booksandbarbara's reviews
38 reviews

Evocation by S.T. Gibson

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I'm finally around to writing this review, and it's been a while, so I'm going off notes here, so...
I loved this book, but it's my least favourite from what Gibson has released so far. I found myself truly captivated by the plot from the get-go. With talks of occultism, rivalry, tension, and all that slow burning, it seemed like it was going to be a win. But. I found the plot to take more focus on the relationships rather than the demonic plotline that was going on, which isn't bad, it was still done beautifully, I just found myself wanting more from that other plotline, so maybe this could have been a longer book to explore that more? This is a series, so it might explore that more. I don't know, I'm not an author, just a lowley reader.
All of the characters had arcs crafted brilliantly both on their own, and when meshed together (which was so smooth, it was satisfying AF to read).
I adored the world building, and some of these spaces in which scenes took place made me yearn to be there!
All in all, though, just such a great read that shines a light on polyamourous relationships that I haven't seen before, and has you remembering the importance of communication, being open, and trustworthy. 
Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco

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adventurous dark 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

4.25

What a delicious read this was!
Secrets had secrets, and plans had plans, and let's not forget about the spice! So much spice!
I really enjoyed making my way through this one. There was so much going on without it being overbearing, which is a testament to the authors storytelling.
The world building was phenomenal, but the characters are what truly pulled this all together. Each one had their own unique personalities, some you love to hate, and some you love to love.
Prince Evy is a new book boyfriend? Hell, YES!!
Both MC's, Camilla & Prince Envy, had perfect arcs both of their own and together. It was delight to see them grow and traverse the challenges they were faced with.
Now, what I will say, and I don't know if this is just because I had a break from reading halfway through the book, but something felt a little off around the halfway/ two thirds mark, like a plot twist that wasn't expected not from the readers perspective, but from the authors. I also wish there was more focus on the plotline than the romance, as I found it to be really intriguing.
Overall though, a great read with some incredible character work. It's a story worthy of sin.
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

It's going to be difficult for me to explain why I love this book so much. But I'm going to try.
Now, I'm not usually one for Shakespeare, but I absolutely adored the whole Shakespearian aspect that this story had to offer. It was such an interwoven subject that the storyline itself and the characters, who live and breathe for Shakespeare, run parallel to Shakespeares works. The characters were all amazing, each one unique, but I loved how flawed they all were, how realistic they came across as, even when living and speaking fantastically. 
There's tragedy, love, mystery, honestly just everything you'd expect from throwing Shakespeare into a dark achedemic setting. 
That ending literally tore my heart out!
Honestly, the complexity and intricately curated workings of this story as a whole, how it all plays out beautifully to the very last word, makes this book a masterpiece in my eyes. Copious amounts of respect to this author because I couldn't even begin to fathom how much work would have gone into this.
If We Were Villains is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read. Period.
What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Unfortunately, this was a little disappointing for me. But let's start off this review with what I did like.
It started off great, with this eerie and silent unsettling atmosphere, and I quite enjoyed the folklore and superstitions that were created. They were all really quite interesting. The characters were fun, too. We have our much loved regulars from the previous book and new additions that melded well with the storyline that lay ahead.
But, (I know, the dreaded but), the pacing was too slow for me, I was waiting for something to happen, some big explosion of discovery or something, but when things did happen, it felt rather lacklustre. I found myself taking an age to read this short book and being quite bored.
This could just be because I wasn't in the right frame of mind or just vibing with the book at the time. Who knows, maybe a reread in the future might change my mind. I feel that with more working upon this, it could have become a great sequel, but for now, it was sadly a bit of a miss for me.
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was everything I hoped it would be, and more.
An eroticly seductive and sensual sapphic retelling of Carmilla, filled with rivalry, obsession, desire, control, and, of course, vampires!
From the first page I was drawn in, and as each page was turned, I felt myself becoming more and more enamoured with everything this story had to offer.
The achademic setting, the touch of religion, the smattering of poetry, and the beautiful writing style made reading this an absolute dream.
Each character had such unique and complex personalities that felt so raw, I never wanted their stories to end. What was most interesting to me though, is that each character Gibson writes has this dark aura to them, but Laura felt so different, and it was this contrast and eventual mix that made reading their developments so captivating.
Also, I have questions about that ending. Somebody message me and answer my question, please.
S.T. Gibson has sank her teeth into me and has become quite possibly my favourite author now. I can't wait to read her future works.
A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

