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nthnrgb's reviews
145 reviews
Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei
5.0
aaaaaAAAAAA!!!!!! THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! I read this book in one sitting in like 3 hours because I could not put it down. So good that it wasn't even like I was reading, rather everything was playing out in real time in my mind. The way they wrote Mickey is so lively and real, he comes to life on the page and you feel everything with him. Just realistic and heartwrenching in the best way possible. They also don't got too in depth into the actual sports play which I am so grateful for personally because even though I'm born and raised in Canada, I know nothing about hockey. All in all, AN AMAZING BOOK
The City of Dusk by Tara Sim
4.0
Oh boy is this book a W I L D ride. For the first 75%~ of it I was SURE this was a standalone novel and now I'm DYING for a sequel while recommending it to friends to buy because it's definitely worth every penny.
Overall, the book is written in third person, alternating perspectives between the four main different houses (families), representing four different gods. You have Taesia, Dante, and Brailee Lastrider which are descendants from Nyx, god of night/shadows. Next is Nikolas Cyr, descendant of Phos, god of day/light. Then there's Risha and Saya Vakara, descendants of Thanas, god of death, and lastly Angelica Mardova, descendant of Deia, goddess of the elements. Each have powers relating to their godly great-great-etc grandparent (i.e., Lastriders have powers over shadows, Nikolas has power over light, Risha can animate/de-animate/talk/etc. to the dead, Angelica can control the elements). Ultimately, all of the houses are fighting to be named heir to a kingdom in the earth realm, where they all live as the other realms have been cut off from each other (which is causing their realm to slowly die). While they're coming up on Godsnight (an event every 100 years where the barriers between realms are thinnest), there's been a group committing acts of conjuration, which has long been outlawed. Even though they're supposed to be enemies, the heirs of each house have grown up together and are, in many ways, friends but are beginning to grow apart because of their duties and inherent family rivalries for the crown. Anything more would spoil this book but just be aware: there's a lot of shit you don't see coming, a lot you do but don't care that you see it coming because it's pulled off in such a masterful way that makes it delightful to read (cliches aren't bad, and I'll die on that hill, authors just have to be good at them and this one is).
A lot of folks seem to have issues with the length, characters, and worldbuilding but I think they're baseless. Is this book long? Yes, and it takes a bit to get going (see potential cons), however once you get through the first part of it, the length makes sense. Some folks think that the characters/families are confusing which I think is expected which such a large cast but the cast is also necessary, playing particular roles and helping to flesh out other characters. This is also the first book in a series, so there's going to be pieces that look "half-done" or "weirdly set-up" that will make sense later when we have the whole story. Finally, the worldbuilding. Some folks are upset that there's some words (i.e., ghagra choli and salwar) are given, but a description isn't. I honestly don't think it's a good use of book space to explain a cultural garment - we don't explain what we mean when we write "princess gown" because western culture has demanded we know what it is. If you don't know what the garments are, you can google them.
Frankly, this book is the first in a series I'm very excited about. If I had to pick series similar, I'd say Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Verse or Kelley Armstrong's Age of Legends series, as they're all high fantasy and the Grisha Verse (particularly the latest books) have a similar political/dark tone to them. Frankly though, The City of Dusk is in its own league and hard to compare for all the right reasons.
Potential cons of the book
- Good LORD was this book L O N G. The first 25-35% (roughly part one) is slow, in my opinion (although I have been told this is normal for adult fantasy), and this is the longest book I've read in awhile. HOWEVER! I will say, the length of the book makes a lot of sense, particularly once you finish the part one. Part one is a lot of set up (the worldbuilding in this book is IMMACULATE) that's necessary and I don't think, overall, any of the length is needless (that is to say, it all has a purpose that comes to light later)
- Less romance than I went in expecting. I read exclusively queer books these days (and this is delightfully queer) however I was personally expecting more romance/romance to be a more forthright aspect of it but that honestly doesn't happen until maybe the last 20% (and even that is more setup than actual romance. This con is me purely being someone who loves love).
