The Stolen Heir review

Book: Stolen Heir

Author: Holly Black

Pages: 368

Date(s) Read: November 24^th, 2024 to December 30^th, 2024

Date Published: January 3^rd, 2023

Rating: 5/5

Review:

I admit that I was apprehensive about an Elfhame book without Jude. Suren was a little scary in the previous book, and I had little interest in her. My initial lack of interest changed about halfway through, and by the end of the book, I was desperate to see how the story ended, and what an ending that was.

 

Since the last book Suren has been living in a hovel untangling curses. She's dealing with her trauma of both her treatment by her real family and the rejection by her adoptive family. Oak returns to her after some years and whisks her away on a grand adventure north where her family and past lie.

 

Suren and her growth throughout the book made me invested in the story as a whole. Not only was Suren an interesting character, dealing with years of self loathing and rage as well as an innate desire to be loved, but her magic was fascinating too. I loved the scenes of her working her magic untangling curses.

 

This book was exciting and shocking, and wow that ending. Jude is still the best and I missed her but if you have any interest in Elfhame as a whole then this is well worth picking up.

Demons Bluff review

 Book: Demons Bluff    

Author: Rachel Harrison

Pages: 457

Date(s) Read: October 24^th, 2024 to December 24^th, 2024

Date Published: October 22^nd, 2024

Rating: 5/5

Favorite Quotes:

“For all the trouble you cause and are mixed up in, the world is a better place with you in it.”

Review:

I love this series. So much that I initially owned the books in softcover but rebought everyone in hardcover. 18 books in and I am still hooked.

 

In this novel, Rachel goes back in time with Elyse, the leader of the coven of ethical and moral standards. Because Elyse messed with the spell, they only go back two years instead of the 5 years that Rachel had planned. This puts a hitch in Rachel's plans and trouble ensues. We see the return of an old character too. This book was everything, drama, action, and romance. The real star of this book is the relationship between Elyse and Rachel. You watch them go from barely cooperating cohorts to friends who understand each other.

 

Initially I found this book a little slow but once it picks up it goes fast. If you've kept up with this series I highly recommend this book. If you have yet to pick this series up then you need to order The Hollows book 1 right away. It is an absolute must read for urban fantasy fans.

I

An Education in Malice review

Book: An Education in Malice

Author: S.T. Gibson

Pages: 341

Date(s) Read: November 25^th, 2024 to December 16^th, 2024

Date Published: September 3^rd, 2024

Rating: 5/5

Favorite Quotes:

“Inexplicably, the hatred blooming between us sharpened my attraction even more.”

“Art outlives all of us. It makes us immortal.”

Review:

An Education in Malice is a dark academia that is part vampire novel, part sapphic romance. When I first picked up this book the only thing I knew about it was that it was about two girls vying for the attention of a brilliant professor. I had no idea there would be vampires and romance too. 

Laura is a talented, competitive, and pragmatic freshman whose academic rival and obsession, is Carmilla. Carmilla is a stunning beauty whose both talented and haughty. Both girls  compete for the attention and affection of the brilliant, beautiful, charismatic, and mercurial professor Evelyn De Lafontaine. Little does Laura know that there's a dark and capricious side to the exceptional teacher. 

The character and relationship dynamics between the professor and two students was fascinating as well as the relationship between the girls themselves. The girls personalities are juxtaposed in an interesting way with their sexual proclivities. Dual POVs of two very different characters makes for a fascinating look into what each girl is thinking. 

I absolutely loved this book. It's got some very interesting relationship dynamics between the three characters. There's also vampires and sapphic love, really what more do you need?

The Cold Palace review

 Book: The Cold Palace

Author: Melissa Addey

Pages: 252

Date(s) Read: November 24^th, 2024 to December 14^th, 2024

Date Published: August 16^th, 2019

Rating: 5/5

Favorite Quotes:

“The bitterness that rises up inside me cannot be suppressed, it grows greater all the time as I feed it with my misery.”

“But you have always remained unhappy. Your heart still aches.”

Review:

In this installment of The Forbidden City, we see things from the perspective of Step-Empress Ula Nara. This was an interesting book, and I found myself frustrated and disgusted by Ula Nara's actions throughout the novel. I despised and reviled her, yet I was invested in her story.

 

In this book we see Ula Nara go from a happy and secure young girl to a bitter and cruel empress. Instead of trying to make the best of her circumstances, Ula Nara becomes a bottomless pit of cruelty, every action worse than the previous. Yet, I found myself rapt and interested in her well-being. It takes a great author to write a character I can hate and feel invested in simultaneously. Ula Nara's narrative is as engrossing and riveting as she is deplorable and vicious.

 

This was a compelling and surprisingly cathartic story. I was initially ambivalent about reading this knowing the little I knew about Ula Nara. At times she frustrated and enraged me but I also felt sympathy and empathy for her, all emotions warring with one another with no one emotion staying with me long until she would prompt me to feel another way about her. It makes for an engrossing story that held my attention throughout. If you've even a passing interest in the Qing dynasty then this is worth reading.