Fantasy

4th Feb 2019 by CG @ Paper Fury 16 Comments (3)

Queen Of Air And Darkness by Cassandra Clare || I Just Lost My Heartbeat…WOW

My opinion on this is basically one long extended screeeeam.

This was absolutely, earth shatteringly perfect. Am I obsessed with The Dark Artifices?? Ah, yes. Yes I am. And I’ve been through several Shadowhunter finales, but I still get nervous! I had fierce plans for my ships here and I was all tied up in anxious knots about it the characters, the plot…the stakes…

But, look. It was perfect. Just perfect.

(And it’s ridiculously hard to write a review when your brain is a catastrophe of emotions!!!!!!)

You can see my reviews for Lady Midnight and Lord of Shadows here!

This is a NO SPOILER REVIEW for Queen of Air and Darkness, but there WILL be spoilers from first two books!

(And for once this isn’t a book from a publisher! Just so you know haha.)

➸ I had so much emotions for these ships.

I had my expectations and my wishes…and they were met. Ok sure I also had some cool theories that didn’t happen (GUESS IT’S TIME FOR FANFIC) but otherwise I just adore how Cassandra Clare scares the absolute skin off us wondering if our ships will be ok and then (1) makes it satisfying, but (2) never easy or perfect by the end. I love her romances, loooove them.

I know it’s common to roll eyes and say, “It’s the end of the world and they’re caring about kissing? unrealistic.” But, hear me out: it makes sense. At one point Cristina told Emma she had romance problems, and Emma fully yelled, “THANK THE HEAVENS. LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT INSTEAD OF DEATH!!!!” And I get that. You put a crowd of super stressed teens in a super stressful situation, where there’s a 900% chance they’re gonna die or end the world — so yes they do some kissing too. And cuddling. There is a lot of cuddling here. It’s a distraction and a reminder of what you’re fighting for.

Also, more (((SPOILER))) ship thoughts ➸

SPOILERS

I was so freaking relieved that Kieran x Mark x Cristina all sailed. Like it was SET UP SO WELL, but I was terrified it wouldn’t pull through for the poly rep. But here we are. I am a tree sap of appreciation. But at the same time I was a little disappointed because I wanted Kieran to marry Cristina and Mark and they all live as faerie kings/queens. Just…let me have that wish, ok. Anyway, it didn’t happen. They get to hang out in a cottage on the weekends. I felt that was just…unnecessary?

“Faerie kings don’t take human consorts…” COUGH WHATEVER. I have literally never read a fae book where they didn’t. But you go make unnecessary disappointment. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As for Julian x Emma…I was actually banking on Emma to die LOL. I’m SO SORRY. But I figured one of them would have to and Julian would suffer more if he lived so…(yes??? I have literally no soul I’m so sorry). Instead they turned into giant nephilim and were brought back to safety by Tavvy saying he loved them or whatever. Super adorable. I confess I rooted for K x M x C more lmao. I DID love Julian x Emma getting to be together at the end!!!!

➸ How my heart beats for my Blackthorns.

My Blackthorn kids are so stressed and wrecked in this book. They tear away from each other because they’re hurting so bad…and I loved that arc. How they realised they couldn’t be divided to heal. Helen getting to be there was AMAZING. She is a gift! And her wife, Aline, totally yells at everyone when they make Helen cry so A+ for Aline.

✧ Julian just went and SNAPPED, SON, DAYUM. He makes stupid decisions because he hurts so bad.
✧ Mark continues to be so pure, so soft and wholesome. (He makes donut sandwiches and he’s so pleased with himself while arranging the plates.)
✧ Dru has more of a part too which I loved. She so desperately wants to fit in with Ty/Kit and I love how Kit makes an effort to let her.
✧ Ty…honestly, I would’ve liked to see more reaction from him? He dealt with the death in his own way, but very emotionless and I’m worried that fits into the stereotype that autistic people don’t show emotions well. Just ONCE, I wanted him to blow up and cry, ok. But anyway. I still love Ty and he is amazing jfdkslad.
✧ Tavvy continues to be adorable and useless, bless him.

➸ Other character thoughts?

✧ Kieran is my absolute FAVE, I can’t even with how much I love him. He’s so intense and dramatic and he just melts for his loves and I adore that. Also fab hair.
✧ Cristina is a true hero, so unflappable unless one of her boys kisses her and then she just screams internally for 200 years.
✧ Perfect Diego is…less perfect! Well done. I don’t really care about him and Jaime, but eh, they exist.
✧ ZARA COULD GO DIE THANKS.
✧ Manuel could’ve used a bit more motive but ugh hate him.
✧ Ash???? WHAT IS GOING ON WITH ASH???????? MORE INFO NEEDED?????? (I take it he’s being set up for another series?)

➸ Was it too long???

Here’s the thing: I loved every freaking page as well as acknowledge the book was genuinely uncomfortable to hold. It took me forever to finish it. I wanted to, but it physically hurt to hold a 900 page book. (Yes I realise there are eBooks but I’d bought the paperback already?) It could’ve been two books.Two would’ve been great.

➸ The plot is so intense and exhausting…in a good way!

So much happened…it was a stressful whirlwind. I won’t give spoilers on the details, but least to say they went to a LOT of places and it was NOT dull. It was unexpected and clever and thrilling. And, even though it was so highly intensely emotional, it still squeezed in some famous Shadowhunter snark. Yas.

It balanced the soft moments (coffees and cuddles and coloured pencil smudges and beach kisses) with the hardcore action (fighting in Faerie, breaking immortal blades, using impossible black magic, heartwrenching traumaaaaa).

There are so many threads, so many details! It’s incredible how it references other series and sets up for more. It is just Clever™.

➸ Emotions? We gotcha emotions and we shall crunch them.

I laughed. I cried. I was a mess. (Also so so anxious the entire time?! ANXIETY LAUGHTER, LOOK AT ME GO.) I still live for the one-liners though, but I loved that this one talked about much darker topics: like grief and loss and moving on. And the character arcs were just brilliant. These kids grew up so much in three books and I love it.

I think the thing to take away from this review is: WOW I LOVED THIS BOOK. It ruined me and rebuilt me and it was such a beautiful collision of love and grief and hate and revenge. It was a stark reminder of the state the world is in today (that feel when fantasy is not so fantasy). And it gave us MAXIMUM BLACKTHORN TIME which is perfect. Plot twsts, cunning schemes, love and destruction. I shall scream for a very very long time and not be back for many days.

➸ also coming out this year that I can’t wait for…

tell me your favourite Cassandra Clare series?! and where you satisfied with the ending of QOAAD? who is your favourite character? Pls flail with me I’m desperate.

21st Jan 2019 by CG @ Paper Fury 41 Comments (1)

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi || Glittery Parisian Thefts And Friend Crime Squad!

