The Biased Bibliophile

ARC Review: Of Cages and Crowns

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Once I realized that Of Cages and Crowns by Brianna Joy Crump was a fantasy novel where The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor, I was a little skeptical. That being said, it ended up surprising me more than I expected.

Every generation ten girls are marked by the goddess and gifted with a unique ability. It is an honor coveted by many, but dreaded by Monroe, a goddess-touched girl who has lived hidden away her entire life. The ten girls are required to compete in the Culling, a competition to the death where the prize is the Prince’s hand in marriage and the title of Queen, but they have to outlast nine other girls to win.

I had mixed feelings about a good portion of this novel, but as a whole, I think if you can stick it out to the end, it’s clear that many of the aspects that are a little annoying seem to set up the ending and the next book in the series. The book felt a bit too long for me; especially the first part seemed very slow.

Furthermore, I was not thrilled at the comparison to The Bachelor, but I was excited to discover that it didn’t give off the same creepy vibes as the T.V. show. I went back and forth between loving Monroe and Prince Cohen’s relationship to hating it. There was a little bit of instant attraction on Monroe’s part, which I found odd considering her circumstances. I thought the relationship developed nicely from there though, but fizzled out, and then reignited towards the end. Overall, I wouldn’t say I was wholeheartedly invested in their relationship, but I think that is because other aspects of the novel needed to take priority.

Similarly, I thought Cohen was infuriating! He basically becomes angry with Monroe when she simply takes action to try to survive, and boy was I furious. The nerve of him to be mad at her when he was partially to blame for her circumstances to begin with, when he was not willing to do anything to change those circumstances, was appalling! However, I think the ending of the novel showed some growth in his character, and explained (but didn’t excuse) his poor behavior.

Additionally, there were a lot of elements to the story that made it more complex. For instance, Monroe’s relationships with the other goddess-touched girls, her brothers, and her trainers, really added a lot of depth to the novel. These aspects also showed an impressive growth in Monroe and the other characters in the book.

When I was planning on writing this review, I was ready to say that I saw the ending coming, but it ended up being surprisingly unexpected. Now, I wouldn’t say that it was a major plot twist or anything, but I’ll just say that I was ready for the author to leave the novel open-ended to a certain extent, and that did not happen. There are certainly still some loose ends, but not in regard to what I was expecting. I really appreciated this aspect of the book!

Overall, if you are a reader who can appreciate a book for its complexity, and who doesn’t mind a slow novel, then I think this book is for you. While I initially wasn’t planning on reading the sequel, that ending really drew me in!

Book Review: Strike the Zither

Genre: YA Fantasy, Retelling Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rep: WOC

After reading an excerpt of Strike the Zither by Joan He I was enticed, but after finishing the book I was absolutely blown away! To be honest The Ones We’re Meant to Find had been sitting on my shelf for a while, and I eventually ended up donating it because I wasn’t sure that I would ever get to it, but now I’m regretting that. Strike the Zither was one of those books that is clearly a five-star read from the first few chapters!

Having grown up as an orphan, Zephyr was determined to raise herself out of poverty. After studying under multiple mentors she decided to live a life of solitude, but changes her mind when Ren, a warlordess who fights for her people, approaches her, asking Zephyr to be her strategist. When Zephyr finally agrees, she did not realize how much she was committing to, but finds her loyalties truly lie with Ren’s cause.

From the outset of this novel I was captivated! It was interesting reading about a protagonist who is not typical. I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel with a strategist as a protagonist before and it added a lot of new and interesting aspects to the story. I also enjoyed how He stayed true to Zephyr’s identity as a strategist throughout the novel.

Additionally, this novel was inspired by Three Kingdoms, which is a classic story in Chinese literature. While I have not read Three Kingdoms, it was clear from the author’s note that she made a huge effort to incorporate aspects of the original story into this retelling. One change she made was to change the gender of many characters, as only men were seen as fit to be rulers or strategists in the original story, and in history. I thought this change was fitting and improved the novel, just as the things He mirrored from the original added to the story as well.

Furthermore, Zephyr is such a compelling character. I was so invested in her personal story and seeing where that would take her. The novel is split into two parts (at very logical points in the story I might add) and Zephyr is the biggest constant throughout the novel. When her world was forever changed halfway through the book, I felt heartbroken like she did. Her spirit and defiance added fire to the story as well.

