#february book reviews

[wearethekat]

February Book Reviews: A Flame in the North by Lilith Saintcrow

Picked this new release up because I've found Saintcrow's books engaging in the past. Solveig has a respected position in her father's hall as one of the most powerful magic users seen in generations. But when her brother impulsively kills a man in a brawl, she's sent north with the dead man's kin as a weregild tribute in recompense. As Solveig travels northward, she begins to realize that the Northerners are not who they seem-- and legends she's heard about the evil that lurks there are more than stories.

Saintcrow does an excellent job of establishing Solveig's Norse-inspired home. It's obvious that she's done research into the material reality of the period, which makes for a much more engaging setting than tacking some (inaccurate) horned helmets onto things and calling it a day. The prose is in a high-formal, faux archaic style which personally I enjoy, but some people might find grating.

Where this book fell a little short for me was the pacing. For a hefty four hundred fifty pages, this book does little more than introduce the basic premise before ending on a cliffhanger with little to no plot threads resolved. It takes a hundred pages to cover the initial setup I summarized in two sentences above-- Solveig being sent north as weregild. The slow pacing is exacerbated by Solveig's essentially passive position in the plot. It's an understandable decision based on her situation and reverence for the rules that govern a weregild's behavior-- but it also means that Solveig could be effectively replaced by a very important suitcase for most of the story without changing the plot.

One further side note and caveat about this book. While the first half of the book had worldbuilding I enjoyed, the second half of the book abruptly entered a narrative where every single backstory was cribbed directly from Tolkien's Silmarillion. I don't mean it vaguely resembled the Silmarillion, with a shadowy big bad and orcs and elves. I mean Saintcrow presented the reader with sentences of plot taken directly from it, with only some token name changes. A representative but not exhaustive list of examples: The theft of the Silmarils and the Oath of Feanor

Of Faevril's works he spoke, many works of seidhr wrought by an Elder alkuine's hands in the uttermost West. Of how the Enemy, granted grace and lee to repair damage he had previously wreaked, betrayed that ruth with the murder of Faevril's father and the theft of many great works, as well as a crime so dark the Elder do not speak of it, dimming the light of their home well before Moon or Sun arose. Of Faevril's sons and the vengeance they swore with their wrathful father did Eol speak...

The romance of Beren and Luthien and the recovery of one of the Silmarils from Morgoth

"Whatever he told you was only in service to finding what Bjornwulf and Lithielle won at great cost. He and his brother will slay any who seek to keep the Freed Jewel from them, even their kin-- that is their oath...

Nithraen is a hidden elven cave city that fell in an attack involving a dragon-- which is, of course, the story of Turin Turambar and the fall of Nargothrond.

Aeredh clasped the tall man's shoulder, and it looked like he was delivering even worse tidings than Nithraen's fall, for that was the only time I saw Tarit son of Hajithe pale and almost stagger. The songs say he lost a loved one in the cataclysm, an Elder maid...

An interesting beginning and a standout execution, but I don't think I'll be reading the sequel when it comes out in July. If I wanted to know what happens I would just reread the Silmarillion.

[bigdreamsandwildthings]

February Wrap-Up

House of Flame and Shadow (Sarah J. Maas) ★★★★

The Heiress (Rachel Hawkins) (audio) ★★★★

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands (Heather Fawcett) ★★★★

The Invocations (Krystal Sutherland) ★★★★★

One of Us is Dead (Jeneva Rose) (audio) ★★★1/2

Faebound (Saara El-Arifi) ★★

Flawless (Elsie Silver) ★★★★

The Fortune Seller (Rachel Kapelke-Dale) (audio) ★★★★1/2

Her Little Flowers (Shannon Morgan) ★★★★1/2

Let's be friends over on Goodreads (link)! I'd love to see what you're all reading.

[emachinescat]

A Year in Book Review: My 2024 Reading Journey 📚

#23 - The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

Fantasy / Trials of Apollo #1 / 385 pages / published 2016 / Finished Feb. 16 (reread)

One Sentence Review: Another brilliant installment in the Percy Jackson universe, this book boasts loveable characters - familiar and new - as well as truly loathsome villains, a hilarious narrator, tons of Greek mythology, some questionable poetry, real heart and emotion, and, of course, our beloved Camp Half-Blood.

