Book Review: Wicked Fox (Gumiho, #1)

Wicked Fox

Kat Cho

5/5

Miyoung has been shuffled from place to place her entire life, her mother's attempts at protecting her from exposing her half-gumiho nature. When she sees a boy being attacked by a goblin one night, she can't stop herself from saving him. She loses her fox bead in the process, dislodging it from her chest and putting her at risk of being controlled by a human. The boy who she saved though is different from anyone she has ever met and she starts to realize that there's no point in immortality if you're spending the whole time running. 

Okay this was the perfect mixture of K-Drama and like traditional YA fantasy. It was theatrical without being excessive. The characters both had their annoying quirks, but it wasn't something that weighed the story down too much and they were things that I could see as being genuine problems in the whole scheme of the universe. I was also kind of shocked by the plot twists at the end, so it wasn't as cliche and predictable as it could have been. 

I would recommend this for fans of urban fantasy and especially for fans of k-drama who can't handle sitting through entire k-dramas (specifically thinking of Oh My Ghost because this one has similar supernatural themes). Also if you love a nice coming-of-age type romance then this one would also be great for you it really hits all of the bases.

Book Review: The Tiger at Midnight (The Tiger at Midnight Trilogy #1)

The Tiger at Midnight

Swati Teerdhala

3/5

Esha has spent the last ten years gaining a reputation as a legendary assassin known as the Viper, her ultimate mission being to kill the General who helped to kill her family and destroy her kingdom. Kunal is the nephew of said General and a dedicated soldier to the cause. When the two meet and are forced to work together, they can't avoid the chemistry between them. 

It wasn't a bad book, it just sounds like every single other book in this genre and it didn't do much to differentiate itself. I've read it done a lot worse but I've also read it done a lot better. It's not much of an enemies to lovers because there wasn't a lot of build-up to it, it was kind of just happening. The tragic backstories felt forced on us and like I was supposed to care but I really just didn't?

As a book on its own, it's not that bad it's just not super interesting. I was able to get through it fairly quickly without any real issues with like controversy or anything, the characters just weren't doing it for me. I don't know if I'll read the sequel, I think it's worth trying out if you like reading this whole kind of book but it just wasn't really for me.

Book Review: The Moonfire Bride (Of Candlelight and Shadows #1)

 

The Moonfire Bride

Sylvia Mercedes

4/5

Based on the myth of Eros and Psyche, Valera has been trapped by a fae into a marriage she never asked for. She has spent her entire life working herself to the bone to provide for both her abusive father and her younger sister. But as long as she doesn't look at him for one year and a day, she will get to return to her home. The imprisonment is not what she imagines though, she finds herself finally able to enjoy her craft and the man who married her isn't what she expected. She knows that there is a curse, but she has no idea how to break it. 

I think that this was a pretty short and enjoyable read. If you're anything like me and most of the world, you went through an intense mythology phase in elementary school. Eros and Psyche were definitely one of those stories, though this is definitely a twist that's advertised as having a dash of Hades and Persephone as well. I think that the seamstress angle was really fun and that it all read as super whimsical. 

It's not the most technically amazing or original book out there but it did keep me entertained from start to finish. I think that sometimes you just need a book that's kind of a feel-good but also has a dash of conflict and tragedy and this is very much that kind of book.

Book Review: Midnight Maiden (Midnight Duology #1)

Midnight Maiden

Kathryn Marie

3/5

Christiana is an assassin. She is also a Marchioness and one of the most powerful single women in the land. The two jobs can clash with one another quite a bit, but she would never give up on her opportunity to save the people of her kingdom from the abuse that she had once suffered. 

So a warning, there are some depictions of abuse throughout the story. But I think that they built up Christiana's story pretty well, you were very aware of her motivations and the things that made her such a unique character. She had a bit of a love triangle moment, a little annoying because it was a little predictable, but also kind of a good representation of the dichotomies of her two lives. Call me crazy, but I kind of like it when characters have trauma especially when they're so good at rising above it. Christiana is definitely traumatized and I think the author did a great job representing that in a fantasy world. 

