#lila's standalone reviews

[lilareviewsbooks]

The Goblin Emperor 5/5: I’m Bored and I’m Having So Much Fun

5/5 stars

446 pages

Contains: an emperor that doesn’t know what the fuck he’s doing; kindness as like a plot point; court intrigue!!!

The Goblin Emperor has been on my TBR for years, now. I’d heard someone say, a long time ago, that it was a weird book, and that “you’ve never read something like this before”. Of course, my curiosity was piqued. I love weird, funky little books, that turn you upside down and shake you a bit, especially if they’re speculative fiction. So The Goblin Emperor went into my TBR, until this month, when the mood to read it finally struck me and I sat down with it.

But The Goblin Emperor is not best described by “weird”, in my opinion, nor is “uneventful” a good descriptor, either. I think those of you who have read the book will agree with me that there are several big events throughout the story that capture your attention and are major turning points for the characters. However, it’s impossible to avoid, when recommending this, the fact that it is… boring?

Let me be clear: I don’t mean this in a bad way, at all – I had so much fun reading The Goblin Emperor. Nor am I using it to suggest that Ms. Addison’s writing choices were inadequate. I’m using this word because I think it’s the best way to describe what happens here. 

I’ll explain myself: it’s not that nothing happens in The Goblin Emperor, but the pacing is slow. And not in a bad way – things just take their time. We follow our main character in an almost day-by-day basis. We watch him wake up, have breakfast… And at the end of the day, we are with him as he puts on his pajamas and goes to bed. 

And then there is the fact that Ms. Addison takes what I called an “almost anthropological approach to describing culture” in my review of the Teixcalaani Duology, by Arkady Martine. Much like Ms. Martine does in her two books, A Memory Called Empire and A Desolation Called Peace, Ms. Addison takes her time to consider every move in its cultural context. If, in A Memory Called Empire, the most striking element of this approach is the Teixcalaani smile, which differs from how other parts of the world chose to do so, here we see this attention to detail in the elvish language.

In this world, “we” is the default first person singular. It’s the formal “I”, and “you” is the formal second person singular. Watching these characters drop this formality barrier or decide to put it up makes for a beautiful addition to the dialogue and character relationships throughout the book. It also, of course, tells us much about this world and this culture, which is bound tightly by strings of formality and tradition. (And is also a reflection of how other languages work, in the real world. French, Italian and Spanish, for example, have formal yous, as I’m sure other non-European languages do, too. This makes me super curious to see how this quirk was translated in languages that already have this as a feature. If anyone knows, please tell me!)

This almost-anthropological lens, however, adds a stillness to the story that makes it move slower, taking more time in each of the character’s movements. Which, in turn, makes this book a little more boring.

But, like I said, this is boring in a good way. This stillness, this slowness, allows us to spend ample time with our characters, really getting to know them. And the world sparkles around them, made so vivid by this attention to detail, this approach to a fictional culture. It feels alive outside of the pages, like we’ve only popped in for a visit, and the clock will continue ticking when we’re not there.

But the crux of the story, and the reason why it needs to slow down, the most, is our protagonist, Maia. Maia is the youngest, half-goblin son of the elvish Emperor, who scorns him. He is secluded to a remote location with his cousin Setheris, until a messenger arrives – the Emperor and all his other sons have died in a freak accident, meaning Maia has inherited the throne. With no education in politics and no friends, Maia journeys to court, where he will learn to rule.

And although he’s put in this position of power, and finds himself, in several ways, helpless and dependent on others, Maia never loses his kindness. He’s a generous soul who strives to make decisions for the good of others, and this is the axis around which the rest of the plot moves, slowly, forwards.

To really understand this kindness, to dig into it and be aware of its various implications, its causes, it’s necessary to spend quite a while in the company of Maia, as he blunders forward. And what a journey it is! I’ll tell you, “boring” might be a good word to describe this book, but so is “compelling”. When it hooks you, it hooks you, and it leaves you wanting to bury yourself further and further into this world, to know more, to spend more time with Maia, and find out all the intricacies of his language.

Thank you for reading this review! I’m working on a list of similar books, which will be called something like “Books for Humanities Nerds”, so if this sounds like your cup of tea, keep an eye out! Have a nice day :)

[ao3feed-ladynoir]

The Miracle Team

The Miracle Team by Soulstealer117

[Sequel to Don't mess with the Fox, but the prologue has a review of that story so it can be read standalone] After Lila getting exposed and the rest of the Gang of Secrets and Adrien learning Ladybug's identity, Marinette decides to widen the team in order to defeat Shadow Moth once and for all (Pre Season 4 finale)

Words: 2926, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of Don't mess with the Fox verse

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Alya Césaire, Alix Kubdel, Juleka Couffaine, Mylène Haprèle, Rose Lavillant, Nino Lahiffe

Additional Tags: Identity Reveal, Post-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38393608

[arlakos]

The problem I realized with Adrien Agreste (and many of the other miraculous characters)

Ok, let me just put a disclaimer here.

I love all the characters in miraculous Ladybug, I really do. I mean, aside from Lila and Gabriel, but really who doesn’t? I think all the characters are cool from both design and initial character standpoints and made you wish we see more of them. 

But just like most of my other posts, I see both good and bad in the show and acknowledge all of it. I like the concepts, but I don’t have to necessarily like all the executions of said concepts.

I’ve been holding off this post for a while due to me wanting to take some time to review the show first and see if there was anything that would have made me change my mind on my newfound stance. But surprisingly, there really wasn’t.

So let me get to the point

Adrien Agreste...Is one of the blandest characters I have ever seen in a show

As with most to all the other characters in the show as well.

(Cue sounds of  betrayal)

“But Arlakos!” you might say, “Why would you think this way? You love Adrien! He has a great personality!”

Yeah, I love him. I love his initial character and I think he as Chat Noir is just amazing. But having watched three seasons of a single show, as well as comparing Miraculous to ANOTHER similar show, I have to address this issue and how it affects all the characters.

So first, let's talk about the show

Spanning three seasons, Miraculous Ladybug, as of this moment has released 78 episodes of this show (also including the Christmas special). In comparison, the show I'm using has released 87 episodes, so I feel that after this long, its fair to now compare the two shows, even with the 9 episode difference.

