The Biased Bibliophile

Book Review: Coven

Genre: YA Fantasy, Graphic Novel Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rep: Queer, Sapphic, POC

I typically don’t read many graphic novels, but after reading an excerpt of Coven, written by Jennifer Dugan and illustrated by Kit Seaton, I could not wait to continue reading! Honestly, this book has convinced me that I need to read graphic novels more often!

The book is about Emsy, a young witch whose family moved away from her coven when she was young. She has a life, friends, and a girlfriend in California, but when tragedy strikes her coven in New York, her family forces her to move across the country. She soon learns that she is more powerful than she thought, but being part of a coven is not all fun and games.

Everything about this book was fantastic! When it was advertised as a queer fantasy graphic novel, I was interested because you don’t see that every day. The queer rep in the book really elevated the overall quality, and I loved that it was normalized within Emsy’s family and coven. While it is important to have books about coming out, it is equally important to have books that simply show queer people living life, and this book was a phenomenal example of the latter.

Furthermore, I enjoyed both the fantastical and mysterious elements of this novel. The magic system was compelling, and not too complicated. Watching Emsy discover more about her powers was fun, and it was endearing to see members of her coven teaching her more and being open with her.

Similarly, the friendships that Emsy developed were complex, personal, and inviting. She developed relationships with different dynamics, which added a lot to the story.

Finally, the illustrations in this novel were what really made it stand out. All of the drawings were well thought out and pretty consistent. Every now and then there would be a drawing that was simply breathtaking, and gave me chills.

As a whole, I will definitely be trying out more graphic novels in the future. I would love it if Dugan and Seaton decided to create a sequel to Coven because the book was truly fantastic!

ARC Review: The Sunbearer Trials

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rep: Transgender, Nonbinary, Gender Fluid

I was absolutely blown away by The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas! The novel takes place in a world where the god, Sol, sacrificed their life to save the world from the evil Obsidian gods. Every 10 years the Sunbearer Trials take place with 10 demigods, who are almost always Golds. The loser of the trials must be sacrificed to protect the world from the Obsidians. Teo, a Jade demigod, is shocked when he is chosen to compete in the trials, but throughout his journey, he realizes things are even more complicated than he initially thought.

While I’ve heard people compare this book to The Hunger Games, I personally loved this book so much more. The trials in the book were inventive and action-packed. I found myself wanting to skip ahead just to see what the results would be. Likewise, I appreciated the fact that the demigods were ranked after each trial, and that those rankings made sense.

On a similar note, I thought the camaraderie in The Sunbearer Trials was phenomenal! Teo develops complex and multifaceted relationships with most of the other competitors, and I adored this human element of the story. Teo, Niya, and Xio were the perfect trio! They truly complemented each other well, and the way that they knew each other’s flaws and still had such a strong friendship was endearing.

One of the aspects I enjoyed most about the book was the queer representation. Teo, the main character, is a trans boy. The way Thomas used Teo’s wings to convey messages about what it’s like to be trans was moving. Additionally, Xio is also a trans boy, and he and Teo connected over their shared experiences and struggles. In my opinion, this connection was so vital to the story, and it shows why more books need multiple trans characters. Having two trans characters converse and connect amplified Teo’s and Xio’s experiences, whereas we might not have gotten that insight if there had only been one trans character.

Similarly, the worldbuilding was fantastic, and I enjoyed the way Thomas made being queer a normalized part of this world. There was both subtle and overt representation of queer people in this book, and we truly need more books like this, especially within the fantasy genre!

Finally, I loved the way I just got lost in this story! You can always tell a great book from a good book because you will lose track of time while reading a great book. I found myself shocked to reach the end of the novel, and obviously disappointed because I want more of this story now! I also laughed out loud a few times throughout the book, and I thought the touch of humor was the perfect addition.

Overall, while The Sunbearer Trials has been compared to other books in the genre, I can certainly say it stands on it’s own and has the potential to become a new classic within YA fantasy. It’s not often that you find a book that seamlessly incorporates queer representation with a compelling story, but that is exactly what this book accomplished!

