Book Review: Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (The Guild Codex: Demonized #2)

Overall: 4/5

Plots and Themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing Style: 4/5

Attention Grabbing: 5/5 

This is my continued reread of the Demonized series to match my progress in the Spellbound series. Honestly though, rereading this has made me want to read this more than Spellbound. The intricacy of the characters is just so much more appealing to me and I can't really put my finger on why. I think it's the idea of overcoming obstacles to relate to someone. Neither of them are really changing themselves, they're just working to better understand one another's worlds. I love it, it's some sort of niche trope that I would like to see in every book. 

So not much to say, my original review from 2021 covers it pretty well. I'm excited to get through the next Spellbound so that I can get back to this series. 

Book Review: The Alchemist and an Amaretto (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #5)

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 3/5

Attention Grabbing: 2/5 

The Alchemist and an Amaretto is the fifth book in the Spellbound part of the Guild Codex series. Tori and her friends are visiting an elite academy for mages- owned and run by Aaron's parents. It's stressful enough being around all the wealthy elites, add in the mysterious werewolf-related deaths and a demon with near total control of the guy she's starting to develop feelings for an it's not exactly a relaxing holiday. 

I like this series, but it pales in comparison to Demonized. I don't know why it just doesn't hit as hard, maybe too many storylines or maybe the fact that Tori doesn't have magic. I wish we looked into her who familiar angle a bit more, I thought we were going to get into how magic could be accessible to those without the genetic benefit of being related to someone with magic. But instead, Tori is learning to fight which is cool but just makes her feel like a bit of a burden in this world. I do appreciate her willingness to step up to the challenge, but it's hard to see when you know the extent of the powers that they have. 

I think things are going to start picking up in the next installment, I vaguely remember her role in the Demonized side of things so I'm excited to read it all through her eyes. 

Book Review: Taming Demons for Beginners (The Guild Codex: Demonized #1)

Overall: 4/5

Plots and Themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing Style: 4/5

Attention Grabbing: 5/5 

This is my reread of the Demonized series because I started her Spellbound series and realized they weren't just related but intertwined and felt the urge to go back for this one and read them chronologically. Gotta say, like two years later and I still love it. Robin and Zylas are so good together in such a weird way. Zylas is a demon, he doesn't understand humanity, same can be said for Robin on demons but it's easier for us to empathize with the human of course. But the beautiful part of this series is that we get to see him figuring it all out. And it's so subtle and creative the way that she introduces elements of humanity into his behavior without overtly stating that he was learning, you just get to see him morph into his humanity. 

So I'm a big fan, probably a bigger fan of this one than Spellbound as I feel that Robin is more relatable and I'm just a huge fan of their relationship dynamic. 

Book Review: Dating Dracula (Dating Monsters #1)

Overall: 2/5

Plots and Themes: 2/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing Style: 2/5

Attention Grabbing: 2/5

Dating Dracula follows the story of Anna, a vlogger looking to expose the nefarious activities of the vampires who just went public last week. Unfortunately, her snooping gets her killed. Or undeaded at least, now she's a vampire and somehow this dude wants to kill her for a second time. Oh yeah, she was also changed into a vampire by Dracula himself, a man she's never met but can't seem to stay away from. 

I got this book for free from a list of free Kindle romances last week. I think the concept is fun, but the execution was a little all over the place. Anna was too much and Vlad was too little. It was enough to read through to the end, but I didn't feel invested in their story lines because it all felt a little obvious. Again, it was a fun premise, I just didn't connect with it. 

Book Review: Demon Magic and a Martini (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #4)

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing Style: 3/5

Attention Grabbing: 3/5

Okay, this series is really starting to pick up. We're seeing some character development and we're finally getting into their tragic backstories that have been dangled in front of us for the past three books. There's a demon on the loose. Perfect comedic timing too, after they all just swore that it's a rare occurrence due to the brutality and utter destruction that these demons can cause. But it's happening, and it's threatening to unearth secrets that have been hold by their little friend group for years. 

