The God Eaters

The God Eaters by Jesse Hajicek

Age: Adult
Category: LGBTQIA+ / Fantasy / Romance
Rating: 5 stars

Rosie Thinks: I absolutely love when Fictionpress authors get their work published or self-publish on Amazon. Even if I’ve read it before, I’m there buying it and cheering them on in my reviews. ‘The God Eaters’ is a story that I tried to read on Fictionpress ages ago (his penname was Jumping Jack Flash and Chartreuse), but never continued it. I have no idea why, but I also don’t trust past-me’s decisions. I liked some very questionable things back then. Hajicek now has paperbacks of this, but you can read it for free on his website.

I’m not really sure where to begin with this summary. It starts off so small, then ends up so big and complicated that it’s hard to do it justice! The genre is like a fantasy Western, with magic thrown in. It begins with two men beginning their time in a max-security prison. It isn’t a normal prison though - it’s made for people with Talents, to be experimented on. Their crimes reflect their contrasting personalities. Shy, passive Ashleigh was imprisoned for his inflammatory writings, and is an Empath. Merciless, cold Kieran has a slew of crimes to his name, including murder, and has a dark ability that allows him to kill with a thought. They’re cellmates, and begin a strange friendship under the harshest of circumstances.

Both these characters could so easily have unlikeable. Ashleigh had moments where he was weak and spineless, and Kieran could be very brutal, but their written in such an in-depth way that I felt a strong connection to each of them. That shows the strength of the characterisation. A lot of the time, it’s either the plot that’s better or the characterisation, but that isn’t the case here. They’re both fantastic. The plot had some twists I guessed at, but many I didn’t. I would never have guessed where it ended from the beginning. The plot takes off from the beginning and there isn’t a boring moment. If you’re after a fast-paced action fantasy with the cutest romance in the world from the most unlikely of people, this is it! I wish this story went on forever.

Liesmith (The Wyrd #1)

Liesmith by Alis Franklin

Age: Adult / Young Adult
Category: Fantasy / LGBTQIA+
Rating: 4 stars

Rosie Thinks: This story is such a mish-mash of genres that I think Franklin wrote exactly what she was passionate about, and it worked perfectly for her! There's a bit of horror, mixed with huge amounts of urban fantasy, Norse mythology, action, and a m/m romance that was adorable and stayed interesting. I've found it harder and harder recently to stay interested in romance books all the way to the end (mainly, after the couple gets together), but I didn't lose interest once in this!

Sigmund Sussman works in a dead-end IT job, pretty much just telling people to restart their computers all day. His world is shook up when newcomer Lain [unpronounceable last name] is placed at the desk next to him. Lain is everything Sigmund isn't - charismatic, good-looking, and a liar. With Sigmund’s peculiar ability to see lies, he quickly realises there's something very strange about Lain, not the least being his near-constant flirting with Sigmund.

This starts off as just a sweet romance, albeit one you don't see often in books - while Lain has the usual supermodel good looks, Sigmund is described with a pot-belly, big nose, and rather plain. I LOVED that. But it didn't take long for Franklin's creativity to take off, and the rest of the story moved at breakneck speed. As I mentioned earlier, this story contains a lot of Norse mythology, particularly surrounding Loki. I found Franklin's writing beautiful, as well as the way she seemed to mix-and-match tones at times. It all made for a unique and enthralling read!

Red Rising (Red Rising #1)

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Age: Adult / Young Adult
Category: Science Fiction / Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars

Rosie Thinks: I'm going to start this review off strong by saying: this is the best book I've read this year. And this is my favourite YA book of all time. I know my review isn't going to do it justice, but I'm gonna try!

I know I'm quite late to this Red Rising craze - I've seen glowing reviews for this book everywhere, and I did give it a go when it first came out. And I had this ridiculous assumption that I didn't like it, when in reality I read the first page then got distracted by something else (a very common occurence, for me). I'm sure this is what happened, because by the time the first chapter was over, I was hooked.

The premise for this story is: Darrow, our MC, is a Red. He's spent his whole life toiling below the ground on Mars, mining a precious gas that will help make Mars and other planets habitable. He and the other Reds believe they're Earth's last hope, but after a series of events put into motion by the death of his wife, Darrow realises that his life has been a lie - Mars and the rest of the solar system has been habitable for years, and the Reds are being used so the aristocratic Golds can live out their decadent lives at the top of the food chain. With this knowledge, Darrow is recruited into a rebel group and plans to infiltrate into the Golds' command school and bring the whole system down.