**The Gilded Wolves was a glittering and lush story of heists and grandeur, with light smashing punch to the feels.**

All the chill things. Actually hold up, hold up, this is the least chill book ever. It’s set in the 1800s in Paris with magical artefacts and a super complexly woven history. It also has the most adorable and flamboyant cast ever. I just…[clenches fist] love them so much.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for the review-copy!

➸ The plot is a WHIRLWIND.

I get why people compare it to Six of Crows but it had more of an Ace of Shades vibe to me?! The plot is a bit of a heist, but also it’s about SOLVING PUZZLES (aka wait is this National Treasure?!). Severin is trying to regain his title of one of the 4 most powerful Houses, so he’s stealing back his artefacts. Then he gets roped into stealing the Eye of Horus for Hypnos (an ex-childhood-friend) in return for his inheritance back. It has the found-family aspect that we all freak out over in SoC + a glittery Parisian aesthetic + a very complex and twisting history that attaches to the Tower of Babel (my Sunday school childhood says i UNDERSTOOD THESE REFERENCES).

➸ The characters are the light of my little softly beating heart.

THE C H A R A C T E R S. Little flamboyant sassy pockets of delight. They absolutely made the book for me and I enjoyed all of their narrations. The only thing my eye is twitching about is that: their backstories didn’t make a lot of sense. (Like who gave Severin the money to run this flashy hotel?!) But onwards!

✧ Séverin: he’s the leader of this motley crew, the disgraced heir, the thief and schemer. He chews cloves which is, um, disgusting dude. But I guess he doesn’t get toothaches? I loved how openly protective he was over his KIDS, especially Tristan!
✧ Laila: She is tHE MUM FRIEND and Indian and I love her so much. She’s an enigma in public and a dancer + a baker (she always has sugar in her hair) + and when she touches something, she can read its story. She and Severin have a “WE KISSED ONCE BUT WE DON’T LOVE EACH OTHER!!” lie going on.
✧ Enrique: our BISEXUAL NERD SON whom we love dearly. He is equal parts dramatic and will geek out over history and cry when they smash said history to get at the clues (aka: he is the person who would’ve beaten Indiana Jones to death with an umbrella). I freaking love Enrique he is a gift. He’s also Spanish/Filipino.
✧ Zofia: I do appreciate the autistic rep even if she is a total stereotype (but…not offensively? So I guess that counts…although living for the day when people realise autism vs OCD traits are not the, um, same). Zofia is the math genius, the explosionist, the genius who got thrown out of school. Laila just keeps feeding her cookies the whole time and it’s wholesome. She’s also proudly Jewish!
✧ Tristan: the family bABY and they all coddle him it’s so so adorable. He’s the youngest (16) and has pet spiders and loves plants. He’s basically Severin’s baby brother.
✧ Hypnos: He’s the half-sort-of-antagonist who lures them into working for him, but his entire aesthetic is GLITTER PARTY BISEXUAL PRETTY KING and I love him so. He just wants friends!!! He’s like blackmailing them basically but! !!! to get !!! friends!!!

I loved their dynamics! They had sassy scenes and they all melded together wonderfully, plus the glib wove into the heartfelt/serious moments amazingly. MY FAMILY <333 They all totally lived off cookies and crime.

➸ However…I was confused.

I was really really really confused. I love this book, and I fully cannot WAIT for the next one (see tHE FINAL CHAPTER adkslf that revelation has me 8ft into my grave). But the magic system, the super complex history of the world, the actual plot at times…I was just so confused. This zapped a lot of enjoyment from me. While writing this review, I literally couldn’t sum up the plot without rereading the back cover again. I’m just ???? the whole way through the book. It could be me. I could tell the characters’ and the author’s minds were intensely clever.

This is a shiny book of puzzles and magic, of complex tight-knit characters, and thievery with super high stakes. I loved it even though I’m not really sure what just happened haha…my bad.

★★★☆☆

Set in a darkly glamorous world, The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous but thrilling adventure.
Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.
To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can’t yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.
Together, they’ll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

Goodreads | Pan Macmillan | Booktopia | Book Depository

➸ similar titles to try…

**have you read this one yet?? or any of Roshani Chokshi’s books? (tell me your favourites!) and have you read a book you loved but also felt confused??**

29th Oct 2018 by CG @ Paper Fury 22 Comments (3)

#MiniReviews || The Reread Edition (Um, While My TBR Hates Me Even More)

As if my TBR pile couldn’t hate me anymore…this month has been for rereads!

I know! I know! I have so many books to read for the first time still. But as much as I feel guilty for neglecting the TBR…I freaking love rereading. It’s like revisting an old friend and it’s downright comforting if you’re feeling like a refried mop. (Accurate description of me tbh.)

October has had me rereading so much, so you know what?! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’m just going to go with this nEED FOR THE REREAD. I thought it’d be fun to compare some old vs new thoughts — in mini review style!

Also PS. I’ve been having issues with WordPress no longer sending my post emails. I’m using Mailchimp to tie us over till it gets fixed?! So can you let me know if you get emailed this!! THANK YOU.

THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE BY MACKENZIE LEE

Goodreads

HOW MANY TIMES READ? 3

FIRST OPINION? Loved it! Wholly! I first read it via eARC in 2017 and then promptly read it again that same year! See how much I loved it?! It’s a 1700s adventures gone wrong with Henry “Move I’m Gay” Montague and his contrary feminist little sister, Felicity, and unrequited love-of-his-life, Percy Newton. It’s SO HILARIOUS. I crack up every time and the character arcs are A+ perfection.

WHY THE NEED FOR REREAD? Because Felicity’s book was coming out! And I 100% needed to revisit Monty before starting hers. (Which was also good…but not as fun as Monty’s??)

ANY OPINION CHANGES? Actually, none! I enjoyed it just as much! (THE AUDIOBOOK IS WORTH GOLD, BTW.)

SHIVER (WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS #1) BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER

Goodreads

HOW MANY TIMES READ? 3

FIRST OPINION? Duuude, I don’t even know. It was before 2014 and my opinion was as trustworthy as a stale crumpet back then. My second read was 2014 and I called it my “guilty pleasure read” which…um, pfft @ 2014-Cait?!? There is no shame in loving a paranormal romance.

WHY THE NEED FOR REREAD? Because I am OBSESSED with Maggie Stiefvater books! I reread The Raven Cycle every year but somehow neglect The Wolves of Mercy Falls!??? The dishonour. These books are also my favourites. I love Sam more than bread and that’s saying something because I freaking love bread. Also Finn and I were holding a Stiefvater bookstagram challenge and I needed to think up prompts so I accidentally reread the whole book. Wow wHOopS.

ANY OPINION CHANGES? Um just that I love it more. Sam is so soft and sweet and kind and why aren’t boys in books like that more?! Plus I have full respect for the scene where they melted mean-girl-Isabel’s heart by insisting she cook omelettes with them before talking about murderous shapeshifting werewolves. As you do.

