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starcrossedstacks's reviews
510 reviews
Gods & Monsters by Shelby Mahurin
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A Promise of Peridot by Kate Golden
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
“ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ ɴɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇ.”
A Promise of Peridot by Kate Golden
🖤 Dual-POV (FMC, MMC)
🖤 High-Octaine Romantic Drama and Tropes
🖤 Win the Treasure but make it Strip Poker
🖤 Who did this to you
This was a JOY. Kate Golden is the master of writing books that play into romantic dramatics and angst.
This book contains a lot more development of the main character, and she struggles with the newfound knowledge of her role in a prophecy. There were some good raw moments here about how she deals with the trauma and heals past it (albeit not in the healthiest way, of course).
"ɪ ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀɴɢᴇʀ. ʀᴇʟɪꜱʜ ɪᴛ, ɪɴ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ. ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴄᴏʀᴘꜱᴇ. ꜱᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛ. ɪ'ʟʟ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ɢᴏᴛ. ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ꜱᴛᴏᴘ ᴘᴜᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪɴ ꜱɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ."
The romance continues to carry this book for me. Every scene feels like it is set up perfectly to induce angst or further the romance. It's like eating my favorite bag of junk food, and I honestly love every moment of it. This series is an extremely slow burn which is lovely, and I was a bit startled by the explicitness of some scenes (I think this is being advertised as New Adult?) but they were done well!
"ɪ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴇꜰᴇʀ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀʏ," ɪ ᴀᴅᴍɪᴛᴛᴇᴅ. "ɴᴏᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ."
"ɪ'ᴍ ꜱᴜʀᴇ," ʜᴇ ᴍᴜꜱᴇᴅ, ᴇʏᴇꜱ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴊᴜɴɢʟᴇ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴍᴇ. "ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴇᴀꜱɪᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ ɪɴ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴍɪꜱꜱɪɴɢ ꜱᴏ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴘᴀɢᴇꜱ."
The plot continues to thicken, and the end of the book (similar to the last one) leaves us on a cliffhanger that leaves me wondering how Golden will bring us along on the next book. I frankly can't wait for it to come out, and have preordered it already!
I highly recommend this if you are looking for a dramatic, romantic fantasy that is packed to the brim with tropey romance moments, angsty love, and an extreme simp of a "morally grey" MMC.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
A Promise of Peridot by Kate Golden
🖤 Dual-POV (FMC, MMC)
🖤 High-Octaine Romantic Drama and Tropes
🖤 Win the Treasure but make it Strip Poker
🖤 Who did this to you
This was a JOY. Kate Golden is the master of writing books that play into romantic dramatics and angst.
This book contains a lot more development of the main character, and she struggles with the newfound knowledge of her role in a prophecy. There were some good raw moments here about how she deals with the trauma and heals past it (albeit not in the healthiest way, of course).
"ɪ ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀɴɢᴇʀ. ʀᴇʟɪꜱʜ ɪᴛ, ɪɴ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ. ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴄᴏʀᴘꜱᴇ. ꜱᴏ ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛ. ɪ'ʟʟ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ɢᴏᴛ. ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ꜱᴛᴏᴘ ᴘᴜᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ ɪɴ ꜱɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ."
The romance continues to carry this book for me. Every scene feels like it is set up perfectly to induce angst or further the romance. It's like eating my favorite bag of junk food, and I honestly love every moment of it. This series is an extremely slow burn which is lovely, and I was a bit startled by the explicitness of some scenes (I think this is being advertised as New Adult?) but they were done well!
"ɪ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴇꜰᴇʀ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀʏ," ɪ ᴀᴅᴍɪᴛᴛᴇᴅ. "ɴᴏᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ."
"ɪ'ᴍ ꜱᴜʀᴇ," ʜᴇ ᴍᴜꜱᴇᴅ, ᴇʏᴇꜱ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴊᴜɴɢʟᴇ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴍᴇ. "ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴇᴀꜱɪᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ ɪɴ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴍɪꜱꜱɪɴɢ ꜱᴏ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴘᴀɢᴇꜱ."
The plot continues to thicken, and the end of the book (similar to the last one) leaves us on a cliffhanger that leaves me wondering how Golden will bring us along on the next book. I frankly can't wait for it to come out, and have preordered it already!
I highly recommend this if you are looking for a dramatic, romantic fantasy that is packed to the brim with tropey romance moments, angsty love, and an extreme simp of a "morally grey" MMC.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
All This Twisted Glory by Tahereh Mafi
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
ᴘᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇɪʟ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴛᴜɴɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ ᴛʀᴀᴘᴘᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀʟ-ʟɪꜰᴇ ɢʜᴏꜱᴛ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ. ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʜᴏʀʀɪꜰʏɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ꜱᴛᴜᴄᴋ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ꜱʜᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ (ᴇxᴛʀᴇᴍᴇʟʏ ʜᴏᴛ) ᴀʟᴍᴏꜱᴛ-ᴋɪꜱꜱ ʜᴀꜱ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ʀᴇᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ… ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇꜱ ᴀᴛ ᴀʟʟ?
If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
🖤 Indigenous American/Native Representation
🖤 Rival Writers to Lovers
🖤 Ghosts and Mystery
I will not be posting a star rating for this ARC for a handful of reasons:
1. I really want to support this author, and am hugely supportive of books surrounding Indigenous American stories
2. I think this author has a lot of potential for future works!
I enjoyed several aspects of this book, including the dialogue around problems with publishing and making your culturally influenced book 'digestible' and the Indigenous American/Native representation. The spicy romance scenes were well done, and I love a split POV novel!
There were a few things that held me back from a high star rating on this book, however. I think the pacing was a little off throughout, for both the romance and the mystery (though, I think it was a little better for the mystery portion). For me, I think the core of this book had a ton of potential with a few different pacing options.
I also felt like scene transitions were awkward and could have used some hard cuts to transition. This could help with some of the pacing issues I mentioned as well.
I wish the conclusion to the mystery had been a bit more in-depth. I wasn't particularly shocked by the ending at all, and I felt like something more intricate could have been woven to make that moment a bit more exciting.
Overall, I think this novel has a great heart, and I think this author will produce some awesome work in the future as they continue to write!
ᴘᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇɪʟ ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴛᴜɴɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍꜱᴇʟᴠᴇꜱ ᴛʀᴀᴘᴘᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀʟ-ʟɪꜰᴇ ɢʜᴏꜱᴛ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ. ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʜᴏʀʀɪꜰʏɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ꜱᴛᴜᴄᴋ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ꜱʜᴏᴄᴋɪɴɢ (ᴇxᴛʀᴇᴍᴇʟʏ ʜᴏᴛ) ᴀʟᴍᴏꜱᴛ-ᴋɪꜱꜱ ʜᴀꜱ ʟᴇꜰᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ʀᴇᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ꜰᴇᴇʟɪɴɢꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ… ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇꜱ ᴀᴛ ᴀʟʟ?
If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens
🖤 Indigenous American/Native Representation
🖤 Rival Writers to Lovers
🖤 Ghosts and Mystery
I will not be posting a star rating for this ARC for a handful of reasons:
1. I really want to support this author, and am hugely supportive of books surrounding Indigenous American stories
2. I think this author has a lot of potential for future works!
I enjoyed several aspects of this book, including the dialogue around problems with publishing and making your culturally influenced book 'digestible' and the Indigenous American/Native representation. The spicy romance scenes were well done, and I love a split POV novel!
There were a few things that held me back from a high star rating on this book, however. I think the pacing was a little off throughout, for both the romance and the mystery (though, I think it was a little better for the mystery portion). For me, I think the core of this book had a ton of potential with a few different pacing options.
