Sorcery of Thorns (Sorcery of Thorns, #1) by Margaret Rogerson Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I loved An Enchantment of Ravens, and was so excited to finally dive into this book. The premise really drew me in - sorcerers, magic libraries, and grimoires are just the beginning of the world that Rogerson creates for this story. Elisabeth has basically been raised by books, and in her training to become a warden, she is thrown into unprecedented times as she is tied to various crimes she was not involved in.

As a young adult fantasy, I always expect the protagonist to still be growing into themselves, and I try to give them a little grace when it comes to their common sense. While Elisabeth is certainly excelling in the book smart department, she definitely could use some smarting up in street smarts - I fear she is too easy to kidnap and just a second behind and piecing things together when not presented in a grimoire.

Nathaniel Thorn... my oh my... he easily bewitched me in such a short amount of time, it was honestly impressive. He is incredibly cocky and has an excellent sense of humor, even when he is not trying to be funny. The dynamic that he and Elisabeth have reflects a wisp of enemies to lovers, but in the sense that they are not true rivals, but more so agitated with one another that leads to something more than either expected. His past is slowly revealed throughout the story, and the more that he and Elisabeth work together, the more her world is turned upside down.

The world building comes in hot and fast, and I had a bit of whiplash trying to keep track of the basics as we were thrown right into conflict. Getting used to the system and terms took a few chapters to really understand the pillars of the story, but once you get into the groove of it, it becomes much easier to follow. The combination of a slow burn relationship between Elisabeth and Nathaniel, and the journey they go on to unveil the truth behind a number of lies created such a rich story.

Demons and sorcerers are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the intricacies in this world, and Elisabeth's own self discovery and growth as she seeks to prove her innocence shows a great balance between plot and development. The side characters, while a touch sparse in some chapters, added solid relationships for Nathaniel and Elisabeth as they embarked on their quest. The friendships made along the way and the sense of family, especially for Elisabeth, was heartwarming and endearing to watch come together.

For fans of The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson, this young adult fantasy will transport you to a world of magical books and an enchanting world filled with discovery and adventure.

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Lakesedge (World at the Lake's Edge, #1) by Lyndall Clipstone Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I was in desperate need for a gothic horror read, and this was very much giving dark Beauty and the Beast meets Phantom of the Opera in terms of setting and vibes. Violetta Graceling is such a great name, and totally fits the theme of the book.

Violetta's mother reminds me of Carrie White's mother, and her presence for the beginning of the story was something attune to nails on a chalkboard. The complexity of Violetta, her brother, Arien, and their mother's relationship was strained and clearly not mutually beneficial. Their mother really encapsulates this over-bearing figure in their lives that does not take anyone else into consideration.

To be completely truthful, I was not in it for the long haul with Arien, and frankly did not care what happened to that boy. While he provides familial support to Violetta and plays a decent part through the story, he tended to cause me more annoyance than interest, and I found myself waiting for scenes where he was not present. The other side characters were fun for a bit, but they did not grab my attention compared to the way Violetta, Rowan, and the Lord Under were able to draw me in.

I loved the characterization and build up of "the monster" of this story, also known as Rowan, the prince who drowned his family in the lake. It was utterly intriguing and reminded me so much of the descriptions given of the Beast from La Belle et La Bête regarding his presence, not that he is an actual beast. Even more so, I absolutely fell in love with Rowan as the book progressed, he is definitely up there in the best male lead rankings.

The budding romance throughout this book had me hooked, and I was really drawn into Violetta and Rowan's relationship as they continued to open up to one another as they grew closer. With complicated histories and current inner conflicts, they both complicated each other very well, and surprised themselves as they spent more time together and uncovered truths to the mysteries that plagued them.

The Lord Under is the death god that lives beneath the lake and I just have to say... I stan him a little bit. He is incredibly compelling and he has an aura about him that draws people in, especially Violetta. There is something so mystical about him, and the way he plays such an important role in Violetta's self discovery really had me hooked from his introduction. He seems so chill on the surface and honestly everyone is just slandering this misunderstood death god!! Let us give him some grace before jumping to harsh judgement.

