Happy Friday everybody! It’s been a couple of weeks!
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:
Welcome, crawler to the third floor.
The previous level will collapse in 3 hours and 35 minutes.
Do you know the book? If not, here are a few clues for you…
Still have no idea? Here’s another hint to help you out…
Are you still thinking about it? That’s all right – here are some great pictures of books to admire while you consider it some more…
Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman!
(Didja guess it?)
Carl’s Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman
SERIES: Dungeon Crawler Carl #2
LENGTH: 364 pages
GENRES: Fantasy, Science Fiction, LitRPG, Fiction
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY: Dandy House
ORIGINALLY RELEASED: 6 January 2021
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Join Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they fight fantastical creatures and deadly mobs to make it to the next level and build the kind of fan following the dungeon masters can’t ignore in the second book in the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman – now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition.
“Greetings, Crawlers! The training levels have concluded. Now the games may truly begin.”
The aliens have come, and they’ve transformed Earth into a multilevel, video game–like dungeon. It’s the newest season of the galaxy’s most watched game show, Dungeon Crawler World. Now on the third floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever. They’ve already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever feline royalty are an almost unstoppable team. Their ratings are off the charts. Viewers can’t get enough. But the dungeon gets more dangerous each day, and now there’s a whole new problem to deal with: Quests.
They call it the Over City. A sprawling, once-thriving metropolis devastated by a mysterious calamity. But these streets are far from abandoned. An undead circus trawls the ruins. Murdered women rain from the sky. An ancient spell is finally ready to reveal its dark purpose. Can Carl and Donut solve the mystery in time?
And can Carl finally find some pants?
Includes part two of the exclusive bonus story “Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret.”
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!
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.
From Sydney Shields, the breakout author of The Honey Witch, comes An Arcane Study of Stars, a historical dark academia fantasy filled with ancient secret societies, a swoon-worthy rivals-to-lovers romance, and dangerous deals made after dark. Perfect for fans of The Atlas Six and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
When Claudia Jolicoeur is rejected from Cygnus University, a devilish stranger named Dorian appears in her nightmares and offers her a bargain: he will get her into Cygnus if she learns how to free him from a prison of stars. He takes a bite of her soul to seal the deal, and Claudia wakes to a letter from the High Sage of Cygnus stating she will take the place of Odette Dufort, a Rhetoric student who passed away.
Her arrival raises suspicions, rumors that she had a hand in Odette’s death spread like wildfire, and Cassius MacLeod, the High Sage’s apprentice and Claudia’s fellow Rhetoric student, seems hellbent on humiliating her. Determined to clear her name, she searches for any evidence that could prove her innocence. When someone – or something – starts slipping her pieces of Odette’s diary, Claudia uncovers a horrifying truth: over the last century, celestial witches at Cygnus have been murdered. Odette was one of them, and Claudia could be next. For her own protection, Claudia needs to free Dorian – and fast.
By night, she studies the stars, slowly unraveling the mystery of Dorian’s prison. By day, she and Cassius wage rhetorical war as debate partners in class. What begins as a fierce rivalry devolves into something deeper, darker, and dangerously sensual. As Claudia inches closer to the truth, she must decide: would trusting Cassius be the last mistake she ever makes?
Are you looking forward to An Arcane Study of Stars? 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 everyone, it’s been a few weeks! Happy Friday!
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:
I paused on the threshold of the shop to stamp the frost from my boots. It settled on the sills and cobblestones at night now, a fine white fur, as if winter were a great beast who skulked through the city while we slept, leaving bits of pelt behind. At least the snows hadn’t arrived yet, which was some relief.
Know the book? If not, here are a few hints for you…
Still no idea? Here’s another clue to help you out…
Are you still thinking about it? That’s all right – here are some great pictures of books to admire while you consider it some more…
Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawsett!
From Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Heather Fawcett comes a healing and heart-warming fantasy with magic shops, rescue cats and a second chance at love.
All strays are welcome here.
Agnes Aubert is very fond of making lists. These lists kept her afloat when she lost her husband two years ago. And now, as the founder of a cat rescue charity, her meticulous organization skills feel like the only thing standing between her beloved cats – His Majesty, Banshee and sweet elderly Thoreau, to name a few – and utter disaster.
But when Agnes is forced to move the charity, she soon discovers that her new shop is being used as a front; right under her feet is the lair of the decidedly disorganised – not to mention self-absorbed and infuriatingly handsome – Havelock Renard.
Havelock is everything Agnes doesn’t want in her life: chaos, mischief, and a little too much adventure. But as she gets to know him, she discovers he’s more than the dark magician of legend, and that she may be ready for a little intrigue, perhaps even romance. After all, second chances aren’t just for rescue cats…
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!
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.
Fans of the hit webcomic Aurora, will delight in the second installment of the fantasy series in print, which continues the heroes’ epic journey to save the god Vash and discover more secrets.
Following the exciting events of Aurora: Volume 1, Kendal and his heroic companions continue on their quest. Looking to rescue Vash and uncover more secrets about the Void Dragon, Kendal, Erin, Alinua, and Falst travel to new cities and meet new friends and foes alike. Will they save their kidnapped god, defeat the Void Dragon, and learn more about the Collector’s plans to stop her in time? Find out in Aurora: Volume 2!
Are you looking forward to Aurora: Volume #2? 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!
“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!
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.
A cursed princess must discover what her heart truly longs for in this charmingly cozy romantic fantasy for everyone who’s ever lost – or found – themselves in a bookshop.
Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar is disillusioned with life as a princess. She longs for real conversation, the chance to build a life of her own making, and uninterrupted reading time.
During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, Tandy’s dream comes true when she finds herself cursed to remain in a run-down bookshop until she unlocks her heart’s desire. Certain that someone will figure out how to break the curse eventually, and delighted by the prospect of an entire bookstore of her own, Tandy settles into life among the stacks. She finds it easy to exchange balls and endless state dinners for teetering piles of books and an irritatingly handsome pirate who seems bent on stealing her stock.
She even starts to believe she’s stumbled into her very own happily ever after.
There’s just one, minor problem: as Tandy’s royal duties go unfulfilled, her frantic parents start sending princes to woo her, each one of them certain their kiss will break the curse. After all, what more could a princess want but a prince?
Are you looking forward to Stay for a Spell? 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!
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!
“Your lack of belief is not proof of something’s lack of existence,” Madam Meng said. “What is real and what is myth? You will often find the truth somewhere in between.”
The Shadowhunter Chronicles meets Chinese diaspora folklore in this sequel to the #1 Sunday Times bestseller Darker by Four! The Shadowhunter Chronicles meets the Chinese underworld, drawing inspiration from diaspora folklore, in this epic, sweeping contemporary fantasy duology from Jade Fire Gold author June CL Tan.
Rui has her life back together – or so it seems. Hailed as a hero, she’s finally on her way to becoming an important member of the Exorcist Guild. But she knows the Hybrid Revenants are still out there, and they’re planning something big. Something evil.
Ziziis trapped in the underworld. As his mortal body deteriorates, he realizes he can access the Fourth King’s memories, which may be the key to keeping the mortal realm safe. To save the girl he loves, he must defy fate – and escape Hell.
Yiran watches from the shadows, magicless once more. When he discovers a dark family secret that changes everything he thought he knew, his hunger for power tempts him toward a possible betrayal. And he must decide what he truly stands for – before it’s too late.
As the consequences of the past wreak havoc on the present, three lives bound by the threads of fate must weave a new destiny for themselves – and the realms.
My Review
“What is fate, if not the universe conspiring?” One mused, turning to the gleaming horizon. “As I once told you, Fate connects us through the past, present, and future. It does not care if you have faith in it or not. It simply is, and we are mere moments in its timeline.”
It’s been awhile since Darker By Four.So you can imagine how pumped I was when I saw that the sequel was releasing early this year. It was one of my most anticipated reads for March. I ended up enjoying Brighter Than Nine, just as I hoped I would. I love it when books that I look forward to end up being good.
First off, I really liked how the characters developed here. Rui was just as awesome as in the first book, even if her point-of-view chapters were a little slower in the first half of the book. Her personality is just as strong and fierce, and I was reminded why she was one of my top FMCs to follow in 2024.
We also got to see a lot of Zizi’s POV here in the sequel, which I was ecstatic about. He was one of my favorite characters in book one, and he was just as great here. His chapters were so fun and interesting. Yiran was also a much stronger character here, compared to the first book, and I loved seeing him grow. He honestly kind of pissed me off in Darker By Four, and while there was a little of that here, it wasn’t nearly as annoying, and he had a great character arc.
I loved seeing more of Ash as well, and was so happy that he got to have a few chapters. I love Ash. It was great seeing more of his perspective on things, like his mentor-student dynamic with Rui, and his brotherly relationship with Yiran. And I also liked Yuki, which I wasn’t sure that I would, since he came out of nowhere in the first novel. But he ended up being an interesting character.
“I see you’re intent on being difficult tonight, Cadet Lin.”
Rui shrugged. “Not any more than usual.”
“I need a coffee,” Ash groaned.
Seeing all of the mythology and lore and magic of Tan’s world get expanded upon from the first novel was also amazing. It’s probably my favorite thing about the book – I loved learning more about the underworld, and meeting the other Kings, and discovering the celestial realm.
The romance was also fantastic. Zizi and Rui’s protectiveness was just as great as in Darker By Four, even if the pining during their separation hurt my heart. And I really liked Yiran and Yuki’s relationship here, it was built up really well.
There were only a few things I didn’t really like about Brighter Than Nine. I disliked that the trio – Rui, Yiran, and Zizi – were split up for so much of the book. Their dynamic and banter were some of my favorite things about the first book. There wasn’t a lot of it in this novel, either, which was a little disappointing. One of my least favorite tropes also made a little appearance in the last quarter of the book, which was annoying, but even with it there was a satisfying resolution to everything.
The other thing that kind of annoyed me were a few lines of dialogue. They just kind of took me out a little. The one that comes to mind is when one of the characters starts talking about which parts of their relationship are trope-y, and similar stuff like that. I dunno, it just felt a little meta and it kind of bugged me.
It was magical. Her city. She would save it, no matter what it took. As they sped on, the noise and chaos seemed to fade. For a moment, everything seemed to slow, and she was able to catch her breath. It was just the wind and her and Zizi. And she found herself wishing that this quiet would last forever.
But other than those few things, I thought that Brighter Than Nine was a fantastic book. I even felt that it was better than the first one. The climax was also good, and I ended up liking the ending a lot.
So yeah, this was a great book. I definitely recommend it, especially to fans of June CL Tan’s other stuff, as well as enjoyers of other Asian fantasy, YA, and anime. This novel was a lot of fun.
Anyway, thank you all for reading, and I hope that everybody has an amazing 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!