I liked it more than I liked the others and it's definitely pushing me to finish the series. But I do have to say, I read Taming Demons for Beginners first and I think I'm going to have to go back and do a reread because I'm lost with everything that's going on in these parallels. I thought the series were separate but in the same universe, turns out they literally intersect. I think I'm going to have to go back and reread Taming Demons for Beginners before I can continue through this series, but I think it's definitely better than what I thought at the end of the third. 

Book Review: Two Witches and a Whiskey (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #3)

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 3/5

Attention Grabbing: 2/5

The third book in the Spellbound series, Tori has joined in to help prevent a guild of pirates from binding a fae water god to their will. In doing so, she accidentally binds him to herself. Now, they're still struggling to evade MagPol while having to prevent the fae lord from draining all her energy.

I liked the message of this one more than the other two. My biggest issue with the universe is the idea that magic is so defined by heritage. Which happens in a lot of books, of course, but it's hard to read when the protagonist is starting off with zero because I like it when the protagonists are special. Annette Marie is dealing with that here, and I appreciate the direction that their arcs are going. We're also finding out more about other character's powers and the magical universe in general that I feel I lacked in the sequel series, so it's good to get that background.

That being said, I'm finding it a bit hard to follow through. I think it's time for some sort of bigger revelatory event, and I think we're kind of getting there. 

Book Review: Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #2)

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 2/5

Attention Grabbing: 3/5

In the second installment of the Spellbound series, Tori finds herself facing down with a suspected supernatural kidnapper. This is personal for her, which is why she doesn't really blink when the little bait mission goes from routine to including her own personal kidnapping.

I had similar feelings for this one as I did the last, nothing has wowed me yet but I like the characters. It's hard to balance such an incredible fantasy world with a protagonist who doesn't have any magic because you really have to be careful with their reactions to all this stuff that they never would've heard about before. I think Tori is a fearless individual, but it also takes away the significance of the danger she phases and makes it seem a bit boring.

But I think it could get better, there's a lot of potential for growth and it's a really interesting universe that Annette Marie has created.

Book Review: Three Mages and a Margarita (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #1)

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 2/5

Attention Grabbing: 2/5

Three Mages and a Margarita is Annette Marie's first Guild Codex book. The main character, Tori, has a bit of an anger problem. She's been fired from a few jobs in the last few months and she's not keen on relying on her brother to cover her half of the rent. When she sees a bartender position offered and they let her do a test run night, she feels like she's finally found a place that will work with her problems. Unfortunately, it's part of a dangerous supernatural underworld she never knew existed.

I liked the characters well enough, but I think I'm rating a little harshly because I've read the second part of the Guild Codex universe and liked the characters a lot better. And the romance that is being pushed (because there are three guys and this isn't why choose) feels a little dull and the chemistry between her and one of the other guy's feels a lot stronger.

But it's a good start to the series and despite all the sort of in your face drama and risk, it's pretty interesting to read.

Book Review: The King's Shadow (Gate of Myth and Power #2)

Overall: 4/5

Plots and Themes: 4/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing Style: 3/5

Attention Grabbing: 4/5

The King's Shadow is the second book in this series, immediately following the dramatic revelation of Chloe's supernatural status. K.M. Shea delivers another quirky addition to her Magiford Supernatural City universe where being able to shapeshift into a cat is actually a much bigger advantage than anyone expected it to be. 

I like Chloe and Noctus and what their alternating POVs provide to the narrative. It's fun and it's camp and feels not so serious but still has a conflict that is engaging and adds action. I've noticed in K.M Shea's books that you don't really know what to expect going in, but the fact that the characters are just as confused as you sort of immerses you in their world. It feels like you discover plot points at the same time that they do rather than being told the plot points directly. 

The romance is subtle and nearly non-existent at this point, it's a fun slowburn where you can feel the character's confusion. Neither of them really understand what's creating the pull and they're both awkward and sort of figuring it out as they go. And the book doesn't neglect the side characters, it provides nice separate support networks. I don't know, they're very authentic and the book make you as a reader feel apart of the action. A super fun and entertaining read. 