What this book does right
-Representation. It feels actually genuine and integral to the book, as opposed to it just being there to say "look I have non-white, non-het, non-abled-bodied, etc. people I'm so ~diverse~" Nah this is actually a) well done b) meaningful and c) real.
-Worldbuilding. I said it earlier but it really is SO well done. A problem with a lot of books, particularly ones that are set in a new universe or something that don't rely on the character being new to the universe, is that they spend too much time telling readers (particularly at the beginning of the book) how everything works, instead of letting information come naturally as description/thoughts as characters do things naturally because that's /just the way they're done/. This book does just that though which is part of what makes it so good.
-Action. Holy crap. the 100 or so pages will have you DYING for the next word. It's a wonderful mix of worldbuilding, character development, and just damn good writing that artfully paints a picture in your head that doesn't just feel realistic, but is.
-Character development. Another thing this author is ICONIC at. This book is third person, alternating perspective which is my personal favourite was of telling stories because you get to know the main cast so much better to fully understand their motivations in a way that they don't allow those around them to see. There are a lot of characters, so I'd recommend getting the physical book because there's a House breakdown at the beginning that I kept wishing I could easily flip to (I was reading on my kobo and thus couldn't) but again, after part one a lot of stuff just comes together and starts flowing perfectly and you're more caught up/involved in the story without having to flip back and forth of "who's family are they apart of again?" Long books like this always come with some confusion, and it's about how quickly can an author and reader address the confusion and how well do they address it.
Overall, the book is written in third person, alternating perspectives between the four main different houses (families), representing four different gods. You have Taesia, Dante, and Brailee Lastrider which are descendants from Nyx, god of night/shadows. Next is Nikolas Cyr, descendant of Phos, god of day/light. Then there's Risha and Saya Vakara, descendants of Thanas, god of death, and lastly Angelica Mardova, descendant of Deia, goddess of the elements. Each have powers relating to their godly great-great-etc grandparent (i.e., Lastriders have powers over shadows, Nikolas has power over light, Risha can animate/de-animate/talk/etc. to the dead, Angelica can control the elements). Ultimately, all of the houses are fighting to be named heir to a kingdom in the earth realm, where they all live as the other realms have been cut off from each other (which is causing their realm to slowly die). While they're coming up on Godsnight (an event every 100 years where the barriers between realms are thinnest), there's been a group committing acts of conjuration, which has long been outlawed. Even though they're supposed to be enemies, the heirs of each house have grown up together and are, in many ways, friends but are beginning to grow apart because of their duties and inherent family rivalries for the crown. Anything more would spoil this book but just be aware: there's a lot of shit you don't see coming, a lot you do but don't care that you see it coming because it's pulled off in such a masterful way that makes it delightful to read (cliches aren't bad, and I'll die on that hill, authors just have to be good at them and this one is).
A lot of folks seem to have issues with the length, characters, and worldbuilding but I think they're baseless. Is this book long? Yes, and it takes a bit to get going (see potential cons), however once you get through the first part of it, the length makes sense. Some folks think that the characters/families are confusing which I think is expected which such a large cast but the cast is also necessary, playing particular roles and helping to flesh out other characters. This is also the first book in a series, so there's going to be pieces that look "half-done" or "weirdly set-up" that will make sense later when we have the whole story. Finally, the worldbuilding. Some folks are upset that there's some words (i.e., ghagra choli and salwar) are given, but a description isn't. I honestly don't think it's a good use of book space to explain a cultural garment - we don't explain what we mean when we write "princess gown" because western culture has demanded we know what it is. If you don't know what the garments are, you can google them.
Frankly, this book is the first in a series I'm very excited about. If I had to pick series similar, I'd say Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Verse or Kelley Armstrong's Age of Legends series, as they're all high fantasy and the Grisha Verse (particularly the latest books) have a similar political/dark tone to them. Frankly though, The City of Dusk is in its own league and hard to compare for all the right reasons.