Favorite Quotes

"Live fully and without fear."

*

"Aquaman driving / Couldn't possibly be worse / Oh, wait, now it is"

*

"Seven-layer dip / Chocolate chip cookies in blue / I love this woman"

*

"Things can turn out differently, Apollo. That's the nice thing about being human. We only have one life, but we can choose what kind of story it's going to be."

*

"I could feel the magic taking hold, despite the Arrow of Dodona whispering to me like an annoying Elizabethan stagehand, SAYEST THOU, 'PLAGUEY, PLAGUEY, PLAGUEY!' ... FIE! TOO STRONG IS THY PLAGUE. The Dodona Arrow hummed with annoyance. THY CHANTING SUCKETH ... METHINKS THOU HAST BLOWN IT, said the Dodona Arrow, my source of infinite wisdom. MOREO'ER, HIE! TAKEST THOU THE REINS."

*

"I spluttered something like, 'Nuh-uh, dun-doot!' I may have waved my Brazilian handkerchief with the hope that its magic would destroy my enemies."

*

"Listen to the trees / The trees know what is up, yo / They know all the things"

*

"A father should do more - a father should give more to his children than he takes."

My rating: 5/5

A Few More Thoughts (Spoilers):

Like all of Uncle Rick's books, it's fantastic. Of course, the fact that Percy Jackson makes an appearance makes me very happy, but the book is incredible in its own right. Apollo is the best kind of narrator - hilarious, loveably conceited, with excellent growth - and Meg is a joy. It's the perfect mix of action, tension, and humor.

For me, the most surprising part was that Meg was working with Nero and was leading Apollo into a trap. It's not just the betrayal that got me, though. It's the darkness of Meg's situation and abuse, that Nero - her "beloved" stepfather - and the Beast - her tormentor - were the same people, but separate to her.

Anyone can change and grow if given the opportunity, especially if they have someone to fight for, someone to believe in them.

Also, Nico and Will were beyond adorable and deserve the world.

Finally, I need a short story of Annabeth taking care of Percy as he recovers from that nasty head cold!

[mylittlecomfortplace]

Mistakenly Saving the Villain [Danmei Review]

➺ 4.5/5 🌟

TW: r*pe/ sexual assault, mental health issues, attempted suicide

Before I reached the end, I already decided to give this danmei a solid 4 stars. But the last there or four chapters, that explanation at the end about where everything started? That deserves a 4.5 stars!! Still not quite a 5 stars, but almost!!

I've already read quite a few transmigration novels and most of them didn't bother giving an explanation as to why and how the transmigration happened. I have nothing against those novels because I enjoyed most of them and not that it bothered me, I still liked the flow of the plot regardless. But this novel coming back around at the end, making even the tiniest details make sense is what made me give this another half a star rating!!

I actually want to list some of the things that seemed one thing but in reality, they weren't just that simple. THESE ARE A LITTLE BIT SPOILER-Y:

I was actually not a big fan of love triangles because of so many reasons, and I didn't realize this novel also has one. I thought it was a bit unnecessary, that the plot can still do without it. But it was revealed that the second love interest's existence served an entirely different purpose than just being the love rival, and I loved that so much!

There are a lot of reviews from NU about not wanting to finish this because they said that the MC is too 'stupid'. Song Qingshi is not really stupid as they say, he's actually very smart, but his intelligence is mostly focused on his specific field, especially in medicine. He is more like having a very low EQ, not really good at picking up social cues, very ignorant to the things that doesn't concern his work and he didn't really know how to deal with people. He has social anxiety (and usually stutters when talking to other people, except when talking about his medicines) and that drew the line between him and the outside world. Because of that, he seemed very slow in the head. He's very naive and gullible most of the time. But that part of him actually has an unexpected explanation that those SQS haters didn't get to know because they chose to drop this novel halfway because of the reason that the MC is too 'stupid'.

And for someone with a very low EQ and not good with words, Song Qingshi can sometimes deliver the most beautiful lines:

You once wished me good luck for the night and now, I want to wish you good luck your entire life.

