endless_tbr_list's reviews
331 reviews

It's been ten years since Beatrice, Clare, Elowen, and Galwell - the Four - saved Mythria, and life post-quest is not what any of them were expecting. Fame and fortune may be theirs, but what they lost in the process has fractured them in ways they're not quite sure they fix. Having gone ten years without contact, all are quite sure the Four's days of saving the realm are done, but the arrival of an invitation to the Queen's wedding leads to a reunion none of them are prepared for. A tale of love, loss, friendship and heartbreak, This Will Be Fun is a delightfully entertaining look at what happens to the Chosen Ones after their job is done. After all, life goes on whether you're ready or not.

This is a very character driven story, so I was happy to see they were realistic in terms of their emotions and reactions to what they had been through. Beatrice is stubborn and a bit of a mess, Elowen is withdrawn, and Clare hides under a wonderfully showy persona, plus all of them are battling with some combination of anger, sadness, and hurt. This isn't necessarily a sad story, but I appreciated that it wasn't entirely a joyous one either.

As much as I love a Happy Ever After, I am always intrigues by stories that start after the After. In this case I knew from page one this was going to be a fun ride. This novel, filled with all forms of modern day amenities made to fit this magical, medieval world - plus the whole questing friends bit - gave me big Shrek vibes which I very much enjoyed. It's that type of fantasy that strives to balance the epic with the humorous, and I think it worked well for this story. Although a bit slow in the middle, this was a solid adventure tale filled with interesting characters, great world building, fun second chance romance, and found family.

Thank you to Avon and E.B. Asher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Beautifully disturbing and horrifying - I was completely hooked from page one. Paul Simard cleans houses, specifically homes of hoarders, packed tight and overflowing with the things they'd loved. When he and his team are called in to clean 928 Avirosa, the home of an elderly biologist, Paul's life will never be the same. Within the walls of the house something is alive, growing, almost calling out - and then comes the voice in Paul's head. A story of fear, love, life, and death, this is a gorgeously written and quick but impactful read.
 
 Thank you to Stelliform Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A fun and spicy adventure novel! When Emily Underwood is magically pulled into the pages of her favorite book, she finds herself suddenly face-to-face with the dashing yet aggravating Flynn Sawyer. Kidnapped by Flynn and his crew, Emily comes to realize this is not all a dream, but rather she's now in the middle of a dangerous new world with no obvious way to return home. 

At times the writing did feel a bit stilted, but overall I enjoyed the characters, loved the story's premise, and thought the pacing was great! Additionally the narrator choice was interesting and I think it worked well, giving a bit more mystery and charm to the tale. In the end I almost do wish it had been a bit longer, just to give some more time to exploring the world and building up to the final battle. Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable read and I'm happy to see that a sequel is already on the horizon.

Thank you to Elena H. Covens and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

I've been a fan of LEGO ever since I was young, and this book was like stepping back in time. I recognized so many sets from my childhood and loved hearing about their conception as well as the reasoning behind their eventual retirement or evolution. It was a wonderfully entertaining and educational experience!

With chapters on everything from signature colors, to LEGO Technic's innovative design, to Hollywood partnerships, it was so interesting seeing how sets come to life from little more than ideas and possibly some long forgotten molds. Additionally, as someone who is now very much an adult LEGO enthusiast, I loved seeing how design has grown to not only include sets that are targeted at younger builders, but older ones as well. Through interviews with dozens of past and present LEGO employees, Konstanski strove to uncover not only how these little bricks work, but also how they came to be, and I do believe he succeeded. The Secret Life of LEGO Bricks is truly a deep dive into the engineering of one of the world's most famous toys. 

Thank you to Unbound and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A high-stakes, fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining read! For centuries the Drakeford family has been living with a curse that is ever more quickly stealing their humanity and their lives, and nineteen-year-old Maggie Drakeford is no exception. So when a strange man claiming to be her family's Curse Keeper suddenly appears at their door with an offer to help them break the Drakeford Curse once and for all, Maggie knows she cannot refuse. As they search for ancient relics and magical items their travels will take them across the globe, but with only six days until the curse becomes permanent, will they be able to gather everything in time? Putting her trust in a literal demon might not be Maggie's best move, and Laszlo is only slightly regretting the whole ordeal, but without each other they have no hope of saving themselves. 

This was one of those books that truly flew by, over five-hundred pages and I honestly would have kept reading more. Despite being a somewhat fast-paced tale - given the six day deadline - the novel never felt rushed to me. Also, it's not often that a curse comes across as legitimately terrifying in a life-or-death way, so this was a pleasant surprise and really added to the tension and urgency. Maggie was a great character, young but determined and so clearly desperate to save her family, and Laszlo, snarky, conceited, and scheming, was the perfect counterpart. I can't decide if I want this to remain a standalone, but either way it's a wonderful adventure and one of my favorite fantasy reads of the year!