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Vicious

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Age: Young Adult, Adult
Category: Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars

Rosie Thinks: The blurb for this story was pretty ambitious - it promised me a tale of zeal, jealousy, morality and superpowers, a mix that was almost too good to be true! But V. E. Schwab managed to deliver a novel that was all of this and more.

My favourite quote from the story is this:

"Someone could call themselves a hero and still walk around killing dozens. Someone else could be labeled a villain for trying to stop them. Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human."

I feel like this perfectly sums up the grey areas and utterly intriguing characters of this book.

Eli and Victor become fast friends in college, both top of the class, ambitious, and with a dark streak under the surface. When both their thesises collide - the effect of near-death trauma and the creation of ExtraOrdinary humans - they decide to move from theory to experimentation, setting them down a path of betrayal and anger. The book alternates mainly between this time and ten years down the track, when Victor has escaped from prison with his cellmate and takes in a stray girl with an ExtraOrdinary power, and is intent on revenge. The structure of this book - the time jumps every chapter - could've so easily gone wrong, but the author pulled it off masterfully. It gave the story such a rigid structure and allowed Schwab to only reveal a little at a time, keeping me hooked. And I'm not just using that as a turn of phrase - I was honestly hooked in right from the start, and read it all in one sitting without even breaking for the bathroom!

Probably my most favourite aspect of this story was the way it delved into the grey area between good and bad, just as that quote earlier suggests. The quote at the beginning reads: "Life - the way it really is - is a battle not between Bad and Good, but between Bad and Worse" (Joseph Brodsky). Talk about that foreshadowing! Neither protganist is truly good, so the story is a facinating look into human behaviour, especially when influenced by power. The superpower aspect was also explored in an interesting way, though the characters are more the focus of the story than their powers are. But the creation of the superpowers, so rooted in science, was intriguing to read about and refreshing in its originality.

Honestly, I can't recommend this book enough. The writing is truly amazing as well, and the way the story was weaved around me left me breathless. I truly loved this story!

Love for the Cold-Blooded, or The Part-Time Evil Minion's Guide to Accidentally Dating a Superhero

Love for the Cold-Blooded, or The Part-Time Evil Minion's Guide to Accidentally Dating a Superhero by Alex Gabriel

Age: Young Adult, Adult
Category: Romance, LGBTQIA+, Supernatural
Rating: 4 stars

Rosie Thinks: When Melissa suggested this book to me to read, she only needed to say two words to get me interested: gay batman. Now that is not literally right, but it was close enough to get me interested! Pat, reluctant son of a supervillain, is happy with his night manager job until a series of misunderstandings ends with him in the bed of his boss. Not only is his boss a reclusive billionaire and the famous superhero Silver Paladin, but he thinks Pat's a prostitute. Soon, the two are falling head over heels for each other, but the return of Pat's mother with a new plan to take over the world doesn't help matters.

Superhero stories always seem to fall into one of two characters: dark and serious (like the recent Batman movies) or lighthearted and non-serious. This fell into the latter category. I've read several superhero stories in this style, and most of the time I find them ridiculous, overdone, corny, stereotypical . . . overall, I don't enjoy the forced humour. But somehow it really worked in this book. Pat could so easily have become an annoying MC - he's weird, over-the-top, a chatterbox - but I actually did find him hilarious and he was so well-written that it worked. There's an almost satirical edge to this, one that pokes fun at the superhero/villain stereotypes in the funnest way possible. It was silly at times, but in a way that was fun and not absurdly ridiculous.

It is set in a completely different world, but not much information is given on it other than that showdowns between villains and heroes is the norm. The villains aren't truly bad - for example, Sir Toby created a mind control ray to take over the city and make people more happy and understanding of each other. It's situations like this where the satirical side shines through. Plus, the constant reference to the heroes/villains arranging themselves to get the best looking photo for the newspaper possible. It reminded me a bit of The Incredibles - the way it shows the heroics of a supervillain/hero meeting normal, mundane family life.

Pat is the black-sheep of the family. His older sisters are all following in his mum's supervillain footsteps, but he just wants to study Urban Design. He's just a normal university student, except the times when he has to pull 'minion duty' for one of the other villains. Nick, billionaire and Silver Paladin, is utterly adorable because he's characterised as this almost awkward, shy genius with next to no social skills.

