Hello everyone! This year is drawing to a close and I’m beginning to get more excited for the new releases coming out next year. I have a very Type A personality so I’ve been working on my 2022 spreadsheet since January 😂 I’m always looking to diversify my reading and I’m thrilled to see more and more POC authors with books coming out. Today I’ll be featuring 2022 new releases that are written by East Asian authors!
Continue reading “2022 Releases by East Asian Authors I’m Excited About”
ARC provided by Tor Teen through NetGalley.
For a book marketed as a bloodier The Hunger Games, it was really lacking in the maiming and killing.
The premise of All of Us Villains is good. I was captivated by the synopsis and the magical tournament aspect and all that it entails was really intriguing. I kept seeing reviews calling this dark and bloody, but I think we read different books? None of the characters acted ruthless or unapologetically maniacal enough to be considered villains like the title suggests. I also struggled with the multiple POVs, most likely because I wasn’t invested in any of the characters other than Alistair.
The pacing felt off as well. It started out pretty slow and the action doesn’t really pick up until the tournament actually begins…which is almost halfway through the book. Then once the action started, it felt like the pacing and plot were moving too fast.
All in all, I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t this. I love both these authors so I was really disappointed that I didn’t enjoy this.
I hope you all are having a great weekend! #SixforSunday is a weekly meme hosted by Steph @ A Little But a Lot. This week’s topic is the books we’re excited about for the rest of the year so I included the 2021 fall releases that I can’t wait to read!
Continue reading “#SixforSunday: 2021 Fall Releases on My TBR”
Title: Gods & Monsters (Serpent & Dove #3)
Author: Shelby Mahurin
Rating: ★★★★
After the disappointment of Blood & Honey, I went into this book with a fair bit of apprehension. I’ll be honest that I started reading without any sort of expectations, and because of that I found myself pleasantly surprised when I realized I was really enjoying the book. Gods & Monsters brought back everything readers loved about the first book–the fast-paced plot, action, romantic tension and angst, high stakes and magical battles–and in doing so became the perfect conclusion to this trilogy!
Continue reading “BOOK REVIEW: Gods & Monsters – Shelby Mahurin”
Title: The Prison Healer (The Prison Healer #1)
Author: Lynette Noni
Rating: ★★★★½
First Realm Breaker, and now The Prison Healer. These two books are single handedly restoring my faith and enjoyment in YA Fantasy. I had absolutely no expectations going into this. It was never a book on my radar, but I kept seeing positive reviews of it on Goodreads and decided to take a chance and request a hold at my library. Best decision ever.
Kiva has been imprisoned in the notoriously dangerous Zalindov prison since she was child. Now working as the prison’s healer, she goes about her life trying to survive one day at a day while holding out hope that her family will come for her.
The Prison Healer is a fast-paced, compelling story that had me flying through the pages. The story is full of political intrigue, uprisings, and survival. The plot was extremely well constructed and I was so impressed by all the small connections between different elements and reveals. Although there’s only one setting throughout the book–Zalindov prison–the world was very well developed. There’s also magic system that begins to come in play midway through the book and I thought its subtle introduction was smartly written.
All of the characters are likable and compelling. Kiva is our protagonist and I absolutely loved her determination, caring nature, and practical mind. She made an excellent heroine and I am so excited about her path in the next book. The Prison Healer also has a cast of side characters important to the story and I have not one bad word about any of them.
The ending of The Prison Healer had me shook. I had about ten different predictions of where the direction of the next book would go and not a single one predicted that twist. The ending is actually the second major twist int he story and the fact that I was completely bamboozled by both is what made the book even more enjoyable as I love being caught off guard!
The Prison Healer deserves all of the hype it has been getting. Political intrigue, rebellions, magical tournaments, and a strong female lead at the center of it all makes this book a truly excellent story. Highly recommend for an fan of YA Fantasy or looking for a fun, fast-paced read!
Paws & Paperbacks 