Potential cons of the book
- Good LORD was this book L O N G. The first 25-35% (roughly part one) is slow, in my opinion (although I have been told this is normal for adult fantasy), and this is the longest book I've read in awhile. HOWEVER! I will say, the length of the book makes a lot of sense, particularly once you finish the part one. Part one is a lot of set up (the worldbuilding in this book is IMMACULATE) that's necessary and I don't think, overall, any of the length is needless (that is to say, it all has a purpose that comes to light later)
- Less romance than I went in expecting. I read exclusively queer books these days (and this is delightfully queer) however I was personally expecting more romance/romance to be a more forthright aspect of it but that honestly doesn't happen until maybe the last 20% (and even that is more setup than actual romance. This con is me purely being someone who loves love).
What this book does right
-Representation. It feels actually genuine and integral to the book, as opposed to it just being there to say "look I have non-white, non-het, non-abled-bodied, etc. people I'm so ~diverse~" Nah this is actually a) well done b) meaningful and c) real.
-Worldbuilding. I said it earlier but it really is SO well done. A problem with a lot of books, particularly ones that are set in a new universe or something that don't rely on the character being new to the universe, is that they spend too much time telling readers (particularly at the beginning of the book) how everything works, instead of letting information come naturally as description/thoughts as characters do things naturally because that's /just the way they're done/. This book does just that though which is part of what makes it so good.
-Action. Holy crap. the 100 or so pages will have you DYING for the next word. It's a wonderful mix of worldbuilding, character development, and just damn good writing that artfully paints a picture in your head that doesn't just feel realistic, but is.
-Character development. Another thing this author is ICONIC at. This book is third person, alternating perspective which is my personal favourite was of telling stories because you get to know the main cast so much better to fully understand their motivations in a way that they don't allow those around them to see. There are a lot of characters, so I'd recommend getting the physical book because there's a House breakdown at the beginning that I kept wishing I could easily flip to (I was reading on my kobo and thus couldn't) but again, after part one a lot of stuff just comes together and starts flowing perfectly and you're more caught up/involved in the story without having to flip back and forth of "who's family are they apart of again?" Long books like this always come with some confusion, and it's about how quickly can an author and reader address the confusion and how well do they address it.
Blaine for the Win by Robbie Couch
4.0
So I read this entire book in about 4~ hours at work, it's frankly such an easy and delightful read. It's PEAK romance and yes, it is every Legally-Blonde-but-make-it-gay vibe you think and hope it is.
Overall, the premise is kind of simple: Blaine gets dumped by his richer, hotter, smarter, overall "better" boyfriend because he's not serious enough for someone who is one day going to be the first gay president (these are high school students. I get being ambitious but sir you are like 18 at BEST. Calm down). Blaine decides that he's going to run for senior class president, to prove that he's serious and win Joey (his ex) back. The main problem is, he's never been involved in student government and is up against a shoe-in, Zach. So he gets together with his best friend Trish, her girlfriend Camilla, and a student council member Danny to build his campaign based on addressing the needs of students, specifically the mental health crisis that a lot of students face (and the author actually comes up with a plan that would be feasible by a student council, which I very much appreciate nothing takes me more out of a book than something that doesn't fit with the rest of the vibe of the story).
Potential cons
- If you don't like Legally Blonde, chances are you won't love this. That being said, if you like (or love) Legally Blonde, I think you'll really enjoy it.
- The characters, particularly the love interest, can read a bit flat. The book is, rightly, focused on the main character. Because it's done in first person, I found that it was a bit hard to feel how fleshed out the others were, especially for Trish and Danny as we see them most often.
- Questionable chemistry. For a split second at the end, I thought there was supposed to be a different love interest and when there was about 30~ pages left I was left wondering how the bridge was going to be closed. And the gap is closed but I personally like a little "revel in the romance" right at the end where we actually get to see the couple being a couple.
What I loved
- The easy of this book. As I originally said, I read this in one sitting, about 4~ hours while at work (whoops). It's very easy to get lost in this book and keep changing because yeah it's trope-y and cliche, but it's done well and it's like a warm, comfy blanket.
- The prompt of this book. I, like anyone with taste, LOVE Legally Blonde. I also love queer romance novels. This was my heaven.
