#Rochelle Hassan

[meerabanerjee]

Tristan and Lucky

[queer-book-character-tournament]

Characters, book, and author names under the cut

Leo Merritt/Tristan Drake - The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan

Lestat de Lioncourt/Louis de Pointe du Lac - The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice 

Jade/Moon/Chime - Books of the Raksura by Martha Wells

Seregil í Korit Solun Meringil Bôkthersa/Alec í Amasa of Kerry - Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling

[evenstarfalls]

Leo thinks he'll know his true love when he sees them but what he failed to account for was that it would have been just as traumatizing for them as it was for him. In reality even more so because Leo had his family to fall back on but Tristan had no one, only his awful parents—and the Merritts, but how could he go to Leo's parents when they never knew about their relationship, when they were trying to help Leo and he couldn't stand to see the effects of the curse on Leo? And now Leo's searching in vain for a version of Tristan that's gone, and there's nothing Tristan can do to make him understand. They need to break that fuckinggggg curse

[just0nemorepage]

The Buried and the Bound || Rochelle Hassan || The Buried and the Bound #1 || 384 pages Top 3 Genres: Fantasy / Young Adult / LGBTQIA+

Synopsis: As the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn, Massachusetts―an uncommonly magical place―Aziza El-Amin has bargained with wood nymphs, rescued palm-sized fairies from house cats, banished flesh-eating shadows from the local park. But when a dark entity awakens in the forest outside of town, eroding the invisible boundary between the human world and fairyland, run-of-the-mill fae mischief turns into outright aggression, and the danger―to herself and others―becomes too great for her to handle alone.

Leo Merritt is no stranger to magical catastrophes. On his sixteenth birthday, a dormant curse kicked in and ripped away all his memories of his true love. A miserable year has passed since then. He's road-tripped up and down the East Coast looking for a way to get his memories back and hit one dead end after another. He doesn't even know his true love's name, but he feels the absence in his life, and it's haunting.

Desperate for answers, he makes a pact with he’ll provide much-needed backup on her nightly patrols, and in exchange, she’ll help him break the curse.

When the creature in the woods sets its sights on them, their survival depends on the aid of a mysterious young necromancer they’re not certain they can trust. But they’ll have to work together to eradicate the new threat and take back their hometown... even if it forces them to uncover deeply buried secrets and make devastating sacrifices.

Publication Date: January 2023. / Average Rating: 4.00. / Number of Ratings: ~1790.

[between-the-pages657]

Tristan is really going through it.

[the-best-bibliophile]

THE BURIED AND THE BOUND by Rochelle Hassan has everything.

Fae/fairy characters in an urban setting

A male lead/female lead relationship that is strictly friendship

A gay side character who’s backstory will make you forgive his many crimes

Childhoodfriends-to-strangers-to-maybe lovers but make it gay

Seriously y’all!! Read this book!

[bookcoversonly]

Title: The Buried and the Bound | Author: Rochelle Hassan | Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (2023)

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (04/22/24)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang (5/10)

This book was a huge disappointment for me. It's flaws are many, despite the interesting concept, and it ultimately lays in how underdeveloped this book is. It could have used so much editing when it comes to the writing, which is repetitive and trying far too hard to be flowery. The main character and the love interest had a lot of potential in the set-up, but the main character is just sort of bland and blank with an easily manipulated moral code and the love interest is...a manipulative asshole but it's okay because he likes her? The worldbuilding grabbed my interest, but it's inserted in such awkward ways and not explored nearly as much as I'd like. If you'd like to see more in-depth thoughts about this book, check out my full review here.

Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross (4/10)

Half this book is marketing for other franchises. Get this woman a sponsorship with Marvel and Star Wars stat. There are only so many times you can reference pop culture and have the main character gush about her favorite ship (Reylo) or superhero (Wolverine) before I start to feel completely detached from the story since more time is devoted to pitching other media than plot or character development. This story is far too drawn out and obviously has just the barest semblance of plot just to keep the main characters from happiness for a bit longer, which leads to a contrived and boring twist. There are a lot of scenes devoted to obviously setting up all the other couples in this series, and there's just really nothing original about the story. At least the leads had some chemistry.

