The Biased Bibliophile

Book Review: The Light and The Loyalists

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

What a way to start out the Indie Fantasy Addicts Summer Reading Challenge! I connected with one of the authors of this book, in the Indie Fantasy Addicts Facebook group! I was hooked when I read “If you like The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer…” and I was not disappointed!

The novel follows multiple characters in a futuristic earth. The main character, Zara, is thrown into a course of events that tear her from her home and ask her to take on a powerful mission: save the fate of both worlds.
I really enjoyed the found family trope in this book, and I loved the characters. I can’t wait to see how the authors further develop the characters in the next books. If anything, I would have liked to see a character that was more morally grey. Either a hero that is clearly flawed, but lovable, or a villain that I love to hate would have been wonderful. Some of the characters seem to start out this way, but they come off as smug more than morally grey.

Furthermore, I appreciated the traveling in the novel. It definitely gave off Lunar Chronicle vibes without losing originality of its own.

Additionally, the events in the book certainly feel like they’re setting up the plot for the next book, but it was still interesting and fun to read.

My TBR list is way out of hand with this challenge, but I look forward to reading the next books in the Lodestar Diaries, hopefully soon!

ARC Review: Little Bird

Genre: Adult Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐1/2

When I saw Little Bird by Tiffany Meuret on Edelweiss, I was immediately captivated by the cover and the fact that it has the “found family” trope! Unfortunately, the book didn’t really live up to my expectations.

Basically, it follows Josie, a 30-something alcoholic divorcee who is struggling just to make it through life. Her dog Po is the closest thing she has to a friend, and she doesn’t mind, but when a new neighbor moves in and a mysterious sentient skeleton appears in her backyard, her life suddenly becomes more interesting.

Josie, started off as a salty yet intriguing character. Sadly, this did not last, and she felt pretty one-dimensional to me. There was very little character development throughout the novel, and Josie’s personality quickly became stagnant and a bit boring. As a whole, I was really disappointed with Josie’s character.

Furthermore, I was genuinely excited about the found family trope in this book. It is one of my favorite tropes, and I honestly had not read a book with that trope that I didn’t enjoy. However, I did not really like the way the author executed the trope in Little Bird. Josie’s found family is apparently her dog, her new neighbor, and the skeleton that appears in her backyard, but she doesn’t really connect with any of them throughout most of the book. I generally like the found family trope because of the sense of comradery, but that aspect was lacking in this novel. Josie was utterly lonely throughout the course of the book, and that just didn’t fit well with the idea of the found family trope in my opinion.

Finally, fantasy is by far my favorite genre, so I was looking forward to exploring the fantastical in Little Bird. Disappointingly, the fantasy aspects in the book were minimal, and didn’t play a huge role throughout much of the novel. Don’t get me wrong, fantasy played a role in the book, but it felt like Josie’s alcoholism and social issues took the spotlight. There were a lot of missed opportunities that could have been explored more, and they weren’t. For instance, the origin of Skelly, the skeleton, was never fully explained, and the ending of the novel was vague in an anticlimactic way.

Overall, Little Bird was pretty disappointing… It wasn’t wholly unenjoyable, but it certainly fell short of the expectations I had prior to reading it.

ARC Review: Not Good for Maidens

Genre: YA Horror/Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino was off-the-scales impressive! I have not read The Devil Makes Three, so I was certainly blown away by the talent and skill Bovalino showed throughout the entirety of Not Good for Maidens!

This wonderful novel switches between two POVs; May who had a traumatic experience at the goblin market 18 years ago, and her niece, Lou, who grew up ignorant of the market’s existence. When May’s younger sister and Lou’s aunt, Neela, gets stuck in the goblin market, Lou is exposed to an entirely new, and dangerous world.

By far the best thing about this book is its immersiveness! From the first chapter to the last page I felt like I was part of the story and couldn’t wait to read what would happen next. I would frequently lose track of time while reading, and I definitely felt like the book was over too quickly. While I believe Not Good for Maidens is a standalone, the ending leaves a good opening for a sequel, so I will hold out hope that Bovalino might write one some day!