After watching Miraculous Ladybug for so long, I realized by this point that a lot of episodes in the series are pretty much flash and no substance, along with some ship teasing. I would call it filler, but that's under the implication that there was any plot they were following, to begin with. With each of the episodes bottled into one standalone story, most of the episodes have no impact to each other aside from a few rare few. Season 1 was chock full of this, but it was ok for the time being as Season 1 was used to introduce most of the characters in the show and the world itself. But that has also been the basis for the other two seasons as well, especially those that promised to expand the story of the show. 

But it didn’t. Each of the episodes would occur, their story would end, and any important lessons the characters would learn would be forgotten by the end. The episode and its story would never be brought up again, aside from the Akuma if the person in question was to be re-akumatized again. Maybe it would be brought up in passing, such as Kim and Ondine’s relationship, but truth be told, none of the episodes mattered to the lore or plot of the show. You could feasibly cut out most of the episodes, aside from episodes introducing a new hero, the finales and the first episode of each new season and the show would still work plot-wise.

Because of this format of the show, the characters have undoubtedly suffered a lot development-wise, due to character resets cause of the nature of standalone episodes, most characters not being utilized in most episodes unless its for setting up an akuma, and the overall Marinette focused nature of the show not allowing any other characters to have focus.

And nobody has really suffered more, that the Big Cat himself, Adrien Agreste.

But why though?

To understand this, let's go over his initial character traits

He’s Kind

He’s willing to see the good in people

He’s Lonely and has no friends

He’s a model

He loves Ladybug.

He makes puns (as Chat Noir)

He’s flirty with Ladybug (as Chat Noir)

As you can see, most to all of these character traits are pretty much all the traits  Adrien has shown in season 1. Actually, all of these traits were shown in just the Origins itself which, being the first chronological show in the series, does a pretty good job of setting up Adrien's initial character.

(Also just a quick mid note here, I just realized why the show produced this episode last compared to the others. If this was the episode that came out first, most to all of the other episodes in comparison would just be seen as boring. With the origins being both action-packed and plot rich with its main cast, most of the other episodes would be seen as filler if they came out after this banger of a season finale.)

But going on the topic of later seasons, ask yourself:

What have you learned about Adrien's Character in season 2 and 3?

And when I say character, i mean actual stuff about him. What other stuff does he like? What does he want to do in the future? What does he do when he spends time with Nino? What does he think of other people (aside from Lila)?

Chances are, that unless the stuff you’re pulling at might be from a headcanon in whatever fanfic you are writing, most of you will answer nothing. I mean, sure some people may say that he’s likes games as made evident from Gamer, but that is probably the only moment where we see a bit more of Adrien's character, and again we are talking about season 1, so it doesn't really count

Some people may say that Gorizilla was an episode that explored Adrien's character. While I do agree that it was more Adrien focused than others, and easily one of the best episodes in the show, looking back on the episode, I realized that more or less all it does is show how Adrien is pretty much a Disney Princess more helpless than Snow White. He’s trapped in the house, unable to escape, waiting for a hero in spots to ‘save him’ from his loneliness. Also, it had some Adrienette in it, but again it was just teasing.

(Note: I just gotta say though that Wayhem’s character and growth were just the best. Being just another fanboy at first, he realized his mistake and even stood up to an Akuma to save Adrien, then apologized at the end even though he would pretty much get no reward for his action, becoming an actual character in the process rather than just a background one. The fact that Adrien became friends with Wayhem was just heartwarming for a background character. Despite Roi Singe being a blast, I’m really sorry that they restricted Wayhems character to just being another Akuma in Party Crasher, it would have been nice for Wayhem to be an actual Friend Adrien could talk to outside of school and add more development into the show.)

So back on the Topic of Adrien, we haven’t really learned much about Adrien's character or see him develop in any meaningful way. The only thing we ever see him really do outside of being part of the Squad (Alya, Nino, Adrien, Marinette) is just either pine for Ladybug in his spare time, or complaining about not being able to spend time with his dad. No seriously, look at most episodes where Adrien's at home and that's all he does!

But now for the topic of Chat Noir. I mean, Adrien is trapped as a normal boy, so it would make sense that Chat Noir would be able to develop as a character and show the world he is more than just a sidekick right?

Unfortunately, Chat Noir, just like his civilian counterpart, also suffers from a lack of any meaningful character growth. Shorts vids on youtube aside (which btw should never be used to develop the main characters, otherwise what is the point of the show), we never see him talk to Ladybug in any meaningful way (I mean he does try, but chances are Ladybug shuts him up because (a) she wants to leave and (b) blah blah secret identity)

Basically, he has three different moods.

He flirts with Ladybug, often using puns to do so. 

He’s a suicidal mofo who takes hits for Ladybug, saying its because she's the only one who can save the day (Hot take though, I just think Chat Noir is just the persona of Tumblr that wants to die)

He worships Ladybug and thinks shes amazing, complimenting her on the daily, as well as comforting her and giving her pep talks when shes low.

Other than that, he’s written as basically useless. Don’t expect him to come up with any plans and if he does, expect them to fail (Reflekdoll). Don't expect him to actually help Ladybug and for Ladybug to always say him. If Ladybug is in any way made useless or incapacitated, be sure that Chat will in no way be able to help Ladybug as he will be made to be more useless than Ladybug so that Ladybug has to take care of him (Reverser). Also Chat will flirt at the worst times to show Ladybug is better and more ‘professional’ at being a hero (Prime Queen)

Also Chat Missile

WARNING: Not suitable for anyone under 13 years old. Only use if your a superhero with increased Strength, otherwise it may hurt your back.

These are all the same traits we see in every episode, without change without fail. I mean, in Glacitator Chat promised to stop flirting with Ladybug because she likes another boy, but since characters reset after every episode he went back to flirting the next episode. So yeah, that's it. Next episode

Aside from that, we never see him do anything else, nor have anything as a hero impact him in any way. The only times I have ever seen him be impacted as a hero was 

Syren, where he was tired his partner kept hiding secrets from him (as HE SHOULD), and was about to quit, but reconsidered once Fu arrived and explained some stuff, which bascially set him back to normal, which i guess its fine, but i wish the episode had more of an impact on Chat’s character.

Frozer (where Astruc was making Adrien salt cause Luka)

The Ladybug episode, where he saw a living, thinking duplicate of Ladybug, who had just become free from Mayura and became a hero, killed by said villain, and was just about to have a heroic breakdown and attack Mayura. However, this one was cut off due to Hawkmoth, resulting in Chat going from Heroic breakdown to making puns about Hawkmoths age. Really?