VICIOUS (VILLAINS #1) BY VE SCHWAB

Goodreads

HOW MANY TIMES READ? 2

FIRST OPINION? It was my first ever Schwab read back in 2015!!! Shout out to Vicious for finding me a new favourite author (although somehow I’ve loved her 2018 releases less? Which is a shame. But anyway). I totally loved it back then and gushed 1000%.

WHY THE NEED FOR REREAD? Because Vengeful was coming out and how much did I remember of Vicious? AH HAHAH. None.

ANY OPINION CHANGES? I actually was a bit surprised with how slow it was. I didn’t remember that? It’s all villains and sociopaths and I love that and my star-rating didn’t drop at all, but I was a bit more critical of it this time. I still totally see Victor and Eli as Magento and Professor Charles Xavier from X-men and AHHHHHHH the stab levels are so fine. Such fine stab levels.

PS. I was actually so disappointed with Vengeful?! Tell me if I should give it a full review!

LAMENT (#1) BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER

Goodreads

HOW MANY TIMES READ? 2

FIRST OPINION? I read this in 2012 and I WAS SCATHING. It’s actually hilarious and I’m so dead omg. 2012-Cait wasn’t allowed to enjoy things apparently. Anyway I apparently “wasn’t a fan” of “dead kings” or “faeries” and I can’t even with me. Those are my favourite things?! I also said I wasn’t really attached to Dee and Luke’s relationship.

WHY THE NEED FOR REREAD? Because IT HAD BEEN SO LONG!! And I’ve been saying “yeah I’ll reread this” for ages so, dammit, I’m doing it.

ANY OPINION CHANGES? So firstly (1) I loved it more because it was just so Stiefvater. Magic and music and murderous faeries. These things speak so so much to me ahhhh. But (2) Luke was still frikkin’ creepy and not in an attractive way. I hate how he shut Dee down all the time by calling her “pretty thing” (it was so condescending) but at the same time he was a SOULLESS FAERIE ASSASSIN and I am a fan of that concept. So I love it! Maybe more because I know these are my thiiiiings. But at the same time I’m not ignoring the grossness of Luke’s macho attitude.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NGIHTTIME BY MARK HADDON

Goodreads

HOW MANY TIMES READ? 2

FIRST OPINION? I read it first in 2013 and adored it! It was one of my first reads of an autistic character (I hadn’t been diagnosed then) and I was like ?!?! wow relatable content. Although my original review is like 100% glowing and my reread has me lowering it a star oops.

WHY THE NEED FOR REREAD? Because I heard several people calling it problematic! And I mean, we’ve established younger-me was a terrible reviewer. I wouldn’t have known problematic autism rep if it had hit me in the eye with a spoon since I knew so little about autism…aka not even enough to know I was on the spectrum. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I very much wanted to reread critically!

ANY OPINION CHANGES? I was a little less enchanted with all of Christopher’s mathematical detours (there was a whole chapter describing his opinions ON A SIGN!?!?) and I dropped a star for that. But problematic autism rep? It wasn’t to me tbh. I do think Christopher had OCD as well (which shouldn’t been noted) and he was a stereotype (straight / white / male / maths savant)…which makes me sigh. But (in my opinion) he was well written and realistic! I think it’s fair to remember (and I have to pull myself up with this too) that problematic ≠ experience that isn’t identical to ours. Like Christopher’s ASD wasn’t mine but it still felt authentic. And BEST THING = he didn’t end the book having to change! I love it when autistics are accepted for being autistic. (It was his parents bad treatment of him that had to change instead!)

* NOTE – obviously this is my opinion and if another autistic finds the portrayal problematic then they’re welcome to that view too! I don’t know everything lmao.

do you reread?! what’s the last book you reread? or one you’d really LIKE to reread soon? or are you scared of ruining old favourites if you reread them?

5th Oct 2018 by CG @ Paper Fury 36 Comments (6)

The Tales Of Beedle The Bard (Illustrated Edition!) by JK Rowling + Harry Potter Tag!

My eyeballs have been thoroughly blessed by the gift to the world that is the illustrated version of The Tales of Beedle The Bard.

Seriously this book is gorgeous. I hadn’t read Beedle the Bard before this and I actually can’t fathom why anyone would want to read one without pictures?! Also this reminds me why I’m SO glad they’re doing illustrated editions of all the Harry Potters. My new author life goal is: have a book illustrated. I AM ALL HEART EYES, OK. This is spectacular.

So today I’m going to:

★ Do a little review of Beedle!
★ And also absolutely FLOOD you with gorgeous pictures of the insides.
★ Aaaaand I’ll finish off with a little Harry Potter tag because ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ tags are too fun and I actually don’t talk about Harry Potter a lot around here?! So you definitely want to hear all my opinions. I know you do. I see it in your eyes.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia for the review-copy!

THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD by JK Rowling

Goodreads Bloomsbury Booktopia AUS Book Depository

A spectacular full-colour illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling’s fairytale classic The Tales of Beedle the Bard, with breathtaking illustrations by all-round genius and national treasure Chris Riddell.
The dazzlingly brilliant Chris Riddell brings his magical illustration talents to J.K. Rowling’s gloriously inventive The Tales of Beedle the Bard in a fully illustrated colour edition of this essential classic for Harry Potter fans. Translated from the runes by Hermione Granger, the volume includes ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’, familiar to readers of Harry Potter from the crucial role it played in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Mischievous and witty, these five rollicking tales are a deeply satisfying read in the tradition of all great fables and fairytales. Kindnesses are rewarded and selfishness shown to be the ruin of many a wizard. Burping cauldrons, hairy hearts and cackling stumps are met along the way. Each of the tales is accompanied by a deliciously subversive and insightful commentary by Professor Albus Dumbledore, all brought vividly to life with Riddell’s trademark wit and elegance.

My favourite part of this was absolutely the illustrations by Chris Riddell!

The stories were great (a little gory and entirely magical, ha!) but the illustrations just captured the essence of the wizarding world and I couldn’t stop staring at the epic double-page spreads, the characters’ expressions, the detail and the creative depictions! I will forever be disgruntled that not all books of ever are illustrated. If you’re going o read Beedle the Bard, I say 10/10 go for the Illustrated edition.

As for the stories… I quite liked them! Although I’m glad for Dumbledore’s footnotes for a lot because I wasn’t sure what the point was except “DEATH COMES FOR YOU” which is a great thing to tell all the little wizarding children, way to go Beedle. (I laughed at the section where a witch tried to “rewrite” the stories to be more applicable and sweet and kind…and was reminded of that time someone tried to rewrite Harry Potter to be “Christian” and it was so freaking bad lmao. I wonder if JK Rowling was poking fun? I HOPE SO.)

My favourite was The Fountain of Fair Fortune! It was so sweet how a group of people could band together and help each other and become stronger and fill the lonely hollows in their hearts…even without magic. Awww.