This is longer than I would've expected for a story of this type, and I was so glad for it. I enjoyed every second of it and loved how the author wrote every scene to be so interesting. The only down point is the cover - how does a cover that boring match a book as hilarious as this? I don't really know what they were thinking, as it conveys a seriousness and over-romantic-ness that isn't present in the story. Either way, I definitely recommend this to any lover of superhero stories, or just plain slash.

An Ember in Ashes

An Ember in Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Age: Young Adult, Adult
Category: Fantasy, romance
Rating: 4.5 stars

Rosie Thinks: Laia's life is thrown into disarray when the Empire's ruthless elite warriors kill her grandparents and arrest her brother for treason, leaving her to flee. With nowhere else to go, she makes a deal with the rebels working to free their people from the Empire's violent grip: she will spy on the commander of their greatest military school in exchange for the rebels freeing her brother. The story is told in Laia's perspective, but alternates with Elias, the school's best soldier who will do anything to get away from his brutal and cold life there.

I had big expectations for this book. It caught my eye a few months ago, before it was published - an incredible blurb, plus an Ancient Rome inspired world?! Um, yes please. For the first time in a while, this book lived up to my expectations! What really caught me at the beginning was the characterisation of Laia. We are presented with this girl who is ruled by her fear, yet possesses a determination she doesn't even realise. Her weakness at the beginning cut at me and, yes, made me a bit frustrated, but I couldn't wait to see how she would grow. Everywhere in YA books, there are kickass heroines who can master their fear and refuse to run from any situation (Katniss from Hunger Games, Celaena from Throne of Glass, Katsa from Graceling, I could go on for a while). These are all fine and good, but you rarely see a character like Laia who is so strangled by her fear at the beginning. Honestly, she acted in a way I could see myself acting like in that situation, and that made me empathise with her all the more. Elias's character development wasn't as obvious as Laia's, but he still made for a good person to read about. The insights he gives into his world were breathtaking and showed the creative world Tahir created. Elias is the best warrior the school has seen in two decades, yet he has plans to desert the day after graduation - this situation also seriously intrigued me.

The whole storyline was fast-paced and gripping and, at times, downright evil. The villains are numerous and realistic, and even the Elias's sociopathic mother is made out to be human, not some kind of caricature. One of my pet hates is when a villain is just evil for the sake of being evil, with no real substance behind him/her. A book becomes immeasurably better, in my opinion, when the villain becomes human, with motivations and fears and goals that you can understand. This is what the truly frightening villains have. Marcus, Elias's schoolmate nemesis, was a bit of a Draco Malfoy-style bully at the beginning, but even he began to get a bit fleshed out towards the end. Speaking of, all the supporting characters were just incredible. Each of them played important roles and kept the plot rolling forward at a breakneck pace.

The only problem I had with this book were the unfortunate hints of a love triangle in the middle, for both main characters. I will first say this, though: this novel is fantasy first, and romance more as a side-note. There is a romantic underlying to it, but the plot is moved forward by the action and characters, rather than revolving around the romance. However, I found Laia's 'heart wanting one guy and body the other' (not actual quote) to be unnecessary and annoying. However, I'm just being picky. If you're like me and hate love triangles, don't be put off - this is only annoying in a handful of scenes.

But otherwise, this novel is flawless. It is dark and enthralling, and made me blow off all plans so I could finish it within a day. It captures a true journey of human spirit, and I can't wait for the sequel next year. I can see this becoming one of the must-read YA novels of the year. Definitely recommend!

The False Prince

The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy #1) by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Age: Young Adult, Middle Grade
Category: Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars

Rosie Thinks: Although this book has been out since 2012, for some reason this is the first time I'd ever seen it on Goodreads. I knew this for a fact, since the summary hooked me in straightaway and made me ditch the other book I was reading halfway through. And this book certainly delivered!

To save a kingdom on the brink of civil war, Conner, a nobleman, recruits four orphans to compete to become the lost prince. It starts off quite Anastasia-like, but the characters and the plot soon move well beyond that. It is told in the perspective of Sage, one of the orphans competing. Unlike the others, he struggles to be free of Conner's not-so-altruistic machinations. He's rude, poor-mannered, a thief, incredibly intelligent and I loved him so much as an MC! With the twists and setting, telling this story in first person POV could've killed it easily for me, but somehow it worked. Sage's voice was always quick, witty and hilarious, but it didn't detract from the sometimes sombre tone of the novel.