- Representation. Trish is a black sapphic woman, and Danny is a Vietnamese bi man. They're not the main characters, and yes I've said in some ways they read a little flat, but their representation feels genuine and real, particularly when you remember we're understanding their representation from the perspective of Blaine (a white man). Danny talks a bit about how hard it was on his dad to open a Vietnamese cafe and how that's impacted his fears for the future. Trish talks about her mental health struggles. Neither of these things are the "focus" of the book, but rather help to flush out why these characters are helping Blaine with his campaign.
Overall, the premise is kind of simple: Blaine gets dumped by his richer, hotter, smarter, overall "better" boyfriend because he's not serious enough for someone who is one day going to be the first gay president (these are high school students. I get being ambitious but sir you are like 18 at BEST. Calm down). Blaine decides that he's going to run for senior class president, to prove that he's serious and win Joey (his ex) back. The main problem is, he's never been involved in student government and is up against a shoe-in, Zach. So he gets together with his best friend Trish, her girlfriend Camilla, and a student council member Danny to build his campaign based on addressing the needs of students, specifically the mental health crisis that a lot of students face (and the author actually comes up with a plan that would be feasible by a student council, which I very much appreciate nothing takes me more out of a book than something that doesn't fit with the rest of the vibe of the story).
Potential cons
- If you don't like Legally Blonde, chances are you won't love this. That being said, if you like (or love) Legally Blonde, I think you'll really enjoy it.
- The characters, particularly the love interest, can read a bit flat. The book is, rightly, focused on the main character. Because it's done in first person, I found that it was a bit hard to feel how fleshed out the others were, especially for Trish and Danny as we see them most often.
- Questionable chemistry. For a split second at the end, I thought there was supposed to be a different love interest and when there was about 30~ pages left I was left wondering how the bridge was going to be closed. And the gap is closed but I personally like a little "revel in the romance" right at the end where we actually get to see the couple being a couple.
What I loved
- The easy of this book. As I originally said, I read this in one sitting, about 4~ hours while at work (whoops). It's very easy to get lost in this book and keep changing because yeah it's trope-y and cliche, but it's done well and it's like a warm, comfy blanket.
- The prompt of this book. I, like anyone with taste, LOVE Legally Blonde. I also love queer romance novels. This was my heaven.
- Representation. Trish is a black sapphic woman, and Danny is a Vietnamese bi man. They're not the main characters, and yes I've said in some ways they read a little flat, but their representation feels genuine and real, particularly when you remember we're understanding their representation from the perspective of Blaine (a white man). Danny talks a bit about how hard it was on his dad to open a Vietnamese cafe and how that's impacted his fears for the future. Trish talks about her mental health struggles. Neither of these things are the "focus" of the book, but rather help to flush out why these characters are helping Blaine with his campaign.
So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens
5.0
This book reads like a queer high school friend group's DnD story where one of the people is trying to woo one of their friends, and I mean all of that in the best way possible. This book is DELIGHTFUL.
The overall premise is very reminiscent of Arthurian legend, where a 17-year-old boy (Arek) is found by this old wizard, told he's supposed to defeat an evil wizard king by a prophecy to save a kingdom with a party of questors. His party includes Matt (his mage and childhood best friend), Sionna (a fighter), Bethany (a bard), Rion (a knight), and Lila (a rogue). The story picks up right after Arek kills the Vile One, so in some ways it seems like we jump in at the end of the story but really, that's because this book is a rom-com first and foremost, that just happens to be set in fantasy. Then, Arek gets dared (yes, these are a bunch of 17-year-olds they dare him it's delightful) to put on the crown and declare he's king, just until they can find the rightful ruler (after which Arek is already planning on telling Matt he's in love with him, but he wants to wait until their quest is done and they can return home). Except she's dead and now Arek, again a 17-year-old boy, is king. This is all within the first couple of chapters, very set on a quick set up.
