z_bookfluencer's reviews
897 reviews

Like A Ruinous Fate, A Reckless Oath was an enjoyable and rememberable read. I did reread A Ruinous Fate before reading A Reckless Oath. I retained the story of A Ruinous Fate quite well, and I enjoyed my reread. I felt my reread was a good refresher, mainly pertaining to who was who was in the decently sized cast. Some of the side characters from A Ruinous Fate have bigger roles in A Reckless Oath.

A Reckless Oath begins right where A Ruinous Fate ended. A Reckless Oath was told through multiple perspectives and introduces some new characters. There were some pretty big reveals in this installment, as well as some character development. The cast was diverse. There was more violence and gore in A Reckless Oath compared to A Ruinous Fate. The ending was left open for the next installment. 

The author included a glossary for the characters and other beings at the beginning of the story.

Content Guide: violence, kidnapping, gore, brief sensuality, torture 

Overall, A Reckless Oath was very well written and a great installment to the Heartless Fates Series. I enjoyed my reading experience. I could see myself rereading A Reckless Oath as well as continuing the series. 

I would highly recommend A Reckless Oath to other YA fantasy readers who enjoy stories centered around magic, dangerous and foreboding enemies, fates [ both of 'destiny' and beings ], and an intriguing ending.

"But a promise is a promise," I said softly. "Not a kiss in the wind, to be thrown about without care. It is a piece of yourself that is given away and will not return until your pledge is fulfilled." -Elizabeth Lim, The Dragon's Promise

The Dragon's Promise was so magical and whimsical, with adventure and cinematic settings. Like Six Crimson Cranes, the story pacing was quick, and the writing style was very easy to get into. My attention was held from start to finish. My favorite setting within this installment was the kingdom of the dragons, Ai'long. There was more romance in this installment compared to Six Crimson Cranes. The main focus of the installment was Shiori'anma going through the motions to save her beloved homeland, Kiata. 

Like the Blood of the Stars Duology, the Six Crimson Cranes Duology has mentions of the other books within this universe.

Overall, I really enjoyed my reading experience of The Dragon's Promise. I would highly recommend the Six Crimson Cranes Duology to other fantasy readers who enjoy magic, whimsy, sweet romance, and fairytale-esque elements.

This will be the fourth book I have read and enjoyed from the author, and I will continue to read more work from her.

"That small step forward is enough." -Liselle Sambury, Blood Like Fate

Blood Like Fate takes place a year or so after the events of Blood Like Magic. This installment, which is also the conclusion, focuses on the characters processing what had occurred in Blood Like Magic. 

Blood Like Fate focuses on the character development and relationships, as well as the developments within the black witch community. Voya struggles to have faith and trust in herself alongside her community and family, having a lack of faith and trust for her during the first half of this novel. 

There wasn't a romance subplot, but romantic relationships are discussed amongst the characters as a part of the characterization. Also, while romance wasn't a main aspect of this installment, it does play a role in the overall story because of the events in Blood Like Magic. Answers are given, as to the conclusion of Voya's and Luc's relationship-or lack thereof. 

The characters are not afraid to call each other out when they feel someone has done something wrong or that they could do better.

With this being more of a character driven story, the overall plot has slower pacing. 

The author writes about topics such as but not excluded to: grief, eating disorders, and drug addiction in an approachable manner. The main reveal was unexpected, yet it fits so well with how the author planted the seeds of this in Blood Like Magic. 

Overall, I would recommend The Blood Like Magic Duology to other YA readers who enjoy a blend of sci-fi and fantasy, witches, and a satisfying conclusion.

There is a content guide provided by the author at the beginning of the story.

The Invocations is a horroresque fantasy with some dark academia vibes, mystery, a supernatural serial killer, witches, and witch hunters. The story is told through three perspectives: Zara, Jude, and Ermer. The writing style pulled me in immediately. The settings are very picturesque. The characterization was done well. The magic system was incredibly intriguing and detailed with a rich history of both fictional and nonfictional inspiration. The Invocations is an unforgettable read. I felt the reveals were timed perfectly, and the ending was both epic, bloody, and intense. There are frequent scenes of graphic gore and self-harm. The Invocations didn't work for me, though I would still recommend it to other horror fantasy readers who enjoy adventurous and mysterious events, centered around on-going murders. 