I was a bit wary when I saw this novel marked on Goodreads as not only YA, but also Middle Grade. I am happy reading YA, but Middle Grade would be getting a bit too young for me! Thankfully, it didn't come across as a book written for children, even though it still would probably be suited for Middle Grade, despite the dark themes sometimes.

The fantasy side of this story isn't so pronounced - the world-building wasn't very detailed, beyond what was needed for the storytelling. Instead, Nielsen focused more on the characters and weaving a fairly intricate web of lies. Sage is a perfect liar, but this becomes more of an endearing quality than a fault, if that is even possible! The other characters are all well characterised, with very few of them falling into stereotypical roles. I really enjoyed reading this and am so happy the summary didn't let me down!

Carry On

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Age: Young Adult
Category: Historical
Rating: 5 stars

Brittany Thinks: Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite authors writing today. From her first adult novel Attachments to her smash hit YA novel Eleanor & Park, I have devoured every one of her novels in one sitting every time. Carry On just might be my favorite. I’ve already read it twice since picking up a copy in February and I’m sure I’ll read it a few more times before the year is through.

Now this might get a little bit meta and confusing so hang in there, but Carry On is kind of a novel from within a novel and you may want to read Fangirl before digging into it. Fangirl is a novel about a girl who adores a set of fictional characters to the point where it distracts her from really living. She writes a web-hit fan fiction about these characters and fans fell in love with them. So did Rainbow. Carry On is Rowell’s version of what happens to those characters. Still with me? Good. I read Fangirl first, but it definitely isn’t necessary. I’d suggest it only because it’ll make you love these characters before even cracking the spine of Carry On.

Rowell herself has said that Carry On is her take on some of the best series of the last 20 years - namely Harry Potter and Lev Grossman’s The Magicians. It follows Simon Snow through the course of his last year at Watford School of Magicks as he tries to make sense of why every one thinks he’s “The Chosen One” and why his roommate Baz hates him so much. This is a fun, exciting read and, like all of Rowell’s books, it’s absolutely hilarious. She has such a wit and clever tone to her novels that I always find myself snickering or all out laughing. Simon and Baz have a great love/ hate chemistry going on and I lived for the scenes that featured both of them.

As a real fan girl of Harry Potter and anything a bit magical, I loved this. As a lover of character development and coming of age novels, I was even more satisfied. Seriously, writing this review makes me want to read it again. And then reread everything by Rainbow Rowell, because I just love her so much. Definitely pick this one up. It was perfect.

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1)

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Age: Young Adult
Category: Romance, fantasy
Rating: 5 stars

Rosie Thinks: This book has been sitting on my kindle for a very long time. Fellow judge Melissa read it and adored it, so sent it on to me. That was almost a year ago, though - it just faded into the background, even though the summary was appealing. But due to general laziness on my part (ie, not being bothered to research and find a new book), I gave it a go. And, as you can probably guess from my 5/5 rating, I was blown away! This would be the best YA first-in-a-series book I've read in a really long time - maybe since The 5th Wave.

Kestrel is the daughter of the infamous General who conquered Herran ten long years ago. Since then, its people have been enslaved to the Volarians. The story starts with Kestrel buying Arin at a slave auction against her better knowledge, seeing a kindred spirit in him. The two are from completely different worlds: Kestrel, that of a high society lady, and Arin, that of a slave who's suffered through the worst horrors of colonisation. As is noted in the story, "the Winner's Curse is when you come out on top of the bid, but only by paying a steep price". Accordingly, Kestrel soon learns just how steep the price she paid is.

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The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1)

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

Age: Young Adult
Category: Fantasy, historical
Rating: 5 stars

Marta Thinks: If there’s one thing I can appreciate, it is originality, and in “The Dark Days Club”, Alison Goodman delivers in spades. Pitched as a Georgette Heyer Regency romance fusion with Buffy (which is astonishing accurate description, by the way), the book is set in the 19th century, against the backdrop of the upper-class English society. For our heroine, Lady Helen Wrexhall, parties, marriage and respectability are not her priority. Lady Helen desire one thing only: independence, which she does not have under the authoritarian eye of her Uncle.