Finally, the plot really made this novel shine. Joan He mentions that she thinks this book is her best, and while I haven’t read her other books, I find it hard to imagine her being able to top the epic adventure of Strike the Zither. It truly was everything I could ask for in a book, and left me begging for answers. There were also quite a few plot twists (some predictable, some not) that added a fun element to the novel.

Overall, Strike the Zither was a heartbreakingly beautiful fantasy novel, and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So many people in the book community talk about rereading comfort books, and up until recently I couldn’t relate. However, I found myself having a difficult time getting through any book on my TBR shelf, so I decided to reread one of my all time favorite books, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, and it was just as wonderful as the first time I read it!

The novel follows Karou, a girl who lives a mysterious life in Prague. She is a talented artist who sketches stunning drawings of monsters, and when her acquaintances ask her about them, she claims they are real. Little do they know, she was raised by the very monsters she draws. When angels come to Earth and start burning the portals to the world of Karou’s family, she is desperate to do anything to stop them.

Laini Taylor is an absolute genius! The originality of this story is simply mind-blowing, and I think it has become so popular in recent years that we often take this uniqueness for granted. Similarly, Taylor’s writing is both vivid and lyrical. So many of her sentences paint such a clear picture in the reader’s mind, and I’ve yet to find another author who does this quite the way she does. Her words flow like a poem, and I could get lost in the beauty of her writing.

My favorite quote from the book was and remains, “Wished are false. Hope is True. Hope makes it’s own magic.” If that doesn’t take your breath away, then I don’t know what will!

I’ll keep my review short and sweet. If you haven’t read this life-changing book yet, then you need to abandon all of your responsibilities to do so immediately!

Book Review: If You Could See the Sun

Genre: YA Magical Realism Rating: ⭐⭐ Rep: POC

After reading an excerpt of If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang, I thought I might have finally found a magical realism book that I would enjoy. Despite the fact that I have yet to find a book in this genre that I love, I am determined to find one. Unfortunately, If You Could See the Sun was not that book.

The novel follows Alice, a girl attending a private school in China, who finds out that her family does not have enough money to continue sending her to this school. While Alice is a perfectionist and overachiever, she often feels invisible, but is shocked one day when she actually turns invisible. She decides to profit from this misfortune by secretly accepting tasks from her classmates in exchange for money, but this plan soon goes horribly wrong.

The excerpt that I read was fantastic, and it ended with the first time Alice turns invisible. Sadly, the rest of the book was underwhelming. It felt like nothing happened for a good portion of the book, and then everything was crammed into the last 50 pages or so.

Similarly, I don’t want to spoil the ending, but it was absolutely horrible. Basically, Alice does something morally wrong, and not only does no one stop her, she argues that she shouldn’t be punished for her wrongdoings because she is poor. Likewise, much of the novel focused on her growth as a character, only to have her lie to someone towards the end. It just ruined all the character growth prior to that instance.

Finally, I thought the ending was a little abrupt. It left me with quite a few questions, and I was certainly disappointed. Overall, this book is probably a good fit for those who like magical realism, but I am still searching for a book within that genre that I enjoy.

Book Review: Secrets So Deep

Genre: YA Mystery, YA Suspense Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

When I saw the cover of Secrets So Deep by Ginny Myers Sain, I thought it would be the perfect book to celebrate this spooky season. As a whole, it was pretty good, but not necessarily great.

The book follows Avril, a young woman who attends a theatre/summer camp, which also happens to be the place her mother died and she drowned as a child. Strange events start unfolding as soon as Avril arrives, and she is torn between reconnecting with her mother’s old friends, making new friends of her own, and avoiding the legends of the sea calling women to their deaths that seem all too real.

I have to say that the ending of the novel was definitely my favorite part. Not because it was spectacular or anything, but more so because it felt right. While it was certainly predictable, it was still a fun read. I did find the majority of the novel to be slow, but I think that’s like because I don’t read a lot of mysteries and thrillers. I guess I expected it to be…I don’t know… a little more thrilling.

Overall, I think people who generally enjoy mysteries and thrillers will like this book, it just wasn’t the right book for me.

ARC Review: Silver in the Mist

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rep: Asexual, Nonbinary

I’m always excited to find new fantasy books with ace rep, so I was stoked when I saw that Emily Victoria would be publishing her second novel, Silver in the Mist! I have not had a chance to read her debut novel, This Golden Flame, yet, but if it’s half as good as Silver in the Mist, I know I’m going to love it!