Obviously The Tale of Three Brothers is important considering Deathly Hallows centres around it, but I would’ve picked the Elder Wand so oops.

Anyhow! I really enjoyed this! It was light and Dumbledore’s footnotes were funny aND THE ILLUSTRATIONS AFJDSKALD. Excuse me while I just go back to staring at them forever.

This is slightly adapted from the “Ultimate Harry Potter Tag” because 30 questions was way too much for someone who has forgotten like…half the books. Excuse me.

1. FAVOURITE VS LEAST FAVOURITE BOOK?

I confess that I really need to reread because I’ve forgotten a lot! But I think Order Of The Phoenix is probably the least favourite??? 100pgs of a Quidditch match ahahah slay me now. AND DEATHLY HALLOWS MOST FAVOURITE. The feeeeelings.

2. FAVOURITE VS LEAST FAVOURITE MOVIE

I’ve only seen ONE MOVIE! And that was The Prisoner of Azkaban! Whoops haha.

3. FAVOURITE QUOTE

4. FAVOURITE FEMALE CHARACTERS

Luna Lovegood! (STILL disgruntled that she didn’t have more page time!!)
Hermione Granger (an actual queen I adore her so much)
Molly Weasley (the ultimate mother bear)
McGonagall (hAVE A BISCUIT POTTER…although lowkey think she could’ve just taken out Umbridge and Voldemort by herself, but fine)

5. FAVOURITE MALE CHARACTER

Harry! (He was so grumpy and such an unwilling saviour of the world, I LOVE IT)
George and Fred (because they are everything an annoying sibling should aspire to be)
Kreature (he was relatable tbh)
Neville Longbottom (an actual Softest Boy who should be protected forever)

6. FAVOURITE PROFESSOR

The only answer to this is ALWAYS going to be McGonagall, even though I have to google her name constantly. She was so perfectly composed, badass, untouchable, and deadly. In other words: life goals.

7. YOUR HOGWARTS HOUSE

SLYTHERIN REPRESENT. I also have a lot of Hufflepuff tendencies, which I think I act more like online, but woooow I am so ambitious and just a little deviously cunning (my sister can attest ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) and I always end up writing Slytherin characters myself because I LOVE THEM SO.

PS. I sort everything into Hogwarts houses. My characters, my family, my dog, my cereal…none are spared.

8. WHICH SPELL WOULD BE THE MOST USEFUL TO LEARN

How to make a Horcrux…

AHAHAH OK, SETTLE DOWN THERE, VOLDETTE.

9. IF YOU OWNED ONE OF THE THREE HALLOWS, WHICH WOULD IT BE?

Now I have read the story in Beedle’s tales and I know the point is you can’t cheat death so don’t be presumptuous and greedy etc etc. But let’s be real, you could do a LOT of damage by being invisible (which apparently was the “noble” choice). Like you could rob banks, steal art, stay in libraries after-hours reading, etc, etc.

I’d choose the Elder Wand though. (I told you I’m a Slytherin…) SEE ME, FEAR ME.

10. IS THERE ANY ASPECT OF THE BOOKS YOU’D CHANGE?

I thoroughly dislike ALL the ships (sorrrry) but particularly I would make Hermione marry someone intelligent and kind and toss Ron in the ocean.
I’d dedicate a whole book just to Luna’s life (I headcanon she is so very thoroughly autistic I LOVE HER)
I’d skip the prolonged Quidditch scenes (oops)
Get some actual unproblematic diversity in there ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ None of this off-the-page-in-retrospect stuff which doesn’t count.
Knit myself a Weasley jumper (I’M AWARE THIS DOESN’T MAKE SENSE IN THE LIST BUT I WANTED TO SAY IT)
Feature all the Houses!! Slytherin needed to show it’s good side (cunning doesn’t HAVE to equal evil) and give the Hufflepuffs more page time too!!

hey chat with me!

how old where you when you discovered Harry Potter? what would YOU change about the books? aaaand are you excited for the Illustrated edition?!

1st Oct 2018 by CG @ Paper Fury 17 Comments (2)

Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd || Darkly Delicious! I Am So Here For This

This was actually the most deliciously lovely thing.

This is the kind of book where the gorgeous cover thoroughly promises what you’re going to find inside. It was so good, OK?! I completely fell in love with the characters, the vivid world building, thE PASTRY APPRECIATION, and all the characters’ snark (despite them being about to die). Quality content right here thank you I will take 7 more of these books.

OK but where to even start?! (I FLAIL)

The setting! The world! The exquisite descriptions!

I freaking love Paris. I have I been? No. But that doesn’t stop me being a teeny bit obsessed with it. And the descriptions were gorgeous and vivid so it’s like the bookworm trip to Paris! Also Parisian pastries are keeping this world together, so 10/10 here for the appreciation they gave to them.

The descriptions are the kind that are very sensory and really pull you in with the taste of things and colours and the scruffy details of someone’s coat — I LIVE FOR THIS.

I loved that it’s from the perspective of the animals who are enchanted into humans.

You know?! Like in the Disney Cinderella movie where the fairy godmother turns mice into men, etc. THAT is what a “grim lovely” is. (They also call them “Beasties”.) So we have this witch and her 5 enchanted servants (she treats them as slaves too) but when she’s murdered they have 3 days to get someone else to cast a new humanising spell on them or GOODBYE.

Also we don’t know what their animal forms original were, but the 5 of them are: wolf, owl, cat, mouse, and dog.

So obviously we have a huge ticking time bomb here, which I looooved. Makes the pace fast! And stressful! Of course bookworms love stress haha, our grey hair and bloodshot eyes mean nothing, carry on.

I totally fell in love with Anouk as the story went on.

She’s so timid and demure to start with, and she doesn’t suddenly — ZAP — change into a saucy fighter or anything. She stays quiet and calm…but she gets confidence and she fights back and she believes in more than what she’s spoon fed. I LOVE HER SO MUCH. We need more soft™ protagonists! Her arc just ahhhhhh. SO good.

**Also the cast is BIG and amazing and I feel all the things for them.**

CRICKET: She’s like the badass older sister, made to be a thief, and she loves flowers and skulls and lipstick. Love her.
BEAU: So of course we must have a love interest (although it’s good that it’s the “we already knew each other” romance because otherwise a 3-day romance is always too hard to believe)…and I admit I DIDN’T LIKE HIM. He’s very overprotective of Anouk. Aka “no no Anouk you can’t do anythinggggg” and I wanted to slap him. I didn’t really see their chemistry? But he drives cars fast so I’ll give him that.
LUC: He’s actually missing when the book starts, but he’s the Big Bro figure and they all love him so bad.
HUNTER BLACK: he’s the trained assassin and actually starts off an enemy of the rest because he’s super close to the witch’s son. I feel many things for Hunter Black. Ugh the antiheroes get me every time I can’t even.
VIGGO: he’s NOT a beastie, but the “witch’s boy”. Basically a kid she stole to use as a blood bank (you need blood for magic) but also spoiled rotten and super rich thanks to the witch. He is AWFUL and we HATE him but by thE END….WHAT HAPPENED WE DON’T. GO VIGGO!!!