Song Qingshi gently placed his palm on his chest and said gently, "Wuhuan, your heart is sick" Yue Wuhuan bowed his head and asked, "My heart?" His heartbeat was speeding up. His body was burning hot, as if it was calling out to something. Song Qingshi raised his head. "Does it hurt every day?" Yue Wuhuan looked at him for a long time, and finally nodded. "It hurts" Song Qingshi took him into his arms, patted him and comforted him softly, "Don't be afraid. I'll hurt with you"

"Don't give up and don't persuade me to give up either. I have the world's most stubborn heart, even if I hit a wall thousands of times, ten thousands of times, I will never look back. If you really can't bear the pain and despair and decide to abandon this world, then I will accompany you"

Song Qingshi's love for watching the clouds as a hobby. It seemed like something the author would randomly threw as the MC's pastime, especially as a loner, but there's more to it than that.

All the dreams about the phoenix. We all know who that phoenix is, and that there's something important about the dreams, but once the significance of those dreams was revealed, re-reading those dreams makes so much sense.

The ML Yue Wuhuan has an special attachment with different stones, especially the beautiful ones. His hobby of collecting stones is tied to his real identity and after knowing his identity, it revealed why he has a natural affinity with Song Qingshi. And that actually makes my heart so soft!

The MC saying that 'my heart is born for you' to the ML, you might think it's only for romantic appeal? NO!! There's a deeper meaning to that!!

The ML also has a yandere personality that some of the readers didn't really like but just so you know, he's the type of yandere that knows his own boundaries and limitations. He is self-aware. He might be the best yandere that I've read in a while that never forced himself to the MC. And his yandere personality didn't just come out of nowhere either. You might say that his yandere personality comes from his trauma, but him trying to control his possessiveness so that he wouldn't suffocate the MC is also making his mental health issues more severe, hence the stalemate.

There are a lot more, but I won't list all of them. You can pick this up if you want to learn more. Just know that:

This novel certainly has some heavy topics. Trigger warnings are there for a reason. There are chapters that are really hard to read. Fortunately if a chapter gets really heavy with trigger warnings, the translator has this note at the start of that specific chapter that provided a summary of it so you can choose to skip it without losing the importance of that chapter. I personally read the whole chapters so I know how heavy it got sometimes, so proceed with caution if you plan on reading this.

Thinking back about how this novel started, I was surprised how much the plot grew from just a simple transmigration to something much more than that. I never expected all of it to happen just from the first few chapters and I loved where the plot took me.

[belespritbooks]

My first read of 2024! (well the first book I’ve finished, anyway.)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ + 1/2

Thoughts:

Mixed bag. Structure wise, this book was a very interesting read. I read this book for one of my classes, and we briefly touched upon how Faulkner's writing in this work seems to be much more geared towards showing off his literary skills. And in my opinion, I think this was the driving force of the novel rather than the message. To me, as a book worm, nerd, and student of literature, of course literary skill is impressive and important in great literary works, but I find that the most impactful books are ones that you put down and are truly moved by the story or the language. This book I was simply quite confused.

I'll explain why I feel this way for a few reasons: first the structure. The book being split into different parts with different narration (and different narrative styles) was, stylistically, very intriguing and impressive. Readers encountered Benjy's unique lens of the world, which didn't provide us much context or structure. This could either completely repel readers, or intrigue them further by the mystery Faulkner sets up. We are then introduced to Quentin's section, which I'll get into detail for in a second. The narration here is slightly less confusing, but because of his unique character, it is still quite broken and confusing. In Jason's section, the narration is much more clear and we're provided more context for the Compson's family relations, such as Caddy's daughter, Quentin, living with Jason and their mother. On pages 212 to 214, we're also given insight on the terrible way Jason treats his sister, as well as her crumbling life: begging for contact with her daughter, and begging for some money. Finally in the last section, readers are provided with a third-person omniscient narrator (and the writing in this section was GORGEOUS). Because there were four distinct types of narration, it seems to me Faulker was more focused on style than the message. Of course there was an important message, but because the style was so insanely confusing at times, I'm not sure how much of the message readers truly receive by the end of the book. Which is the beauty of literature: some books are so incredibly written it takes three or four reads to truly understand the point. But for me, since two sections of this book had incredibly difficult narrative styles, I'm not even sure how much I grasped of the plot or the family dynamic, never mind the meaning behind these relations. It was almost so stylistically impressive that it's just too frustrating to understand.