What’s better than an ace protagonist? An ace protagonist who is also a spy! Being the daughter of her nation’s head spy, Devlin is willing to do anything for her country, so when she is sent on a mission to infiltrate the sister nation of Cerena, she is ready to sacrifice anything. However, the more she gets to know her target, Alyse, Cerena’s most powerful caster, the more secrets she discovers. Her mission turns out to be more difficult than she ever imagined.

Normally, I try to keep notes of the things I like and dislike while I’m reading a novel, but I was so wrapped up in Silver in the Mist, I completely forgot to do so! The whole book was very immersive, and the plot had a decent mixture of action and depth. I thought the relationships Devlin made throughout the novel related to the plot well.

Devlin is such a great protagonist! I was fascinated reading about how her character develops throughout the book, and I loved that she starts off confident, questions herself a little, and regains that confidence. Her relationships with her mother, Lochlan, and Alyse really made the story shine.

Additionally, I found quite a few quotes that were simply poetic. On the surface, this book is about a spy trying to save her nation, but deeper down it is a novel about hope and perseverance. I was moved by the way Victoria developed those themes throughout the book, and that is what made it great in my opinion.

Overall, I highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait to finally read This Golden Flame, and to see what else Emily Victoria has in store for readers in the future!

Book Review: First Earth

Genre: YA Portal Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rep: disabled, chronic pain

I have written many reviews where I don’t quite have the words to express how much the book moved me, but none quite so much as this one. When I found out that author, Cami Murdock Jensen, chose me as a reader for BookGush October, I was absolutely stoked, but I never imagined that her book, First Earth, would impact me as much as it did.

The novel follows Agnes, who jumps at the chance to do an internship with her mentor. However, when she and her mentor go to view an ancient artifact, her internship takes a wild turn, and she ends up traveling through a portal to another world! Throughout all of this she battles neuropathy pain, and she discovers that she is stronger than she ever could have imagined.

I had absolutely no idea that this book had chronic pain representation until I started reading it. Chronic pain is something I’ve lived with for most of my life, yet I’ve never actually read a book that truly incorporates a character’s pain into their story. Reading First Earth, I have never felt so simultaneously seen and hopeful. I have read fantasy books for a long time as a way to escape reality. Imagining myself in the role of the protagonist has always come with one caveat; that my chronic illnesses and pain would have to disappear for me to be part of these stories. For the first time in my life this book allowed me to escape into a fantasy story that accepts me as I am; a story where I don’t have to change a single thing about myself to imagine myself in that world. Honestly, words cannot convey what that experience means to me.

Additionally, while I personally don’t have neuropathy pain, I found many details about Agnes’ pain relatable. Truthfully, when I started reading the book, I was curious to see how her experiences would be incorporated into the story. Fantasy books that have people with chronic pain constantly running around, saving the day, and showing immense physical strength are really disheartening because they aren’t realistic. But First Earth was so genuine and uplifting. So, maybe Agnes didn’t engage in a harrowing sword fight, but her powers allowed her to show strength in other ways. I absolutely loved how she was just as much a part of the story as the characters who didn’t have chronic pain. I never felt like she was taking a backseat to the action, or only mentioned as an afterthought. She took the spotlight and fought battles in her own way!

Furthermore, I appreciated another aspect of the way Agnes’ chronic pain and physical scars were portrayed. Now, I want to preface that this is completely my opinion and personal preference. By no means do I speak for the disabled and chronic pain warriors of the world. That being said, I thought it was fitting and relatable that Agnes’ pain and scars were not magically healed. Don’t get me wrong, I would have absolutely no issue with someone choosing to have chronic pain magically healed if they could. I certainly would. However, that feature was vital to the story. I’m not saying that people with chronic pain become their chronic pain, but it does become a part of them. Agnes’ story isn’t powerful because she lives with chronic pain or despite her living with chronic pain. It is not the defining factor of who she is, but it is one of the many attributes she has. The story would have drastically changed if Temnon wasn’t fiercely loyal or if Grimmal wasn’t feisty or if Dominath wasn’t wise. In a similar way, it would have been vastly different if Agnes didn’t have chronic pain and scars.

On top of the phenomenal representation, the book was fantastic! The characters were clearly well thought out and the plot was robust and immersive. I know it’s cliché to say this, but I truly couldn’t put it down. I also thought the ending was a good mixture of satisfaction and curiosity.

