MINI REVIEW: Spin the Dawn - Elizabeth Lim

Date read: May 8, 2021

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings

Audience: Young Adult

Trigger/Content Warnings: Grief, sexism, parent death (view more here).

Synopsis: Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the best tailor in the land, but her being a girl poses a problem to that dream. When her father is called to court, though, Maia seizes the opportunity and poses as a boy so she can take his place. Maia must then compete against eleven other tailors to earn the role of imperial tailor, and save both her life and her family.

Review: I absolutely love retellings and Mulan is one of my favorite stories, so this was a treat! The prose was lovely but not too flowery, and the fast pace made it a quick read. I can’t wait to get to the second book!

Read this... if you’re looking for a beautiful Mulan retelling.

ARC Review: The Keeper of Night - Kylie Lee Baker

Date read: October 5, 2021

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical

Audience: Young/New Adult

Trigger/Content Warnings: Death, gore, racism

Synopsis: Being half English Reaper and half Japanese Shinigami, Ren has never felt like she truly belonged. That feeling is further cemented when she’s unable to control her Shinigami powers and is driven out of London. Now, she’s in Japan, on a quest to prove herself worthy to serve the Goddess of Death so that she can gain the acceptance she never received in London.

Review: I think I found my new favorite fantasy to obsess over…seriously, this was AMAZING. The worldbuilding was incredible, the relationships were incredible, the complexity of the characters was incredible, I think you get what I’m saying.

Read this... if you like: morally grey/villain badass female leads, fantasy that has themes relevant to the real world, and complex characters and relationships!

ARC REVIEW: Within These Wicked Walls - Lauren Blackwood

 Dates read: June 22, 2021-June 23, 2021

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Romance, Gothic

Audience: Young Adult

Trigger/Content Warnings: Death, blood, gore, child abuse, physical abuse, animal death (view more here).

Synopsis: Andromeda is a debtera, which means she exorcises houses of the Evil Eye for a living. When wealthy heir Magnus reaches out to her with a job offer, she is quick to accept—however, as she soon realizes, this job may be more than she can handle.

Review: I LOVED this book. All of the relationships—between adoptive father and daughter, love interests, and more—were so complex and interesting to read about. I also loved reading about the debtera’s work, including the amulet making and the demons/spirits Andromeda had to deal with. All in all, this was a beautiful, gripping story that you will not be able to put down.

Read this... if you want a fresh fantasy that doesn’t feel like the rest of them!

MINI REVIEW: Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens

 Dates read: May 30, 2021-May 31, 2021

Genres: Historical, Mystery

Audience: Adult

Trigger/Content Warnings: Domestic abuse, sexual assault, rape, child abuse, racism, racial slurs (view more here).

Synopsis: Dubbed the “Marsh Girl,” Kya has always been an outsider in her own town. This didn’t bother her much, until one day she is blamed for murder.

Review: Although the backstory is a bit much, I feel like this aspect didn’t have much of an effect on me. Besides the beginning, the pacing was fine and fitting for the story. This book had a lot of imagery, which really helped with this particular story. Besides the obvious murder mystery, this also explored themes such as coming-of-age, loss, independence, and love.

Read this... if you like murder mysteries and/or historical fiction!