Though I would like to add: the different narration styles had a point: Faulkner was trying to express the same idea or feeling in each section, with four different methods of writing. In interviews, he shared that he saw this book as a failure; saying he was never truly able to get his message across, no matter which narrative style he chose. That is the beauty of this novel: Faulkner deliberately demonstrates the limits of language. My favorite example of this is the church sermon at the end of the novel, from pages 292-296. On page 292, Faulkner describes the church to look like a painting: “the whole scene was as flat and without perspective as a painted cardboard set upon the ultimate edge of the flat earth…” These descriptions of the scene as painted signify how Faulkner’s words on the page are flat and two dimensional. During the sermon, the preacher barely says anything, but the church goers have a transcendental experience just being in the room: experience allows one to transcend language itself. The only way to truly grasp human truths is to transcend language itself; it limits us, whereas experience frees us. The preacher seems to communicate to the crowd through empathy and emotion rather than words. It is the spaces in between the words where the emotion is felt, where the meaning is given to the crowd, just like in literature. The greatest authors know how to infuse meaning into a page, in between the words, not having to state it in their language.

To touch upon Faulkner's writing style: it is quite beautiful. I really loved Quentin's section now that I understand it better. His narration is confusing and patchy due to his deteriorating mental health and him grappling with past memories he cannot get out of his head. In class, I could not get away from pages 150 and 151, which is dialogue Quentin is remembering from the past before he left for Harvard. Here is just a snippet:

"hes crossed all the oceans all around the world...

do you love him

her hand came out I didnt move it fumbled down my arm and she held my hand flat against her chest her heart thudding

no no

did he make you then he made you do it"

The dialogue not having any quotations, punctuation, or pointing out who is speaking, represents Quentin's scrambled thoughts as this scene is from a long time ago: when remembering specific conversations years after, its almost impossible to remember exact words and phrases. That is why it feels so scrambled. Also significant is that this long period of dialogue pops up right in the middle of Quentin's present storyline, and when readers jump back to the present, we've missed Quentin being in a fight, because we were caught up in his past thoughts overtaking him.

Also, I chose this part of the dialogue to discuss how Quentin refused to believe Caddy had lost her virginity and instead made up a narrative in his head that she was raped. Quentin's feelings represent the values of the old South; he didn't want to believe Caddy had become impure before marriage or that a young woman was freely making sexual choices. Therefore, he wanted to believe he could protect her virginity by saying she was raped and "killing" her rapist. I could talk about Quentin's section forever: it was my favorite part.

However, it was still so confusing. I had actually thought Caddy was raped until we discussed it in class, because we are so trapped in his head in the book, and his narration is so broken with no explanation. Such as how he would frequently break his present narration (in the beginning of his section) and reflect on a memory in italics of him telling his father he had committed incest with Caddy. This was a made-up story to again excuse Caddy becoming impure in Quentin's eyes, but I wouldn't have put that together on my own, and likely not through a second time reading.

[a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit]

Book Review: The Women by Kristin Hannah

The Vietnam War is still something many people don't like to talk about. There's a discomfort there, a veil of despair and shame that is never fully drawn back the way it could be. It's like witnessing a haunted hush that falls over a large clamorous crowd generation after generation, with memories trapped behind eyes in cages, with words dying on tongues and then eroding into silence to become lost stories of sacrifice, of heroism, and of suffering that never makes it into the history book pages. As a result of that, there is still so much we don't know or understand about that time. About the people who were affected. There are still so many veterans - soldiers, nurses, and doctors alike - who were or have been all but forgotten.

This book gives voice to some of them. The Forgotten.

I think partly what makes The Women such a powerful read is that Kristin Hannah does not shy away from peeling back the veil around Vietnam, or around the women who served in Vietnam. BECAUSE THEY WERE THERE, TOO. In fact, she makes it a point to thrust readers directly into the heart of turbulence right alongside her characters, especially Frankie, her protagonist. By doing that, she makes this both an intimate coming of age story about an idealistic young woman turned Army nurse turned disillusioned war veteran as well as a searing commentary on how women's service and commitment to their country has long gone unacknowledged.

I haven't been moved by something this much in a long time. The story is evocative, insightful. It's a kaleidoscope of politically divisive, culturally explosive, war-torn color, and I couldn't help but marvel at its ability to reveal the real Vietnam with all its mucky tangibility and soft, aching, hopeful pulses of humanity.