As a whole, First Earth quickly became one of my all time favorite books! I can’t wait to go on more adventures with the wonderful characters!

Book Review: The Elven Prince

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

I was so honored to have been chosen by indie author, K. Rose, for BookGush October, which matches authors with readers who can help spread the word about their books! I am so lucky to end up working with a wonderful author, who wrote an equally amazing book, The Elven Prince!

The novel follows Sebastian, an elf who is fourth in line for his kingdom’s throne. After he finds a treasure that can save his kingdom from an evil sorceress, he must travel to the land of the firekeeper’s to ensure the item’s safety. Along the way he meets new friends and enemies, and goes on the adventure of a lifetime.

First off, K. Rose mentions in the acknowledgements that her readers might have rolled their eyes at the many puns in the novel, but for me, the opposite was true! I am a sucker for a good pun and this book had me literally laughing out loud. I don’t know if this would be overkill, but more puns in the next novel would be greatly appreciated by this reader. (If I was punnier, I would have a great joke to add here!)

Furthermore, I love the epic feeling of this story! As a reader, you feel as if you are going along with Sebastian on his journey, and experiencing a fun adventure of your own. I particularly enjoyed the found family trope in the novel, and I can’t wait to see how that plays out in the next book!

Likewise, I think this novel sets up the sequel nicely. There are so many places K. Rose could go with the sequel, and I’m anxiously awaiting it! I would also be interested in a prequel that explores some of the other characters in the novel, especially Guy and Aislen.

As a whole, The Elven Prince was a fantastic novel, and I can’t wait to read more books in this world and with these wonderful characters!

ARC Review: The Gravity of Existence

Genre: Poetry/Horror Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

While I don’t normally read a lot of poetry, The Gravity of Existence by Christina Sng captured my attention with its title and cover! On the whole, it was pretty good!

It’s definitely a quick read, and didn’t even take me an hour to read the entire book. While I thought the poems were a bit disjointed and didn’t necessarily go together well, there were some that dug deep and truly made me think. Some of the lines in certain poems were simply so lyrical and genius, they definitely stood out.

As a whole, I wouldn’t say that The Gravity of Existence greatly impacted my opinion on poetry, but it was worth the read considering the short length and the handful of beautiful lines!

ARC Review: Princess of Souls

Genre: YA Fantasy, YA Fairytale Retelling Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2 Rep: Bi

When I heard that Alexandra Christo was publishing a new book that is a Rapunzel retelling, I was so excited! I absolutely loved To Kill a Kingdom and jumped at the opportunity to read an early copy of Princess of Souls!

On the outside, everyone thinks Selestra is a princess, the next in line to take her mother’s place as the royal witch, but Selestra knows she is really a prisoner to the immortal and cruel king. When her ancestor tied her family’s magic to the king, she doomed generations of women to blindly serve him. However, every year the king offers citizens a chance to cheat death and earn a wish if they make it a couple weeks, or steal his immortality if they survive the month of the blood moon. Nox, a solider in the king’s army is determined to steal his immortality, but when his fate is tied to Selestra’s, things become much more difficult for the two of them.

While I found the first half of the novel kind of slow, I thought the action really picked up in the second half, and truly captured my attention. Towards the end of the novel, things were moving so quickly that I literally could not put the book down. I also loved the adventurous elements of the novel, and the way the characters traveled to different lands.

Furthermore, despite being a Rapunzel retelling, I thought the novel would have benefitted from more focus on the romance between Selestra and Nox. Although it was certainly part of the story, it felt like it took a backseat for most of the book. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but being a Rapunzel retelling, it was a bit unexpected.

In addition, I really enjoyed Selestra and Nox’s points of view throughout the novel. Having the dual POVs highlighted the ways the two main characters interpreted events differently throughout the book. I also appreciated the way Selestra’s doubts and hesitations were apparent from her POV, but not as obvious from Nox’s POV. It definitely emphasized her growth throughout the novel, and the way the two characters’ feelings developed.

The supporting characters in the book were interesting, but I would have like to see more of them throughout the book. Especially, Selestra’s mother, since she plays a vital role in Selestra’s story. Pretty much all of the supporting characters were compelling, I just think some of them could have taken on a more significant role in the novel.

Overall, Princess of Souls was pretty good, but unfortunately didn’t quite live up to my high expectations after reading To Kill a Kingdom.