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bookemkinzo's reviews
168 reviews
Convincing Florence by Celine L.A. Simpson
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Review to be posted as part of book tour in February. Watch this space! 👀
A Legacy of Storms and Starlight by Victoria J. Price
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
🌸 mc on the run
🌸 self discovery
🌸 love triangle... ish
🌸 comfort/healing
🌸 cliffhanger
🌸 fae and magical beings
🌸 animal sidekick
🌸 found family
🌸 fighting the man
First of all. The opening line?! Amazing.
I love a good story about taking down a tyrant. After being accused of killing the crown prince, our FMC goes on the run, discovering things about her heritage along the way. She also makes some new friends who take her under their wing and begins to get involved in the fight. She is able to learn new skills as well as use the training her family bestowed on her to help those she meets. I'm excited to get to know more in the next book about the side characters who are introduced in this book. They don't get a lot of depth, but there is hints of big pasts and backstories that will become important. I would also really like more information on the magic system of this world, as I was left with a lot of questions.
The romantic subplot was perhaps not my thing. There was initial tension between two characters, but it kinda pivots away... without ever fully pivoting away. Hard to describe without going full spoiler! At times, I thought this was headed into love triangle territory, but it never quite gets there.
There's rebellion, romance, secret royalty, found family, and political intrigue. Overall, a solid start to kick off the series. Keeping things vague to avoid spoilers... watch out for that cliffhanger!
Genre: New Adult High Fantasy
Age Rating: 18+
Spice: 3/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Thank you to the author and to equality book tours for the ebook review copy! 🌸
🌸 self discovery
🌸 love triangle... ish
🌸 comfort/healing
🌸 cliffhanger
🌸 fae and magical beings
🌸 animal sidekick
🌸 found family
🌸 fighting the man
First of all. The opening line?! Amazing.
I love a good story about taking down a tyrant. After being accused of killing the crown prince, our FMC goes on the run, discovering things about her heritage along the way. She also makes some new friends who take her under their wing and begins to get involved in the fight. She is able to learn new skills as well as use the training her family bestowed on her to help those she meets. I'm excited to get to know more in the next book about the side characters who are introduced in this book. They don't get a lot of depth, but there is hints of big pasts and backstories that will become important. I would also really like more information on the magic system of this world, as I was left with a lot of questions.
The romantic subplot was perhaps not my thing. There was initial tension between two characters, but it kinda pivots away... without ever fully pivoting away. Hard to describe without going full spoiler! At times, I thought this was headed into love triangle territory, but it never quite gets there.
There's rebellion, romance, secret royalty, found family, and political intrigue. Overall, a solid start to kick off the series. Keeping things vague to avoid spoilers... watch out for that cliffhanger!
Genre: New Adult High Fantasy
Age Rating: 18+
Spice: 3/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
Thank you to the author and to equality book tours for the ebook review copy! 🌸
Wing and a Miss by B. Perkins, Aimee Vance
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
🐉 ARC Review : Wing and a Miss (Deadlights Cove #3) 🐉
🔫 forced proximity
🔫 reluctant partners
🔫 tension city
🔫 the jeep
🔫 healer/patient
🔫 groveling
🔫 cameos cameos cameos
Feels good to be back in the Cove! I'm not sure what kind of magic (or perhaps drugs) they stuff into these books, but I'm addicted and can't stop. Selene and Ryker are two people who have been doing life alone in way or another. I enjoyed seeing Selene accept who she is and her abilities, but the real star here is Ryker. Listen, y'all already know I love dragons, so this review may be biased. These two were explosive right off the bat. The tension really kicks off in chapter four and doesn't stop. I absolutely ate up the fun banter between these two. There was a third act break (not break up), that was quickly resolved and, of course, a happy ending.
The setting expands a bit in the last portion of the story. Without posting spoilery details, I'll just say I wasn't expecting an angelic twist! I hope we get to learn more about it in future Cove books!
These books have a secure hold on my heart. I already need book four! That last page is such a tease... WHAT IS THE SECRET?!
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Comedy
Age Rating: 18+
Spice: 3/5
Overall Rating: 5/5
Massive thanks th authors for supplying me with this eARC.
🔫 forced proximity
🔫 reluctant partners
🔫 tension city
🔫 the jeep
🔫 healer/patient
🔫 groveling
🔫 cameos cameos cameos
Feels good to be back in the Cove! I'm not sure what kind of magic (or perhaps drugs) they stuff into these books, but I'm addicted and can't stop. Selene and Ryker are two people who have been doing life alone in way or another. I enjoyed seeing Selene accept who she is and her abilities, but the real star here is Ryker. Listen, y'all already know I love dragons, so this review may be biased. These two were explosive right off the bat. The tension really kicks off in chapter four and doesn't stop. I absolutely ate up the fun banter between these two. There was a third act break (not break up), that was quickly resolved and, of course, a happy ending.
