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booksdogsandcoffee's reviews
612 reviews
The Marble Queen by Anna Kopp
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
To save her kingdom Amelia promises her self to another kingdom. Thinking she will marry a prince, instead is promised to their queen.
This was a delightful sapphic graphic novel that discusses anxiety, love, and fighting for your kingdom. I hope there will be more to this series because I don’t want to say goodbye to these characters.
This was a delightful sapphic graphic novel that discusses anxiety, love, and fighting for your kingdom. I hope there will be more to this series because I don’t want to say goodbye to these characters.
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
5.0
This captivating realm of mystique and dark fantasy is a wild ride. Gillig pulls of a ground breaking magic system unlike any I have seen in other fantasy novels. The intricate card based magical system is nothing short of phenomenal and leaves me wanting to have an actual collection of my own of providence cards. This was utterly gripping until the very end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual content and Grief
Lost Clause by Elle Mae
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
3.5
And explosive ending to Kier and Silvia’s story
How to Succeed in Witchcraft by Aislinn Brophy
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Brophy takes a contemporary magical world and masterfully weaves racial, social, educational, and gender topics into this magical realm. Their debut is witty, smart all while these themes are discussed with such care. Showing what young women bipoc/queer folks go through to achieve academic advancement in a white mans world(even when it is a “fantasy world”) was difficult to read but so necessary. I loved the intersectionality of this book, the magic system, and so much more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
House of Crimson Hearts by Ruby Roe
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
If I could take the feel I had when reading vampire academy, and watching true blood and underworld for the first time. That is how I felt reading House of Crimson Hearts.
Ruby Roe has set up a dark, mysterious and tantalizing world of vampires, dhampir, witches and hunters. The world building was absolutely fantastic, along with top tier spice. This book had me in a chokehold needing to know what was going to happen next with Octavia and Red at every turn and I can’t wait for the sequel!
Ruby Roe has set up a dark, mysterious and tantalizing world of vampires, dhampir, witches and hunters. The world building was absolutely fantastic, along with top tier spice. This book had me in a chokehold needing to know what was going to happen next with Octavia and Red at every turn and I can’t wait for the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Grief
The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
2.75
Perfect for fans of Bridgerton sprinkled with the vibes of Halloweentown and a dash of coziness.
Thank you orbit/redhook for an advance reader copy!
ShieId's debut was trying to do many things, some well and some not. I loved the magic system of the Honey and Ash witches, it was so cool how each type works both together and with nature. I also loved the grumpy/sunshine romance dynamic.
What I personally don't think worked is the pacing, and voice of the novel. It started off very well, then sadly dragged for almost 150 pages till it really peaked my interest again. With the voicing of the book, when in the village of Bardshire there is a certain tone the author uses, while in Innisfree there is another. Which may be what was intended, but again in my personal opinion was a bit hard to read and follow while reading.
I would have loved to see the ending fleshed out a bit more. But overall I think this book is going to find it's people and so many will love and enjoy it.
Thank you orbit/redhook for an advance reader copy!
ShieId's debut was trying to do many things, some well and some not. I loved the magic system of the Honey and Ash witches, it was so cool how each type works both together and with nature. I also loved the grumpy/sunshine romance dynamic.
What I personally don't think worked is the pacing, and voice of the novel. It started off very well, then sadly dragged for almost 150 pages till it really peaked my interest again. With the voicing of the book, when in the village of Bardshire there is a certain tone the author uses, while in Innisfree there is another. Which may be what was intended, but again in my personal opinion was a bit hard to read and follow while reading.
I would have loved to see the ending fleshed out a bit more. But overall I think this book is going to find it's people and so many will love and enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture
Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
The platonic romance I needed in my life. Two aro/ace relationship instagram accounts at Wellesley university begin feuding online. While in person the two people behind the accounts start to become best friends. This was an absolutely wonderful take on the college experience and we need more aro/ace spec books in the world!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Toxic relationship and Gaslighting
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Not the book I expected from Bardugo but the one I didn't know I needed.
This is a book about magic, ancestry, breaking your chains, and changing your fate. It is so different from everything else she has written and I loved it!
This is a book about magic, ancestry, breaking your chains, and changing your fate. It is so different from everything else she has written and I loved it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racism, Xenophobia, and Blood