mweis's reviews
601 reviews
Delay of Game by ari baran
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.5
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
This was absolutely delightful! It’s by no means a perfect book and it will not be for everyone, but I needed a fluffy romance and Ari Baran gave me exactly what I needed.
This is a fairly low stakes, friends to lovers romance that does center around the miscommunication trope but in a way that made sense to me given these characters. Nate is the incredibly anxious captain of a team that has been at the bottom of the league, and Zach was a first round draft pick who partied too hard and got traded to Nate’s team. All of this happens in the prologue, and then we fast forward a couple of years and Nate and Zach are best friends and the team is trending upward. I think cutting out that friendship development does make the pacing a little awkward here because we go from Zach completely ignoring Nate in the prologue to basically being in love with him and not realizing it. That being said, I loved it anyway.
I liked Nate and Zach as main characters and I liked the side characters a lot as well. Though from reviews it looks like the first book has a much different vibe to this so while I loved the Mike and Danny cameos in this book, I’m not sure I’d go back and read their romance. I also appreciated the conversations this book was having about hockey culture and the negative impacts that trying to keep up can have, like how partying is always accepted until it goes too far but there’s not much support if it goes too far.
Basically read this if you want soft hockeybros who are friends with benefits to keep up the win streak but actually we’re in love and afraid of rejection despite having basically been dating for years.
This was absolutely delightful! It’s by no means a perfect book and it will not be for everyone, but I needed a fluffy romance and Ari Baran gave me exactly what I needed.
This is a fairly low stakes, friends to lovers romance that does center around the miscommunication trope but in a way that made sense to me given these characters. Nate is the incredibly anxious captain of a team that has been at the bottom of the league, and Zach was a first round draft pick who partied too hard and got traded to Nate’s team. All of this happens in the prologue, and then we fast forward a couple of years and Nate and Zach are best friends and the team is trending upward. I think cutting out that friendship development does make the pacing a little awkward here because we go from Zach completely ignoring Nate in the prologue to basically being in love with him and not realizing it. That being said, I loved it anyway.
I liked Nate and Zach as main characters and I liked the side characters a lot as well. Though from reviews it looks like the first book has a much different vibe to this so while I loved the Mike and Danny cameos in this book, I’m not sure I’d go back and read their romance. I also appreciated the conversations this book was having about hockey culture and the negative impacts that trying to keep up can have, like how partying is always accepted until it goes too far but there’s not much support if it goes too far.
Basically read this if you want soft hockeybros who are friends with benefits to keep up the win streak but actually we’re in love and afraid of rejection despite having basically been dating for years.
Merciless Waters by Rae Knowles
medium-paced
4.0
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I’m not going to lie, this was 100% an impulse request because of this gorgeous cover and then I heard spooky sapphic pirates and went yes please.
I don’t want to say too much because it is a novella, but I really enjoyed this. Knowles throws the reader into the story at the start and it did take some time to get bearings straight but I liked the turns the plot took and was fully engrossed in the story while reading it. I thought there was an impressive amount of character interaction and world building in such a short page length.
I think if you’re looking for retellings outside of the Greek pantheon and you’re in the mood for some feminine rage, you should definitely check this out!
I’m not going to lie, this was 100% an impulse request because of this gorgeous cover and then I heard spooky sapphic pirates and went yes please.
I don’t want to say too much because it is a novella, but I really enjoyed this. Knowles throws the reader into the story at the start and it did take some time to get bearings straight but I liked the turns the plot took and was fully engrossed in the story while reading it. I thought there was an impressive amount of character interaction and world building in such a short page length.
I think if you’re looking for retellings outside of the Greek pantheon and you’re in the mood for some feminine rage, you should definitely check this out!
No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull
5.0
*I received both an eARC and an audio review copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
This book absolutely blew me away. On the surface, it is an urban fantasy with light horror elements about humanity realizing monsters exist. But anyone who picks this up expecting a typical urban fantasy might be put off by what they actually will get.