Clipstone does an excellent job in luring the reader in to one of the most interesting stories I have read, and with a main character resembling the likes of Jude Duarte, I knew I would be in for a treat. The complex relationships that Violetta has to navigate as she comes to learn more about the magic in her world cause increasingly difficult decisions to be made.

For fans of A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer and The Moonfire Bride by Sylvia Mercedes, this fantasy is the perfect read for you. I will certainly be seeing this story to its end, and recommend this book for anyone looking for an introduction to gothic horror in combination with romance.

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Twisted Love (Twisted, #1) by Ana Huang Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I am making my way through my TBR thanks to Libby now that I finally got another library card, and I am taking full advantage of it. For nearly two years I have been telling myself that I would read this book, and the hold I placed was available about an hour after I placed it. This is advertised as a dark romance, but I did not get that impression at all -- in my experience, I was expecting something more intense, but what I was presented with was a new adult romance scattered with a few clichés. The writing is truly something else -- using the term "itty bitty titty committee" in when writing a book in 2021 should be punishable by jail time.

This...surely cannot be the man y'all have been THIRSTING over?? Alex Volkov sounds insane immediately with his introduction -- he is somehow a boy genius and at the ripe age of twenty-six, he has more money and more business ideas than he knows what to do with. Despite his savvy business skills, I cannot believe that this man is a serious person, and the chapters in his perspective continue to prove my point that he is as feral as they come. Ironically enough, his vibes in the beginning of the story are very much giving Christian Grey from Temu, but at least Christian was a billionaire... At one point he literally stated "biological reactions can be mastered," and I had to take a lap around the room. The things that came out of this man's mouth had me genuinely reflecting on my life choices.

On the other hand, Ava Chen, to me, has never done anything wrong in her life ever, and anyone who even looks at her in the wrong direction is unhinged. Her older brother, Josh, is Alex's best friend, and when Josh heads off for a year of volunteer work, Ava is suddenly next door neighbors with Alex, much to her displeasure. With Ava comes a lot of mystery and a traumatic backstory that is slowly uncovered as the story progresses, and the chapters in her perspective were really interesting and enjoyable. This girl seemed to not catch a break nearly the entire book, and I was just rooting for her to have a happy moment at literally any point.

I saw a lot of people marketing this as a dark romance, but taking into account every dark romance book I have read, this did not even come close to that genre. Sure, there were elements of darker themes, mostly dealing with Alex and Ava's respective pasts, but I would not go as far to say that the overall theme of the book could be considered a dark romance. Unconventional and complicated, sure, but definitely not true dark romance. It was a story of two traumatized people dancing around their feelings for one another for nearly four hundred pages. There were these instances where Alex would suddenly want to make it very apparent that he was into BDSM but then it would not be mentioned for another eighty pages -- it could have been incorporated better into his characterization.

There are some things that Alex did that I would never have forgiven him for, but since this is a work of fiction, everything works out in the end. I do think that Ava and Alex brought out the best of each other, and their relationship allowed each of them to grow in ways that were necessary for the both of them to flourish in their relationship and in their personal lives. I wish Alex was shown to have a larger support system like Ava had, and when he mentioned how lonely he was basically all of the time, it really showed how his isolated life affected him.

Approaching the two-thirds mark is where this book becomes absolutely insane, and I felt as though I was getting whiplash by the amount of information that was revealed, and the events that were taking place. The beginning of the book is relatively mild, so the transition into more of a action-based story threw me for a loop. The final third of the book has you bouncing around with time jumps and so much happens in such a short amount of time. That being said, I low-key had an absolute blast reading this insane book, it certainly was not what I expected, but I had fun and that is what counts at the end of the day.

I had some mixed feelings about this book, going back and forth on how I felt about the overall story, but I think that if you are looking for an entry-level new adult romance with a dash of spice, Twisted Love could be the book for you. The spice scenes are certainly explicit and often enough that once a relationship forms, it takes up a decent amount of page space.