However, despite all that I have said, some of you may still think I am wrong. You may think that Adrien does show more character and that I'm just pulling facts out of my ass. You may think he does show character because of that one ship tease moment that you think qualifies at plot development.

But some of you may also think, why does this even matter? Its called Miraculous Ladybug, the show is about Marinette and Ladybug. Its all about her. Who cares about the other characters? Who cares about Adrien? He doesn’t need character development, we need to focus on Marinette and her making Adrien's birthday gifts for his next 35 birthdays. We should all just stop worrying about Adrien's character. All he should be is just a kind pretty boy for Marinette to idolize and have as a prize at the finale, and for Chat Noir to be useless comic relief while Ladybug saves the day, because she is juuuust that amaziiiiing.

Well first of all 

It’s called Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Miraculous Ladybug is just a nickname used by fans and writers to simplify the name. The name implies that there is another main character, known as... Chat Noir. It's not called tales of Ladybug and Marinette, get with the program.

The show can still focus on one main character but still develop other characters as well. If anyone thinks otherwise, they either have a character bias or don't realize how to make a good show.

If anyone actually thinks this way, well then screw you. Developing a character should not be made at the expense of another character. Chat Noir should not have to be made to be comic relief just because Ladybug is the only one who can purify Akumas.

Secondly (yes I realized that I used 3 points but IDC) there’s another show that is very similar to Ladybug that also focuses on a school girl saving the world with the help of her sidekick male character.

That’s right, I’m talking about ... KIM POSSIBLE!

But to be more precise, I’m talking about its secondary hero... Ron Stoppable.

This guy right here, just in case any of you thought I was talking about the kung fu naked mole-rat.

But in all seriousness though, let's talk about him.

In the series, Ron Stoppable is the partner of the teenage heroine Kim Possible. Just like Chat Noir, he helps KP on her missions, and unlike Chat, is actually seen as a sidekick by the world, including KP.

Then why is it that I think he’s a better Character than Chat?

Well, the thing is unlike Miraculous, the show has a good job of integrating its school and hero stories together, and it helped to explore Ron’s character as well. Sure, he was a clumsy dude who got scared a lot and had an unhealthy obsession with Mexican fast food, but we still got to explore his character.

Just a few small examples:

Most episodes in KP had the fine job of adding stuff to Ron’s Character. Small stuff, but it fleshed him out over time He shows in one episode that despite being clumsy in the hero business, he can cook pretty well! In another episode, he learns he is pretty good at running and becomes a back runner for the football team at his school.

He also gets to have a few episodes where he and his buddy Rufus (the naked mole rat) get to shine despite being a secondary character. He becomes the second incarnation of the fearless ferret (an in show super hero), visits Japan where he gets to learn some monkey Kung Fu, and often times fights villains himself, though this is usually in one of the situations where he gets a one time power up or Kim Possible is not available, but it still showed that Ron could be a hero as well. Hell in the finale, he actually helped Kim Possible as a partner rather than a sidekick.

Now I get that Miraculous and KP are two radically different shows. Secret Identities aside, Kim Possible has a large variety of villains, while Miraculous only has the One big villain, so it's very difficult to have Chat be able to stand on his own two feet while the only thing they are fighting is something only Ladybug can fix. 

But in that regard, this also shows the importance of Miraculous needing more plot progressed the story. Unlike Kim Possible, who’s many villains and overall lack of an ‘ending villain’ can allow for one-off episodes involving Ron and some villains, Miraculous only has the one. Once Hawkmoth is defeated, the show technically ends (future version not counting), so It would make sense that the characters should develop over time as the show gets closer to that finale. 

So in that Regard, what could I do to make Chat Noir more fleshed out?

Honestly, you could add in some moments in the show where Chat noir interacts with Paris. Like maybe in one episode Chat rescues lost cats and takes them to the shelter, or perhaps he works at a cat shelter in his spare hero time.

Perhaps have an episode or two where Chat saves the day on his own while Ladybug is busy or oblivious to the trouble in Paris. Regarding Akuma, I have often considered Chat should have an ‘ability’ similar to Ladybugs that allows him to ‘purify’ the Akuma by disrupting the magic inside the Akuma (the ability being called Disruption), but can’t use it too often without proper training due to the dark energies in the Akuma being too harmful to Chat to use often. That way Chat can occasionally take on a few Akuma by himself.

Have a few episodes where something happens which allows the audience to learn what Adrien/Chat likes. Maybe there’s an episode where he learns to cook desserts, and finds out he’s actually pretty good at it!

I feel the need to add some ideas in because in the end I still love Chat Noir and consider him my favorite character. But I also have to acknowledge this problem because it ruins the quality of the show.

In fact, I think that Adrien's problem isn’t just limited to him, but also to every other character in the show, and even Marinette to an extent.

Going back to the show and looking at all the side characters, it's obvious that looking at them, a lot of them are very one dimensional in their character. We don't learn much about them or their personality, and even when we do, we only learn about them when it's their turn to be akumatized, or if the akumatized person is related to them in some way like in Markov. Once they usually are done, we don't get to see the characters much, unless there is a second akumatization. 

Juleka only became important when she got akumatized twice and aside from that, we don't get to see her much or learn about her. Ivan and Mylene were basically forgotten after they became akumatized. Pretty much no one is affected post akumatization with any sort of trauma or worry, so nothing about the characters actually changes as a result of events in the show.

Even those that do become heroes don’t really get any character growth, they are just considered to be worthy to be heroes because they are good people, but considering the qualifications of good in the show are determined by if you like Marinette, that means pretty much everyone in Marinette’s class could be a hero, aside from Chloe because HEY! SHE DOESN’T LIKE MARINETTE THEREFORE SHE’S VILLAIN!

(God I hate Miracle Queen)

Also, these problems pretty much apply to Marinette as well.

I mean, all the things she does in the show basically comes back to the same simple fact that ‘Marinette is kind and helpful’. That's it.

She helps Jagged getting some glasses, its because she is kind and helpful. Helping her classmates? Kind and Helpful? Helping Kitty Section with Costumes? Kind and Helpful? Helping Adrien? She wants to get into his pants.

(Also because she’s kind and helpful.)

Like, this isn’t bad, but nothing seems to change about her, she goes and helps people as Marinette, helps people as Ladybug, and despite this, is unaffected by the school or her life. What is she going to do post Lycee? How is she going to become a fashion designer? Work as an intern at a fashion company. Work at Gabriel Agreste’s company? Startup her own local business? The show refuses to acknowledge any of these things, despite her being a schoolgirl, because she has more important things to worry about than school. Such as being a Guardian for a box magically bound to her that will take away her memories if she tries to get rid of it.