The Summer Queen by Rochelle Hassan (9/10)

This is the sequel to The Buried and the Bound, and I definitely enjoyed myself. As usual, the dynamics between the main three are really good, platonically and romantically, and I think getting each of their perspectives really contributes to that. I loved how much direct faerie interaction there was in this book, and we got to learn a lot more about how magic works, especially Aziza's. I thought the Hunt would be a much larger part of the book than it was---it felt a little rushed---but other than that this was a strong novel! It also has more of a direct line into what will eventually be the third book, giving it more of an overarching plot.

Island of Graves by Lisa McMann (CR, 18%)

I haven't touched this in a week :D

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (CR, 10%)

I'm trying with this one, I really am, but I'm not sure if it's the writing or that I'm still not sure what the actual plot of this is, but so far this book is astronomically boring. I probably would have DNF'd it by now if it weren't for a book club.

The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic (CR, 1%)

I've just barely opened this one, but I'm really excited. My relationship with All for the Game is a complicated one because I both love it and think it is horrendously written, but one thing I love about it is the characters, so I'm ready to see them again! I can't wait to learn about Jean and get his story.

[whimsicaldragonette]

ARC Review: The Summer Queen by Rochelle Hassan

Order:

Add to Goodreads:

Publication Date: January 23, 2024

Synopsis:

This captivating sequel to The Buried and the Bound draws readers into the twisted and irresistible world of the Fair Folk—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Hazel Wood . As a new coven, Aziza, Leo, and Tristan faced evil and triumphed. All that’s left is to put their lives back together, a process complicated by the fallout from painful secrets, the emotional and physical scars they now carry, and the mysteries that still haunt them. But with the approach of the solstice comes the arrival of strange new visitors to Blackthorn: the Summer Court, a nomadic community of Fair Folk from deep in Elphame. They’ve journeyed to the border between the human world and fairyland, far from their usual caravan route, to take back something that belongs to them—something Leo’s not willing to lose. Refusing to give up without a fight, he makes a risky deal with the Summer Court’s princess and regent. The challenge she proposes sends Coven Blackthorn into the farthest, wildest reaches of Elphame. But when you play games with the Fair Folk, even winning has a cost.

My Rating: ★★★★★

*My Review and Favorite Quotes Below the cut.

My Review:

If I were sorting this (and the previous book) based on vibes - which, honestly, is a large part how I sort books - then I would put it with the Cruel Prince trilogy. It's dark and creepy, but just exactly the right amount. It's also heartwarming and adventurous and full of brute force human magic borne of desperation and tricky, insidious, charming, treacherous fae magic.

It's a story of love lost and love found and hubris and naievety and political treachery. It's a story of bargains and tricks and alliances. I flew through it in a little over a day and absolutely hated every time I was forced to put it down. If I hadn't had to stop to make dinner for my kid, I would have finished it that first day, my own dinner be damned.

I was instantly transported back to the world and characters of the previous book as soon as I started, as if I'd never left. There was no struggling to get into it or remember what had happened - it was all fresh and immediate and vital. Now that I've finished, I want nothing more than to jump into the final book. Unfortunately, It's not out yet. Barring that, I want to jump back into this one and get caught up in the frenzied rush of it again. And I desperately, desperately want Leo and Tristan and Aziza to succeed and find happiness.

I want more of the characters and their bonds, more of the world and its traps, more of the tentative allies that were never clearly on one side or the other, more of the shifting sands of never clearly knowing what the sides even were because they kept changing.

An instant favorite and one I will definitely go back to. I instantly purchased the audio so I could experience it again in a new format.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Roaring Book Press for providing an early copy for review.

Favorite Quotes:

Of all the things that kept him up at night, Leo had always been his favorite

“You do get attached to your librarians.”

Tristan had his doubts that a crowdsourced spell would be sufficient defense against Beor, but he didn’t have any better ideas.

“Forget the pep talk. We need a game plan. Someone tried to kill you.” “And Beor. I don’t think it was personal,” he said brightly, as if being collateral damage to someone else’s assassination was somehow better than being personally murdered.

[meerabanerjee]

Aziza and the pooka 💚

I’m halfway through the Summer Queen and I’m loving it as expected but life keeps getting in the way of me finishing it, this was done to destress. I love Aziza so so much.

[swantonlibraryteens]

Day 8: Three's a Crowd

This isn't a love triangle though! Just, three main characters.

[evenstarfalls]

You know. Or something

[someonelookingpraediti]

OwlCrate Unboxing

Courting the Fae January 2023

January's theme is "Courting the Fae". OwlCrate have started the year strong! This is such a brilliant box, and made even better by the fact that it follows the complete and total disappointment of the first Sanderson box a few days ago.