ARC Review: Kindred Kingdoms

Genre: YA Fantasy Anthology Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rep: Queer, Disabled, POC

As a whole, I absolutely loved this anthology! There were quite a few 4 and 5 star stories, and the representation was fantastic! My top 3 were:
1. The Necromancer’s Army by Agatha Lopez
2. From the Ether by E.M. Lacey
3. Dawn by Morgan Daimler

Weight of the Arrow by Erin Casey (3 Stars)
I liked that the MC is in the midst of a journey towards body positivity. I also really enjoyed the dragons in this story!

Daughters of the Jungle by R.L. Medina (4 Stars)
I really liked that the story focused on both sisters, but it was from Yara’s perspective. I loved the magic in the story and the way Yara and Leku are opposites, but also connected. The ending was fantastic!

Enchanted by the Elven Prince by Sirena Knighton (5 Stars)
I feel like elves are overdone in fantasy nowadays, but I must say I absolutely loved this story! I will definitely be reading the full novella of this story and, if it’s not too spicy for me, I will be ordering Knighton’s first book in this series as well. Her writing was simply exquisite and the romance was perfect!

Kingdom of Blood and Bane by K.R.S. McEntire (4.5 Stars)
Another wonderful story! It certainly drew me in from the beginning. I really liked the plot twist towards the end of this story. The plot in general was interesting and I adored the main character, Sura.

Akin to Magic by Jessica Cage (2.5 Stars)
I was not a fan of this story. The writing was repetitive at times and inconsistent at others. For instance, one character is described as having the ability to wield fire, but a few sentences later is said to have no magical affinity. Additionally, the story itself was disappointing. I would have liked to see Adain stick to her decision to make a point.

From the Ether by E.M. Lacey (5 Stars)
The best word I can think of to describe this story is powerful. It was absolutely phenomenal and packed a lot of emotion in a short story. The plot was unique, and I appreciated the way the main character was disabled, but also had special abilities. Overall, this was a beautiful and moving story, and I will definitely be checking out the author’s books!

They Call Him Destroyer by John Wells (3 Stars)
This story was good, but nothing really stood out to make it great for me. I wasn’t particularly attached to any of the characters. However, the plot was solid and the story moved at a quick pace.

Beauregard by LaLa Leo (1.5 Stars)
I’m not sure if this story is related to some of the author’s other works, but it was very confusing. Keep in mind that I read an ARC copy, so perhaps there will be significant changes, but the writing was so jumbled and inconsistent, it was difficult to tell what was happening in the story. There were some incomplete sentences and scenes that just seemed random.

A Mother’s Love by Kristen S. Walker (4.5 Stars)
I absolutely loved this story! Maylayna’s love for her daughter is moving and I think the story being told from her perspective made it better. I really liked that it highlighted the experience of a trans girl, showing what that is like in real life. It warmed my heart that Nestia’s mother stuck by her as every mother should!

Lucky Scales by Kat Zaccard (5 Stars)
I need more Avina, Saphie, and Finneus!!! This story was wonderful! I loved the fact that there were various creatures and beings included, and the three main characters, really made the story shine. Who wouldn’t love an adventure with an orphan, a dragon, and a leprechaun? This story seems like it could set up a larger series, and I’m sincerely hoping the author has plans on writing more with these characters!

Season of War and Blood by D.L. Howard (5 Stars)
I definitely got lost in this wonderful story! The characters were fantastic, especially Tiaret. Tia’s powers are very intriguing and I love that she forms a bond with a lion cub. My favorite aspect of the story was the theme of acceptance!

Heads Will Roll by Amanda Ross (4 Stars)
I really enjoyed this Alice in Wonderland retelling! I love that Roisin is a morally grey character. Ross did a phenomenal job of connecting to the reader’s feelings. At first Roisin’s feelings towards Allis are a bit alarming, but as the story goes on I felt myself understanding Roisin more and more. Overall, a great and unique retelling!