Similar to Turnbull's debut novel The Lesson, No Gods, No Monsters is more of a literary speculative fiction. There is a wide cast of characters who's connections slowly start to form to a larger story, and there is more of a focus on word choice and theming than plot. Also similar to his debut, the themes in No Gods, No Monsters are not being hidden. The monsters are very clearly a stand-in for other marginalized groups and there were some pretty timely messages about misinformation and the way society reacts to information it doesn't like. For example this response when a main character asks a friend they are a monster denier:
This book absolutely blew me away. On the surface, it is an urban fantasy with light horror elements about humanity realizing monsters exist. But anyone who picks this up expecting a typical urban fantasy might be put off by what they actually will get.
Similar to Turnbull's debut novel The Lesson, No Gods, No Monsters is more of a literary speculative fiction. There is a wide cast of characters who's connections slowly start to form to a larger story, and there is more of a focus on word choice and theming than plot. Also similar to his debut, the themes in No Gods, No Monsters are not being hidden. The monsters are very clearly a stand-in for other marginalized groups and there were some pretty timely messages about misinformation and the way society reacts to information it doesn't like. For example this response when a main character asks a friend they are a monster denier:
"Okay. You know about flat-earthers, right? Don't get me wrong, I know the earth is round. But I can empathize with the desire to hold things firm in your own hands. I've seen monsters the same way I've seen pictures of space. It makes sense to leave some room for doubt, to be uncertain."
It's hard to say much more about the book, as the beauty of it is unraveling the details as you read, but I think if the reader goes in with the right expectations, they will love this. The prose is sparse and hauntingly beautiful at times. The cast of characters got confusing but never so muddled that I lost trust in Turnbull knowing what he's doing. I hate to use the word enjoyable because the content of this book is incredibly heavy, with content warnings for police brutality, sexual assault, drug addiction, overdose, and more, but I loved watching the layers of this story unfold.
About the audiobook specifically, Dion Graham's narration was wonderful. He remains one of my favorite narrators. Though I will say there is a first person narrator throughout that occasionally got disorienting while listening to the audiobook. I would still absolutely recommend listening to the audio, but it might be helpful to have a physical or e-copy version of the book to follow along.
Lastly, nestled in the acknowledgements, Turnbull states that references to The Lesson in this novel are meaningful so you can bet that I will be rereading both The Lesson and No Gods, No Monsters with my highlighter and tabs readily available before the sequel comes out.
About the audiobook specifically, Dion Graham's narration was wonderful. He remains one of my favorite narrators. Though I will say there is a first person narrator throughout that occasionally got disorienting while listening to the audiobook. I would still absolutely recommend listening to the audio, but it might be helpful to have a physical or e-copy version of the book to follow along.
Lastly, nestled in the acknowledgements, Turnbull states that references to The Lesson in this novel are meaningful so you can bet that I will be rereading both The Lesson and No Gods, No Monsters with my highlighter and tabs readily available before the sequel comes out.
Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
*I received an eARC and an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I adored H.E. Edgmon’s debut duology The Witch King and when I found out this new duology was going to center trans gods and relationships that span reincarnations I could not request this fast enough. The execution, however, has left me with mixed feelings.
The story follows Gem, a trans teen in rural Georgia who is counting down the days until he can move to Brooklyn and live with his best friend Enzo. Until a new girl moves to town and Gem realizes they are a reincarnated god.
I liked Gem’s internal voice and I liked that all of the characters are messy and dealing with their hurts and traumas in different ways. This is the type of morally grey character focused book I would have eaten up as a teen. That being said, I struggled with the pacing of this and I think that hindered my enjoyment. I also didn’t love some of the voice choices the audiobook narrator made, which might have also hindered my enjoyment because I generally love all of Avi Roque’s work.
All that to say, I did overall enjoy this and I am excited to see how Merciless Saviors wraps up the duology.