(God Miracle Queen was a mistake, she didn’t even learn how to be a Guardian yet! )

To close things up, most of the characters in the show lack any meaningful character development, which i can safely say is due to the structure of single-story episodes in a show that has a defined ending (and therefore doesn't work) lack of care for writing these amazing characters, and just the writing in general.

Despite what some people may say about Astruc, it's clear that beyond all that, he’s not good at writing stories and characters beyond initial design, he’d rather go making one-dimensional characters and show off how amazing Marinette is, rather than allowing them to develop in any logical and meaningful way that shows the distinction between earlier and later seasons

Here’s to hoping these characters get some character development in season 4. Even if all we get is Plagg learning he likes milk.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk. As always, thanks to the amazing @twin-books​ for talking to me and helping to refine my views on the characters and the show!

[noveltyreads]

A Gathering of Shadows (A Darker Shade of Magic #2) by V.E Schwab Book Review

Oh gosh I think I'm in love with this series. I knew I was reading something special when I read A Darker Shade of Magic and I knew that chaos will go down in the next two books after that. My God, I was not wrong and I don't know why I procrastinated reading this for two months with a cliffhanger ending like that. I honestly have considered throwing my TBR plans in the air and picking up A Conjuring of Light as we speak because I got SO MANY FEELS from A Gathering of Shadows I don't think I can easily laugh it off. Reviewing this book is going to be a challenge for me, I know that for certain because I usually review based on a book by book basis and not a "how does this book fit into the series etc" kind of way. This book really helped to propel the story forward towards its climatic end however, if I was to review this if it was a standalone, I would have to question how my ratings would add up. If I'm looking at A Gathering of Shadows by itself, it took 300 pages for the real action to begin and whilst it was interesting to see the effects the events of A Darker Shade of Magic had on all the characters involved, I was left at times wondering where on earth the book was going and if I was going to see the gang of Rhy, Kell and Lila again. I felt like during all that time, I was waiting for some big reunion or something and when it did happen, I read it easily without wanting to put the book down. But was that enough? I don't know how to answer that question because I felt like this book (to some extent) acted like a filler novel for book three. If we look at the whole premise of the book and what actually happened in it you'll see what I mean. Looking back on it, was the Essen Tasch really important for the plot? (the plot being the rise of Osaron and his desire to have indescribable power over the worlds and their magic). Probably not. Yes, it done wonders for Lila's characterisation and to see her character and power develop overtime but did it support the overarching plot? Would this book still have reached its desired ending without it? Yes. So whilst it was a good ploy for character development and for the reader to get more of an understanding of the world, it was not essential to the actual plot which definitely would've shortened the book a lot. All in all though, I did like this book, albeit not as much as A Darker Shade of Magic but enough for me to want to continue on reading and delving into the world more. I am really enjoying all the characters and I do secretly wish I was genius enough to have come up with a complex world dynamic like the Shades of London. I like to consider myself a part of the fandom now and would kill to have ADSOM fan art one day in the future ;) ACTUAL RATING: 4.3 STARS

[ladyherenya]

Books read in February

I don’t have a neat summing-up statement to make about what I read this month. But more than one of these stories set me wondering Does this qualify as a novella? and Does it matter whether or not it is?

My favourite cover is Thornbound.

Reread: Half of Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis.

Still reading: The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson and Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White.

Next up: A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna.

(Longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing. And also Dreamwidth.)

Witches Aboard by Terry Pratchett (narrated by Nigel Planer): Although there were parts of Equal Rites and Wyrd Sisters that I really enjoyed, they are not my favourite Discworld of the novels and I was unenthusiastic about the witches travelling to foreign parts. Was that going to be funny or tedious? But this isn’t just about Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat going abroad, it’s about them taking on fairy-godmothering and it’s excellent. Exactly the sort of commentary on fairytales that I like.

Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett (narrated by Nigel Planer): “Lords and Ladies” is a euphemism for elves, for faerie-folk, who are threatening to cause problems in Lancre. I think there might be some A Midsummer Night's Dream references going on which I would have appreciated those more if I had more than vague idea about that particular play. But I was still entertained! The plot went in some unexpected directions, there are some young women who might become witches and Magrat versus the elves was a particular highlight.

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley: I love this book -- I’m getting emotional thinking about it! Because of Ada’s twisted foot, her mother doesn’t allow the ten year old to leave their one-room flat. But in 1939, Ada secretly teaches herself to walk and when her younger brother’s school is evacuated to the country, she leaves with him. Ada and Jamie are foisted upon a reluctant, grieving woman who owns a pony. Ada’s determined to teach herself to ride. The amount of things Ada doesn’t know, the extent of deprivation she’s experienced, is staggering, and recovery isn’t straightforward. But her journey is so heartwarming and hopeful.

The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley: I loved the sequel too. The war continues. Ada, Jamie and Susan wind up living with Lady Thorton, the mother of Ada’s friend Maggie, and Ruth, a Jewish teenager being tutored by Susan, whose mother is in an internment camp. Ada is frustrated that Lady Thorton doesn’t understand what her friends need, and is resistant to anyone mistaking Susan for her own mother. I liked the way the pieces of this story fitted together thematically: found-family and mothers, healing, and the things people need, and Ada learning what she can do for the people she loves. Moving. Made me tear up.

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson: A girl and her starship, on a planet where most people live safely underground and the stars are obscured by a layer of space junk. Not the first story I’ve encountered about a teenage underdog attending a special training school, overcoming obstacles and making friends, but it’s such a fun trope. This has lots of things I like: Teamwork! Flying! Mystery! An AI with personality! With satisfying twists and some oddly amusing characters.Some of training/fight sequences are too long and sometimes the narrative needed to show, rather than tell, Spensa’s emotions. But I still enjoyed it. 

Thornbound by Stephanie Burgis: Sequel to Snowspelled. While Cassandra Harwood’s magical career has ended disastrously, she’s determined to keep challenging the idea that magic is the domain of men. But not everyone wants her college for young women to succeed. As staff and students arrive, Cassandra has to deal with thorny nightmares, an unfairly-overworked husband. a government inspection and a malicious fey disturbance. This is a story about challenging the status quo, and about the importance of having others -- family and community -- who can support you. Cassandra still struggles with feeling that she has to fight her battles alone. A delightful sequel. I loved this.

