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The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde

3.5/5⭐️

CW: spoilers, sex, abuse

So I finished this book and I have some feelings about it. Overall, first like, 90% of the book is give it a 4.5/5 could’ve done more heisting but oh well. The end though? That’s what brought it down, and because it was the end it really stuck with me. It just threw a bunch of things at the reader out of left field and I felt like the author had a way of foreshadowing it. But let’s back up a little bit and start with what I did like.

The plot itself? Honestly really fun. I���m pretty much always down for a fun heist and this hit that for me. Did I wish it was more heist less relationship? Yeah, but I knew there was romance going into it. The world building was also really cool and being able to figure out Keirse’s powers with her was really cool. Personally my favourite parts were when she was on the third floor doing recon, I live for that stuff. But the parts above ground building her relationships with her friends and Graves was also really cool.

Speaking of Graves, this book definitely contains some more explicit sex scenes and honestly, totally fine with it. I thought they worked well to show how they trusted each other, also I’m always down with them when the writing is good. Wouldn’t recommend reading it in class, though. Also the library, god damn I want that library. And the use of foreshadowing through the books she was reading was really cool. I did have a problem with it, though.

It gets thrown out at the end of the book that Keirse is a whisp, a type of fae, and while fae where mentioned in talking about one of the books she read, whisps weren’t and I feel like it would have made that revelation much less out of left field. And then Gen and Ethan having magic and them being a trinity? Yeah Keirse notices their magic when she heals Ethan but it didn’t feel like trinitys were really mentioned at all throughout the book and it just felt, weird. Luckily, though, all of this is in the end of the book so it didn’t taint my opinion on it too much but I probably won’t read it again anytime soon, maybe just for the theivery.

Would I recommend this book? Yeah, despite not liking the ending the majority of the book I did really like and would read it, but I just hated the ending. Could not get behind it. Overall, good; the end, bad

[ghostreviewer]

reading and watching “classic” books and films is such an interesting experience because, before you get into them, when you only know them by name and maybe the vaguest plot outline, they’re intimidating and stuffy and up on a pedestal, but then you finally take the leap and check them out and realize that almost every story that’s achieved such a legendary level of popularity did so because something in its emotional core reached out and grabbed a lot of people by the throat and you are NOT immune.

[ghostreviewer]

1/5⭐️

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1.5/5⭐️

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2/5⭐️

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2.5/5⭐️

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3/5⭐️

[ghostreviewer]

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May

5/5⭐️

CW: spoilers, death

I just finished this book and it was really good! There were a few times where I was getting annoyed with the characters choices but all in all I really liked it. It gave witchy Gatsby which seems to be what the author was going for. When I read Gatsby I didn’t really like it, but this books was so much better. I’m absolutely in love with books set in this sort of time era right now and the fact that it’s witchy and sapphic it makes it better.

Going into the book itself, Emmeline was so cool(but her choices got on my nerves at times because they were bad and bad things came out of them [which is was nice to see there were consequences for their actions]). Isobel and Nathan might have been my favourites though, Annie (main character) was interesting but I got really attached to Nathan haha.

The magic system was interesting too, I got a little lost at times but I liked how there was a lot of blood based magic but also showing that it wasn’t strictly needed and that they were able to incorporate it into food. Also, all of the stuff with magic being on probation (think the alcohol probation) made it more interesting. And damn I would never go to one of the parties but they were one of my favourite parts.

I honestly don’t have much to say about this book besides that I liked it, it does handle some darker themes (SA and murder) so keep that in mind. But I would reread it and I would recommend it, maybe not to everybody because I know not everybody is into sapphic witchy historical pieces but those that do like it I would really recommend it.

[ghostreviewer]

Master Post

5/5⭐️

4.5/5⭐️

4/5⭐️

3.5/5⭐️

3/5⭐️

2.5/5⭐️

2/5⭐️

1.5/5⭐️

1/5⭐️

[ghostreviewer]

3.5/5⭐️

The Renegades Trilogy

Gothikana

The Wren in the Holly Library

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4/5⭐️

The Murder Game

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4.5/5⭐️

The Sun and The Star

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

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5/5⭐️

Persephone Station

The Cruel Prince Trilogy

Maxton Hall

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance

Arcane

Foxglove

Wild and Wicked Things

[ghostreviewer]

Foxglove by Adalyn Grace

5/5 ⭐️

CW: spoilers

Okay so I finished reading this today and aaaa it was so good. I had started reading it a while ago, actually, but I had stopped because I had lost interest and other book caught my eye and I was heading into a reading slump. But I’m getting the third book soon and so I figured, well I should probably finish Foxglove. And omg it was so much more interesting than I remembered. It’s the second book in a trilogy, the first was Belladonna. It’s like, gothic Victorian murder mystery with romancing death. So good.