The setting expands a bit in the last portion of the story. Without posting spoilery details, I'll just say I wasn't expecting an angelic twist! I hope we get to learn more about it in future Cove books!
These books have a secure hold on my heart. I already need book four! That last page is such a tease... WHAT IS THE SECRET?!
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Comedy
Age Rating: 18+
Spice: 3/5
Overall Rating: 5/5
Massive thanks th authors for supplying me with this eARC.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Pearl Hunter by Miya T. Beck
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
🐋 Inspired by japanese mythology
🐋 epic journey
🐋 mythical creatures and beings
🐋 sisterly bonds
🐋 bittersweet ending
This is a hard one for me to review. Because on one hand, I really enjoyed the setting, the mythological story inspiration, the magical epic quest, the hint of humor within the writing, and the subtle feminist themes engrained into the story. There were a few things that surprised me as the plot unfolded, as it was a bit unpredictable. It was more gritty than I expected it to be, with the action sequences and (minor spoiler here) the death of one of the horses.
But on the other hand there were a few times where the writing felt a bit choppy... like it needed one more round of edits, some plot items were perhaps a bit too convenient, and the ending was not as satisfying to me as it could have been (I'm a big hea fan). One major red flag for me was at the 25% mark: a casual mention of suic*de. I understand this is set in a time and place were suic*de is not viewed as it is now, but in a children's/middle grade novel I feel like this should be further explained or edited out completely.
Honestly, this could be a duology if it wanted to be. The ending was abrupt and left a lot to be desired.
Can we talk about this cover though? Stunning!
Genre: Middle Grade/Children's Low Fantasy
Age Rating: 13+
Overall Rating: 3.25/5
Big thank you to the author, @harpercollins, and @netgalley for the eARC.
🐋 epic journey
🐋 mythical creatures and beings
🐋 sisterly bonds
🐋 bittersweet ending
This is a hard one for me to review. Because on one hand, I really enjoyed the setting, the mythological story inspiration, the magical epic quest, the hint of humor within the writing, and the subtle feminist themes engrained into the story. There were a few things that surprised me as the plot unfolded, as it was a bit unpredictable. It was more gritty than I expected it to be, with the action sequences and (minor spoiler here) the death of one of the horses.
But on the other hand there were a few times where the writing felt a bit choppy... like it needed one more round of edits, some plot items were perhaps a bit too convenient, and the ending was not as satisfying to me as it could have been (I'm a big hea fan). One major red flag for me was at the 25% mark: a casual mention of suic*de. I understand this is set in a time and place were suic*de is not viewed as it is now, but in a children's/middle grade novel I feel like this should be further explained or edited out completely.
Honestly, this could be a duology if it wanted to be. The ending was abrupt and left a lot to be desired.
Can we talk about this cover though? Stunning!
Genre: Middle Grade/Children's Low Fantasy
Age Rating: 13+
Overall Rating: 3.25/5
Big thank you to the author, @harpercollins, and @netgalley for the eARC.
Starsight by Brandon Sanderson
adventurous
challenging
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
👾 space opera
👾 sarcastic space ships
👾 a teeny tiny hint of romance
👾 spying and espionage
👾 high stakes and big risks
👾 pew pew scenes
This book is great in a totally different way than book one was. First of all, the world building expands from just the home planet to the entire galaxy, so there some learning and catching up to do, but I never felt as if the information was just dumped in a chapter. It was slowly revealed over the course of the book and I appreciated that! Secondly, Spensa's character grew and matured quite a bit! She was naive and impulsive in book one. Here she learns how to seriously consider her actions, without completely destroying the characteristics already established.
Of course, it's a continuation... so more space pew pew scenes! As someone who's loves that kinda thing, I enjoyed the details of the battle and learning all about this whole new galaxy. There is also just a smiddddge of romance, like seriously small. Maybe a paragraph and small nods here and there. I have a feeling it's building to more in book three, but won't ever be a main plot point, which I'm totally fine with. There is also the same vein of humor as book one, which I was so happy to see continued!
My favorite character's an AI spaceship. So, do with that information what you will.
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Age: 14+
Spice: None
Overall Rating: 5/5
👾 sarcastic space ships
👾 a teeny tiny hint of romance
👾 spying and espionage
👾 high stakes and big risks
👾 pew pew scenes
This book is great in a totally different way than book one was. First of all, the world building expands from just the home planet to the entire galaxy, so there some learning and catching up to do, but I never felt as if the information was just dumped in a chapter. It was slowly revealed over the course of the book and I appreciated that! Secondly, Spensa's character grew and matured quite a bit! She was naive and impulsive in book one. Here she learns how to seriously consider her actions, without completely destroying the characteristics already established.
