Okay just to start this off, let me show you what I wrote on Goodreads for my review right after I finished this book:

“i don’t have words. oh my god. oh my GOD. help. i haven’t read a book this good in….i don’t know how long. I DON’T HAVE WORDS I JUST WANT TO SCREAM”

Thank you so much to Richard Hummel and Kelsey at Book Publicity Services for sending me a signed copy of this book to review!

The style of this book was so different than everything I’ve ever read. It’s described as LitRPG, which I didn’t even know was a subgenre until this book! It makes total sense though when reading it. It reads very much like a video game – where you can “loot” things so to speak, upgrade your character, defeat bosses, etc. I feel like it generally melds well with a novel style, since it’s obviously basically like any character that goes on an adventure. The style was super interesting, but ultimately one of the things I struggled with. I know many people will enjoy it, but I still haven’t decided if it’s for me.

Our two main characters are Jared (a human) and Scarlet (the dragon he becomes bonded with). I found Scarlet way more compelling, and I think it was mainly because she had the knowledge of her forebears passed down, and the fact that she was alive for hundreds of years before she hatched. Which is a pretty cool concept, that she was alive and conscious within her egg. Jared is fine, but I just didn’t feel a very strong attachment to him. I liked that he was very caring and driven to help others, but other than that I felt like something was lacking.

The world setting was super interesting! That was probably my favorite thing. Things have basically gone wack on Earth’s surface, and there are strange creatures everywhere. Just plain monstrous things, and also things like giant rats and bunnies that are not at all cute and cuddly but pretty vicious. I won’t go in to detail but the scene with the lake and underground bunker/base thing had a VERY interesting “monster”. That was probably my favorite umm not like subplot but it was my favorite part of the story, definitely. There are also floating cities for the rich that float above earth, and I wish we had gotten to see more of that because it sounds cool. I’m sure that will be a thing explored in the future though.

I think the pacing was overall pretty good, but it did feel a bit draggy in some points, where Jared and Scarlet are gaining skills (aka kinda like “leveling up”).

To summarize, I think the world was super interesting, and for the most part the plot was also pretty compelling. I think my main issue was the style (LitRPG). It made it difficult for me to connect with the characters and the story. However I think that’s a very personal thing, and many people will probably enjoy it immensely!

Once again, thank you so much Richard and Kelsey for sending me a copy to review!

New month, new mini reviews! I’ve been really busy lately (science conferences, people visiting me, prospective graduate students visiting our program) so I haven’t had a ton of time to read but I’ve manage to finish Pride and Prejudice (which I’d been working on for forever!) and a few shorter romance/contemporary books.

March has been such a busy month for me (Mackenzie) and I haven’t been able to read much. So it’s been quite a while since our last Monday Minis post, but now we’re back at it!

Mackenzie’s Minis

In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life...until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.

That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother's death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.

But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.

I dunno! I was really enjoying this up until the second boy was introduced and then for some reason I just couldn’t get over it and didn’t enjoy the second part as much. I VERY MUCH like the beginning – the description of Thia dealing with depression and having trouble communicating that to other people. I feel that on a deep level as someone who also struggles with depression. I thought it was really well done. I also love the concept of the different types of magical crows that have different powers that help the kingdom run (water, healing, storms, etc). Also what can I say, I’m a complete sucker for enemies-to-lovers so I loved the Ericen/Thia interactions. I also have a soft spot for snarky/asshole boys that are really a bit soft on the inside. That’s probably not the greatest in terms of real life but whatever I’m rambling. I just!! When Caylus or whatever his name is was introduced….ugh. I hate love triangles goddamnit. Pick one relationship and focus on it! I don’t mean the character, I mean just in terms of writing I’d just like to see better developed relationships and I felt like absolutely nothing for Caylus other than “ooo he’s pretty”. UHGHGHGH>. I think I will probably read the sequel when it comes out, as I did enjoy this one. It’s just not super high up anymore. I do think many people will love this though!!

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER

From New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi comes The Gilded Wolves, a novel set in Paris during a time of extraordinary change—one that is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous desires...

No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them.

It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.

Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history—but only if they can stay alive.

I read this on an airplane a few weeks ago so my thoughts aren’t fresh but man do I love heist stories!!! I really liked getting to know each character, and their special talents. I loved the brother dynamic between Severin and Tristan. I’ve also read The Star Touched Queen (by the same author) and I liked this one way more – the writing in this was gorgeous, but not over the top like I felt it was in TSTQ. There were some THINGS that happened at the end that I wasn’t expecting, but they worked really well and now I can’t wait for the sequel! Diverse and lovely and fun – would recommend.

Going back and thinking about it more, I feel like through the book I wasn’t really sure where the story was going. It was enjoyable while reading but it still felt a bit muddled.

Also, check out Shari’s review here! It’s much more in depth than my little mini review.

Shari’s Minis

The eighteen poems that comprise Malene Engelund’s debut pamphlet, The Wild Gods, reveal a distinctly Nordic imagination, punctured with rich colour, shadows and light.

Here are letters, portraits and prayers, composed with an almost painterly precision. Searching and clear-eyed, each poem a compact saga that revives folklore and extends it into the present, Engelund’s wild gods take their places between borders: of home and belonging, darkness and dawn, the silenced and the lost.

I don’t read poetry collections often because they’re usually a hit or miss for me. The Wild Gods is probably the first collection I’ve felt this strongly about. It’s rich in beautiful lines and imagery and I was often in awe of how Engelund came up with them. I loved that the poems weren’t too short or too long and recommend this collection to anyone who may be interested in reading more from this genre.

What have you been reading lately?

I read this as a buddy read and I sat down on Sunday meaning to just read the next chunk and not finish the book but uhhhhh I GOT HOOKED AND THEN PROCEEDED TO FINISH THE REST OF THE BOOK. Oops. But listen. If you’re looking for great scifi, this is IT. There is MAGIC. There are SPACESHIPS. There are creepy terrifying villains. There’s a great ragtag crew of people. There is DIVERSITY. And let me just make this point again – there’s MAGIC in SPACE. It’s like my two favorite things basically.

This book starts off as a “simple” treasure hunt – searching for a long lost ship of legend, the Harrow. Which like, who doesn’t love a treasure hunt? But the story unfolds and gets a bit more complex, and then everything comes together and I was like WHOA.

The best part for me was the scifi aspects and the magic. So the world building. At the beginning it’s a bit confusing how everything works, but as you read more it becomes clearer. I love reading about the space battles (and one-on-one battles/fights on the ground), the different kinds of ships, the technology, and the types of magic that people can have. ALSO!! There’s a part where they talk about tidal locking of a planet and can I just say!!! As an astrophysicist it was SO COOL to read about something that is actually REAL and I am so impressed that Alex White incorporated this in the story, and did it correctly! I live for these things.

The cast of characters was amazing!! I’m not like, head over heels but I do love all of them equally. We got to see the most of Nilah and Boots, and they’re both amazing. Nilah is very young and I love the contrast between her and Boots, who is in her 40s and is much more experienced. Nilah definitely grows a lot during the book, and at the beginning I found her a little annoying (which I think is natural since she’s supposed to be a bit arrogant and spoiled) but man she really grew on me! I’m hoping we get to know Cordell and Aisha and Malik etc etc etc in the later books, because they’re all very interesting. I also love their interactions, because you get to see what they’re like with a newcomer (Nilah) and someone who served on the ship previously, so knows some of them (Boots).

Yeah so all in all a NEW FAV and you all gotta read it and I need to get the sequel like right now.