The Sword, the Scepter, and the Crown by N.D.T. Casale (4 Stars)
I have read a few of Casale’s short stories now, and she is surely becoming a new favorite author of mine! This story was cute and exciting. I’m always amazed by Casale’s writing because it is so vividly descriptive, which is by far my favorite aspect of this story. I can’t wait to read her debut book, which is coming out this year!

The Necromancer’s Army by Agatha Lopez (5 Stars)
If the title of this story doesn’t draw you in immediately, the first few paragraphs surely will! This is perhaps the most unique short story I’ve ever read, and I loved every minute of it. Everything about it was stunning; the plot, the action scenes, the characters. Not to mention the MAJOR plot twist. I did not see that coming at all! Reading that this is Lopez’s first published work is shocking. When I read a story this epic, I typically assume that it is written by a seasoned author. I feel this only attests to how talented Lopez is, and I cannot wait to read more of her work!

Dawn by Morgan Daimler (5 Stars)
As a fan of fairytale retellings, I absolutely loved this Beauty and the Beast meets a gender-swapped The Boy Who Cried Wolf retelling! Una was a perfect character! As someone who also uses a cane, I really liked the representation and felt as though I related to her a lot. Similarly, I liked how Daimler points out that the elderly, like the disabled, are often overlooked. Marie and Una were the perfect team. The story was beautiful, and I would have love to read more about Una!

ARC Review: The Liar’s Crown

Genre: Fairytale Retelling Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As usual, as soon as I heard the word “retelling” I immediately requested The Liar’s Crown by Abigail Owen on NetGalley. While I’m not typically a huge fan of romantic fantasy, I absolutely loved this book!

Meren is a princess, but no one is allowed to know about her. There are a set of twin girls born in the royal family every other generation, and the second-born is always raised to give her life to protect the future queen. Meren is no different. She knows that her sole purpose in life is to protect her sister from the evil king, Eidolon, but when Meren is kidnapped things go awry quickly.

I adored so many things about this wonderful book! Probably my favorite aspect is that the plot is not lost to the romance. That is definitely the biggest issue I run into with romantic fantasy novels, but The Liar’s Crown was the opposite. The romance was well thought out, and more importantly, the plot was the main focus of the novel. Usually I feel like you end up sacrificing one or the other; either you have a great romance with little plot, or a great plot with no romance, but this book balanced the two perfectly!

Furthermore, Meren was a phenomenal character! She felt so realistic and very three-dimensional. Her character growth was fun to read and extremely complex. Similarly, I was initially worried because the romance seemed to rely heavily on Stockholm Syndrome, which should not be romanticized, but the author was really clever about handling this, and the romance did not feel creepy to me at all.

The entire book was written so eloquently, but the ending was everything! It doesn’t really leave you with a cliffhanger, but I’ll just say the characters are in precarious situations towards the end of the book. However, Owen adds, what I think is the perfect detail, at the end that gives the reader hope while also building intrigue for the next book!

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance, fantasy, or retellings!

ARC Review: Three Kisses, One Midnight

Genre: YA Romance/YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, and Evelyn Skye is a cute atmospheric romance novel that includes 3 connected stories. The 3 stories follow Onny, Ash, and True on Halloween night, four hundred years after their town, Moon Ridge, was founded. All three have complicated histories with relationships, but they just might be destined to find love on this mysterious and spooky night.

Sometimes I’m just in a mood where I want to read a lighthearted romance. Prior to reading Three Kisses, One Midnight I did not realize that I needed a lighthearted spooky romance novel in my life! The cute stories of romance along with the ghostly details turned out to be the perfect mixture for a fun, easy read! I cannot recommend this book enough if you want romance and Halloween/Autumn vibes!