Of course, it's a continuation... so more space pew pew scenes! As someone who's loves that kinda thing, I enjoyed the details of the battle and learning all about this whole new galaxy. There is also just a smiddddge of romance, like seriously small. Maybe a paragraph and small nods here and there. I have a feeling it's building to more in book three, but won't ever be a main plot point, which I'm totally fine with. There is also the same vein of humor as book one, which I was so happy to see continued!
My favorite character's an AI spaceship. So, do with that information what you will.
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Age: 14+
Spice: None
Overall Rating: 5/5
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
📚 interesting magical system
📚 enemies to lovers
📚 old, kinda creepy libraries
📚 corruption plots and mystery
📚 a friendly demon
📚 standalone novel
This one took me a while to get through. I can't figure out why. Going into it, the whole magical books, libraries, and enemies to lovers aspects of the story are all super enticing. However, I think the pacing of this book is... odd. It's a standalone, so I was expecting fast-paced plot, a hint of character development, with limited world building. What we got is heavy world building, a slower plot, and moderately stagnant characters. Which was fine, but not really my cup of tea and I just couldn't get into it. While I didn't dislike either main character, neither of them really grew on me. Silas was, by far, the most interesting and likable character.
There is a, very YA, hint of romance here that was about the only thing I think went fast. I think the quick jump here mixed with a slower paced plot messed with my head. I don't know. Something was off. Maybe the romance was normal paced and everything else was slow. Towards the end I was more reading to finish, not reading because I was interested in the story and had to know what happens next.
Still a decent read though. I just maybe wouldn't put it at the top of the tbr priority list.
Genre: YA High Fantasy
Age: 13+
Spice: just kisses
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
📚 enemies to lovers
📚 old, kinda creepy libraries
📚 corruption plots and mystery
📚 a friendly demon
📚 standalone novel
This one took me a while to get through. I can't figure out why. Going into it, the whole magical books, libraries, and enemies to lovers aspects of the story are all super enticing. However, I think the pacing of this book is... odd. It's a standalone, so I was expecting fast-paced plot, a hint of character development, with limited world building. What we got is heavy world building, a slower plot, and moderately stagnant characters. Which was fine, but not really my cup of tea and I just couldn't get into it. While I didn't dislike either main character, neither of them really grew on me. Silas was, by far, the most interesting and likable character.
There is a, very YA, hint of romance here that was about the only thing I think went fast. I think the quick jump here mixed with a slower paced plot messed with my head. I don't know. Something was off. Maybe the romance was normal paced and everything else was slow. Towards the end I was more reading to finish, not reading because I was interested in the story and had to know what happens next.
Still a decent read though. I just maybe wouldn't put it at the top of the tbr priority list.
Genre: YA High Fantasy
Age: 13+
Spice: just kisses
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
🌙 whodunit murder mystery
🌙 cute magical creatures
🌙 strong friendships and bonds
🌙 heavy political intrigue
🌙 shifters, fae, angels, humans, etc...
🌙 forced proximity
🌙 very epic battles
This book. THIS BOOK. It took me three different tries to get past chapter two just due to all the stuff thrown at the reader. The info dump in the first few chapters is a LOT, but holy crap does it go from 0 to 100 real quick. I found myself completely invested in the investigation and was totally caught off guard by how emotionally attached I became to the characters in such a short period of time. Really though, I shouldn't be surprised because of course SJM can pull me into a world so fast I get whiplash. And per usual for her books, the last 150 pages or so are a heartbreaking thrillride. I laughed (a few times). I cried (multiple times). I paced around my room, stressing (constantly).
I can not wait to dig into book two! It's already ordered and on it's way. I have lots and lots of theories, but will hold off on posting them until I finish the next one...
Genre: High Urban Fantasy / Romantasy
Genre: Adult (+18)
Spice: 2/5
Rating: 4.5/5
🌙 cute magical creatures
🌙 strong friendships and bonds
🌙 heavy political intrigue
🌙 shifters, fae, angels, humans, etc...
🌙 forced proximity
🌙 very epic battles
This book. THIS BOOK. It took me three different tries to get past chapter two just due to all the stuff thrown at the reader. The info dump in the first few chapters is a LOT, but holy crap does it go from 0 to 100 real quick. I found myself completely invested in the investigation and was totally caught off guard by how emotionally attached I became to the characters in such a short period of time. Really though, I shouldn't be surprised because of course SJM can pull me into a world so fast I get whiplash. And per usual for her books, the last 150 pages or so are a heartbreaking thrillride. I laughed (a few times). I cried (multiple times). I paced around my room, stressing (constantly).
I can not wait to dig into book two! It's already ordered and on it's way. I have lots and lots of theories, but will hold off on posting them until I finish the next one...
Genre: High Urban Fantasy / Romantasy
Genre: Adult (+18)
Spice: 2/5
Rating: 4.5/5