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My Fault (Culpables, #1) by Mercedes Ron Review

This is a spoiler-free review! My Fault (Culpa Mía) is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

After watching Culpa Mía about fifty times in the past year, and with the impending release of Culpa Tuya in December 2024, I knew I had to finally crack this book open. I am an absolute sucker for a forbidden romance trope, especially when they hare each other from the beginning. This book was honestly a blast to read and I ate it up in no time -- the author gives readers a dual perspective with Nick and Noah's chapters, which provides much needed inner thoughts from our leads.

When Noah's mother marries a wealthy man and moves them from Canada to California, Noah is in for a shock when she is finally introduced to her new stepbrother, Nick. Both are not thrilled to be in each other's lives, and with Nick's hush-hush activities, it was only a matter of time before Noah was throne into a world he kept hidden from everyone.

Noah has experienced some serious trauma as a child, and it continues to follow her as she is uprooted and thrown into a new life. As she tries to navigate the new wealth at her fingertips, she is distracted by Nick's presence and taunting, letting her stubbornness get the better of her at every turn. For the first time in his life, Nick is met with someone that does not take his orders and speaks to him freely, causing tension in their home and in Nick's personal life. Everywhere he turns, Noah appears, and despite his intense efforts to kept her away from his less than legal activities, she is there to stay.

As Nick and Noah navigate their combined lives, they find more than step-sibling tension between them, leading them down a complicated and forbidden path as they attempt to make sense of these new feelings. Noah is learning the ins and outs of Nick's personal life, and when his actions leave her fearing a repeat of her past, she pushes herself to stay away from him as he continues to pursue her.

I loved the incorporation of the side characters, and really enjoyed how the author gave both leads support from these characters -- especially with Jenna for Noah, and Lion for Nick. It was refreshing to see side characters be utilized to help the leads on their own journeys, rather be there simply to push them together. The more antagonistic side characters were threatening and certainly served their purpose in wreaking havoc on Nick and Noah's lives, even more so when these characters were using Nick or Noah against the other.

The story moves pretty quickly and paces well, and considering the characters are constantly on the move, it suits the story well. I am sure there were some things lost in the Spanish to English translation, but the writing, especially being originally published on Wattpad, kept me hooked. The ending felt a little slow, but with the POV changes every chapter, it was enough to have readers push through to see the end result. If you are coming from watching Culpa Mia right into reading the book, I will say there are some changes that in my opinion do not take anything major from the story, and are made to consolidate the source material into a single film. 

I will definitely be seeing this series through, and will hopefully have time to read Your Fault (Culpa Tuya) before the movie releases later this year. For fans of After by Anna Todd and Through My Window by Ariana Godoy (I have only seen the Netflix movies for Through My Window, but I will make my way to the books soon!), this young adult forbidden romance is right up your alley.

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The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I fully walked into this book with the idea that it was essentially Knives Out but with young adults, and I seemed to have been a bit off the mark. I must have somehow missed the part that this book takes place in Texas, because imagine my surprise when everyone was suddenly speaking with Texan accents -- for the entire book, I was picturing everyone in cowboy hats, no matter how much I tried to picture them as they were actually described. Imagine literally inheriting billions of dollars out of the blue, and the requirement is that you have to live in a mansion with four hot brothers... Avery needed a little reality check because she should have been jumping up and down.

Every single old Hawthorne family member was out here bullying a seventeen-year-old girl they had known for about forty-eight hours... embarrassing! Yes, I understand that they were weary of her being named as basically the sole inheritor of the fortune, but the way they jumped to conclusions of elder abuse was wild. The author seemed to love reminding readers that Libby has blue hair, and apparently it is such a major piece of information because it is mentioned almost every other chapter... we get it.

I will admit, Avery with Grayson and Jameson was very much giving Katherine "It's okay to love them both, I did" Pierce and I have to respect her game on that front. Both Grayson and Jameson were such interesting characters, and the mystery behind both of them certainly had me invested on what their next moves would be, and how Avery would handle her attraction to both of them. Jameson's little nickname for Avery had me giggling and kicking my feet, it was cute and snarky. On the other side of the coin, Drake was literally the opposite of these boys, and was giving me an aneurism every single time he showed up. Libby needed to get a restraining order against him, and yet barely seemed concerned that he was actually like an obsessed stalker.