The Chosen by L.J. Smith: Not quite what I was looking for, in terms of reluctant soulmates, but it was fast-paced and entertaining. And it's ages since I've read any YA with vampires, so this was good for a bit of variety. Girl on a revenge mission makes some new friends.

Beyond the Dreams We Know by Rachel Neumeier: I loved this collection! Neumeier’s stories are vivid and atmospheric and hopeful. If anything else ties them, it is the place grief and loss have in most of the characters’ pasts and how the stories are then about those characters discovering something positive and new. The four novellas are sequels or prequels to Neumeier’s novels. My favourite was “Fire and Earth”, a coda to the Griffin Mage trilogy. So very satisfying! Of the shorter, standalone stories, my favourite was “Lila”, an urban fantasy about unexpected dragon hatchings, an artist living in her late-mother’s house and a fluffy dog.

At Your Service by Sandra Antonelli: About secrets, spies, scrambled eggs and defending one’s self with cleaning supplies. Mae works as a butler for Major Kitt, a retired army officer. When Mae is attacked and her late-husband’s mysterious trust fund disappears, she heads to Sicily for answers. I liked the mystery, the danger and the ratio of romance to plot. I liked Mae and Kitt’s relationship and appreciated the realistic way Mae processes life-threatening situations -- but I was uncomfortable with the violence. Fictional Espionage = Not (Always) For Me. I don't know if I liked this, but I want to know what happens in the sequel.

The Splendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley: Emily’s cousin, a history lecturer researching the Plantagenets, persuades her to join him for a holiday in France. I loved the atmosphere -- I loved the scenery and the tidbits of history and the growing sense of unease. There’s a medieval chateau, tunnels, a classical violinist, a tragic tale about lovers during WWII, the possibility of hidden treasure, a suspicious death, a stray cat, a child who likes to feed the ducks and quotations from Tennyson. This isn't a perfect book, but it was EXACTLY the sort of thing I wanted to read! (It’s even more Mary Stewart-ish than The Shadowy Horses.)

Legion: Skin Deep and Legion: Lies of the Beholder by Brandon Sanderson: Stephen Leeds lives with multiple hallucinations, stable personalities who only Stephen and his other hallucinations can see or hear. With Skin Deep I was more interested in the dynamic Stephen has with his so-called hallucinations than in the mystery they were trying to solve. They’re like imaginary friends -- except they’re more independent, not wholly imaginary. I found plot of Lies of the Beholder more engaging, but I’m undecided about whether the resolution was satisfying. It’s tidy in some ways and disappointing in others. 

From Clarkesworld Magazine, issue 73, October 2012:

“A Bead of Jasper, Four Small Stones” (from Clarkesworld Magazine) by Genevieve Valentine (narrated by Kate Baker): A story about colonising Europa, haunting in that way Valentine’s often are. (Her stories have a quality which remind me of Vienna Teng’s songs.) I found the audio version harder to follow than the other Valentine stories I’ve listened to, perhaps because this one is punctuated by brackets and breaks, and those are harder for a narrator to capture.

“England Under the White Witch” by Theodora Goss (narrated by Kate Baker): Ann tells of her childhood, when the Empress came out of the north, and of her subsequent years in service. This is bleak but not hopeless. You have heard that there were once green fields, and rivers that ran between their banks, and a warm sun overhead. You have never seen them, and you believe they are merely tales. I am here to tell you that they are true, that in my childhood these existed. And cups of tea that were truly hot, and Christmas trees with candles on their branches, and church bells. 

[xkoqueen]

Review: The Romance Plan by Lila Monroe

Review: The Romance Plan by Lila Monroe

☆☆➹⁀☆4 stars ☆➹⁀☆☆

About the Book:

Love romantic comedies? Enjoy the sizzling new standalone romance from USA Today bestselling author, Lila Monroe!   I need a happily-ever-after — and fast. I finally landed my dream job as a book editor when our new boss announces that the company is about to go bust.  Our only hope? Getting a famously eccentric romance author to deliver her new novel.. eight…

[bubba532to]

Borrowed From KINDLE UNLIMITED Title: Damien’s Mate Series: Wild Blood Shifters #4 Release Date: #AlreadyReleased Author: Anastasia Wilde Reviewer: Ingrid Stephanie Jordan Serial: Standalone, No Cliffhanger Genre: #PRN #LionShifter ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ •••••••••••••• 💢 I love the series absolutely fantastic I’m gonna say it’s a definitely read the whole series. 🔹️Damien and Lila fled many mob bosses leaving Chicago going to Kentucky. Hoping his Shifter friends will take them in considering Lila is a shifter who is badly hurt. Lila was continuing her fathers mission to find all the artifacts and return them. But sometimes things just don’t go your, or do they? ☄️ This review is my own opinion, this author is one that I love to read her books.

[lilareviewsbooks]

The Tropic of Serpents (The Memoirs of Lady Trent #2) Review: On The Most Gorgeous Thing In The World

331 pages 5/5 stars includes: dragons, victorian ladies running around in TROUSERS!!, and cross-cultural communication :)

I don't quite remember how I came by this series, but I know it's been on my TBR for quite some time. And then, this year, I added it to my r/Fantasy Bingo TBR, since any book in the series fulfilled one of the prompts: an animal in the title, fantastical for hard mode. This series is, obviously, an excellent pick for that.

The 5 book series (there are also novellas and a sequel of sorts, as I've gathered) follows Isabella Camherst, the future Lady Trent, who has a fascination with dragons (which exist, by the way, in this universe). Living in a fantasy version of Victorian England, Isabella has much standing in her way to becoming a renowned natural historian of dragons. However, she tells us quite clearly in the first book that, despite all that, she has made herself a "national treasure" and has been through many adventures - which she recounts, now, in her books of memoirs!

And how compelling are these memoirs! The first thing that charmed me is that Isabella's story is told to readers in her world - she is writing a book to be read not by us, but by people who inhabit her world and her time. So the writing is Victorian-like - though not to the boring degree, for most readers - and the world-building, therefore, manages to keep itself light and airy. There are no info-dumps, simply explainers you would expect to find in any non-fiction work. For an avid reader of fantasy of manners, and bigass nerd besides, I was quickly enthralled!