The vast majority of the book is set around the fact that Arek has to soulbond before his 18th birthday (in 3 months) and he refuses to ask Matt because he believes that Matt would say yes because it's his duty and he would just be stuck with Arek. Yeah it's THAT kind of pining. So instead, Arek decides he's going to seduce his friends one-by-one secretly because he would rather be soulbonded to someone who knows him and he knows he likes as opposed to a random stranger. Except he also wants to try to seduce Matt even as Matt is helping him (very obliviously begrudgingly). They attempt to set up a bunch of scenarios, each best befitting the member of the party and following a journal they find from the dead rightful heir.
Genuinely, this book is such a delightful read that I couldn't put down, just too sweet and adorable.
Potential cons (look I loved everything about this book, even these "potential cons" but they're something some folks may not like)
- Writing style. It does read on the younger side of YA, which for me was great - it read in a lot of ways like a VERY GOOD, pining fan fic but I know for some folks it can be too young and they don't enjoy easy/light reads.
What I loved
- Writing style. Personally, I love me a good queer fan fic that's been published, truly they're usually my favourite books and once again this is true.
- Characters. They each get their own little spotlight as Arek tries to woo them one by one, and that's when we tend to learn most about them. They are meeting those typical Arthurian roles so some folks may find them flat, but this is also a first person book so a lot of what we're seeing about these characters is what Arek sees of them, and there's even a scene that touches on that as he's trying to woo Sionna at the beginning, about how they've only know versions of each other and that they need to make an new effort, outside of their responsibilities to the quest, to know who they are.
-The pining. I COULD FEEL IT IN MY SOUL They're so oblivious and in love with each other it hurts sometimes. It feels like hitting your head against a wall, but in a good way. Sometimes I hate miscommunication because it's done poorly, but this is done so well. The way Matt reacts to somethings makes Arek think that there's no way Matt could ever love him so he ignores any signs that Matt may like him until it's almost too late. Matt has his head so far up his own arse that he doesn't see any of Arek's signals (though this is me mostly reading in between the lines, because we sadly never get inside of Matt's head).
- "King Arek the Kind." That is Arek's title and throughout the book he kind of hates on it, but everyone else is like no this is the best title frankly and I agree. I love this imagery of kindness being the best trait and that it has so many different facets and is its own strength. I just loved this imagery.
Overall, love love LOVED this book and the only thing I want now is a prequel of the quest and maybe a re-write from Matt's perspective. I just want MORE of this story.
The overall premise is very reminiscent of Arthurian legend, where a 17-year-old boy (Arek) is found by this old wizard, told he's supposed to defeat an evil wizard king by a prophecy to save a kingdom with a party of questors. His party includes Matt (his mage and childhood best friend), Sionna (a fighter), Bethany (a bard), Rion (a knight), and Lila (a rogue). The story picks up right after Arek kills the Vile One, so in some ways it seems like we jump in at the end of the story but really, that's because this book is a rom-com first and foremost, that just happens to be set in fantasy. Then, Arek gets dared (yes, these are a bunch of 17-year-olds they dare him it's delightful) to put on the crown and declare he's king, just until they can find the rightful ruler (after which Arek is already planning on telling Matt he's in love with him, but he wants to wait until their quest is done and they can return home). Except she's dead and now Arek, again a 17-year-old boy, is king. This is all within the first couple of chapters, very set on a quick set up.
The vast majority of the book is set around the fact that Arek has to soulbond before his 18th birthday (in 3 months) and he refuses to ask Matt because he believes that Matt would say yes because it's his duty and he would just be stuck with Arek. Yeah it's THAT kind of pining. So instead, Arek decides he's going to seduce his friends one-by-one secretly because he would rather be soulbonded to someone who knows him and he knows he likes as opposed to a random stranger. Except he also wants to try to seduce Matt even as Matt is helping him (very obliviously begrudgingly). They attempt to set up a bunch of scenarios, each best befitting the member of the party and following a journal they find from the dead rightful heir.
Genuinely, this book is such a delightful read that I couldn't put down, just too sweet and adorable.
Potential cons (look I loved everything about this book, even these "potential cons" but they're something some folks may not like)
- Writing style. It does read on the younger side of YA, which for me was great - it read in a lot of ways like a VERY GOOD, pining fan fic but I know for some folks it can be too young and they don't enjoy easy/light reads.