Why was Avery so incredibly impressed when the girls doing her hair did two french braids? I honestly was so confused because it is such a common hairstyle, and considering that this book was published in 2019, it was even more popular, especially pinned to her head in the style depicted. A lot of the commentary in this book was a little dated, and I much prefer authors that try to avoid locking a specific time period's outfits, styles, etc. into a book.

The mystery and intrigue throughout the book definitely kept me interested, but the riddles/puzzles/clues felt a little lackluster compared to what they could have been. They were easy to solve and left me feeling as though anyone in the book could have put two and two together, and did not need Avery to solve them. Chapters moved quickly enough that the story moved at a decent pace in order to keep the reader locked in, but some went on for much longer than necessary. Tobias Hawthorne really decided to leave nearly every single one of his family members with more trauma the second he died, and while some members needed a reality check, others were put through the ringer more than they deserved.

I have to say I stand teetering on the edge deciding my overall feelings for this first installment. This was a really interesting idea to put to paper, but the execution fell off for the middle portion, leaving me wanting more to be on the line for the characters. A lot of the reveals were a touch predictable and made me feel as though there was not as much to lose as it was made out to be. Whenever I decide to continue on with this series, I hope the other brothers because more fleshed out and are more involved in the plot along with Grayson and Jameson.

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Glass Sword (Red Queen, #2) by Victoria Aveyard Review

This review contains mild spoilers for Red Queen - please read with caution. You can read my review of Queen Song on Goodreads now!

It has been years since I read Red Queen, and I was somewhat hesitant to dive back into the series with so much time having passed, and the only major detail I could remember from the book was regarding Maven's little character arc that left Mare shocked. And to be completely honest, Maven was serving this entire book, he was funny and brandish despite being the villain, and provided an interesting perspective from Mare when it came to personal development. His iconic "No, I don't think so," line lives in my head rent free, and I have to hand it to him, it gagged everyone. I may not condone some of his actions, but I certainly can appreciate his flare for the dramatics.

I personally felt as though Mare was making herself seem a little too important throughout the book - yes, she is the lightening girl -- the Red Queen -- but she seemed to place herself above the common folk too often more my liking. Understanding that she is a seventeen-year-old girl who was thrust into an insane and unexpected circumstance, I can let it slide, since other characters tend to hold her higher than the masses. That being said, a lot of characters seemed to place an enormous amount of blame on Mare for things that were in no way her fault, or for events occurring that were inevitable the second Maven showed his true intentions.

The world-building was still a tad so-so for me, and I kept having to remind myself that this was a dystopia-fantasy world. At times it felt as though the world was medieval, and then you would be reminded that they have security cameras, guns, and jets. I wish it was more concise on the setting, but that may fall on me for not brushing up on the world before going back in. Cal was probably one of my favorite characters in this book - he was sassy, put people in their place when it was needed, and provided an internal conflict to Mare as she navigated a world in which the crown was now against her.

Shade's role in this book left me underwhelmed at times - his presence was endearing and provided hope for Mare, but I was not attached his development as the story unfolded. While he was not a major side character, his being was constantly on Mare's mind, so we received a lot of internal thoughts about his relationship with Mare and how he would aid in their cause. Kilorn had me stressed tenfold with any scene he was in, and I constantly had a feeling that he would not be the person we thought him to be.

The rest of the side characters were entertaining when they needed to be, and provided enough filler in between action scenes or emotional scenes that the story moved at a decent pace. It certainly picked up towards the end of the book, and definitely had me tuned in to see what would become of all these characters.

Glass Sword continues Mare's journey as she fights for a world without blood discrimination and to find reasoning behind the biggest betrayal by her closest friend. I have a feeling that I will return to this series in the future to see it to the end, but it may take another eight years for me to move on to the third installment.

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