Frankie's journey is painfully realistic, not just because her youthful idealism is blighted by the atrocities of war but also because she struggles to assimilate when she returns home, battling shame from her parents, anger from her fellow Americans, and PTSD with little to no recourse. She's a courageous and resilient character, though. Understandably flawed. You feel for her, you cry with her, you find a way to survive with her.

The Women is a lyrical and emotional tour-de-force, for sure! One of my favorite reads of the year. I won't be surprised if (or when) it's one of the biggest books of 2024.

I'm incredibly grateful to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

5/5 stars

**Follow me on Goodreads

[ijustkindalikebooks]

I don't know if I can say February was disappointing reading, cos I did read alot, I completed 32 books and most were pretty good, half of them all being either 4 or 5 star, but I also read books I was highly hoping to be good and then they were not.

I also think classic titles can be truly hit right sometimes and even some that you feel are similar just don't (take for example how I feel about Deerbrook and Under The Greenwood Tree, similar themes and settings, one I loved, one I had to prop my eyes open to finish).

One thing I will say that though some of these books I do suffer (and that is my choice) don't do that to yourself, if you are reading, do not suffer the book, I read these books cos I bought these books and want to read my shelves, but I'd definitely recommending going with the vibe and selecting something that will bring you hoy, this is not the year for choosing to suffer.

These are my favourite books of February!

Where The Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire - If I really need to read a book that I know will be five stars, I go to a Wayward Children series novella. These books are tiny worlds full of incredible settings and brilliant characters delivered in under 200 pages. This book sees one of the girls from the school go to Whitethorn an alternative and stricter school that gets the kids to forget their doors and move on and become 'normal' again. Brilliantly finished and not over the top in melodrama, I liked how these characters got their stories.

British Landmarks And Legends by Jo Woolf - An ARC I asked for after going to an art course that revolved around local folklore and legends, this book has been a handy book when it comes to finding something a little unusual. Covering a range of places from mythologised castles to bleeding rocks in creepy forests, this book covers an incredible of different places, be that known like Stonehenge or The Bleeding Stone of Lynn. Highly recommend this and the 'Fantasy: Realms Of Imagination' exhibit at the British Library which I believe has events around the UK currently.

Other books I enjoyed this Month:

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green - In my post-project for awesome haze, I knew I finally had to read this book and I really now need to read the second. A fantastic book on the power of social media and how we as humans can be heroic and flawed and messy, this book certainly delivers fantastic characters and funny moments that give you a glimmer of insight into the world today. I think April May is my favourite least-likeable character ever made.

Ask A Historian by Greg Jenner - Jenner was one of the authors who worked on Horrible Histories (the TV show, you know the one that gave you a thing on Dick Turpin, right? *leaves quietly*) and this book makes clear why. Informative, witty and smart, this book is a learning circle, never mind a curve. A range of fantastic questions, that does take in international figures (I find history books tend to be quite western focused) this book is a fun read.

What have you been reading in February? I'd love your recommendation and reviews!

Thanks again for reading!

Vee xo

[maddiesbookshelves]

JOMP book photo challenge || February 26: This month's favorite

Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide / Bokura no Chikyū no Arukikata (僕らの地球の歩き方)

I mostly bought it as a joke because I saw gays traveling the world and then boom, Mont St Michel? Plus the art style was cute so I was easily convinced to buy it. And let me tell you, this is such a cute story 🥺 They get to experience different cultures and meet new people (most of them also queer), I loved it. There's the littlest bit of angst, just enough to spice things up a little, but otherwise it's mostly fluff. Just two boys in love traveling across the globe. I can't wait to read more of it!

[livinginsideabookshelf]

February Wrap Up

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

Twenty-four-year-old British painter Cleo has escaped from England to New York and is still finding her place in the sleepless city when, a few months before her student visa ends, she meets Frank. Twenty years older and a self-made success, Frank's life is full of all the excesses Cleo's lacks.

3.5/5

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Convenience Store Woman is the heartwarming and surprising story of thirty-six-year-old Tokyo resident Keiko Furukura. Keiko has never fit in, neither in her family, nor in school, but when at the age of eighteen she begins working at the Hiiromachi branch of “Smile Mart,” she finds peace and purpose in her life.