They have all the dysfunctional family vibes and I freaking LOVE IT.

Ok so a lot of people have expressed concerned over the Bury Your Gays trope appearing. I’ll put my thoughts in spoilers but I DON’T spoil the book. I’m just talking about the trope’s use:

THOUGHTS (Possibly Spoilery...mostly not)

I am very very rarely ok with this trope. Especially if it’s only the gay character who dies and no straight ones. However for Grim Lovelies: I don’t quite believe That Character is dead. Because they threw in a “probably” and there’s magic so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’m hoping the author pulls through. Otherwise, people…it’s 2018 and you can’t have the ONLY death be a minority character. Enough of that. We deserve better.

So Pls Prepare Yourself For

☆ magic and witches and enchantments but in a modern setting
☆ Paris!!
☆ staying to eat pastries > running for your life
☆ dysfunctional family squad dynamics
☆ villains grudgingly doing good omg
☆ softest sweet hufflepuff being badass
☆ wickedly beautiful world building
☆ m a g i c
☆ sneaky evil plotting by people you think are sweet
☆ fashion appreciation, especially of epic jackets
☆ LIES AND MURDER

Yes I’m thoroughly in love with this one! It totally captured my imagination, from all the unique twists on old magic, and the fairy tales it wove in, to the gorgeous lush setting and the characters I wOULD DIE FOR. I’m chill as a person, for sure. I’ve wanted an intoxicating magical fantasy for a while and this !! is it !!

THANK YOU TO HMH TEEN FOR THE ARC. Grim Lovelies by Megan Shepherd is out October 2nd, 2018!

Seventeen-year-old Anouk envies the human world, where people known as Pretties lavish themselves in fast cars, high fashion, and have the freedom to fall in love. But Anouk can never have those things, because she is not really human. Enchanted from animal to human girl and forbidden to venture beyond her familiar Parisian prison, Anouk is a Beastie: destined for a life surrounded by dust bunnies and cinders serving Mada Vittora, the evil witch who spelled her into existence. That is, until one day she finds her mistress murdered in a pool of blood—and Anouk is accused of the crime.
Now, the world she always dreamed of is rife with danger. Pursued through Paris by the underground magical society known as the Haute, Anouk and her fellow Beasties only have three days to find the real killer before the spell keeping them human fades away. If they fail, they will lose the only lives they’ve ever known…but if they succeed, they could be more powerful than anyone ever bargained for.

Goodreads Publisher Buy Author’s Website

tell me which countries you’d like to see more books set in?! will you read Grim Lovelies?? do you like fairy tales from different angles??

10th Sep 2018 by CG @ Paper Fury 41 Comments (5)

And The Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness || Upside Down Moby Dick! Also Illustrated! We’ve Been Blessed

And The Ocean Was Our Sky is an extremely beautiful and somewhat odd story.

I do like how Patrick Ness’ books are rarely “the usual” because it’s fresh and different and unpredictable! And the illustrations of this one were just !!! That’s how you write a good review, kids. You say your opinion is “!!!” and pretend to be eloquent. I’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS TRUST ME.

This is definitely not like any of the other Ness books. I thought it’d be like A Monster Calls, considering it’s illustrated too, but…not really. It’s extremely metaphorical and basically a fable that talks about war turning people into monsters, and how sometimes you make monsters by forever pursuing justice through violence instead of choosing peace.

So good stuff. I like.

It’s also an upside-down retelling of Moby Dick!

I have nOT read Moby Dick and all I know is that there’s a whale. I’m…I’m a little ashamed of me too. (I actually looked up the wikipedia synopsis about this and gUESS WHAT IT IS ABOUT A WHALE.) However you need to know the original to appreciate this one! But it is upside-down so it’s (a) narrated by the whales, and (b) the whales are harpooning the men now. Which quite frankly makes sense. Men…I can’t even with them. So it was weird but I was onboard (LOL LOL SHIP PUN) for a bit of oddity. Although I’m still confused about how the whales had ships? I couldn’t visualise it and there wasn’t an illustration for it.

Also Toby Wick (VERY CLEVER) was on the evil-human side but I am still 0% sure as to what he was. A man? An actual monster???

As a black-and-white sort of person, I did struggle to read between the lines of all the allegories.

It feels like an Aesop Fable in style really and the writing has an old-fashion voice so I had to really focus to stay engaged. But the illustrations were GORGEOUS. And they got super dark (so um, yes, this is not middle-grade ok). I also want to raise my hands and just say: “THANK YOU. ADULTS DESERVE ILLUSTRATIONS TOO.” 10/10 would like all books to have more illustrations.

And The Ocean Was Our Sky feels like it’s full of questions and meanings and leaves you thinking. It’s beautifully put together too! Even if I was a bit confused how a whale had a narrator…my imagination got a work out haa ha ha.

THANK YOU TO WALKER BOOKS FOR THE REVIEW-COPY. And The Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness is published September 2018.

With harpoons strapped to their backs, the proud whales of Bathsheba’s pod live for the hunt, fighting in the ongoing war against the world of men. When they attack a ship bobbing on the surface of the Abyss, they expect to find easy prey. Instead, they find the trail of a myth, a monster, perhaps the devil himself…
As their relentless Captain leads the chase, they embark on a final, vengeful hunt, one that will forever change the worlds of both whales and men.

Goodreads Book Depository Booktopia Publisher

alright tell me a YA book you WISH was illustrated?! and do you read much Patrick Ness? What’s your favourite? Will you try this one?

9th Jul 2018 by CG @ Paper Fury 32 Comments (4)

Whisper Of The Tide (#2) by Sarah Tolcser || Sequel of Pirates, Assassinations, And So Much Salt

Oh I do so long the Song of the Current duology!

Whisper of The Tide was a fantastic sequel, althoooough I admit, I thought it was a trilogy??!! So I didn’t go in expecting this to be THE END. I did love how it wrapped up! I just…wait…wait I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I was not emotionally prepared for this omg.

It’s such an imaginative series though, and it totally feels like a movie playing out on the page! Pirates and sea drakons and petulant princes and badass female captains. This is the quality content I live for.

You can see my review for the first book, Song Of The Current, here!

May be mild spoilers for the first book!? But I will attempt to keep everything as non-spoilery as possible!

I love the adventures Caro goes on with her pirate ship, her complicated love of a monarch, and the dangers of being chosen by a sea god.