Not only that, though: Lady Helen must protect her reputation and tainted heritage. Her mother and father drowned at sea, and were declared traitors to the crown soon afterwards. Lady Helen longs for her parents, though she must hide her feelings, and the only thing which remains of her mother is a pendant. It is this very pendant that will change Lady Helen’s life and allow her to discover the darker and more dangerous side of society, the one with the answers behind the disappearance of London girls.

What makes this an exceptional book, and distinguishes it from the other historical/fantasy books out there, is the witty dialogue, the strong and real female friendships and Lady Helen, who is thoughtful and kind, but also desires a life of her own without endangering others. The only downside? The sequel comes out next year.

The Way of Shadows (Night Angel #1)

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

Age: Adult
Category: Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars

Rosie Thinks: I don't even really know how to start the review for this story. Maybe some history, first: I read it 5 years ago and flew threw the entire trilogy. This book introduced me to the author that has become one of my favourites of all time, and I've just been dying to read it again. Two days ago was the time, and I polished off this not-very-short-at-all epic in two sittings. In an interview, Weeks says "I've dreamed of keeping people up late reading my books since I started my first novel at age thirteen" - and yes, he most definitely has achieved that!

This story starts off with Azoth, a guild rat with one true dream: to be as fearless and powerful as the infamous assassin, Durzo Blint. Blint offers Azoth a way to get out of the abuse, hunger and desperation of the slums, but has to leave his old life, including his two best friends and name, behind. Azoth becomes Kylar Stern, masquerading as a baron and learning the art of poison, weapons and death in secret as Blint's apprentice.

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The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles #1)

The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan

Age: Young Adult, Adult
Category: Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars

Rosie Thinks: Whenever I go into my recommendations on Goodreads, this book always pops up first. I've been seeing it for a very, very long time, until I finally decided to give it a go yesterday, with very low expectations. And then, because Goodreads knows me so well, I was hooked. This book had everything I loved in it: it was fast-paced and had a fantastic cast of characters, with a plot that, while seeming to be generic, was everything but.

After spending five years abroad as a warrior, Hadrian has come back to his homeland after the death of his father, completely purposeless. He finds this purpose when a friend of his father tasks him with stealing a famous journal from an impenetrable tower. The only problem? He has to do it with the help of Royce Melborn, a cynical assassin whom Hadrian would rather kill than work with.

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Ink and Bone

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

Age: Young Adult
Category: Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars

“Books will never be just a business to you."

Marta Thinks: Finished with Ink and Bone, I was left with the feeling that the book could easily be compared to Harry Potter. As I looked through over Goodreads reviews, I can see that I certainly wasn’t the only one and it’s not hard to figure out why — we begin with an outsider (a young boy called Jess) who is introduced to a whole new world, as he passes the exam that will allow to study at The Great Library in Alexandria. From there, the book plunges into an immersive world with vivid characters. However, Ink and Bone manages to stand well on its own and there is no sort of feeling that it comes secondary to Harry Potter or that it is a rip-off in any way.

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The Mara Dyer Trilogy

The Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin

Age: Young Adult
Category: Romance, fantasy, mystery & crime
Rating: 5 stars

Brittany Thinks: I have read a lot of Young Adult series over the years and The Mara Dyer Trilogy by Michelle Hodkin is absolutely one of the best. In fact, it may crack the top ten for one of the best series I've ever read in my life in any genre. As a lifelong reader and an English major, I've been well trained for years to figure out any story long before the big reveal, but these books kept me guessing until the final page. The plot was unique, refreshing, and kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't read fast enough.

It's difficult to give too much information about the plot of these books without spoiling them, but suffice it to say that you've never read anything like this before, even though what I can give away seems like it fits the mold of common YA tropes of late. When our story begins, Mara Dyer is a 17 year old girl beginning her first day at a new school a few months after experiencing a terrible tragedy. She is the sole survivor of an accident that killed her three best friends and she can't remember a moment of what happened - not that anyone believes her. Soon she finds that it's harder to escape her past than one might guess as her life unravels even more. In her "new" life she makes new friends - and meets a new guy - who might just be able to help her uncover the truth of what happened to her.

The characterization is phenomenal in these books. Though Mara is absolutely likable and interesting, I'd call her more of an antihero than a heroine. Her chemistry with Noah Shaw is off of the charts and he is probably one of my favorite male leads of the past few years. Rounded out with a supporting cast of funny, interesting, well-developed characters, the people in this story make the story.