"There's a way to respect where people have been while adapting and embracing progress." -Isabel Ibañez, Together We Burn 

"I don't want to be afraid anymore. I want to rip the fear out of me" -Isabel Ibañez, Together We Burn 

Together We Burn was an entertaining standalone fantasy inspired by midievil Spain, and my attention was held well during my reading experience. The opening scene grabbed my attention, and the next few chapters that followed after were all action packed. The story flowed at a good pace. There was some magic, though it was very soft and not a main aspect of the story. There was rich culture, a lot of descriptions of food, and dragons. The characters Zarela and Arturo had entertaining banter. Overall, I enjoyed my reading experience of Together We Burn and would recommend it to other readers who enjoy novels with rich culture, banter between love interests, dragons, and light fantasy elements. 

I enjoyed my reading experience of A Hundred Vicious Turns. A Hundred Vicious Turns is a fantasy dark academia novel with mysterious plotlines. The main aspects that this story focuses on are characterization and the magic system. The magic system is detailed. A Hundred Vicious Turns was a character driven story with slower to medium pacing. There was a was a content guide provided at the beginning of the story. The main character Rat had some relatable qualities. The cast was diverse. Overall, I felt A Hundred Vicious Turns was well written, and I could see myself continuing the series when the next installment releases.

"Never forget, she told us. The world began with a dream. Our lives are the same. Keep dreaming, my daughters. The world is greater than you know." -Judy I. Lin, A Venom Dark and Sweet

A Venom Dark and Sweet was a cinematic read and an epic conclusion to The Book of Tea Duology. The story was told through the dual perspectives of Ning and Kang. There was more world building in A Venom Dark and Sweet compared to A Magic Steeped in Poison, although some of it was simply a recollection of what was already established in the latter. Once again, the writing style was very easy to get into, and the story read at a medium paced. I enjoyed my reading experience of A Venom Dark and Sweet, and I could see myself rereading The Book of Tea Duology. I would recommend this duology to other readers who enjoy very magical and whimsical fantasy reads, featuring cinematic scenes, gods, intrigue, and an epic finale.

Note: There is more violence in this installment.

"Tea for me is home, is joy, is family." -Judy I. Lin, A Magic Steeped in Poison 

A Magic Steeped in Poison was a delightful magical read, and I really enjoyed my reading experience. There was some political intrigue and a mystery subplot. The writing style was easy to get into and worked well for me. The story pacing was medium paced. The main magic system is called shénnóng. Shénnóng is the act of pouring and presenting tea while imbuing it with magic properties. The magic system was a combination of both hard and soft; Sometimes, there was a very clear cost to the characters using magic while other times there was not. Overall, I felt A Magic Steeped in Poison was very well written, and I would recommend it to other YA fantasy readers who enjoy soft magic systems, political intrigue, and a tense competition.

I read Cinderella Is Dead in one sitting. I was prepped for the type of content that would be in Cinderella Is Dead before reading, and I feel like if I hadn't been, I wouldn't have enjoyed the story as much as I did. I really enjoyed how the original tale had been twisted into something that was inspired and new. I found Sophia to be easy to root for and read for. I found the reveals to be unexpected. 

Overall, I felt Cinderella Is Dead was very well written, and I enjoyed my reading experience. I would highly recommend it to other fantasy readers who enjoy dark and twisted retellings.

This is the second book I have read and enjoyed from the author. I will be continuing to read more works from the author, both backlog and future works.

Content Guide: the society in Cinderella Is Dead is one where women are treated as property and are mostly mistreated/abused 

Six Crimson Cranes was delightful to read. I would highly recommend it to other fantasy readers who enjoy magic, whimsy, and fairytale-esque elements. The reveals were unexpected even with knowing the fairytale that this story is inspired from. The story pacing was quick, and the writing style was very easy to get into. My attention was held from start to finish. The romance was on the lighter side, and the main focus was the main character, Shiori'anma, going through the motions to save her brothers. Overall, I really enjoyed my reading experience of Six Crimson Cranes, and I do want to continue the series. 

This will be the third book I have read and enjoyed from the author.