Her life is the exact opposite of lowkey, let’s be real here. I really loved how ferociously PIRATEY we got here. Yes, “piratey” is a word. All the kids are saying it these days. Caro now has her own ship (that she, um, stole obviously) and she’s doing her best to keep Markus alive (which goes badly because everyone wants him dead) and we are about to get involved in a plot that contains:

☆ treasure maps
☆ enemies turning into allies
☆ assassination plots
☆ marooned isles!!
☆ plots to kill the future empharch
☆ a teaset that actually gets smashed for no reason which is such a shame
☆ girls supporting girls!
☆ an actual moment where Caro says she’ll let he assassins at Markos if he doesn’t shut up for 2 seconds
☆ plots and schemes AND TWISTS

Caro is SUCH a fantastic narrator! I continue to adore her!

She’s struggling with being “chosen” by the sea god in this one, since the god is a sassy monster and has 0% interest in what Caro actually wants. So they’re having a very nervous and quiet war here, because Caro has NO IDEA what she can get away with. Caro’s also figuring out who she is and how that meshes with her love for Markos. OR CAN IT MESH WITH MARKOS???!?!? As the blurb says, there’s a bit of a twist with Markos now needing to marry someone else to get allies to get his throne back. I wouldn’t say it was a love triangle, but it ain’t smooth sailing. *

* I literally couldn’t resist. SHIP PUNS ALL ROUND.

I also love how it celebrated women! Yes the world is still sexist, but not suffocatingly so. Caro had to prove herself and she and the other women had to shove back at the patriarchy. BUT Caro actually has a plot! THE WHOLE TIME. I loved this. And she also (a) encourages other women to pursue their dreams, (b) has a close friendship with her female cousin, (c) and at one point she meets a scientist who likes pretty clothes and makeup. Caro pulls herself up when she thinks that’s weird and goes, “Well why can’t she like both?!” AND YES. I LIVE FOR THESE NARRATIONS IN YA.

There’s definitely a lot packed into the plot! It starts off pretty slowly, but the ending is like BAM BAM do u still have feels haha not anymore BAM BAM. So that was fantastic. I read the whole thing in one day!

Admittedly I did love the first book better and I wish I’d had time to reread it before starting this one! Also Caro and Markus’ storylines diverge in this one…which means, yup. Much less snarky sassy bickering banter. I sorely missed it.

This duology is the swashbuckling tale of pirates and seas, treasure and conspiracies, that I’ve definitely always wanted! The writing and characters are superb, the story felt fresh and alive, and I WISH TO GO SAILING NOW, SOMEONE GET ME A TRICORN HAT.

THANK YOU BLOOMSBURY FOR THE REVIEW-COPY. Whisper Of the Tide (Song Of The Current #3) by Sarah Tolcser was published July 2018.

The second in the immersive series set along the waterways of a fantasy world, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir.
Caro has settled into a routine: Wake, eat breakfast, try to figure out who is going attempt to assassinate Markos today. The currents aren’t exactly calm. Markos is in constant danger, and his claim to the Akhaian throne is largely unsupported. Without military strength he doesn’t have a chance. Relief appears on the horizon when a powerful Archon wants to side with Markos in his fight for the throne. But in exchange for an army, Markos must marry the Archon’s daughter. They must decide which is more important: their love for each other or the fate of Akhaia. And Caro will have to decide if her destiny is to sail with the tide, or chart her own course.
With shipwrecks, lost treasure, old and new enemies, dark magic, and devastating romance, Sarah Tolcser weaves another epic story about chasing fate.

Goodreads Publisher Book Depository Review of Song Of The Current

is there an epic fantasy you love that celebrates women and actively dismantles the patriarchy?! and do you like PIRATES! tell me if you’ve started this duology and what you though!!

18th Jun 2018 by CG @ Paper Fury 43 Comments (5)

Legendary (Caraval #2) by Stephanie Garber || So Freaking Gorgeous My Eyeballs Are In Love

Do you know what is an absolutely magical delicious delight? LEGENDARY.

There is no hope for me btw, I am completely in love with this series. The world! The magic! The twisty plots! The characters! I’m standing right behind Tella as she scoffs “I’m not in love with anything” and then hurls my whole heart and soul into the game. Same, Tell, same.

It just captured me so much, was so gorgeously written, and I feel like I’ve just run wildly through Caraval myself. My affections ARE YOURS, little book. I will just flail gently until book 3 comes out. Also you can catch my review of the first book, Caraval, here!

**Also BEHOLD THIS ARC. Which literally has my name on it, from the fantastic people at Date A Book.**

☆ Full disclaimer…everything was PERFECT and I’m just here to flail.
Wildly. With no regrets. And I loved Caraval, but dare I say Legendary was even better?!?

☆ I was really happy that it also features another game of Caraval.
Different town. Different rules. Different (and so so much higher) stakes. And it’s all still so intoxicatingly mysterious and twisty. This book is so gorgeously Slytherin. NO ONE is ever straightforward. It’s all double-crossing the double crossed and outwitting someone who’s already playing tricks on you. Who’s lying? Who’s who they say they are??? WE DON’T GET TO KNOW. I freaking love this.

☆ It’s narrated by Tella this time!
Tella is so unapologetically herself, and it’s amazing. Her personality is like: “will stab u but also love pretty shiny things.” And I mean. I’m in love. (Also I found Scarlett unfortunately whiny with a damsel complex, so like Tella just improved my life 10000%.) Tella kisses boys and wears luscious dresses and plays mind games and is clever. I also loved how Tella is caught between playing games and actually fiercely caring about things. The whole book she’s like: “I dO NOT LOVE” while, you know, furiously loving so so many people.

☆ The sisters!! Can we !! flail over the !! sisters!!
Family is such a huge theme for these books! Scarlett would do anything for Tella and Tella would do anything for Scarlett. And half the plot hinges on Tella looking for their long-lost mother. Plus Tell and Scarlett are domestic abuse survivors and they support each other and listen now that they’re out. They also DO NOT JUDGE each other’s choices. It is so so good and wholesome and THANK YOU.

☆ The boys were all beautiful and almost definitely evil.
This is the right way to write devious and dark boys…skip the alpha and abusive relationships rubbish and move onto tricksters and otherworldly powers and manipulation of magic and kingdoms and the world. Livin’ for all the Slytherins here, I tell you. I loved Dante, who works for Caraval, and who Tell fights with 500% of the time (SHIP IT). He was awful and intriguing all at once. And we also have Jacks — Tella’s fake-fiance-during-the-game. He ate a lot of apples and was so pale he was nearly blue and also turned out to be practically an otherworldly demon. Sometimes these things happen in your love life, ok.

☆ THE MAGIC!!
There are cursed cards, Fates trying to be set free, and of course — who is Legend?! And how is he so powerful? PS. I finally knooooooow and I’m so freaking happy. I love how the magic is complex and gorgeous. Also take a moment for how amazing the writing is. I just want to eat the whole book. The descriptions and imagination are on a whole new level of incredibleness.