Be prepared for a rollercoaster with this trilogy that will keep you lost and enthralled from the very first page. It's creepy, romantic, confusing, thrilling, and one of the best YA series around. Just make sure you have your hands on all three books before opening The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, because you will never want them to end!

Errant Prince

The Errant Prince by Sasha L. Miller

Age: Young Adult / Adult
Category: Romance, fantasy, LGBTQIA+
Rating: 3 stars

Rosie Thinks: Ever since Prince Tamsen ran away from the palace seven years ago, he's been living the secluded life of a hermit, surrounded by his herbs and his books. Guardsman Myron has been charged to find him and bring him home. No others have managed to force him back to the palace, so Myron tries a different tact: patience.

Myron is an easily loveable character, easy-going and mischievous, and stubborn enough to outlast Tamsen. Tamsen, on the other hand, isn't what Myron was expecting at all. Despite acting like a brat at times, Tamsen relishes his simplistic lifestyle and isn't keen on being dragged away from it. The book spent the first half in Myron's POV, then the second half in Tamsen's. I'm never usually a fan of alternating POVs, but the rigidity and consistency of this actually served to improve the storytelling, for once!

This isn't a long book - only 40 000 words - but Sasha L. Miller still manages to weave a unique and realistic story within that. It deals with a whole range of issues, including personal identity and acceptance, court politics, a transexual character, and the romance weaved into all of it. Despite it being a romance, there's nothing explicit, making it a story that can reach a wider age range.

If you're looking for an in-depth character study, you won't find it here. Instead, this story is a sweet romance that doesn't focus on the unnecessary drama that so many other romances seem to - in particular, I'm referring to the grand 'misunderstanding' that always seems to appear in love stories these days. Myron and Tamsen actually communicated, like the grown adults they are! That's not to say that they didn't have their troubles along the way - rather, the author was more creative in creating drama that was realistic and interesting.

This story was like a breath of fresh air, staying away from the usual stereotypes of a romance story that I'm sick of seeing. It's not overly complicated, but consistently remains a cute romance throughout, and one that I would recommend to anyone!

Losing Ground

Losing Ground by Sasha L. Miller

Age: Young Adult / Adult
Category: Romance, fantasy, LGBTQIA+
Rating: 3 stars

Rosie Thinks: This is only the second book I've read from Sasha L. Miller, but I'm really beginning to like her. Both books have been unique, including the storylines and the surroundings, and she's stayed away from the cliches of the m/m romance genre. HOORAY! Not much upsets me more than a story that I feel like I've read a thousand times before.

Losing Ground is set in a world like ours, yet different - it's modern, but it's broken up into territories which are owned by wizards or witches. There wasn't too much world-building past that, but since it wasn't an overly long or complicated story, it didn't need it. The magic is elemental, and the story is told from the POV of earth wizard Carter Bellwood. He is set to inherit the territory once his ailing mother passes, but his powers are comparatively quite weak and they are both struggling to rid their territory of the disease that is killing all plant life. When super-strong earth wizard Tai enters their territory, Carter thinks he's found the solution. But Tai is running from something and might not stick around, despite the friendship developing between the two men.

I guess you could class this as a 'slow romance', but I'd prefer to call it realistic. They become friends first, and it takes a while for Tai to lower his guard enough to let Carter in. It develops from there into a romance that was sweet and understated. The main action comes from the two men fighting the disease and Tai's past catching up to him, so it stayed interesting, suspenseful and intriguing throughout.

I felt like Miller did a great job at creating an urban fantasy world, but I would've liked to have seen a bit more romantic development between the two. It took a backseat to the action for most of it, and I think the story as a whole could've benefited from one or two extra scenes of just Tai and Carter, without the plot intruding. Other than that, it made for a lovely, easy read that didn't disappoint.

The Archer's Heart

The Archer's Heart by Astrid Amara

Age: Adult
Category: Fantasy; LGBTQIA+
Rating: 5 stars

Rosie Thinks: Take it from me, who's read a ridiculous amount of m/m novels - it's super hard to find a good quality fantasy m/m book. Like, I can probably count the number on one hand. And Archer's Heart is exactly what I search for! It has a solid world, characters I adored, and a storyline that took my breath away.