What a magical and beautiful tale.
 From the beginning, I was hooked as we took off right from where The Ballad of Never After left us. I probably should have done a little reread before diving in because, at times, I was a little confused, but as the story progressed, it started all coming back to me anyway.
 Talking about progression, I will say what was a little annoying is that the first two-thirds of the story could have used a bit more...something! I felt like the last third of this book was the best part, but when you have the final book in a trilogy, you kind of expect a bit more than that. That epilogue, though, was just beautifully done. The other thing that began grating on me after a while was the repetition of these declarations of true love and the like, don't get me wrong, I understand that that's what the book is about, but it was starting to get a bit sickly and like, c'mon, we've done this dance several times before now.
 That all being said, the vibes of this book as a whole were just beautiful. It was all light, airy, and fairytalesque, with that dash of drama and some surprisingly darker themes and scenes.
 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the series as a whole.
The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

A dark fairytale with a promising hook that twists some of our favourite classics to create a unique story, which, unfortunately, fell a little flat for me.
So, I loved the premise of this story, but the story itself seemed to lack cohesiveness, and the dots just didn't quite connect. It felt more like a jumble of short stories thrown together with some connecting chaoters as opposed to one cohesive smooth story, and so I feel like this should have been fleshed out a bit more.
The characters were enjoyable, but nothing special, although I will say, I liked that there was disability representation with the MC. I'm not sure how the sequel is going to plan out because, to be honest, I feel like with more time, this could have been a great standalone.
Don't get me wrong, though. I still enjoyed reading this, and the twisted fairytales within made it fun to read. Learning that this is a pocket of magic within the world and there may be other pockets, I'm hoping this will be touched upon more with maybe more fairytales and myths twisted and blended into the stories based on locations or something? I don't know. I'm still going to continue with the series because although I'm complaining, I did enjoy it.
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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

4.5

This book has all the comforting vibes!
 The ease and simplicity of the storytelling and writing style make gliding through the pages feel like a warm hug.
 I just love the way Baldree creates these worlds and friendships with the most adorable settings and characters. Fern the potty mouthed sassy rattkin, with her half dog half eagle companion called f*cking POTROAST! LOVE! All of the characters just have this special something about them. Obviously, I love revisiting Val, too, and seeing a younger version of her was really interesting.
 Baldree needs to quit with his delicious descriptions of food, too! It's just mouthwatering and.....SIR! I am trying to be on a diet here!
 I also love how, although this book feels as though it should be for younger audiences, it has such an adult aspect. It gently brushes against adult topics, with some foul language, sexual innuendos, and some real adult realities. It gives this fresh, gentle take on it all, and that's why I love this book. It's like a cosy talk with your grandparents while eating fresh cinnamon buns with coffee.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

What an adventure!
From the first page, you're thrown right back into the action, and throughout, it just got more intense, with higher stakes after every chapter. I loved it.
This time around, it is definitely more focused on secrecy, friendship, and trust. It was all very cleverly written, and as always, all the characters were great, I loved the new editions and a deeper dive into our current ones. Let's not forget Andarna, either, absolute queen!
But, as much as I loved this book, there are some points that irritated me.
There are so many in-depth super spicy scenes that last page after page, yet some scenes that felt should have taken up more importance felt short and rushed. Given the ending, I would have expected it to be more thorough.
The MC's relationship and spicy scenes themselves for that matter became quite repetitive and in my opinion,  should have been fleshed out and worked upon more cause I got bored of them and wanted to just skip past it all. The book is chunky enough.
Overall, I am still obsessed with this series, and that ending has me dying to find out where this is all going to go!
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad 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

4.75

*4.75 Stars.
Sometimes, you find one of those hidden gems, and this is definitely one of them!
From the very first sentence, my attention was snatched, and throughout the story, my attention stayed.
The flow and bounce between the characters with each turn if the page made each chapter a dream to glide through, and the real world blending in with the magical elements made this story so easily immersable.
The whole premise of the story itself is different from what I've read before. In a really good way. It's like a deep, dark, sort of realistic fairytale that I know for a fact we all wish we could live within. (I mean, magical books? Hello!)
A story about family, loyalty, and power, filled with so much drama, lies, deceit, and secrets all stacked up ontop of each other and crafted with expertise I'm honestly super impressed by the fact that this is the authors debut. Bravo, honestly.
The only reason I'm not rating this book a whole five stars is purely out of selfishness. I just think this book would have made a brilliant series, where we could get a bit more depth and history, but honestly, the ending made me very happy and giddy all the same.