Similarly, the world-building was absolutely wonderful! While the novel takes place in our world, Bovalino creates an entirely new world within the goblin market. She describes it so vividly, and it added a lot of depth to the novel as a whole.

Finally, the representation in Not Good for Maidens is phenomenal! The main character, Lou, is ace, which was extremely exciting to read since I am also ace! On top of that, Lou’s Aunt May is bi and her Aunt Neela is pan. While the characters’ sexual identities are not a huge focus of the book, I sincerely believe we need more books that include this kind of representation without necessarily focusing on it. Regardless, I was elated to read a book with an ace character, and I related to a lot of what Lou experienced, which truly means a lot to me as both a reader and an ace person!

I could go on about this book for hours, but I will leave you to discover its amazingness on your own!

ARC Review: Love Radio

Genre: YA Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle is an adorable romance novel about Dani, a girl who has basically given up on love, and Prince, a DJ who tries to convince Dani that he can make her fall in love with him after just 3 dates. Dani wants nothing to do with love, but can’t resist Prince’s thoughtfulness and sincerity.

LaDelle shares some of her goals for the novel in a letter to readers at the beginning of the book, and I must say, she accomplished all of those goals in this cute, but deep story. The novel focuses on Dani and Prince’s relationship, but it also addresses serious matters, such as cultural appropriation and sexual assault.

Furthermore, I’m not from Detroit, but LaDelle describes her hometown so vividly that I felt like I was there with the characters. I especially loved the way she incorporated music into the novel, and shared with readers how Mowtown was such a vital part of music history.

As a whole, Love Radio was a beautiful love story that dealt with issues so many people face in their lives. LaDelle’s message of the importance of self-love shined throughout the entirety of the novel and made the romance that much stronger!

ARC Review: We All Fall Down

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐

I was so excited to read We All Fall Down by Rose Szabo after reading an excerpt from the book. Sadly, it ended up being largely disappointing as a whole.

The novel is about a small, magical town called River City. Kings and Maidens bring magic to the city, but after the previous maiden dies and the king falls into madness, the town is slowly losing its magic, and its identity. The book follows numerous characters who all have a part to play in the cycle of Kings and Maidens.

I’ll start off with the features of the book I enjoyed. I know there are some reviews on this book that complain about the gender pronouns for one of the characters, Jesse. While I agree that the switching up of pronouns was a little confusing, I’m guessing Szabo did this intentionally to show that Jesse is gender fluid and/or discovering their gender identity. So, in the end, I actually appreciated this aspect of the novel because it gives readers a window into an experience they might not be familiar with.

That being said, there wasn’t much else I liked about We All Fall Down. The story basically lacked a plot, and felt extremely disjointed. The multiple POVs were not executed well, and by the end of the novel, it truly felt as if nothing really happened.

Furthermore, there is an incident in the novel where a Black man is falsely accused of a crime, and I’m not entirely comfortable with this. The author addresses instances of racism at some points throughout the book, but the character who accused the man never showed much remorse and other characters in the novel acted as though this was normal and okay. I can’t entirely put my finger on what felt wrong… I know this is a fictitious book, but I felt disturbed by this aspect of the novel.

Finally, there was another character who used she/her pronouns, and when people misgendered her, she never corrected them. This isn’t a huge problem, but the main character that originally misgendered her became angry when she found out that this character was a woman. Again, this was another aspect of the novel that just made me feel awkward and uneasy.

Overall, I was not a fan of We All Fall Down. I thought the premise of the novel was compelling, but the execution was extremely lacking, and there were some problematic aspects of the novel that were very disconcerting.

ARC Review: All Signs Point to Yes

Genre: YA Romance Anthology Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

A special thanks to Inkyard Press and Bess Braswell for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC! When I read the premise behind this anthology, a love story for each astrological sign, I was so pumped! There were quite a few wonderful stories included in this anthology!

One thing I really enjoyed about this book is that each story lists the astrological sign it corresponds to, and some of the traits for that sign. I thought most of the authors did exceptionally well at staying true to the signs they wrote about.

Additionally, some of the stories were so heartwarming and endearing. They weren’t necessarily complex or deep, but sometimes we need to read a lighthearted love story! On the other hand, some of the stories completely missed the mark. I probably would have rated this book lower if not for a few stories that were redeeming. The ones that weren’t great were confusing, or simply didn’t make sense.