I adored H.E. Edgmon’s debut duology The Witch King and when I found out this new duology was going to center trans gods and relationships that span reincarnations I could not request this fast enough. The execution, however, has left me with mixed feelings.
The story follows Gem, a trans teen in rural Georgia who is counting down the days until he can move to Brooklyn and live with his best friend Enzo. Until a new girl moves to town and Gem realizes they are a reincarnated god.
I liked Gem’s internal voice and I liked that all of the characters are messy and dealing with their hurts and traumas in different ways. This is the type of morally grey character focused book I would have eaten up as a teen. That being said, I struggled with the pacing of this and I think that hindered my enjoyment. I also didn’t love some of the voice choices the audiobook narrator made, which might have also hindered my enjoyment because I generally love all of Avi Roque’s work.
All that to say, I did overall enjoy this and I am excited to see how Merciless Saviors wraps up the duology.
A Power Unbound by Freya Marske
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
*I received an audio review copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Following in the trend of romance series, Freya Marske’s The Last Binding trilogy has a different romantic pairing as the dual point of view in each book. In this final installment, we follow Lord Hawthorn, who we met in the first book and then saw more of in the second book, and a writer in thief named Alan, who we met in the second book. But being the final installment in a fantasy trilogy, we also see a lot of the other two couples and there is a fine balance between the new relationship, the relationships from the previous books, and the plot elements of the entire trilogy. Overall, I think Freya Marske balances everything quite well. A Marvellous Light remains my favorite in the trilogy, but this was a very solid conclusion.
I don’t want to say too much because this is the final book in a series; however, I liked the romantic tension between Jack and Alan, and I loved the character growth of Jack throughout this series. In this book, we get to see so much of his backstory and see him come to terms with the grief that was touched on earlier in the series, and he really grows from a character that I did not like to someone I was rooting for.
I have mixed feelings on how the series ended as far as the macro plot, but at the same time I don’t see how it could’ve ended any other way, and I think upon reread I will love it. I truly loved this series and I can’t wait to see what Marske writes next.
Borderland: A Journey Through the History of Ukraine: Revised and Updated Edition by Anna Reid
informative
medium-paced
3.0
*I received an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Originally written in the 1990s and expanded and republished in 2015 and in 2022 to include information about the most recent Russian invasions, Anna Reid’s Borderland works well as an introduction to Ukrainian history. The original text (about 70% of the book) jumps from region to region and hits the “highlights” of Ukraine’s past. While I appreciate that this format allows for a quick introduction into Ukraine, it did make for a rather fragmented reading experience.
In the beginning, Reid notes that the language and names used in the two sections of the book will reflect the different times the sections were written in, and I appreciate the way she pivots from the original text to the new information. That being said, I found much of the information to be very surface level and was expecting more analysis.
Reid herself narrates the audiobook, and I thought she did a good job though I think having a physical copy of the book to reference places and spellings as I read would have been helpful.
Originally written in the 1990s and expanded and republished in 2015 and in 2022 to include information about the most recent Russian invasions, Anna Reid’s Borderland works well as an introduction to Ukrainian history. The original text (about 70% of the book) jumps from region to region and hits the “highlights” of Ukraine’s past. While I appreciate that this format allows for a quick introduction into Ukraine, it did make for a rather fragmented reading experience.
In the beginning, Reid notes that the language and names used in the two sections of the book will reflect the different times the sections were written in, and I appreciate the way she pivots from the original text to the new information. That being said, I found much of the information to be very surface level and was expecting more analysis.
Reid herself narrates the audiobook, and I thought she did a good job though I think having a physical copy of the book to reference places and spellings as I read would have been helpful.