5/5

Little Birds by Anais Nin

Evocative and superbly erotic, Little Birds is a powerful journey into the mysterious world of sex and sensuality. From the beach towns of Normandy to the streets of New Orleans, these thirteen vignettes introduce us to a covetous French painter, a sleepless wanderer of the night, a guitar-playing gypsy, and a host of others who yearn for and dive into the turbulent depths of romantic experience.

3.75/5 (All stories)

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

A romance ghostwriter who's lost her motivation after a breakup is haunted by the spirit of her newly departed editor in this whimsical paranormal romance. Florence Day doesn't believe in love or happily-ever-afters any longer.

2/5 (DNF)

\/ My Full thoughts and reviews (SPOILERS) \/

Cleopatra and Frankenstein

I flip flop back and forth between whether or not I actually liked this book. A lot of people are saying that it's shallow, and I agree its very shallow, however, I quite like shallow characters. But it's hard to tell with this novel if the characters are shallow or if the narrative is.

I liked Cleo and Frank as main characters but both are hard to root for. Even towards the end when they get their 'happy ever after' I feel like neither really learnt anything. Which would be fine if the author wasn't trying so hard to make us believe they did.

The side characters - particularly Eleanor and Jesus (rip) - are the stars for me. Eleanor's chapters were funny and more poignant than the rest of the novel. It's also nice to see a POV that wasn't a tortured artist or the workaholic money bags. Zoe and Quentin are okay but they bring up topics and then drop them. Quentin, for example, is shown to struggle with body dysmorphia and it's suggested heavily that their trans. However, this is never brought up again and instead Quentin becomes about drug abuse. The characters often are 'topic characters' in that they are nothing but the topic the author wants to discuss.

Having said all this, am I going to keep reading Coco Mellors? Yes. I enjoyed this book regardless of the problems i have with it.

Convenience Store Woman

I read this in a day because I loved it so much.

This book will not be for everyone. The humour and characterisation are very odd - at least to a Western reader - and the concept is strange. However, I loved it.

I related so much to Keiko. I loved the atmosphere, the conflict was interesting, as Keiko doesn't really fight it intentionally but I just loved it. I am now reading everything that this author brings out, I'm currently reading her short story collection and so far it's a 5/5.

Little Birds

[Warning for i*cest, p*dophelia and SA]

Anais Nin is a conflicting figure. Little Birds has some really good stories in them. I particularly like, A Model and The Woman on the Dune. They're really good stories which look at women finding their sexuality and enjoying it, which often they are not depicted as such. It's wroth noting that this is erotica but written like a classic so the language is quite flowery.

However, there are some stories which are just outright gross. Little Birds is about a man and his fascination with young girls and ultimately flashes at them. Two Sisters starts with SA by the sisters father and then they do it with their brothers. It's weird, strange and very gross. At first, I would take this as ironic however Anais Nin odd and even herself had an affair with her own father, so it's begs with question whether or not she condones this or not.

Again, this is not for the faint of heart. I am going to read more of her work to try to understand her, as an author but so far she has an interesting way of writing but she is also very strange.

The Dead Romanctics

I DNF this at 29%, which is very early but instantly, I could feel this was going to put me in a reading slump.

The main character is annoying and the ghosts are secondary to everything, which is the only part I was actually excited for. The romance - for me - was not good. I think as a genre, I am just going to give up on booktok romance, it's just not my thing.

[books-in-a-storm]

Paranormal Star Review

Title: Pizza Shop Exorcist #5 The Price of Rebellion

Author: Dakota Brown

Pages: 226

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

Synopsis:

Birthdays, marriages, career changes, deaths; these are the pivotal moments almost everyone can relate to. Too bad all of mine seem to be centered around demons.

When my parents died at the hands of a demon, I quit doing exorcisms. I hoped to be finished with the creeping darkness below. But it wasn't done with me. I tried to settle into life at my family's pizza parlor and, slowly, became content with the relatively carefree life it offered and the companionship of my vibrator. Then Darius, a friend from my old life, barged his way into my new one with an exorcism he couldn't handle.

Now I'm hip deep in hellhounds, my heart willingly bound to several demons, a half-angel, and a mage. My main mode of transportation these days? A demonic horse that I love dearly.