I also felt like scene transitions were awkward and could have used some hard cuts to transition. This could help with some of the pacing issues I mentioned as well.
I wish the conclusion to the mystery had been a bit more in-depth. I wasn't particularly shocked by the ending at all, and I felt like something more intricate could have been woven to make that moment a bit more exciting.
Overall, I think this novel has a great heart, and I think this author will produce some awesome work in the future as they continue to write!
Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff
After Empire of the Vampire was my top read last year, I was painfully nervous that this next book in the series wouldn't live up to my hopes. I obviously didn't have enough faith because the continual twists and heart-wrenching story frankly blew me away. Jay Kristoff has managed to continue to craft the perfect high-fantasy vampire gothic world in this next novel, full of dread and shimmers of hope.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
After Empire of the Vampire was my top read last year, I was painfully nervous that this next book in the series wouldn't live up to my hopes. I obviously didn't have enough faith because the continual twists and heart-wrenching story frankly blew me away. Jay Kristoff has managed to continue to craft the perfect high-fantasy vampire gothic world in this next novel, full of dread and shimmers of hope.
Similar to the previous installment, this book manages to hold some incredibly dark, horrific, gothic, vampiric imagery in the prose that is gorgeously complemented by illustrations by the highly talented Bon Orthwick.
Something that I really appreciate about this work is that things get capital "B" Bad, many times throughout the story. Still, the theme of hope (no matter how small) continues to keep my heart from getting so heavy that reading the book feels like a humongous effort.
"ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴀᴅ ɪꜱ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴀʜᴇᴀᴅ," ɪ ᴛᴏʟᴅ ʜᴇʀ. "ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ'ꜱ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴡᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴇᴇᴛ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʀᴀɢᴇ ɪꜱ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴡᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋɴᴇꜱꜱ. ᴛᴏ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ ɪꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴜᴛꜱᴛʀᴇᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ ʜᴀɴᴅ, ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀ ᴍɪʟʟɪᴏɴ ᴍɪʟᴇꜱ ᴀᴡᴀʏ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ꜰᴀʟᴛᴇʀ, ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ꜰᴀʟʟ, ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ᴄᴜʀʟ ᴜᴘ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʙᴀʙᴇꜱ ʀᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ᴏɴ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʟᴏɴᴇʟʏ ɴɪɢʜᴛ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɢɪʀʟ."
The relationships in this book, whether romantic, familial, or forged in battle, are tear-jerking and extremely real. The women are always written so dynamically, as are the men.
"ᴡᴇ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ. ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ. ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ. ʙᴜᴛ ɪꜰ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ʙʟᴇꜱꜱᴇᴅ, ɪꜰ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ʙʀᴀᴠᴇ, ᴡᴇ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ꜰᴇᴡ ᴡʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴇᴅɢᴇꜱ ꜰɪᴛ ᴀɢᴀɪɴꜱᴛ ᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ. ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴘɪᴇᴄᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ ᴘᴜᴢᴢʟᴇ, ᴏʀ ꜱʜᴀʀᴅꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ ʙʟᴀᴅᴇ. ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡʜᴏ, ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴏᴡɴ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ ᴡᴀʏ, ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴏᴜʀ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ ᴇᴅɢᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇᴛᴇ."
I may be biased because these themes just hit so right for me, but I can already tell it will be a challenge to surpass this one as my favorite read of the year (again!).
Rat Queens, Vol 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe
5.0
Rat Queens is one of my favorite comics I've ever read. It is so much fun, and reminds me of a hilarious D&D campaign. I love every single character, and would highly recommend this series.
Rat Queens Special: Braga #1 by Kurtis J. Wiebe
5.0
This was absolutely a wonderful treat. Braga has such a wonderful story, and it is such a great Trans representation. She is handled so tastefully, and the story itself is just perfect. I would HIGHLY recommend picking this up.
In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
5.0
My childhood favorite. Nostolgia completely has decided the 5 star rating but I have no shame.