Book Review: Hummingbird (A Charade of Magic #1)

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing Style: 2/5

Attention Grabbing: 3/5

Hummingbird is the first book in a new trilogy by Helen Harper. I've read several series by her and I find that when she hits, she really hits. But I've also read a few misses, and this one is no Firebird or Slouch Witch. It's falling somewhere in the middle of all of them. It exists in an alternate Glasgow, where brutal mages control the city and the magic. The protagonist. Mairi, has been especially wronged by this system as a mute orphan who seems to possess magic- something the mages will allow no woman to possess. 

Part of the problem was that I hate when a character is written in with a disability with the implication that it is temporary. I would rather that they learn their strengths work with their disability rather than trying to say they were broken. I liked that premise, I didn't like the follow-through. The taste of romance we get is entirely too rushed and honestly just feels weird in the circumstances. It was another case of initial interest but poor follow-through with weird pacing. 

So it was pretty good, but I don't know if it was good enough to continue the series. It didn't entice me enough and I'm not on the edge of my seat looking for more. 

Book Review: The Raven Song (A Conspiracy of Magic #2)

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 3/5

Attention Grabbing: 2/5

The Raven Song is the second book in what I believe is the Conspiracy of Magic duology. It follows Edwina, a witch grappling with a recent traumatic loss and the more general loss of quite a few things. She has an unusual magic that makes her a target and is trying desperately to outsmart him and protect those close to her. 

I loved the first book in this duology. This one wasn't as significant to me. It lost a lot in the last fifty or so pages when we got the final culmination of all that loss and drama that we'd seen throughout both books. It was anti-climatic and felt pointless in the grand scheme of things. It all felt rushed, the whole books took two weeks total compared to the months and months of not knowing things. I kind of felt like the series was going to be a trilogy and then, like all the best Netflix shows, it got canceled and it scrambled to provide some sort of closure and ending. 

I liked it but I was definitely expecting more from an author that I like and a series I had previously connected with. I still enjoy the whimsical element of a magical London in the 1800s, of course, and the more complex ideas of fae that were being integrated into the plot and society. But I think that they were much wider than the 500 pages of these books allowed for.  

Book Review: House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2)

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 2/5

Attention Grabbing: 2/5

House of Sky and Breath is the second book in the Crescent City book series by Sarah J Maas. It's over 800 pages of conflict and conversation with nearly as many characters to match (most of which with names ending in -ion). My thoughts on this one are similar to my thoughts on the first book, a lot of pages with some interesting fragments peppered in. 

One of the things I appreciated from SJM in this series versus her others was the focus on feminine friendship. Despite the unfortunate reality of the bond and how we knew it would have to end, it still had some beautiful moments and bonds that existed outside of the romantic pairing. But she couldn't let that slide, and she used a significant portion of this book to dissolve the trust of that bond giving no power to one side to defend themselves or to repair the breach in trust. 

I kind of liked the ending despite the confusion. Like the first book, the last fifty pages are what really got me. Without that, I would have rated even lower. I liked Bryce in the first book, but I feel she was sacrificed in this book in an attempt to build the arcs of everyone else. When I don't feel her and Hunt's story is well-rounded at all. ACOTAR and TOG did the same thing, but at least she provided us a bit of closure before diving in headfirst. 

So, there were good parts and there were bad parts but the book's greatest weakness is the fact that it relies so heavily on twists and turns rather than actual plot or character development. It was too long for that, and I think it would have been a lot better if it came in at 400 or 500 pages. 

Book Review: The King's Captive (Gates of Myth and Power #1)

 

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 3/5

Attention Grabbing: 3/5

The premise of this book was strange. She turns into a cat- and like exclusively a cat. It kind of became obvious from the start that there would be more to it eventually and we spent the whole book waiting to see what her next trick would be. But in the middle of all that waiting, she gets... adopted? By an elf king who just decides he needs a pet cat. She fit the bill and he places all her trust in her and then we have the awkward and unique experience of watching someone bond with a pet that is totally sentient and basically trapped. 