Unfortunately, the forces of Heaven and Hell are conspiring against me. I'm tired of their shit, and my men and I are ready to go on the offensive. The last thing this world needs is an apocalypse and, to keep us all safe, I'll do anything in my power to defeat both angels and demons once and for all, even if it defeats me in the end.

First And Last Sentence: Here

[tealeavesand-roses]

February reads 🌵🏰 I started The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas at the end of January and plan to finish it this month. So far, I love it. An update is pending. 💭

[wearethekat]

February Book Reviews: Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Picked this novella up because I've liked Tchaikovsky books in the past and this one had an interesting premise which reminded me of an excellent Le Guin short story. Nyr is an anthropological observer who has lost contact with his civilization and lives out most of his days in cold sleep. Meanwhile, the former colony he was sent to observe has forgotten technology and its past. When Lynesse Fourth Daughter calls on an old promise in order to gain Nyr's help in fighting a demon, Nyr will be dragged once again into human life.

The premise here is fantastic and the execution is good. I particularly liked a sequence where Nyr's explanation of the planet's past is juxtaposed with how Lynesse hears it-- because of the language and cultural shifts over time, Nyr's story will always render as the myth that Lynesse already knows. He can't even refer to himself as an anthropologist or a scientist, since Lynesse will hear the word as "wizard."

I did find the characters a little emotionally distant and difficult to connect with at times, but much less than with Tchaikovsky's other books. Overall, an excellent demonstration of Clarke's Law that sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic. Recommended.

[mediashadowreads]

°․✶ JANUARY WRAP & FEBRUARY HOPEFULS

[emachinescat]

A Year in (Book) Review: My 2024 Reading Journey 📚

#22 - Go the Distance by Jen Calonita

Fantasy / Twisted Tales #11 / 257 pages / published 2021 / Finished Feb. 13

One Sentence Review: A great twist on Disney's Hercules, full of adventure and deep emotion, this book draws on Greek mythology and develops Meg as a character in a realistic, satisfying way - a thoroughly enjoyable, beautiful read!

Favorite Quotes

"We imprint the lost on our hearts."

*

"Let this be a lesson, child. Don't ever let a man dim your light. In this world, you can't count on anyone except yourself."

*

"I need to see you understand love is a strength, not a weakness. That putting your trust in someone you love doesn't mean you can't stand on your own two feet. It means you know how to share responsibility and accept help when it is needed."

*

"All this feelings stuff is exhausting."

*

"But don't you see? When you find someone worthy of your love, letting them help you is also powerful."

*

"Hera, it seemed, was poised to be the mother-in-law from hell."

My rating: 4/5

A Few More Thoughts (Spoilers):

I was wary going into this one after the Frozen book by the same author, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was emotional, heartfelt, and action-packed, and it drastically changed the story while leaning into Greek mythology. I do wish the relationship between Hades and Persephone was more fleshed out.

I loved the fact that Meg's story wasn't what she thought - that her love didn't actually leave her for someone else. I found it refreshing that once she knew the truth, that she was happy - even desperate - to help Katrina, and that she was secure enough in her relationship with Hercules to be happy for her ex and his new family.

This book shows that you can be independent while still accepting help from those who love you. I really appreciated how flawed Meg was as a character, how fierce and strong and brave but also how proud and stubborn she was. It was so satisfying to watch her develop into someone who didn't have to do everything by herself.

[mylittlecomfortplace]

Joyful Reunion [Danmei Review]

➺ 5/5 🌟

This novel has one of the most heart wrenching scenes I've ever read in my whole life, and that specific scene was not even the fifth of the way through the story. I literally bawled my eyes out, I actually had a splitting headache for hours. The first arc of this novel gave me so much sincere familial warmth and love but also also gave me the most heartbreaking parting, and just by thinking about it, I can already feel my eyes stinging.

The betrayal of a certain character in this novel hurts so much, that I really have a complicated feelings about him. I hated him, but I felt that there was more to his actions than straight up deception, so I don't exactly know what to feel about him. That's why I fully understand the MC's indecisiveness to judge him but also not willing to be near him. For once, I was actually glad to be spoiled about who the ML is from the start because I think that betrayal would have been so much worse if I thought 'he' was the ML when it happened. But it still stung, nevertheless, especially when they have this irrefutable bond that no one, not even the MC's father and the ML themselves can cut off.