☆ The ending has me craving more like nothing else.
It’s both satisfying and torturous. I’m slightly suffocating with the need to find out what happens next. The plot was perfection here and it answered many many questions…and then left us with more PLUS a wicked lead in to what’s going to be a stunning finale.

So yes I’m besotted with Legendary, LOOK AT ME GO. This is an enthralling read of magic and puzzles, entrancing plots and characters of cleverness and passion. I’m in love with the lush writing, the gowns of flowers, and the bedazzling and rich scenery. The whole story has thoroughly caught my heart!

THANK YOU HACHETTE AUSTRALIA FOR THE ARC! Legendary (Caraval #2) by Stephanie Graber came out May 2018.

★★★★★

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.
After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister Scarlett from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.
The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister’s. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice. But now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever.

goodreads review of Caraval Book Depository Booktopia AUS

is there a series where you liked the second book MORE than the first?! and have you read Caraval or Legendary??? thoughts?? (also which edition covers do you like better?! they’re both SO pretty omg)

22nd Jan 2018 by CG @ Paper Fury 108 Comments (7)

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black || Is This My New Favourite Dark Faerie Book?!

I can’t get over how freaking bloodily fantastic The Cruel Prince is!!

I was going to be chill about the whole thing bUT WELL THAT SHIP SAILED AND HERE I AM SO EXTRA IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK OF STABBY MARVELLOUSNESS. I WANT 9 MORE. AND I DO NOT WANT TO WAIT A YEAR FOR THE SEQUEL.

I’m already a huge fan of Holly Black and adore her original faerie series, Tithe, and also The Darkest Part of The Forest just STOLE my heart. The Coldest Girl In Coldtown was amazing (but I need to reread because I remember…yep? nothing) and The Curseworker trilogy was afjdkalsd.

Okay so you get it. I’m a mild fan.

The Cruel Prince will satisfy all your cravings for a dark, murderous faerie tale. This is about the monsters in the woods. It has enchantments and torture and massacres and conniving. And best of all, this book features cruel cleverness and wit. I absolutely love it. (My only complain, literally only is that I thought it’d be darker…hah…hahah…yes I can see you throwing salt at me and running away. Shh. I’m fine and normal.)

Anyway, onwards.

➸ First off, this is the ultimate Slytherin book.

It’s really complex and twisty with fey royalty plots and conniving courts and the intrigue and the backstabbing and twisted plotting. The fey are very awesome at getting around the “we can’t lie” thing. I have taken notes. Because obviously this is the kind of book you learn from. #NoPleaseDontRunawayFromMeImNiceSometimesImSure It’s CLEVER and complex and I crave that in a book and I got so so much of it.

➸ It’s set in faerieland itself, so you’re in for all the lush scenery and terrible danger.

I’M SO FREAKING HAPPY ABOUT THIS. It’s saturated in the rich luscious world. The descriptions were gorgeous and popped off the page. Everything was beautiful and pure deadly. Like: “hey welcome to my hOME where the fruit will kill you and there are death monsters in the pond and also if you piss off a gentry fey, you’ll die!” I am so so in love with this brutally nasty and yet luringly gorgeous world.

10/10 chances I will eventually be lured to faeries land and hopefully be like Jude and stab a lot of stuff and survive.

➸ There’s plenty of blood and stabbing.

We are not here to muddle about, my fiends. There is murder and it is chilling.

➸ I really loved Jude!

She’s such a complicated person, born fully human and being fostered by her parent’s murderer (who is also her human mum’s ex-husband…look the fey world is complicated). She’s been raised in the fey world where she’ll always be despised for her mortality. The bullying was done really well and actually rang bitterly of many people’s bullying experiences. I’m so impressed with this?! We have fey courts and magic — but BOOM — there is also a storyline about bullying, being an oddball and being vulnerable and just what that can drive you to do. Jude spends her life trying to fit in, changing herself, and eventually just saying “NO” and fighting back. She wasn’t overconfident or heartless, but she was badass and such a schemer.

➸ There’s a lot of emphasis on family!

It features Jude’s two sisters: Taryn (her twin, and also annoying tbh) and Vivi (her half sister, and half fey). Also Oak is the “sort of brother” and maybe 6 or 7? But HE’S SUCH A CUTE BRAT. Love Oak. Orianna was so interesting, though very cold. And Madoc was downright freaky terrible. He’s born for war, but also has kindness? But he’s BAD but also does good things?!?? Hello morally grey catastrophes.

➸ I do feel things about Prince Cardan…

He’s so cruel and makes Jude’s life miserable…which is 100% the recipe for me to hate him. I do NOT like the trope of “ooh I like you so I’ll be mean to you” story lines but, thankfully, it wasn’t like that! I loved the twists in their interactions, but this isn’t the kind of ship you’d expect. (Is it even a ship!?) The romance in this book is never what you’ll expect. And Cardan also has a thoroughly tragic side that…oh wow. I…ugh are these feelings? Make them stop.

➸ I really took my time reading.

Every page was gorgeous and satisfying and interesting. I can’t even with how detailed the world was and how smoothly the plot ran. I LOVED Jude’s narration and watching her change from someone struggling not to be walked over, to someone an acorn and a thumbprint away from manipulating the world.

➸ PLUS THE ENDING. HOLY YES.

I DECLARE FAVOURITE OF 2018 ALREADY.

If you haven’t read this one, GET THEE ONTO IT. It’s murderous and twisty and has complicated characters. Things get bloody and there are girls with swords and wicked monsters and crafty plots. Be entranced. It’s terrible beauty and everything I was hoping for.

THANK YOU TO ALLEN & UNWIN FOR THE REVIEW-COPY. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black was published January 2018.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Goodreads Buy Publisher

➸ similar titles to try…

\\ click to read reviews //

do you like faerie books?! (any favourites or recommendations for me?!) have you read The Cruel Prince yet?! what’s your favourite Holly Black book?

11th Dec 2017 by CG @ Paper Fury 38 Comments (7)

#MiniReviews || eBooks I’ve Procrastinated Until Now Edition!

I love December and that panicked “omg I have so many books I need to review before next year” moment!

It’s lovely. Last week I confessed to 15 books I should’ve read by now but yet I haven’t. And I cried a bit. You cried a bit. We all agreed it’d be better just to eat ice cream and scream into the sun for a while. Which I DID, but I also pulled my socks up and actually cracked down and got reading!

Ergo, look! Time for some mini reviews of books I should’ve reviewed ages ago BUT BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. So I’m just going to throw a bunch of mini reviews together (linked to the longer reviews) and we can all eat some crackers and try to be functional.

Thank you to Netgalley and Edelweiss for the various approvals!

AMERICAN STREET

★★★★☆

Goodreads Longer Review Buy

Oh wow this is a little bit like running face-first into a brick wall of EMOTIONS. It’s an #ownvocies and powerful story about a Haitian immigrant and it’s really gritty and powerful and the ENDING THOUGH. I’m glaring fiercely at myself for procrastinating this for so long because it’s grand, peoples. Get thee onto it.