Finally, I feel really conflicted by the fact that the editors included a story based on the sign ophiuchus. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, there was a huge revelation within the world of astrology some years ago. Some people claimed that their is a 13th sign, ophiuchus. The story in the anthology is about a girl who can change people’s birth charts, and she is supposed to change anyone who was born under ophiuchus. It was a compelling premise, but I was a little disappointed that this sign was included at all. Most astrology experts have written off the idea of a 13th sign. While there could technically be as many as 21 zodiac constellations, many experts use the 12-sign system.

Overall, there were some highly disappointing aspects in All Signs Point to Yes, but there were also a few stories that were truly adorable!

Book Review: Bewilderness

Genre: YA SciFi, YA Dystopian Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wow! I don’t actually know what it feels like to be in the middle of a tornado, but I’d imagined it is similar to what I felt while reading Bewilderness by Kevin Cox!

The novel follows a girl who has lost her memory and is in an entirely unrecognizable world. She soon discovers that this world is filled with dark and dangerous entities, and ends up accidentally traveling to yet another world while trying to flee. Throughout the book she faces much adversity, meets new friends, and has an adventure of a lifetime learning more about herself and existence as a whole.

There were so many things about this book that I enjoyed, but the depth and world-building were a whirlwind! I love philosophy, but very rarely do SciFi and Fantasy books incorporate it well, if at all. Bewilderness is the existential crisis that I’ve been wanting to read for years! The novel raises philosophical questions about our experiences of the world and the meaning of life. I feel as though I could immediately read it again and take away a ton of messages and ideas that I missed the first time.

While there were many moving and philosophical moments throughout the book, my favorite was towards the beginning when the main character, Ambrielle, briefly experiences a memory in which she felt as though she had a greater understanding of the universe for a split second. Cox described this particular phenomenon extremely well because I instantly knew the feeling he was talking about, and I did not think there were words to truly convey an experience like that.

Additionally, the world-building in Bewilderness was mind-boggling! Cox describes, not one, not two, but three unique worlds in such depth, that I felt as though I had explored them myself! Truly, the world-building in this book is a feat that is exceptionally difficult to accomplish, and can only be compared to authors like Laini Taylor and S.A. Chakraborty. I am excited to read the sequel, for many reasons, but mainly because I cannot wait to read the ways that Cox further develops and enriches these worlds!

The only aspects of the story that I didn’t absolutely love were the romance and, occasionally, the descriptions. I honestly feel torn about both of these things because I think they could be improved upon through development in the second book, so they didn’t negatively influence my overall enjoyment of the novel. However, I did not feel the chemistry between Ambrielle and Gavian. I would have preferred either no romance, or a stronger connection between the two characters. As I said, I think there is potential for development in this aspect, which could completely change my opinion of their relationship.

Similarly, there were certain points in the novel that went into great detail, but almost too much detail. Whenever I’m reading a book, I love losing myself in it, but a couple times while reading Bewilderness, the length and detail in the descriptions were overwhelming, to the point where I felt myself briefly disconnect. That being said, there is a fine line between too much detail and not enough, and I am a reader that would certainly prefer too much, so I can’t complain.

As a whole I was entirely impressed with Bewilderness! It addresses so many deep and significant topics, both philosophically and in a way that is easily understood. Overall, I know this book will stay with me for a long time!

ARC Review: Dark Days

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every now and then I read the first book in a series and I feel as though I need the next one immediately! After reading Amethyst Pledge by Leonie Rogers, I was dying to read the sequel, Dark Days, which is out now. Thankfully, Hague Publishing graciously sent me an eARC, fulfilling my urgent need to continue the series!

This is kind of a unique situation, since I won’t publish my review of Amethyst Pledge until June, with Blackberry Book Tours. So, I won’t spoil anything from book one, but I’m sure you can guess how I feel about it since I read the sequel!