Anyway, when Signa is making those deals with Fate and the absolute emotion her and Death have when they have the time and aaa they’re so amazing together. And omg, the reveal that one, Eliza is pregnant and two that she put the cyanide in the drink? Also the fact that Byron in fact did help, but not out of malicious intent but to keep Eliza safe because she’s carrying Percy’s child? Omg that reveal was insane. And then Blyth making the deal with Fate instead of Signa omg I could barely put the book down at the end. Also, Foxglove (the building) is such a vibe and I would like, actually live there if I could. And then the reveal that Blyth was probably Life was so insane, like, you know what, Signa having life and death powers works and is all good and all, but it being Blyth and her actually returning to Fate instead of Signa being forced to be somebody she isn’t? Amazing. 10/10, would read that part again.

This was such a good book, Signa and Death do engage in intercouse but like, it’s not super descriptive. It’s not fade to black but it’s not E on AO3. I would recommend this book (and Belladonna although I’m not sure if I’ve written a post on that one). Loved it

[ghostreviewer]

Okay so I just watched debs but would anybody want a review on it? I know it’s not a recent movie and doesn’t have a very large fan base

[ghostreviewer]

Arcane

5/5⭐️

CW: spoilers for season 1 & 2, shoddy grammar

OMG I love this show it’s insane how much I love it. I finished season 2 and I’ve rewatched all of season 1 and 2 so I’m fairly up to date however I did skip some of the topside scenes in s1 cause they aren’t my favourite parts. Anyway, I love this show. But that might be a little obvious.

First, obviously, I love the style and how they wrote the characters and how the art looks. Like, the literal design is so cool! And the characters all are so detailed and each person has depth, even if they follow more stereotypical archetypes. And the outfits? Omg they’re so cool and I could go on a whole tangent about how the changes in each characters outfit as they progress through the series is indicative of their growth and the changes they’re going through. Also the weapons and how they represent their wielders. This show is just so good.

Getting into season 2 more because it’s the newer one, I absolutely loved it. They had to fill some big shoes after the masterpiece of season 1 and I’d say they filled them. The music and the visuals that went along with them were so cool. It was a lot more music video esc than season 1 but the montages were so cool and it showed how things functioned without going through the characters themselves. And Isha, omg I love her and I will die for her and screw riot I need my child back. Like, I didn’t cry at the last episode but episode 6 when Isha does the finger fun at Jinx? Every time tears start forming. I just love her, she’s so cute!

Speaking of the last episode, and the last act in general, I really liked how it played out. We went from depression in episode 6 to the AU where Powder stayed Powder and Ekko was dating her, really cute and it played a big role in the last episode honestly. The battle and then Jinx showing up on the air balloon with Ekko and the firelights was so cool. And then Viktor and Jayce, and Ekko not getting taken control over because he did walk away from heaven and the perfect life to go back to his normal one. It’s just so amazing how everything played out.

This whole show was so good and I’m really excited to see what else they do with this universe and how many of the characters we’ll see again. I would so recommend this to literally anybody and everybody, this will in fact be my life for a while and I need more Arcane content (specifically Jinx and Isha but that’s just a side note in this post)

[ghostreviewer]

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

5/5 ⭐️

CW: Spoilers, SA, Suicidal Ideation, Family Death

Okay so I started this back in June and just finished (was busy) and omg it was so good. Like, it thew you right into the deep end with Vel being SA’d by Killic and like, I know it was gonna happen and I was still like, wtf? But also I was about ready to dispose of Killic myself. And Cae? Omg he’s so fucking sweet and cares so much about Vel and it’s so cute! Vel has some issues, very clear trauma from Killic and he doesn’t want to live and has some pretty bad problems with self deprivation but Cae stays with him and helps him and doesn’t pressure him and it’s amazing!

The main plot is amazing too, trying to figure out who’s trying to kill them and stuff it’s amazing. There’s romance (obviously) but it’s done so well and it meshes amazingly with the plot and there’s so much representation. Ok the topic of that, Liran is so amazing and I love that they included a trans character and he’s so fucking hot. Also, still friends with an ex but share no jealous traits or try and cause problems? We love that here. There’s also multiple nonbinary people and it’s amazing.

It was a little spicy, not fade to black but also not super in depth if that makes sense? Mostly emotions and omg it was amazing because Vel trusted Cae so much even after Killic (it was also after Vel killed Killic so you know, there’s that too). My favourite part though had to be the fact end. Laecia being the person against them, and then Vel and Cae using sign language to create a plan was so cool and then Vel just lighting her on fire? So badass. And Markel, who was out injured for most of the book, got a super badass action moment shooting Laecia. It was amazing.

I also really liked the world building and depth even in side characters who weren’t mentioned much. They had connections to people and it was so cool. There was also the social aspect where it was built so well, with the nobles and politics and how those influenced decisions and impacted what the characters had to do was so cool. Honestly another one of my favourite parts.

I’d definitely recommend this book, as long as the people i recommend it to get somewhat comfortable with a lot of stuff real quick (aka the CW). It’s such a good book and I got so attached to the character so fast it was insane. I absolutely loved it, 5/5 ⭐️ would read again after I read the second book