I think points for being quirky but like it lost me at points. I started dozing off cause it was just so slow-paced and it felt like things were being rehashed that didn't necessarily need to be rehashed. Definitely not as weird as the plot premise sounds, but also I would need a big opener to get me interested in the sequel. 

Book Review: Black Truth, White Lies (Black Hat Bureau #3)

 

Black Truth White Lies

Hailey Edwards

Overall: 4/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 4/5

Attention Grabbing: 4/5

Black Truth White Lies is the third book in the Black Hat Bureau series and felt very different from its predecessors. Not necessarily in a bad way, but we're getting more about Rue's tragic backstory and she's really factoring Asa into the equation. I think that the other books focused more on the mystery rather than how it related to the characters, though they did relate to the characters, I felt like this one related more to their personal relationships.

I think that the most unique thing about the series is Rue's relationship with her familiar, as I've never seen anything done similarly in these types of paranormal books. It can all be a bit strange at times, the relationship with a child turned moth and the relationship that she has with the community as an immortal being in disguise. It's just a pretty good experiment with how weird you can get while still keeping it related to the real world.

 

Book Review: Dark Lies (Magic Side: Wolf Bound #3)

 

Dark Lies

Veronica Douglas

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 3/5

Attention Grabbing: 3/5

Dark Lies is the third book in the Wolf Bound subseries of Magic Side. Savy has figured out she's a wolf, she's figuring out more as to why that's happening and what that means for her. She's also working on developing her sort of relationship with Jax, which has all the problems you would expect from something like that. She's also dealing with this new family she never knew she had and trying to  balance her two separate lives. 

This book was way too long for what actually happened in it. The back and forth was frustrating, we're on book three why are we still on the rejection phase? It would be fine if it was like a back and forth all around, but she had fully accepted it then decided to make a 180 and run away? I just feel like it's a poor set up that's only being written in cause there's no other way to extend the plot. 

I like the characters and I kind of like the universe, but I don't know if I'll be reading the next book in the series. It was just boring and unfulfilling and I don't know if I want to put myself through that again.

Book Review: Dark Whispers (Firebrand#5)

 

Dark Whispers

Helen Harper

Overall: 4/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing Style: 4/5

Attention Grabbing: 4/5

Dark Whispers is the fifth (and hopefully not final) book in the Firebrand series following Emma Bellamy, a detective and the first Phoenix the world has seen in centuries. She is carefully navigating her relationship with the Supe community, including that with her vampire mafia boss boyfriend, and her duty to the human citizens. The Supe Summit is supposed to mitigate these tensions, but it's off to a rocky start with a murder in the hotel on day one. 

I really appreciate the way that this book merges real world context with the supernatural world. But Helen Harper is kind of amazing with that across all her paranormal books. You can relate to it just enough for it to be realistic but it also has that amazing added magical element. I liked how we got to see a lot more of Emma's conflict with Lukas being who he is and with her job being what it is. We're not glossing over the fact that by definition her relationship shouldn't work, we're delving into the politics of it all. 

So enjoyable overall, but not my favorite in this series. I think there's enough original content in each installment to keep me hooked for a long time, but I would like a little more conflict with the mysteries to truly be a hundred percent entertained.

 

Book Review: The 22 Murders of Madison May

 

The 22 Murders of Madison May

Max Barry

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 4/5

Attention Grabbing: 4/5

Felicity is a political journalist, so it's a little annoying to be placed on a crime piece. She's quickly drawn into the life of Madison May, a young real estate agent who was murdered in broad daylight. Her investigation quickly leads to Clayton and Hugo, two characters in a game she doesn't quite understand. In her pursuit, she finds herself teleported to another dimension where everything is the same but also different. The clock is in a different place, her boyfriend cooks, and Maddy May is very much alive. She quickly finds herself entangled in one man's multi-dimensional quest of obsessive tendencies, where he murders the versions he doesn't like. 