And What Can We Offer You Tonight by Premee Mohamed
fast-paced
3.5
*I received an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I’ve been wanting to read this novella since it was nominated (and won) best novella in the 2022 Nebula and World Fantasy Awards, so I couldn’t request this audio review copy faster when I saw it available on NetGalley. Unfortunately, I think audio was not the way to go for me with this story. I liked the narrator, Elana Dunkelman; however, I think the writing itself was best suited to be read physically.
This novella is incredibly short (under 80 pages) and it packs a punch. It follows a courtesan named Jewel after her friend is murdered by a client and somehow comes back to life. It’s a great exploration of exploitation and the failures of capitalism in a bleak dystopian future. The writing was lush and atmospheric but something about the reading experience just didn’t stick with me as much as I wanted it to. I will definitely be rereading this with my eyes at some point, and I will continue to check out work by Premee Mohamed.
I’ve been wanting to read this novella since it was nominated (and won) best novella in the 2022 Nebula and World Fantasy Awards, so I couldn’t request this audio review copy faster when I saw it available on NetGalley. Unfortunately, I think audio was not the way to go for me with this story. I liked the narrator, Elana Dunkelman; however, I think the writing itself was best suited to be read physically.
This novella is incredibly short (under 80 pages) and it packs a punch. It follows a courtesan named Jewel after her friend is murdered by a client and somehow comes back to life. It’s a great exploration of exploitation and the failures of capitalism in a bleak dystopian future. The writing was lush and atmospheric but something about the reading experience just didn’t stick with me as much as I wanted it to. I will definitely be rereading this with my eyes at some point, and I will continue to check out work by Premee Mohamed.
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*I received an audio review copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Reread: This still holds up so well! It’s such a comforting story to me now and I love catching more details about the world and macro plot. I can’t wait to finish the trilogy.
This was absolutely delightful! I saw another reviewer describe it as "top-tier fanfiction" which is honestly the best way to describe it. It's fantasy romance that I think did an excellent job balancing world-building with a magic system based on the game Cat's Cradle and a well developed romance that includes some steamy scenes.
The story follows recently orphaned minor noble, Robin Blyth, who due to an administrative error, is forced into the magical side of Edwardian London and has to solve the mystery of what happened to his predecessor with the help of his counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, Edwin Courcey. Further plots are uncovered leading to a threat to every magician in Britain and meanwhile the prickly Edwin and himbo Robin get closer and romance ensues. There are also magical hedge mazes, enchanted libraries, and lots of angst.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed was the care Marske used when building the relationship between Robin and Edwin. Throughout the book it was acknowledged that both sides had baggage and beyond that, that being gay was a criminal offense in that era - the text specifically mentions the Oscar Wilde trial in 1895. I also enjoyed having the dual perspective throughout so you could see the relationship evolve on both sides.
The main plot of this story wraps up fairly well but leaves enough tidbits to make me excited about the rest of the books in the series. I also really loved the audiobook narration!
Overall, I would highly recommend! Especially for fans of C.L. Polk's Witchmark series as both tackle mysteries related to secret magical societies in the Edwardian era.
Reread: This still holds up so well! It’s such a comforting story to me now and I love catching more details about the world and macro plot. I can’t wait to finish the trilogy.
This was absolutely delightful! I saw another reviewer describe it as "top-tier fanfiction" which is honestly the best way to describe it. It's fantasy romance that I think did an excellent job balancing world-building with a magic system based on the game Cat's Cradle and a well developed romance that includes some steamy scenes.
The story follows recently orphaned minor noble, Robin Blyth, who due to an administrative error, is forced into the magical side of Edwardian London and has to solve the mystery of what happened to his predecessor with the help of his counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, Edwin Courcey. Further plots are uncovered leading to a threat to every magician in Britain and meanwhile the prickly Edwin and himbo Robin get closer and romance ensues. There are also magical hedge mazes, enchanted libraries, and lots of angst.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed was the care Marske used when building the relationship between Robin and Edwin. Throughout the book it was acknowledged that both sides had baggage and beyond that, that being gay was a criminal offense in that era - the text specifically mentions the Oscar Wilde trial in 1895. I also enjoyed having the dual perspective throughout so you could see the relationship evolve on both sides.