The second aspect is the audiobook narration. This is read by the appropriately named Kate Reading, and what a joy her voice is! Ms. Reading is exceptional at her job - and so is Marie Brennan, author of the series - and she brings the memoirs to life! I've been maratoning the audiobooks - I'm halfway through book 3 - and simply cannot get enough!

But what has really, really stuck with me, especially from this installment, are the themes. In this volume, Isabella visits Eriga, which is a Pseudo-Africa. I haven't the knowledge to parse out exactly what part of the continent Isabella visits, or what the peoples she encounters are standing in for, unfortunately. We have the Bayembe, who run a large Empire, and the Moulish, a society who live in the jungle, and are content to not conquer anyone.

Isabella visits both societies, but half of the book takes place in Mouleen. All Isabella wants is to study their dragons but, due to Moulish culture, she and her companions must first work around their nomad camps and show they are worthy of that kind of trust. Fair enough, in my opinion, and Isabella agrees. In fact, to my surprise, Isabella has a very healthy, respectful relationship with the Moulish. They build a mutual trust and friendships, and Isabella shows herself to appreciate their culture for what it is.

Unfortunately, the case is, most often, that societies such as the Moulish, who live in jungles and have little colonial intents, are demonized in fantasy and historical fiction. They are considered "savages", "uncivlized"... Of course, this mirrors very real colonial insults and processes that have happened in our real world around the globe - and most often spear-headed by white people.

Here, however, Ms. Brennan grapples with this reality by making Isabella understand that she is intruding on people's lives by coming into their culture to study the fauna. This reflection began in the first book, but now comes at full force. Isabella also understands the beauty of Moulish culture, becoming proficient in their language, participating in their rituals and understanding their habits. When she describes any of those things, she initially has an air of strangeness which quickly subsides into an appreciation.

Her participation in their rituals touched me particularly. She does so, at first, with contrariness, but soon realizes she is actually benefiting from what she is doing. It is, actively, cleansing her soul. She understands that, despite not sharing the spiritual beliefs of the Moulish, she respects them, and recognizes her mistakes in not delving into their culture respectfully. It's an awesome thing to see represented, and I felt it deeply. True cultural appreciation is, in my opinion, the most gorgeous thing in the world.

Equally gorgeous is Ms. Brennan's description of Isabella's trials in academia as a woman during the "Victorian" period. I think it was beautifully conveyed, and the heartbreak she feels, I found myself feeling, too. As a woman going into academia,I was actively distraught by the difficulties Isabella faced, and had to pause the audiobook at one point. So were the discussions of intersectionality, however brief, and class. I found it a nice touch, and hope to see it explored in future installments of the series!

All in all, a great second installment (no middle book syndrome to be found! Though I guess half of five is... 2.5?)! I'm so excited to continue the series! But, I will say - if you want incredibly detailed biological ventures into the taxonomy of dragons, you will get them, but sparsely. My advice is, come for the dragons, stay for Isabella's crew, her adventures, and the ability to know this world so intimately through her journeys!

[nerdishfeels]

Fantasy November Wrap up!

30/11/17- Today is the last day of #fantasynovember! The month went so quickly lol. Overall:

I finished Blood Oath! I also did a review for this book which I will link later (since I’m on mobile). Because I had to review this book, I had replaced Tower of Dawn with this in my tbr.

I finished A darker shade of magic, which I gave 5*! I loved everything about this book! The worldbuilding, the plot and the characters Kell, Lila and Rhy! What I also loved about this book was that Kell and Lila saw each other as equals; They both knew that they were good as a team and not once did they feel that by having the other, it somehow made them inferior. I’m planning on getting the rest of the series and I read the premise of A gathering of shadows. Honestly, I am so excited to see how the world and plot builds!

I read 105 pages of Heartless and listened to an hour of Strange the dreamer, both of which I was enjoying!

So for the weekend challenges, I managed to do: Favourite fantasy tropes, Fantasy world I’d live in and Standalone vs Series.

For the main challenges:

I posted a quote from my favourite fantasy book (The Wrath and the Dawn). I also posted another quote from heartless because it just made me smile when I read it lol.

I couldn’t read outside because it is FREEZING here in the UK, so as a faithful introvert, I stayed wrapped up in my blanket cocoon (sorry Mary lol).

I haven’t exactly finished a book with blue on its cover but I did start Strange the dreamer so I hope it counts 😅

All the books I read (and was currently reading) are all from female authors, three of them (excluding Marissa meyer) whose books I haven’t previously read so I think I got those two challenges covered.

I read uninterrupted for more than an hour (luckily).

I sadly didn’t get to read a diverse book this month.

I have written a review for Blood Oath.

I have also posted my top five favourite fantasy characters.

So I think I did pretty well for Fantasy november! My aim was to mainly finish two books which I have accomplished.

Thank you @books-and-cookies for organising this! It’s been so fun and it’s sad that it’s come to an end. Now I’m gonna chill for December lol 😁

[purrsnpages]

a darker shade of magic, v.e. schwab

I’ll be honest: I spent a considerable amount of time trying to decide whether I wanted to give this book 3 stars or 5 stars, so finally I settled on 4 because neither 3 nor 5 seemed more right than the other. Upon picking up this book, I was instantly swept in and thought for certain it would be one of my favourite reads in a long while. The premise is a little odd, but the world Schwab has established for us is so vivid and unique. I plowed through the first half of this book in a couple evenings. Kell—I love him!! What a sweetie our little black eyed prince is. With every character that was introduced I grew more and more excited because not only did Schwab create an incredible world (or worlds) and set us on a refreshingly unique adventure within it, she populated it with awesome, larger than life characters. Literally the only problem I have with the actual plot is that it’s got a bit of a hidden chosen one/ secret birthmark of destiny thing going on, but because it’s a fantasy novel I will begrudgingly allow it this classic trope. The villains are terrifying, the everyday people Kell passes on the street are fleshed out and seem super real. I picked this book up because one of its sequels made it to the final round of goodreads’ best fantasy of the year, even though I usually stick to reading books that are typically known as LGBT book, but THEN I was SO EXCITED to realize there was LGBT rep in it as well (even though it’s brief, it IS there and I ATE THOSE CRUMBS WITH RELISH). This book is also technically part of a series, but the ending is satisfying enough that it could be standalone, which garners big points as far as I’m concerned. I mean this book had me… you know, at hello, or whatever, or like definitely by chapter 2! And then……. And then. It really frustrates me that I have to leave a review on this book that isn’t like… fully glowing and perfect. But there is one element in this book that I cannot forgive. The thing is, I have grown weary, in my old age (25), of female characters whose entire worth is directly proportionate to how far the author distances them from anything effeminate. And that is our main female character, Lila Bard, in a nutshell. The worst part is that Schwab is a really good writer and I WANT to like Lila and sometimes I even do, a little. Yet I cannot help but feel when I’m reading this book that her entire purpose, as a character, as a literary device, is to be… (shudder)… not like other girls. It’s not that I think female characters should ascribe to tired stereotypes of women that render us stupid, coquettish, or vain or whatever, but the feisty tomboy is just the flipside of the same coin, another utterly spent trope that holds no interest for me anymore. Look: this character fuckin sucks man. She doesn’t feel real the way other characters in the book do, because she’s SO cliched in her creation, it’s like she walked off the pages of a 15 year old’s self insert Ginny/Draco fanfic. I get it. She’s tough. Tougher than every boy. Morally gray but with a soft spot deep inside. Half the time I wish I could skip all the scenes that she’s in if she wasn’t in like, all the scenes, because she is a central character. Lila also has the whole Sadness Olympics thing going on, which I cannot bleeping stand, like sure she doesn’t want your pity but at the same time if you weren’t HOMELESS like her then I guess you don’t have the right to feel sad about anything EVER. Ultimately, I still very highly recommend picking this book up if you like fantasy at all, but I cannot give it that perfect score, and so, I very sadly give this book 4 stars. I wanted to do better by you, Darker Shade of Magic. If only your author had done better by me, and women everywhere who exist somewhere in that unknowable, strange place outside the girly girl side of the coin and the one of the guys side. 