The ML is actually very unexpected for me. He didn't fully appear until the second arc, but his appearance in MC's life is very much fated. I can actually say that both their initial and official encounters are pretty much in the right place and the right time. The event that both changed their lives connected them and they found the comfort in each other despite all the pain. I loved their relationship so much, and I admire their growth both individually and as a couple.

This historical danmei is actually quite different from all the historical danmeis I've come across. This is not the typical imperial brothers fighting for the throne or protagonists overthrowing the cynical but incompetent emperor or the emperor's harem using their imperial sons to fight for the power or some revenge plot. It is actually very unusual to have the royal clan very likeable in this kind of setting. It's rare to have the imperial brothers, who are both worthy of the throne, pushing the position to the other. They were like, 'You be the emperor' 'No, I don't want it. You be the emperor'. They have this sincere familial bond that even the treacherous officials couldn't severe. Rather, this story is about the protagonist claiming his rightful position as the crown prince after someone stole his identity, crawling his way up to prove his identity.

This novel managed to become one of my favorite danmei, maybe up there with QJJ, when it comes to plot and characters. This has my most favorite father-son relationship that absolutely broke me, even much more that the father-son relationship in QJJ. The actual difference is that here, we actually get to see the details of their relationship from the start and it makes us loved every single scene of the MC and his father together, so it's much more impactful. This character only appeared very briefly but gave me the most impact, and both his existence and absence affected the story so much. But not just this specific character, all characters have their own role to play in the plot and each has their own charm. Fei Tian is very intricate with his plot and characters that I almost have no major complains. There are some nitpicks, but nothing serious that can lower even a half of my rating. This hit me so much right in the heart, I don't know if I can even recover from this.

I would like to recommend this to anyone who loves historical novels, but I just want to remind that this has an age gap romance, maybe 6 or 7 years gap, and the romance started when MC is 16 years old, so the ML is around 22 or 23 years old. I saw some people complaining about this issue and it makes me want to complain about them instead. Since this is a historical setting where people are already engaged when they're 13 years old and married when 16, very much normal back in this time period, the couple's set up is hardly unusual. This is a kind of setting where a rich man in his 40s can get a 16-year-old maiden as a concubine. It's sometimes aggravating, but it's a historical fact. Someone who frequently reads historical novels should have been used to this setting, so stay away if you're not. It personally didn't trigger me since I'm used to reading historical fictions, so that's that. If you still want to continue because of the plot, you can stay but try to swallow your complaints about the age gap romance because you've been warned.

[MC and ML's first encounter when MC is only 8 years old]

fanart credit to the rightful owner

[a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit]

Book Review: Knife River by Justine Champine

Knife River is a captivating debut that centers around a pair of sisters, Jess and Liz, who are anguished over their mother's unsolved disappearance. While one of them (Jess) has taken to running from the tragedy, living a nomadic existence as she skips from city to city, girlfriend to girlfriend, the other (Liz), has remained behind in their hometown, cloistered in their old family home and pouring over missing persons cases.

Fifteen years have lapsed when the call they've been waiting for yet dreading comes through: their mother's remains have been discovered.

This sends Jess back to Knife River in the hopes of finally finding closure. Of having an answer. However, with their mother's bones having been exposed to the elements for so long, any evidence they had hoped to find has run cold, with leads running stale and old suspects haunting them like a specter, leaving them with more questions than ever.

This was more of an atmospheric, character-driven exploration of grief than it was a cold case thriller, but I found that was what gave the story resonance and poignancy. Because of that, the strokes of the plot are more introspective in nature, with more internal rather than external movement happening. It's less about solving the case than it is about readers gaining insight into how this profound trauma has equally, but diametrically, frozen Jess and Liz and time. They're both stuck. Stagnated. Up to their chins in sorrow, and fear, and puzzlement--with neither one of them knowing how to move on.

The story's main strength was demonstrating how the two sisters were tethered by this tragic event. I liked seeing their enduring bond, also the way love and hurt and mystery twisted how they each coped with the loss of their mother. I did think Jess's romantic entanglements left something to be desired, though. They felt disjointed, distracting at times, leaving me feeling unmoored and uninterested. That said, I did think this was an intimate and harrowing portrayal of grief.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my review.

3/5 stars

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