While the book follows three characters on one night, it is really 3 separate stories. The first one, which follows Onny was absolutely fabulous! I adored the enemies-to-lovers trope, which is honestly unusual for me. However, the romance in that story simply felt right. Onny was an eccentric and spontaneous character, I simply couldn’t get enough of her!

The second story follows Ash, who is a shy and artistic guy, pining after his next door neighbor. While the love story was cute, it was my least favorite out of the three. I didn’t particularly feel the sparks flying between Ash and his love interest, so the story was okay, but not necessarily great.

Finally, the third story follows True, a girl who is unapologetically skeptical about anything supernatural. Her romance was cute, but I really loved her character more than anything else. She relies on evidence and data, but when possibly paranormal events occur, she is stuck between relying on her logical instincts and giving into her curiosity. I certainly felt like True was such a relatable character, which made that story enticing.

Overall, I found the book to be entertaining, and a quick read. It would be perfect for people who enjoy romance, but also for anyone that loves the spooky aesthetics of Halloween!

ARC Review: The Stars Between Us

Genre: YA Romance/YA SciFi Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Vika Hale is willing to do anything so she can live a life of wealth and abundance. Her and her family have lived a life of poverty on Philomenus for far too long, and Vika wants more for her life. However, when she is offered the chance to live a wealthy life after a famous billionaire essentially requires his son to marry Vika in order to inherit his fortune in his father’s will, Vika is not so sure that a wealthy life is worth a loveless marriage and her dignity. Little does she know that events will unfold and make her life much more complicated than she could ever have imagined.

As a whole, I really enjoyed The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill. The plot was predictable, but fun to read and I enjoyed the premise of the story. I will say that I found myself a little bored at many points throughout the novel. For the first 30% of the novel, I wasn’t sure who I should ship Vika with, so it lagged a bit. Once Terrill introduced a few romantic scenes between Vika and her love interest, I was more attentive, but I felt like there wasn’t enough romantic tension.

Additionally, I enjoyed the characters for the most part. I appreciated that Vika is a little selfish and not your typical protagonist. Other than that, I liked the other characters, but didn’t feel as though they necessarily stood out.

The mystery element in the novel was good, but again, highly predictable. This book is great if you want a quick and easy read. I wouldn’t recommend it if you are looking for surprising plot twists or a riveting romance, but as a whole, it was pretty good. Overall, The Stars Between Us was one of those books that was good while I was reading it, but nothing particularly stands out that would make it great.

ARC Review: All of Our Demise

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

So many of us have been anxiously awaiting the release of All of Our Demise by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman! With the shocking ending to All of Us Villains, I was also excited to get my hands on the conclusion to this duology!

The plot is a little hard to discuss without majorly spoiling you all, so I will just say that the book picks up right where book one left off.

While I did find the novel a bit slow, I was thoroughly impressed with the book as a whole. The aspect of the novel that I enjoyed the most were the villainous endeavors the characters experienced. Too often, I find books that advertise morally grey characters, usually have a redemption arc, which is disappointing. I want truly villainous characters who are ruthlessly evil! In this regard, All of Our Demise did not disappoint! There is deceit, betrayal, and even torture…not that torture is something to be excited about, but you know when a character engages in it, they are a genuine villain. In my opinion, some of the things the characters did in the book were past redemption, which was refreshingly unique.

Furthermore, I think part of the reason why I found the book a little slow was due to the fact that there is extensively complex character development. If you’ve read the first book, you know the novel switches between multiple POVs. By the end of the second book those characters are almost unrecognizable! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that not only pulled off phenomenal character development, but which did so for more than 4 characters!

Likewise, there was just the right amount of unpredictability that I felt surprised by certain events in the book. I wouldn’t necessarily say that it is shocking, but it was still unexpected.

Overall, this book definitely lived up to the hype. Between All of Us Villains and All of Our Demise, Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman wrote one of the best YA duologies of all time!

ARC Review: The Monsters We Defy

Genre: Historical Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

I saw Leslye Penelope at a virtual author event for another author, and she seemed like such a genuine and nice person, I wanted to support her writing. Little did I know how talented she truly is!