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Handle With Care by Marie Harte

Veteran Movers #3

A company that employs military veterans who move people sounds like a wonderful team to join when one leaves for civilian life. A team to work with and that will support you. That is what was created with Vets on the Go – a business Evan Griffith is a partner in with other family members.

When on a job he is warned about a woman that is “crazy” by a teen in the neighborhood...and shortly thereafter he sees her entangled in a trio of women crying and carrying on and then a BIT later...wielding a knife. What is he to think? And...when his phone rings he wonders who changed the ringtone?

The woman with the knife is Kenzie Sykes and the teen with the warning her much younger brother. The women in the frenzy were roommates and long time friends. Add into this mix the men that Evan moves with, a few teenagers and people they both encounter through work and there is a lot that can happen. Both seem to have backstories that  make it difficult to trust and that doesn’t help either.

As I began reading I thought, “Not a book for me.” A few pages later I was a bit more into the story but still felt the topic perhaps not my favorite. By the end of the book I felt it was a solid story in what is a series of easy to read contemporary romances that are...not for me. That said, I do see this appealing to readers who want to have a HEA with a feel-good element and not much challenge for the male and female lead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

BOOK INFORMATION:

★★ NEW RELEASE ★★

Don't miss this brand new contemporary romance, standalone title from Marie Harte.

HANDLE WITH CARE is available now!

✔️Amazon: https://amzn.to/30kfW4e

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♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

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Evan Griffith has had a hell of a day... And that was before he met the stunning, sexy woman having a meltdown.

Evan Griffith has had many careers in his life. But who knew working for his family's moving company would hold just as much action as his stint in the Marine Corps? On an unforgettable job, Evan finds himself taken by a teenage conman and confronted by a woman wielding a knife—and promptly falls head over heels for her.

Kenzie Sykes is doing her best to raise her little brother and keep him out of jail—all while dealing with her own broken heart that just hasn't healed. She doesn't have time for romance. He's not asking... Until he is, and she finds herself saying yes.

EXCERPT

Kenzie stared at the phone, half expecting it to bite her. Had she really said no to a date with Evan? Yes, yes, she had, because she didn’t need complications right now. And the way he made her feel certainly qualified as difficult, perplexing, and chaotic.

“Who was that?”

She jumped, not having heard her brother return to the living room. “Um, no one.”

“Really? Because it sounded like you were saying no to coffee, and the only guy you’ve talked to about a coffee date was Evan. I was there, remember?”

She didn’t need lectures on honesty from a thirteen-year-old juvenile delinquent. “Shouldn’t you be heading to bed?”

“Kenzie, it’s seven thirty on a Friday night.”

“And? You’re a growing boy.”

He rolled his eyes in the way only an adolescent could, sneering without sneering. “Admit you like the guy.”

“I admit he was nice. So what? I’ll probably never see him again, unless there’s something you’re not telling me. Did you steal his phone again? Will he be a character witness for the feds when they come to take you away or raid our house for some illegal mess you’ve once again gotten yourself into?”

He flushed. “No. And quit changing the subject.”

“There is no subject. Now go watch TV or something. I have more work to do.”

He stared at her, his brows drawn, then headed back upstairs. She felt bad about chasing him away…for all of three seconds. Her brother loved Netflix, and she really did have work to do. Especially since she’d spent much of the afternoon trying to ignore thoughts of Evan while the girls continued to talk about him.

If only he weren’t so attractive and polite. If only he hadn’t asked her out after she’d already put him in the “must try to forget” pile.

The little demon perched on her shoulder, an amalgamation of Lila and Rachel with its nonstop yammering, whispered: What would really be the harm in going out with him?

She tromped downstairs to her office and fired up her computer. The harm, she thought, would be in getting involved, liking him as a friend. Then a boyfriend. Then dating, having him interact with Daniel. They’d hang at his place, then her place. More and more, until she would grow attached. Then she’d fall in love with him, and he’d leave.

Just like Bryce.

To torture herself a little more, she dug up an old picture of the three of them from happier times, the one she kept hidden in a bottom desk drawer. She tried to see the flaws in her relationship, but the picture only showed a woman and man in love and a young boy ecstatic about going to a fall festival.

Kenzie gripped the frame, wishing she could go back and undo…what? She hadn’t stepped a foot wrong. She’d always put Daniel first, had checked out Bryce before their first date, and thought long and hard on it before living together. Bryce had never been anything but loving and fun—until the end, of course.

How could she have known things might change?

Before she could cry, she smacked herself on the arm and laughed, not a little hysterically. Holy crap, Lila’s aversion therapy kind of worked. Because instead of crying, all she could think about was Lila’s silly “Bryce.” Smack. Rinse and repeat.

Kenzie tucked the photo away and, smiling now, concentrated on her work, liking the new idea for their footwear client though still not sold on the walking, talking kale for the organic food business.