Some of the writing was a little difficult to get through, the dialogue was a little too direct. The decisions felt a bit obvious and it was hard to really feel the build-up through technique rather than just through the dialogue or monologue. I still liked the premise and plot if it all, I just think it fell a little flatter than I was expecting. It was an interesting read though and I'm excited to see where the story is going to go in the next book.

Book Review: Beneath Black Sails (Beneath Black Sails #1)

Beneath Black Sails

Clare Sager

4/5

So I see a lot of people looking for pirate romances and they nearly always recommend Daughter of the Pirate King. While that one is enjoyable, this one is enjoyable in a whole different way. It's the grittier, New Adult version- minus the sirens or I suppose substitute the sirens with fae. We have a fallen gentlewoman turned pirate legend in an alternate England where magic sails the high seas. And we have a kind of enemies to lovers romance between an angsty pirate hunter working for his family and a cocky pirate who is trying to forget the life she left behind. 

If that wasn't enough to convince you I'm probably not really convincing you to read any of the books that I read. It actually kind of reminded me of Truthwitch by Susan Dennard for some weird reason. But again, this is solidly New Adult so there are a couple steamy scenes and the character are not going to refrain from being a little crass. At the same time, it wasn't super overwhelming on that front. 

My only complaint would be with the just general conflict with their identities. I know that it would be different in application, but it just felt so painstakingly obvious to me as a reader that the situation was being misunderstood. I do love a good plot-line with the guy making a mistake and having to grovel for forgiveness though so I still really enjoyed it. There were also a couple of moments when it felt a little too direct, like when their emotions were being explained directly through words rather than for us to just be understanding it as reader. 

Even with that though, it was still a very light and palatable read with a good amount of serious plot. I think that the first fifty pages were a little boring but once you get into it, it really grabs you. I finished it all in one sitting and I'm excited to read the next.

Book Review: A Spirited Manor (O'Hare House Mysteries #1)

A Spirited Manor

Kate Danley

2/5

Clare O'Hare just lost her husband and has been in a fog ever since. When she begins to see ghosts, she seeks out a medium to help her navigate this new world. A casual seance soon turns into a game of Clue as they struggle to figure out who the murderer it a house full of people enthralled by ghosts.

To be quite honest, I don't have a lot to say about this book because it didn't really engage me at all. I put this on my TBR forever ago for a reason I no longer remember and I saw it was free on Kindle and downloaded it immediately. I had no idea it was so short or that everything was so abrupt but honestly I'm just super confused by it. I knew it was paranormal but I thought it was ghosts alone but then there were monsters and like just some really tacky instalove plot line? Just a lot going on and simultaneously nothing really all that interesting. 

Decent premise, I love ghosts and I love historical fiction, but not so great in the application. I managed to finish it, if only because it's so short, so it's not completely horrible? I don't know, not a lot to recommend it though.

Book Review: A Strange Hymm (The Bargainer #2)

A Strange Hymm

Laura Thalassa

3/5

After the traumatic events of the last novel, Callie is trapped in the fae world and pretty upset with her new appearance. She has struggled for the past decade with being a victim to the men in her life and her new wings are a harsh physical reminder. She's in love with Des but she's also having a hard time coming to terms with this new life. When they are required to attend a fae celebration together, she's given an abrupt introduction to the politics of her new life. 

I have mixed feelings because I enjoyed reading this book but I can also recognize that there are elements of it that are super problematic. Like, the whole viewpoint on being a sexual abuse survivor but then like having to deal with Des's possessive behaviors? Rubs me the wrong way and doesn't seem to be getting better. Again, mixed feelings cause it's entertaining but it's also just weird. 

This is a paranormal fantasy book, a complete different set of rules from ACOTAR but there are scenes that feel like copy/pasted. I'm not talking about themes or anything, I'm talking about stuff that happened that I was like yep that happened in ACOMAF. Which is fine, this book has its own value and its own place in the world, but like I can see the influences. Doesn't make it less enjoyable, but probably would've been better if you haven't read ACOTAR or if you like super repetitive things. 

All in all, it was okay. I don't know if I'll be reading on, I don't feel super motivated to get to the ending, I can't imagine that it's going to really shock me. It's probably not a good sign in a series when I could drop it and never pick it up again, but again it's not super enthralling it's just okay.