The story starts off, and is based around, the battle between Darvad Uru and Yudar Paran to be chosen to inherit the throne of Marhavad. Marhavad is a country with a strict and oppressive caste system, and Yudar is a strict traditionalist as opposed to Darvad, who is more open. Our two main characters are on either sides of this feud. Keshan Adaru, who is definitely my favourite character, is a charismatic visionary who is fervent in his belief of abolishing the caste system, and sees Darvad as the man to bring this about. Jandu Paran, Yudar's brother, is a brilliant archer but is shallow and arrogant, yet he cannot ignore the powerful attraction between he and Keshan. Their dangerous love affair is set against the backdrop of courtly intrigue, magic and betrayal.

I'm going to be completely honest and say that Jandu starts off as a complete brat. He doesn't care about anything past his own archery and is both confused and ashamed of his attraction to Keshan. But this is what makes his progress into an incredible character so brilliant! His growth is slow and subtle, provoked by events and not just influenced by Keshan's own ideals. After finishing this, it is absolutely mind-blowing to go back and think about how all the main characters started out, especially Jandu (particularly since I started out not really liking any of them!).

The world-building in this novel is also phenomenal. I could see the influences from India, and that's made it stand out for me amongst fantasy books. I can't think of another fantasy novel that I've read which borrows from India, rather than that dreaded Middle Ages cliche, or even from the Middle East. The whole world is incredibly solid, rich with customs and traditions. The magic in this novel comes in the form of 'shartas', which are weapons that can only be used by the uppermost caste.

This book is divided into three novels, and I am writing this review after re-reading the first one. While the first book starts off fairly predictably, the ending of it completely blindsided me. All of my preconceived notions and cliches of how I thought this book would go down were thrown out the window. From the second book on, Amara's imagination absolutely exploded. This is definitely up there with the best m/m books I've ever read!

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Age: Adult
Category: Classic; fantasy
Rating: 5 stars

Marta Thinks: When Oscar Wilde was asked to name his hundred favourite books, he said he could not. When asked why, he replied, “Because I have only written five.” Witty and outrageous, Oscar Wilde was one of the best writers of the 19th century, if not of all times. Hyperbole? No, not a hyperbole, every word is deserved. A factual description then, of an irresistibly mesmerising and intelligent individual whose artistic ability is disputed by none. His most notable novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, does not propose a new plot (reminiscent, perhaps, of Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, where there is a duality associated with a single human being), but Wilde is indisputably original, unrestrained as he explodes with outrageously clever ideas.

This is largely due to the fact that Wilde was part of the aesthetic movement, which encouraged writers to break free from the restraints and limitations society imposed, even in terms of moral etiquette. Wilde went even further and introduced the idea that an artist’s life holds more importance than any work he produces, i.e. his life is to become his most important masterpiece. This idea can be seen in The Picture of Dorian Gray, where Dorian’s life and portrait are inextricably linked, and their individual significance is questioned. Dorian trades his soul for the immortality of his beauty and his portrait is a mirror of how his own life degrades into nothing.

A relatively good amount of the novel is summarised in the preface, in which Oscar Wilde poses statements related to art, such as “The artist is the creator of beautiful things” or “There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.” Of course, these statements can be challenged and debated ad infinitum, which reflects rather neatly the novel itself. The first quote brings up the most implications: does art have to be beautiful? What can we define as beauty? Is Basil no longer an artist once his painting is ruined by Dorian’s crimes? Oscar Wilde’s response to this is also in the preface: “Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital.”

Critic Roland Barthes wrote in 1967 an essay, The Death of the Author, in which he argued against including the artist’s biographical and social context into interpretation and that the creation must be separate from the creator, e.g. It does not matter whether the author intended for the red colour of the curtains to symbolise death; what matters is that they represent death. Ultimately, it does not matter what Oscar Wilde believed or did not believe; what matters is how The Picture of Dorian Gray becomes a mirror for own lives, allowing us to answer the ubiquitous questions concerning human existence.

The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Age: Young Adult
Category: Fantasy; romance
Rating: 4 stars

Rosie Thinks: I don't quite know what I expected out of this book, but that certainly wasn't it - in the best possible way, of course. We start off with Blue, sitting in an abandoned churchyard with her psychic aunt. Blue has no psychic ability at all, but she acts as an amplifier for others. Her aunt is normally the only one who sees the spirits of those who will die pass, but this year is different - Blue sees Gansey. And the only reason a non-psychic would see someone is if he's her true love, or she killed him. Which is a bit of a dilemma, since Blue has been told since she was little: "If you kiss your true love, he will die." That has to be one of the strongest premises I've ever seen in a book!