The Monsters We Defy is a historical fantasy novel that takes place in Washington D.C. during the 1920s. The main character, Clara, has “the sight,” or the ability to see into the world of spirits and communicate with them. When people suddenly start mysteriously vanishing, Clara knows it is up to her to do something to stop it, but she unwillingly picks up a few helpers along the way.

There are so many aspects of this novel that were simply phenomenal, it’s hard to know where to start! What truly blew my mind was the author’s note at the end of the novel, explaining that the story was based off of a real person, Clara “Carrie” Minor Johnson, and real events. Penelope seamlessly incorporated the true story into the book, not only staying true to the real person’s story, but also adding an element of fantasy that was believable and intriguing.

Furthermore, I am usually not a fan of paranormal fantasy, but The Monsters We Defy had a great balance of believable fantastical elements and reality. While the main problem that Clara faced was seemingly fantastical, it was clearly symbolic of the way Black people have been viewed as worthless throughout history. I loved how Clara was an extraordinary yet ordinary person who was determined to change this, both in her every day life, and in her quest to stop an evil spirit.

Additionally, I always love the found family trope, but I particularly liked Penelope’s use of it in her book because Clara is seemingly completely uninterested in having friends. This aspect really added to her growth throughout the novel, and her reluctance to connect with the other characters made those connections that much more meaningful.

Overall, there are so many other aspects of this novel that I could go on about, but trust me when I say this is a book you don’t want to miss! It certainly appeals to readers who enjoy many genres, and addresses important issues, such as racism, classism, and the importance of fighting for what’s right. I will definitely be reading more books by Penelope in the future!

ARC Review: Send Her Back

Genre: Short Stories Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Send Her Back by Munashe Kaseke is a collection of short stories that describe the lives of many Zimbabwean women. Some of Kaseke’s characters immigrated to the U.S., while others are living in Zimbabwe, but all of them have a complex, and often complicated, story to tell.

First off, I was impressed to see that this is Kaseke’s debut book, because she writes as if she has been doing so for her entire life. Her stories are so detailed and descriptive. Each character felt unique and three-dimensional in her own way. Honestly, I would have been happy to read an entire book for each story that Kaseke included because the writing was simply stunning.

Additionally, I had to go back and check the genre of this book because the stories felt so realistic, I thought it must be nonfiction. While I can confirm that it is in fact fiction, I have no doubt that these stories are representative of the experiences of real women. Having the opportunity to see what life is like for women who are different from myself was eye-opening. I think most of us have preconceived ideas of what immigrants are like, and what Black women are like, but this book expanded my perception of humanity.

Finally, every single story was not only captivating, but also emotionally moving. It is a powerful thing for authors to have the ability to evoke such strong emotions in readers, but after reading this book, I have no doubt that Kaseke clearly has that talent.

Overall, I hope Kaseke writes another book soon because it will certainly be a must-read for me! Even if she never wrote another book in her life, Send Her Back is an amazing feat, the likes of which most authors strive for just once in their lives!

Book Review: Soul Shade

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Soul Shade picks up right where Soul Render left off. I don’t want to spoil the first book, so I’ll leave it at that.

Not to be that pushy, annoying reader, but where’s book 3? I NEED it now! In all seriousness, I know that amazing books like Soul Render and Soul Shade take time, so I will try to be patient.

Soul Shade had all the action that I loved from the first book! That was definitely one of my favorite aspects of the novel; I was never bored because things were constantly happening.

Additionally, I loved seeing some of my favorite characters from book one grow and develop more, with the addition of some new and interesting characters too!

The fact that more soul stones were in play throughout this novel really added a lot to the book as a whole. It was fun seeing how the soul stones interact with one another and learning the limits and abilities of some from book 1. This feature of the series is truly unique and riveting!

Overall, this series has the potential to become classics in fantasy in this reader’s opinion! This is not a series you want to miss out on!