What I loved
- Writing style. Personally, I love me a good queer fan fic that's been published, truly they're usually my favourite books and once again this is true.
- Characters. They each get their own little spotlight as Arek tries to woo them one by one, and that's when we tend to learn most about them. They are meeting those typical Arthurian roles so some folks may find them flat, but this is also a first person book so a lot of what we're seeing about these characters is what Arek sees of them, and there's even a scene that touches on that as he's trying to woo Sionna at the beginning, about how they've only know versions of each other and that they need to make an new effort, outside of their responsibilities to the quest, to know who they are.
-The pining. I COULD FEEL IT IN MY SOUL They're so oblivious and in love with each other it hurts sometimes. It feels like hitting your head against a wall, but in a good way. Sometimes I hate miscommunication because it's done poorly, but this is done so well. The way Matt reacts to somethings makes Arek think that there's no way Matt could ever love him so he ignores any signs that Matt may like him until it's almost too late. Matt has his head so far up his own arse that he doesn't see any of Arek's signals (though this is me mostly reading in between the lines, because we sadly never get inside of Matt's head).
- "King Arek the Kind." That is Arek's title and throughout the book he kind of hates on it, but everyone else is like no this is the best title frankly and I agree. I love this imagery of kindness being the best trait and that it has so many different facets and is its own strength. I just loved this imagery.
Overall, love love LOVED this book and the only thing I want now is a prequel of the quest and maybe a re-write from Matt's perspective. I just want MORE of this story.
Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder by Saundra Mitchell
3.0
(I gave this 3 stars, but I feel like it's more like a 3.5 stars, curse you goodreads for not letting us to half stars).
I find anthologies hard to review because every story is so new. I will say, overall, I enjoyed every story. Obviously, some were better than others (Concerto was probably my favourite of all of them), but there was something to enjoy about each one. The one thing I will say, is I personally found the anthology hard to read, particularly the stories in the middle. A lot of them talk about how the earth is dying, or dead, and try to take a queer love spin on the end of the world - which, while very appreciated, reading over and over again how the world is dying is upsetting, particularly in this political climate. If you're someone who over-empathizes or gets overwhelmed with the reality of climate change and how we're killing our earth, I would recommend taking each story slowly - but I would still recommend the book overall.
I find anthologies hard to review because every story is so new. I will say, overall, I enjoyed every story. Obviously, some were better than others (Concerto was probably my favourite of all of them), but there was something to enjoy about each one. The one thing I will say, is I personally found the anthology hard to read, particularly the stories in the middle. A lot of them talk about how the earth is dying, or dead, and try to take a queer love spin on the end of the world - which, while very appreciated, reading over and over again how the world is dying is upsetting, particularly in this political climate. If you're someone who over-empathizes or gets overwhelmed with the reality of climate change and how we're killing our earth, I would recommend taking each story slowly - but I would still recommend the book overall.
A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth
5.0
First of all, I love this book so much and I'm so glad I got it in advance so it could immediately go to the top of my TBR list.
This book picks up essentially where the last left off, Arlo explaining what happened to the court and then she (along with Celadon) are invited to the Summer Seelie Court for the summer so that Arlo can train her alchemy. Honestly, there are multiple plots in this book but it's done so well and so smoothly, that I didn't even realise it until I was writing this. First, you have Arlo and her studies, both in alchemy and with Luck as a Hollow Star. Also with Arlo you have your "will-they-won't-they" romance with her and Nos as she continues to fall in love (and realise she is falling in love). Next, with Celadon and Aurelian, you have their heavy suspicion of the Seelie Queen of Summer and dedication to reveal her plans (also with the help of another character but that's totally spoilers) and this plot line is VERY political/court drama and I must say, I absolutely loved it and it was very well done. Then you have Vehan's struggle with his magic and emotions that May Or May Not be his and, to top it all off, his and Aurelian's own "will-they-won't-they" oblivious love story. 100% this sequel was everything I hoped for, and more, and I need the third one NOW!