THINGS TO LOVE!

Huge emphasis on family! Not the exactly “nice” kind of family. Fabiola is immigrating to America but her mum gets caught up in a dention facility so Fabiola stays with her relatives. They’re kind of…into…bad stuff. And Fabiola is pretty innocent (she is the sweetest) and so while there’s friction between her + her cousins. They also really stand up for each other!
AKA there’s SO many interesting and complex females in here. Which is so refreshing!
Fabiola is just the most lovely and precious thing. I thought she might be so “nice” that she’d end up being passive. BUT SHE’S NOT. She’s complex and wants an education and a better life. She was very poor in Haiti and dreams of a good school and she falls for the sweetest pumpkin of a boy. Kasim is adorable.
There’s SO much Haitian culture! I loved this!! I learnt a lot and I think it’s awesome that Fabiola incorporated her own culture into everyday life and was proud of it.
I couldn’t stop reading. Hello there plot twists and intense levels of stress.
It’s pretty dark. There’s lots of swearing and loan sharks and they live in a bad part of town and there’s drug cartels and people are beat up, etc. etc.
At times the story felt like watching a trainwreck. I WAS VERY STRESSED. But in a good way! Because who wants to be chill anyway ha ha ha…

DIVIDING EDEN

★★☆☆☆

Goodreads Longer Review Buy

This book has given me the similar feeling of when you drop your toast jam side down. I am displeased. Literally every character was awful, a ton of the plot didn’t make sense, and the beginning was GREAT while the ending was a solid #NOPE.

WHAT WENT WRONG:

The premise was great, but then it got illogical!?? Like we have this fantasy world with windmills that power the lights (NICE) to keep back the monsters in the dark (NICE) and we have twins Andreus and Carys who protect each other (NICE)…But then all the characters reactions to things were so random.
Like in the first 3 chapters alone we get told Andreus “has a secret”…49248 times. I’m so over it. Then Carys makes drama scenes to stop people finding out Andreus secret, and she gets whipped for it. But what the heck?! You wouldn’t whip a monarch and princess. That’s asking the people to never respect her.
It was being “edgy” but…illogically so. Eh.
I didn’t even like Carys OR Andreus! Carys hates everything feminine because it’s “weak” (COULD U NOT) and Andreus is only interested in womanising everyone with two legs and skirt. He literally puts sex before EVERYTHING, and he’s so sexist the entire freaking book I wanted to put him in a frypan. If Carys isn’t submissive around him, he’s a raging misogynist jerk.
Now these aren’t spoilers because they’re in the blurb, but this is literally the logic of the city:

KING: *is murdered*
COUNCIL: Oh no the next in line for the throne are twins!
COUNCIL: they must have a hugely dramatised contest to pick between them.
COUNCIL: even tho the king literally just died and was murdered
COUNCIL: but lmao we’re not investigating that

CARYS: actually I don’t want to be queen? so my brother can
COUNCIL: lmao no you still have to fight for it

CARYS: *sacrifices everything to protect her twin’s secret*
CARYS: *always there for her brother*
CARYS: *truest hufflepuff with a knife*
RANDOM PERSON: psst Andreus? Carys is maybe evil
ANDREUS: omfg you’re probably right

What the heck.
I mean there’s corruption of power and betrayal which I LIKE. And the writing was good and addictive, but it was so dumbly (and it didn’t need to be!) sexist and I kind of want Andreus to fall off a wall.

THE LOVE LETTERS OF ABEEARD AND LILY

★★★☆☆

Goodreads Longer Review Buy

I have complicated feelings about this. I’m 50% of the opinion that it’s excellent with great ADHD (#ownvoices!) rep and it’s a girl too!! YAY for neurodivergent girls! But I’m also 50% disappointed because I felt some themes of “be yourself” were contradicted within the book and I didn’t like the ending.

THOUGHTS:

I LOVED the characters! Lily is really struggling with ADHD/dyslexia and her life is falling apart and then she meets Abelard who’s autistic and they’re so different but so cute together?! They relate through this super old book called The Love Letters of Abelard and Heloise and quote it to each other and NERDS.
Love it.
You can really tell how lovingly the ADHD rep is. I’ve read something online that said the author based Lily’s experiences off her own! However I admit the autism rep felt mostly built on stereotypes and Abelard was a bit shallowly done. I’m disappointed there, but he wasn’t the protagonist so I guess??
I loved how it delved into the psychology and cause-and-effect of disabilities. Especially for Lily! And I love how she and Abelard NEVER wanted to change each other.
Good parents. Massive YES.
However I felt the book was conflicted about the “being yourself” line. I can’t say much because of spoilers! But it was for it, but at times seemed to be like “okay it sucks to change for others, but you still have to do it”…?? Maybe I misinterpreted. I mean sometimes you do, especially in this world, but I felt like Lily had to change while Abelard didn’t? Where is the fairness?
Anyway ultimately it felt honest and true and it was a good story! It has a lot of heartfelt lines too…I just…eh, I’m not happy with the ending.

DAUGHTER OF THE BURNING CITY

(I’m cheating for a second! This is actually a library book!)

★★★★☆

Goodreads Longer Review Buy

This was dark and murderous and magical, so basically all of my favourite things.

It was so so good! Ahh! The characters were complex and the plot twist was mind blowing and the aesthetics (shh I can love the aesthetics) JUST TOOK MY HEART. Am a fan.

THINGS TO KNOW

It’s set in a circus! Called Gomorrah (#IUnderstoodThatReference) and it’s like a carnival/city that always moves. And the detail and lusciousness of the writing just makes you dissolve onto the page. It was like being there.
So many plot twists! I loved how it combined fantasy + murder mysteries + magicians. Sorina is an illusion worker, but her illusions are her “family” and they’re so real they have their own lives. WHICH IS NICE. But then they start getting murdered which…shouldn’t happen, so there’s that.
OMG THE DIVERSITY. There’s people of all skin tones and abilities and disabilities. The love interest is asexual (I’m sooo thrilled with this!!) and Sorina is bisexual, I think, and she definitely has anxiety and panic attacks!
Sorina is just so awesome though. She’s equal parts badass and imaginative and complex and loving. And she cries and it’s not like “ooh you’re so weak.” She’s the actual best.
LUCA TOO THOUGH. He is the most vain and snarky cinnamon scone and terribly full of himself and wears outlandish vests. He’s a gossip worker + magical + an utter devious Slytherin. Their romance is the best. These two!! AHH!!!!!
And the writing was A+ too. I mean of course. Sensory and emotional and beautiful.
So much murder and mayhem. I…gah, this book just speaks to my soul. It is an actual literal “Cait Book” and you need it.

have you read any of these?!? any on your TBR? pls discuss with me!! i’d love your opinions. and and have you read any books lately that you were like “oh this is such a ME book”??