Dark Days picks up a few months after the events in Amethyst Pledge, and I must say, it was just as riveting as the first book in the series. The main character, Kazari, shows a lot of growth throughout the novel. While book one subtlety emphasizes the physical trials Kazari goes through, book two deals with the emotional challenges Kazari faces. She slowly learns more about what it means to be a Hunter for the Lady, and the effects that has on her personal relationships. Similarly, she starts to come to terms with the events that took place in Amethyst Pledge.

Furthermore, the plot in Dark Days flowed really well. It really made me feel like I was going through the experiences with the characters, and Rogers’s writing kept my mind present throughout the novel. While the writing was occasionally a bit repetitive, as a whole, it was vividly descriptive and detail-oriented.

Finally, the aspect of the book I enjoyed the most was the way in which it alluded to the real world. While I felt a little conflicted about the Lady after reading book one, I appreciated the way that Kazari’s relationship with the Lady and understanding of the world evolved in Dark Days. Although I still don’t necessarily like the religious undertones, I love the way that Kazari’s belief in the Lady reflects the way we view the Truth in our world. I am excited to see what Rogers does with these ideas in book three!

Overall, I highly recommend reading Amethyst Pledge so you can immediately start Dark Days! They are such fun and surprisingly deep books! I’m so grateful to have had the chance to read an eARC of Dark Days, but now I am left urgently wanting to read the third book. Unfortunately, I think I’ll have to wait a little longer this time, but I’m sure book three will be worth the wait!

ARC Review: Places We’ve Never Been

Genre: YA Romance Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another wonderful Kasie West novel! Recently, after powering through a YA fantasy ARC that I was not enjoying, I really needed something to get me back in the swing of reading. Places We’ve Never Been by Kasie West was exactly the book I needed!

Essentially, the main character, Norah is excited to go on an RV road trip with her childhood best friend, Skyler, and his family. She’s longing for the chance to reconnect with Skyler, but on the day the road trip begins, he is clearly uninterested in rekindling their friendship. On top of the tension between Norah and Skyler, Norah knows something is going on with her mom, and goes on escapades to figure out what’s up. As the trip unfolds, she realizes that everything is not as simple as it may seem, and she may have more feelings for Skyler than she realized.

This review is certainly going to be short and sweet because I can only say how amazing Kasie West is so many times! I have not read a single book by her that I did not thoroughly enjoy, and Places We’ve Never Been was no exception! The storyline was fun, and I am dumbfounded by West’s ability to create new plotlines. While all of her books feel similar (in a good way!), they have distinct and interesting plots and characters.

Additionally, I appreciated the added mystery of Norah knowing something was going on with her family, but not being clued in on the secret. It complemented the romance well, and kept the novel moving at a nice pace.

Speaking of romance, Norah and Skyler were absolutely adorable! While I would have liked a little more romantic tension between the two, I really loved the way their background played into their story. Similarly, I thought both of them were relatable and likeable.

Overall, if you read and enjoyed Kasie West’s other books, you’re sure to like Places We’ve Never Been, and if you haven’t read a book by West before, you are missing out! This novel is sure to be an all-around crowd-pleaser!

Book Review: Bitter

Genre: YA Fantasy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Last February I read Pet by Akwaeke Emezi, and absolutely loved it, so when I heard that the author was releasing a prequel this year, I was thrilled!

Basically, Bitter tells the story of the city of Lucille before the monsters were banished. It follows Jam’s parents, Bitter and Aloe, as they attend a creative arts school, Eucalyptus. Bitter knows that her city is in the midst of a revolution, but she wants nothing to do with it. However, when she is suddenly thrown into the middle of it, she starts to see things in a different light.

So many aspects of this book are simply moving and novel. I truly feel as though it belongs in a category of its own. Emezi sends such powerful messages through seemingly straightforward events. They show how emotional it is to live through a revolution, and fighting an internal battle of whether you are doing enough to help, whether the fight is worth fighting, and that it is okay to find other ways to help the cause.

I cannot put into words how Emezi portrays an experience that so many people live through today, in such a deep, heartfelt, and genuine way. They clearly put so much of themselves into this novel, and I could feel that as a reader.

Pet was so surprising and wonderful, but Bitter leveled-up even more. This is definitely a book that everyone should read and experience themselves. It gives an insight into an experience that needs to be heard more often!