I think that the premise of this book is stellar. It confused me a lot because anything that tries to bring in parallel dimensions takes a bit to click with me. But I think that the author avoided the jargon that would confuse readers like me and focused more specifically on the motivations of a man deluded into justifying his murders. I liked the idea of commonalities along with the differences, the reality of millions of worlds where we all live just in slightly altered states and where we're all succeeding or failing in different ways. 

My biggest issue with it was probably the second half. Felicity was an inspiring character in her dedication to help a woman who she had never met even while knowing there are a billion of the same girl within her reach. I like the idea of suffering being a number that you can increase or decrease over the idea that nothing you do in your own dimension matters because there's always another within reach. But what really started getting me was when Felicity dropped off the wagon and then attacked the dimensional travelers for doing the same thing. She felt like she made up her mind on who was morally right or wrong and she set herself on that opinion. I didn't like it much and it didn't feel like the character we got to know in the first section. I don't think the time gaps and jumps and switches in POV helped much with that either.

All in all though, I think it was a great premise. It faltered a bit on the final application, but it didn't completely flounder. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would despite the fact that it completely messed up my mind.

 

Book Review: Wolf Cursed (Lone Wolf #1)

 

Wolf Cursed

Heather Hildenbrand

Overall: 2/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing Style: 2/5

Attention Grabbing: 3/5

After watching her dad be murdered in front of her and being introduced to a town where everyone wishes she would leave, it's safe to say Ash isn't having a great week. If the last few years hadn't been hard enough, she finds out her dad had been lying to her about a lot more than an estranged brother. 

It was okay at the start, setting things up to be mildly interesting with that enemies-to-lovers plot line and everything. But it fell apart real fast when we threw in insta-love. I hate it when books just pretend that because the characters both have some fabricated trauma they can just be in love. It annoyed me and it also annoyed me that I was just invested enough to read through to the end. 

So it started out okay but it ended up just making me mad, mostly because of the romance but also because of general pacing issues. I'm not all that invested in the "cliffhanger" it left on either.

Book Review: Mortal Secrets (Realm Unleased: Red Angel #1)

 

Mortal Secrets

Isa Medina

Overall: 3/5

Plots and Themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing Style: 3/5

Attention Grabbing: 3/5

She was found as an orphan, taken into a hunter society where she quickly rose to the top hunting demons. Until she quit. The organization that raised her was understandably upset and disappointed, but Ana had bigger issues. She had discovered she was the Red Angel, a reincarnated version of a weapon designed to suck the souls of basically anything- angel, human, or demon. Now, that closely guarded secret could be out in the open putting more than just her at risk. If Ana has any hope of shutting Pandora's Box she has to team up with an angel who once reviled her. And it's not exactly easy, basically everyone is after the same secrets as her and everyone is willing to step on her to do so. 

I didn't mind the plot that much. I thought that the whole idea of it was cool, albeit kind of confusing to imagine with the multiple pairs of wings and the souls carved into the wings and everything. I also wasn't much on board for the forced chemistry between Zel and Ana, he felt a bit outside of the normal conventions of these types of relationships because he was just so tuned out. I think he has potential but he needs to get on board with the humans. 

So yeah, it was pretty decent and I would read the next. Aside from a few hiccups in the plot progression I think it all felt pretty natural.

 

Book Review: Midnight Moon (Rebel Wolf #1)

 

Midnight Moon

Linsey Hall

Overall: 2/5

Plots and Themes: 2/5

Characters: 1/5

Writing Style: 2/5

Attention Grabbing: 2/5

When her father sold her out, Lyra had to figure out a way to live off the grid. When they find her, she'll do anything to protect herself. Even if it means stealing information and spying. But it's not all as it seems and she's soon thrust into a supernatural world she had no idea could have possibly existed. 

This book is boring. The author tells you what is happening while it's happening. I didn't feel emotionally connected to the characters in anyway and the whole plot was predictable. You expect a certain degree of predictability going in, but I was pretty disappointed even on that metric. 

Not much to say, it kept me interested enough to finish it out but only just barely. I wouldn't read the next book in the series cause nothing really got me invested.