I actually got two OwlCrate boxes in the same delivery today - the January box, and the special edition Raven Boys box! So exciting! But they had doubled up two of the items, just with different designs on! So it was really odd opening them up and getting duplicates, but I probably wouldn't have really noticed if I hadn't received them at the same time.

This box is so cohesive, it doesn't just fit the "Fae" theme, it also follows a green, woodland-y theme as well! I love the aesthetic, and every item is a winner!

The book this month is "The Buried and the Bound" by Rochelle Hassan. It looks really interesting, and the exclusive features are brilliant! The redesigned cover is a thousand times better than the original, and the artwork endpapers are gorgeous! It doesn't have sprayed edges (boo) but it has lovely artwork on the inside of the dust jacket, and heavy foiling on the hardcase.

The first item out the box is a tape measure, featuring a quote from "An Enchantment of Ravens". This is a super unique item, not one I've had before. It may not seem a particularly exciting item, but as mine has just broken, I was thrilled with this!

Next is a tote bag, inspired by "The Cruel Prince". This is such a great design! It's a really, really good quality tote, with an inside pocket, zipper closure, and both long and short handles. I love the colour, and the design is so gorgeous - it's by Tes Medovich, who is probably one of my favourite OwlCrate artists.

The next item is a display board. It has a little mushroom pattern on the base, which has LEDs in it, with a USB plug. It has two acrylic boards you can slot in to be lit up by the base. One is blank, and comes with a drywipe pen to write on, and the other has a design inspired by "A Court of Thorn and Roses". I have less than zero interest in ACOTAR, but the design is so pretty, I'm going to use it anyway!

The final item is a ceramic travel mug, inspired by "Fortuna Sworn". I haven't even heard of it, but it sounds great, so I'm adding it to my TBR! This is so, so beautiful! It's covered in vines and leaves and mushrooms, with a quote wrapped around the middle. This is one of the items that was in both boxes, so my sister immediately claimed ownership of it, which is fine, because as beautiful as it is, I am swiftly filling my kitchen cupboards up with travel mugs, and of the two, I'd probably use the Raven Boys one more.

This month's pin is the first in their 2023 collection. I'm not a fan of pin collections, I really miss them doing a pin inspired by the featured book! This year's collection is a set of book-shaped pins, and the first is "The Cruel Prince". It's a great one to start on for me, because it's one of my favourite series. It's a gorgeous little pin, that opens on hinges like a book. I just hope the rest of the collection isn't too similar. I'd like a bit of variety.

This was such a brilliant box, OwlCrate used to be really hit-and-miss, and I often wasn't impressed with their boxes, but they've massively improved, and I can't remember the last time they disappointed me!

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: The Buried and the Bound by Rochelle Hassan

Series: The Buried and the Bound #1Author: Rochelle HassanPublisher: Roaring Brook PressReleased: January 24, 2023Received: Own (OwlCrate) Goodreads | Join OwlCrate | OwlCrate Reviews Book Summary: As far as she knows, Aziza El-Amin is the only hedgewitch in Blackthorn. That makes her solely responsible for protecting the boundaries between humans and fae. In other words, she must protect…

[between-the-pages657]

Just found out “The Buried and the Bound” series is a trilogy, not a duology. But I honestly think I’m gonna be done after “The Summer Queen” because I’m not really vibing with it.

[reviewsthatburn]

THE BURIED AND THE BOUND follows three teenagers trying to deal with curses and keep the boundary intact between the magical and the mundane in their town.

Aziza, Leo, and Tristan make a strong trio. Their various strengths, weaknesses, and histories lead to a good balance between narrative tension and general ability to work together to fight the hag. While many things end up working out in their favor, it’s never perfect. This creates an air of them fighting for everything that goes right, but not always winning. They're developed separately and together, with Aziza and Leo feeling more like a duo in the first half, then cohering with Tristan into an actual trio by the end.

Aziza is a hedgewitch, living with her grandfather and maintaining the magical boundary near the town. Leo has been cursed to forget his true love, unable to even process it if anyone tries to tell him details of the person he's forgotten. Tristan is working for a hag in exchange for getting a curse broken, finding himself more and more horrified by what the hag is asking him to do.

Full Review at link.