved forward as well.
The romance that’s been inching along since volume one, but far more prevalent here, is also completely adorable. I can’t help but ship all the canon pairings – the characters are just so cute together! And the chemistry between everyone, romantic or friendship based, as just so amazing.
But yeah, definitely still festive for the season. The volume might even be more so, as it’s darker than its predecessor. I’d definitely rather read this one in October.
Hooky: Volume #3
{Monica} “I promise we’ll find a solution. Together.”
{Dorian} “Thank you for everything. Seriously.”
In Hooky: Volume #3 we’re thoroughly embroiled in the plot. Though there’s obviously always been a plot here, this is definitely the most story focused of the three. The first two focused more on character interaction, I found. (This one still focuses on character interaction too, don’t worry!)
(Also, I just realized that I gave all three volumes the same exact star rating, and could have totally just put one star rating at the top of this review, instead of one for each book. Whoops.)
The artwork is, as always, beautiful. I know it might seem a little bit redundant to comment on it a third time, but 1) I really, really like it and 2) there’s been a significant enough that timeskip between volumes two and three that the protagonists have all had character redesigns. And they’re still great, everything’s just a little different.
The romance is also somewhat more prevalent, as the characters are all older now – they’re well into their teens. It’s all just as cute and sweet as it always was, but there are confessions this time around. The chemistry is also as palpable as ever.
This is definitely a solid ending to this graphic novel. I was pretty satisfied with everything about it. And yes, this volume is also perfect reading for autumn, as if you couldn’t already guess.
Closing Thoughts
Hooky by Miriam Bonastre Tur is a brilliant and adorable graphic novel. I loved nearly everything about it, and even though it’s geared more towards middle grade, I think everyone should read it regardless of age.
Those who enjoy fantasy and comics will probably enjoy it, but I also think that Studio Ghibli fans will also really like it. Actually, I think most people in general will enjoy it.
Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!