Potential cons:
- Length. When I first put this book on my kobo and saw it was like 550~ pages I was immediately overwhelmed. I tend to not like super long books, because they can drag on and tend to be really slow to get going but this WAS NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL. It was written so smoothly, and so well frankly that everything flowed and seemed to follow a logical and exciting timeline that kept me super engaged.
What I liked:
- Queerness. This book reminds me of the Oprah meme "you get a car! And you get a car!" Except instead of cars, we're getting queer characters. Literally everyone and their mom are queer and it's AMAZING. I love the way that in this universe, queerness just is and it's SO refreshing and comforting to read. Sometimes, we don't need stories about how terrible or difficult it is to be queer and this is one of those stories.
- The TTRPG-ness. Of course I'm a DnD nerd, I'm gay what do you expect. The way this is done feels very natural, and just another part of the magic in the world (instead of feeling awkward or forced). The author explains it so well and spread out that we believe this is Arlo learning and exploring what it means to be a Hollow Star and that the TTRPG-ness of it is just happenstance - like the magic came first.
- Worldbuilding. Can I just compliment how GOOD Ashley Shuttleworth is at worldbuilding because good goly are they ever. This is the second book, so we're expected to know a lot more about the world and we do. However, we still get to learn new aspects and traditions of the world as the characters, particularly Arlo, are exposed to new information and events. Everything is woven in so seamlessly though, there's not just a big block of information shoved in there, obviously for the reader's benefit. Instead, things are exposed layer by layer, as they come up and ugh, it's just so good to read.
This book picks up essentially where the last left off, Arlo explaining what happened to the court and then she (along with Celadon) are invited to the Summer Seelie Court for the summer so that Arlo can train her alchemy. Honestly, there are multiple plots in this book but it's done so well and so smoothly, that I didn't even realise it until I was writing this. First, you have Arlo and her studies, both in alchemy and with Luck as a Hollow Star. Also with Arlo you have your "will-they-won't-they" romance with her and Nos as she continues to fall in love (and realise she is falling in love). Next, with Celadon and Aurelian, you have their heavy suspicion of the Seelie Queen of Summer and dedication to reveal her plans (also with the help of another character but that's totally spoilers) and this plot line is VERY political/court drama and I must say, I absolutely loved it and it was very well done. Then you have Vehan's struggle with his magic and emotions that May Or May Not be his and, to top it all off, his and Aurelian's own "will-they-won't-they" oblivious love story. 100% this sequel was everything I hoped for, and more, and I need the third one NOW!
Potential cons:
- Length. When I first put this book on my kobo and saw it was like 550~ pages I was immediately overwhelmed. I tend to not like super long books, because they can drag on and tend to be really slow to get going but this WAS NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL. It was written so smoothly, and so well frankly that everything flowed and seemed to follow a logical and exciting timeline that kept me super engaged.
What I liked:
- Queerness. This book reminds me of the Oprah meme "you get a car! And you get a car!" Except instead of cars, we're getting queer characters. Literally everyone and their mom are queer and it's AMAZING. I love the way that in this universe, queerness just is and it's SO refreshing and comforting to read. Sometimes, we don't need stories about how terrible or difficult it is to be queer and this is one of those stories.
- The TTRPG-ness. Of course I'm a DnD nerd, I'm gay what do you expect. The way this is done feels very natural, and just another part of the magic in the world (instead of feeling awkward or forced). The author explains it so well and spread out that we believe this is Arlo learning and exploring what it means to be a Hollow Star and that the TTRPG-ness of it is just happenstance - like the magic came first.
- Worldbuilding. Can I just compliment how GOOD Ashley Shuttleworth is at worldbuilding because good goly are they ever. This is the second book, so we're expected to know a lot more about the world and we do. However, we still get to learn new aspects and traditions of the world as the characters, particularly Arlo, are exposed to new information and events. Everything is woven in so seamlessly though, there's not just a big block of information shoved in there, obviously for the reader's benefit. Instead, things are exposed layer by layer, as they come up and ugh, it's just so good to read.