About the author

Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Marie Harte has over 100 books published with more constantly on the way. She’s a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. Visit

http://marieharte.com

and fall in love.

Website http://marieharte.com

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[birdiebookworm]

Free Read Reviews - Thanks, Kindle Unlimited!

Free Read Reviews – Thanks, Kindle Unlimited!

Rock by Anyta Sunday Standalone October 1, 2014

About the Book:

Igneous.

When Cooper’s parents divorce, he finds himself landed in Week About—one week with his mum and one week with his dad. Only, it’s not just his dad he has to live with. There’s Lila, too: The other woman, the one who stole the rock-solid foundation of his life.  And then . . .  There’s Jace. Lila’s son. Lila’s smug,…

[twosassychicks]

BLOG TOUR & REVIEW: GILDED LILY BY STACI HART

BLOG TOUR & REVIEW: GILDED LILY BY STACI HART

The wait is over! Gilded Lily, the second standalone in Staci Hart’s Bennet Brothers Series, is LIVE! Trust me when I say you do NOT want to miss this one! Lila & Kash are everything. Grab your copy today on Amazon or snag this beauty in Kindle Unlimited today! They say there’s no such thing as perfect. But I’ve built my life to perfection—the perfect boyfriend, the perfect…

[wickedbabesblog]

Release Blitz w/Review for You've Got Male (Chick Flick Club #2) by Lila Monroe

Release Blitz w/Review for You've Got Male (Chick Flick Club #2) by Lila Monroe US: https://amzn.to/2C1DnUM UK: https://amzn.to/2Qtv8Gu CA: https://amzn.to/2SH434i AU: https://amzn.to/2QtvJbc B&N: http://bit.ly/2C8laVA Kobo: http://bit.ly/2AA5gnc

Title: You’ve Got Male Series: Chick Flick Club #2 Author: Lila Monroe Genre: Romantic Comedy Release Date: January 14, 2019 Blurb All’s fair in love, war, and breakfast waffles in this sizzling standalone romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author, Lila Monroe! Zoey Rafferty dreams of becoming the food truck queen of San Francisco. She’s building an empire…

[books-n-wine]

~**~ Blog Tour for Good Gone Bad (The Fallen Men #3) by Giana Darling w/ Review ~**~ (Link in bio) Description They say one action doesn’t define you. I killed a man. Stabbed him in the neck and licked the blood off my lips after I did it. Still, one action doesn’t define you. I could have called anyone. My father, the Prez of The Fallen MC, our family lawyer, my best friend, Lila, or my brother, King. I didn’t. Instead, I called Lionel Danner, the police officer renowned for taking down the Nightstalkers MC. The man who had been my father’s arch nemesis for decades. The man who hated everything I stood for. A man who had disappeared from my life without explanation three years ago. I called him. And maybe one action doesn’t define you, but killing a bad man and calling in the good changed my life and it sure as hell changed his. The third book in the Fallen Men series. A standalone featuring Harleigh Rose and Officer Lionel Danner. #GianaDarling #GoneGoneBad #TheFallenMenSeries #MCRomance #AgeGap #Contemporary #Review #romance #bookstagram #blogger #ontheblog #bibliophile #bookworm #booksnwineblog #blessed #bookishAF #bookgeek #hawaiigirl #igreads #readersofinstagram #EnticingJourneyBookPromo https://www.instagram.com/p/Bquly-LFbKy/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=7dswwwg17k4t

[lilareviewsbooks]

Dallergut Dream Department Store: 2.5/5

2.5/5 stars 243 pages contains: cozy vibes and dream magic!!

As some of you may know, I make the São Paulo – Boston trip quite frequently! I'm a college student in the US but live in Brazil, and so that makes for very long plane rides. We're talking 14 hours here. So, to keep sane, I usually download a couple books into my Kindle, pray they're interesting enough to keep me interested, buckle down, and read. 

I've just made the trek once more to spend the summer holidays at home, and I decided to download some books I'm reading for r/Fantasy's Bingo Challenge. One of them was The Dallergut Dream Department Store, by Lee Mi-ye, which clears my "alliterative title" square! Of course, because I can't make anything easy on myself, I read this Korean book in its French translation. Because of this, I feel like it's fully possible I didn't grasp the story in all of its complexity. I'm kind of bad at French. And I might have also been high on sleeping pills for half the book. So, take this review with a grain of salt.

In general, I thought this was a 2.5 star read. For me, that means it's decent. Like getting a C in school — you passed, but your work is far from stellar. What I did enjoy was the concept: the story follows Penny as she begins to work at a magical store people visit in their sleep, and where they "buy" their dreams for the night. And for the most part, the book is a world-building exercise in the concept of the store. It researches how every situation would work, from nightmares to people who day-dream, to animal dreams. Personally, I love a good deep dive into a world, so I was having fun, especially during the first half.

But after a while, it gets repetitive. The chapters are mostly loose stories that don't circle back to a particular theme or event. Penny is almost always there, though, I guess, but I'll get to my problems with Penny later. Although the stories are well-written, very easy to read and can sometimes be quite compelling, they don't make a novel when they're put together. They make up a collection of episodes with the same vague amalgamation of characters. The gimmick gets old pretty fast, and I was quickly looking for some emotional stakes, an overarching plot, anything. And although I am a fan of a good plotless, vibes-only fantasy, the lack of connection I felt with our main character and the fact that she and her friends do not change at all throughout the stories made it a very stale reading experience.

And Penny? Oh, Penny. My question became, quite simply, why are we following her? She's not a particularly interesting character, with no defining traits, nothing she needs or wants (besides working at the store, which she achieves in chapter 1)... Meanwhile, other characters in the novel have more personality, more interesting backgrounds, and they barely get to shine. They're buried behind an overabundance of Penny doing not much of anything, and being a self-insert/audience for Mr. Dallagoot's sermons. I kept wondering if it wouldn't be more interesting to follow any one of them. 

And I think Ms. Lee wondered this too, since she includes two epilogues which are, in my opinion, completely unnecessary, and are told entirely from the perspectives of two other characters. They just prove to the audience that Penny is a dreadful character by abandoning her at the end, leaving two random anecdotes about side-characters, which could've been anywhere in the book, to finish the novel off.

Although the vibes are good, the world is interesting and the book reads very cozy, there's a lot that you're left wanting, here. I think what this book needed was an editor, or a workshop session. It has so much potential, and if some crucial changes had been made, then I think Ms. Lee would have a wonderful final product on her hands.