Fantasy, Romance & Sci-Fi
Book Reviews
January & February 2025
Rating: 4.0 ★
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Anthology, Short Stories
Review/Filtered Thoughts: It’s no secret that I’m an Olivie Blake groupie. She’s just got the sauce, and Januaries is no exception.
There is a short story in this collection called Monsterlove that I devoured in one sitting. It also sent me into full-body wracking sobs. Even as someone who isn’t a mother, I still think it’s one of the most honest depictions of the complicated feelings that women can have about becoming a mother.
There were so many of these stories that I absolutely adored but my personal favourites were The Animation Games, To Make a Man, Monsterlove and How to Dispel Friends and Curse People. Of course, out of the 14 stories, there were some misses, but even the misses were very enjoyable.
Unfiltered Thoughts: Kind of pretentious. Kind of convoluted. Terrifyingly relatable. More please.
“You are the weathered spine of every love story I will ever write.”
“He was charmingly unbearable. Smug, persistent, immune to hostility, amused by artless candor and flattered by the intimacy of her criticism.”
“You are the knife edge of your humour, which doesn’t look like humour at first because, on you, joy looks like suspicion.”
Rating: 4.5 ★
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Review/Filtered Thoughts: I binged this entire quartet back-to-back, and I’m so mad at myself for not starting this series sooner. It’s easily one of the best YA series I’ve ever read, and while it is technically YA, it reads like it’s meant for a more mature audience.
The series starts by following Laia, who is plotting to break her brother out of a prison, and Elias, who is a soldier at a military academy who has conflicting feelings about the Empire he serves.
There are several elements about this story that felt familiar from this genre in general, but the way that the plot unfolds is distinctly unique. Sabaa Tahir strikes a perfect balance of developing each character individually, driving the plot with action, and exploring the complexities of different relationships. With a setting inspired by ancient Rome and tales of the jinn, there’s plenty to love about An Ember in the Ashes.
If you’re in the mood for some intricate high fantasy, then maybe give this one a skip. Otherwise, I cannot recommend it enough. Seriously, please read this!
Unfiltered Thoughts: Absolute banger. But if I hear the phrase “would that I could” one more goddamn time, I will lose my f***ing mind.
“‘You are my temple,’ I murmur as I kneel beside her. ‘You are my priest. You are my prayer. You are my release.’ Grandfather would scowl at me for sullying his beloved mantra so. But I prefer it this way.”
“As long as there is life, there is hope.”
Rating: 3.5 ★
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure
Review/Filtered Thoughts: There were parts of this that I loved, like the science aspects and the main character’s thought processes with all the experiments. There’s nothing that tickles my brain quite like fictional problem-solving does. Also, the main premise of the character being stranded on Mars was divine.
But unfortunately, everything else fell flat for me. The humour was a little too ‘ba-dum-tss’, and the plot wasn’t particularly exciting.
By contrast, I adored Project Hail Mary, also by Andy Weir, which was an easy five stars (you can read more about that in the June 2024 Book Reviews blog). So, if you’re torn between reading either of these, I’d say skip The Martian and go with Project Hail Mary.
Unfiltered Thoughts: A guy grows potatoes on another planet. That’s it.
“Yes, of course duct tape works in a near-vacuum. Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped.“
Rating: 5.0 ★
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Review/Filtered Thoughts: I read Hell Bent for the first time back in June 2024 (you can read that review in the June 2024 Book Review), so this was a reread for me. First and foremost, if I’m rereading a book in an age where there are thousands upon thousands of new books that I want to read, it speaks volumes.
To say that I love this book is a severe understatement. There are times when Hell Bent – and the first book in the series, Ninth House – have been the single pillar of my sanity. Who would’ve thunk that a creepy murder mystery with demons would end up being my comfort read? I guess stranger things have happened, but it is still somewhat surprising.
Even as a second-time read, there is so much to appreciate. The character dynamics hit just as hard as the first time, and there are even more plot details and Yale tidbits to pick up on. Fun fact: a lot of the fictional Yale setting is based on the real Yale; Leigh Bardugo is a Yale graduate and evidently has the inside scoop.
Unfiltered Thoughts: Maybe I just wish I was Alex? Let’s not psychoanalyse that one too much…
“She’d never liked that phrase, diamond in the rough. All that meant was they had to cut you again and again to let the light in.“
“She read paperbacks too, one after the next like she was chain-smoking – romance, science fiction, old pulp fantasy. All she wanted to do was sit, unbothered in a circle of lamplight, and live someone else’s life.“
Rating: 3.75 ★
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Review/Filtered Thoughts: I was already a big fan of Jessica Joyce from The Ex Vows (I wrote about it in the November 2024 Book Reviews), so I had high hopes for this one.
I’d say that it delivered, but I didn’t connect with it quite as much as I did The Ex Vows. Probably just a matter of personal preference.
The plot itself wasn’t my favourite, but the characters, their chemistry and the actual romance was fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed it but didn’t love it. Regardless, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for any more releases from Jessica Joyce.
Unfiltered Thoughts: The very hot school rival actually liked her all along. Wow, never saw that one coming…
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the more perfect it looks on the outside, the messier that shit is on the inside.“
Rating: 4.0 ★
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult
Review/Filtered Thoughts: As expected, this was highly entertaining! Onyx Storm is the third book in the Empyrean series, and at this point, I’m genuinely enjoying how the fantasy aspects are developing.
I would say that there are some parts (typically the battle scenes in the last few hundred pages) that are very confusing. I understand that some of that is probably on purpose to keep the mystery going and drive the reader’s curiosity for the next book, but I find it so difficult to follow. I do wish that some of the scenes were a little less rushed.
Overall, I had fun, and I am indeed curious about the next book (yes, well done, Rebecca). But next time, I’m going to need some kind of character directory as well because, quite frankly, there are only about 5 characters that I actually care about, and the rest (which is a lot) are just blank blobs in my consciousness.
Unfiltered Thoughts: Just another book dedicated to Xaden being a fictional thirst trap. Everything else is an afterthought.
“In a life without magic, the best medicine is time.“