For starters, this wasn't as romance-centric as I thought this would be, but I also wasn't anywhere near as disappointed by that as I thought I'd be. Instead, it focuses around Blue, Gansey and his group of friends as they search for a long-dead Welsh king. There are quite a few plots going on, with several POVs, and it takes a while to get the plot moving swiftly. It is definitely worth the wait! I had no clue what was going to happen next, and the ending half is just incredible. There was one plot twist that is so incredibly obvious now, but I had no suspicions of at the time. I am truly in awe that Stiefvater pulled this off.

The supernatural in this book is portrayed like nothing you've ever seen before. That magical aspect in the story is written perfectly to convey the beauty, suspense, and spine-tingling fear of it. Stiefvater's writing is pure genius. She has a knack of perfectly describing something in a way that is concise and not a cliche. The dialogue between all the characters was fantastic, and it also served to characterise each of them uniquely. I absolutely adore Gansey and his three friends: Ronan, Noah and Adam. Each of them are so different with their own set of problems, yet somehow they mesh together. Each of them now has a place in my heart! Gansey would have to be my favourite, although not by much. He has two sides to him: the posh rich boy with the world at his feet, and the boy who is passionate to the point of obsessed with finding Glendower. Poor Gansey doesn't always come across perfectly, as we see when we're first introduced to him and when he says: "My words are unerring tools of destruction, and I've come unequipped with the ability to disarm them."

Out of all the characters, however, I found Blue to be the most boring, which isn't so great since she's one of the most prominent characters. She's quirky and eccentric, and I think that could have stopped me sympathising with her as much as I ought to have: I am quite sick of reading stories about an eccentric loner and a group of wealthy boys. Thankfully, this story evolved way past that cliche within the first few chapters, but I still wish Blue had a few more defining characteristics.

The Deep End of the Sea

The Deep End of the Sea by Heather Lyons

Age: Young Adult / Adult
Category: Romance, fantasy
Rating: 3 stars

Rosie Thinks: This is the story of Medusa, like you've never heard it told before. To me, Medusa's always been evil and horrible, deserving of her punishment. The backstory is the same as the legend: Medusa was brutally raped by Poseidon in Athena's temple, then the goddess cursed her and exiled her to live for eternity alone. But Medusa herself is completely different: she has the gentlest of hearts, kind and caring and always despairing when someone unwittingly stumbles upon her and she turns them to stone. The only bright points in her life is Mikkos, the old, blind sailor who visits her, and Hermes, son of Zeus, who has slowly wormed his way into Medusa's heart.

From the summary, I thought this story would be quite static: staying in the same place on Medusa's island as she throws a pity party or a hundred. But it wasn't like this at all - the plot moved fast, and I never got overly frustrated with Medusa. Despite having so many things happen to her, she still retained her inner sanity and goodness. To be fair, she did cry a lot, but it was valid. Her character growth was impressive to see and real. She started off as a shut-in, hurt by the world and not ready to trust easily again. Indeed, it took Hermes over a thousand years to break through her shell. But slowly, she discovers who she really is and what it means to stand up for herself. Most importantly, the incredibly sensitive issue of sexual assault was dealt with properly and very, very well. There are so many books where rape is used as a plot device and given no real exploration of the depth of trauma it causes, but Heather Lyons handled it so perfectly.

The romance between Hermes and Medusa was beautiful. It's one of the healthiest relationships I've ever read about: Hermes doesn't ever push Medusa, knowing her history, and loves her for her, as opposed to her appearance. The other minor characters are lovely as well, and I loved the way they interacted with Medusa and helped her grow. I only wish that the gods and goddesses weren't so black and white: some were good, some were bad. I prefer the grey area, where the villains aren't truly evil and the good people aren't all light.

This is a great book for anyone interested in Greek mythology, but it takes a modern twist on it that I found intriguing. For me, this lies in the grey area between young adult and new adult - it reads like a YA novel, but there are some scenes that are a bit too explicit for YA. Either way, it is an amazing romance that has a solid plot that carried the rest of the novel, and great characters.