The main plot of this story wraps up fairly well but leaves enough tidbits to make me excited about the rest of the books in the series. I also really loved the audiobook narration!
Overall, I would highly recommend! Especially for fans of C.L. Polk's Witchmark series as both tackle mysteries related to secret magical societies in the Edwardian era.
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I absolutely devoured Andrew Joseph White’s debut Hell Followed With Us, so I went into this with sky high expectations and he knocked it out of the park. Based off these two books, I can confidently say I will read everything he writes.
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a historical horror fantasy full of autistic trans rage. Silas tries to escape an arranged marriage and is diagnosed with Veil sickness and sent to a sanatorium to be “cured” only to have the ghosts of missing students start haunting him.
I adored Silas. He is autistic and anxious and the people around him see those as faults and use it as examples of how he isn’t trying hard enough or he isn’t good enough, and when he finds any sort of acceptance he latches on to it while also worrying about it’s authenticity. I don’t want to say much more about the story because it is truly best experienced, but I loved everything about this book.
I absolutely devoured Andrew Joseph White’s debut Hell Followed With Us, so I went into this with sky high expectations and he knocked it out of the park. Based off these two books, I can confidently say I will read everything he writes.
The Spirit Bares Its Teeth is a historical horror fantasy full of autistic trans rage. Silas tries to escape an arranged marriage and is diagnosed with Veil sickness and sent to a sanatorium to be “cured” only to have the ghosts of missing students start haunting him.
I adored Silas. He is autistic and anxious and the people around him see those as faults and use it as examples of how he isn’t trying hard enough or he isn’t good enough, and when he finds any sort of acceptance he latches on to it while also worrying about it’s authenticity. I don’t want to say much more about the story because it is truly best experienced, but I loved everything about this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Torture, Medical content, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Forced institutionalization
The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn
1.0
*I received an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
I was on the fence about picking this up because it didn’t really seem like my kind of book but I was invited to read a free review copy via NetGalley and it seemed fitting for this Halloweekend, but wow did I not enjoy this book. I thought about DNFing when the mob boss bill collector came, and then again, when the love interest is introduced and his name was Gordon Jablonski, and he was supposed to be this intimidating like tattooed motorcycle gang looking guy.
I think that this book is trying to do too much. It’s a fantasy but it’s a romance but there’s a mystery element and then there is this mob boss and old family secrets and unexplained magic, and I just felt like there were so many elements that it wasn’t possible to flesh any of them out in a satisfactory manner. I also quite frankly found Cordelia obnoxious and sincerely believe that I would’ve enjoyed this book a little bit more if we had gotten some of Eustace’s point of view.
I do see how this could be a book for somebody else, but for me it falls in the category of books like Finlay Donovan Is Killing It and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witchesthat are so quirky they become irritating.
I was on the fence about picking this up because it didn’t really seem like my kind of book but I was invited to read a free review copy via NetGalley and it seemed fitting for this Halloweekend, but wow did I not enjoy this book. I thought about DNFing when the mob boss bill collector came, and then again, when the love interest is introduced and his name was Gordon Jablonski, and he was supposed to be this intimidating like tattooed motorcycle gang looking guy.
I think that this book is trying to do too much. It’s a fantasy but it’s a romance but there’s a mystery element and then there is this mob boss and old family secrets and unexplained magic, and I just felt like there were so many elements that it wasn’t possible to flesh any of them out in a satisfactory manner. I also quite frankly found Cordelia obnoxious and sincerely believe that I would’ve enjoyed this book a little bit more if we had gotten some of Eustace’s point of view.
I do see how this could be a book for somebody else, but for me it falls in the category of books like Finlay Donovan Is Killing It and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witchesthat are so quirky they become irritating.