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Thank you NetGalley and TBR and Beyond Tours for the chance to read and review this book.

I love that for Pride month my first review will be that of a queer gothic romance!

And when the book starts off with a severed hand, you know it'll be intense because our main literally finds a severed hand just lying there.

And, shockingly, there are werewolves.

So here's the deal with The Alchemy of Moonlight. It's a YA fantasy, with some wonderful gothic elements and a queer love triangle. It's published by Page Street Publishing, which is distributed by Macmillan and focuses on being environmentally friendly. The book is also David Ferraro's debut novel.

That cover made me feel like the book was going to be absolutely perfect!

But the romance was not done well. I was supposed to believe that there was intense chemistry, and while I love Bram as a character, I hated hated hated Henri. I get that he's supposed to be a spoilt count and improving, but man he was horrible to Emile. Like basically trying to coerce him into sleeping with him and trying to stop him from meeting someone he actually likes.

Emile is 17, and he really does feel 17 in how he behaves with Bram and Henri, which can be really annoying. Bram is a decent person, and Henri is horrible; how can this be complicated? However, I do give him credit for having the courage to run away the way he did, with what's happening with his aunt. As a whole, he doesn't take the easy way out in any of these situations; he won't marry Blanche and have them live in misery, cheating on the other partner forever. In comparison, Henri is okay with that.

As a whole the story was fairly interesting, especially after they get to the castle of Udolpho in Italy, which is meant to be a nod towards The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe. At this point every one of the characters is so desperate to help them escape that it's just the most insane set of schemes, which eventually work.

Some authors cannot write romance, but the Bram and Emile thing worked, which is why I don't get the Henri thing or the most randomly introduced start of a polyamorous relationship, with Blanche now okay with being married to a dude because she can then be with a chick thing.

This author does have a lot of potential though. For better or worse so many of us seem to have stuck around and read the whole of this book, even if it was to give it a 3 star review.

The buildup is good, the different characters are good (I would have loved more of the female characters, like Annette and Blanche) and the plot is also good. But there are so many things happening at the same time that none of them can be fleshed out properly. Any news on the leeches? Why did that one servant hate Emile so much?

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Devon Bookshop is a dark fantasy by debut author V. E. Hall. Released 14th Nov 2022, it's 320 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a quirky paranormal fantasy set in and around a bookshop. There are ghosts (oh, so many ghosts), witches, benign and malign influences and a semi-hapless couple running the bookshop who believe (Acacia) or not (Matt) in the supernatural influences in their environs. 

It's charming by turns, the author has created a simple but entertaining story. The writing is choppy and unfinished in places; there's -so- much telling and not a lot of showing in her writing style. The basic story is solid, though, and nothing that wouldn't be fixed with a firm editing process. 

Three and a half stars. It's unclear from the denouement (and the author's website) if this will be a continuing series, but at the present time, there are no announcements of upcoming books. It does work well as a standalone, however. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Paper and Tape Crafts is a friendly, accessible tutorial and craft guide aimed at middle grade readers (and their facilitators/teachers/adults). Released 7th March 2023 by Callisto, it's 130 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

Resource people, childminders, parents, and educators are always on the lookout for activity books which are fun and engaging for the small people in their lives. This is a well written and fun book of 28 crafts activities aimed at middle school(ish) kids. Many of them would be usable in a classroom or library setting. I especially loved the washi tape map pins - simple but very useful.

Each tutorial includes a picture of the finished project, a bullet list of supplies needed, instructions for crafting, and many (many!) process photos. Photography is clear and in color. Instructions are written in understandable easy to follow language. 

Four stars. This would be great for public or school library acquisition, home use, activity/scouting groups, maker's spaces and studios, and similar.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

Ellen has dared to escape from her abusive older brother and ruler of Si’Empra Island. Running away was her solution to her situation. But it wasn’t. Her people were suffering, and the island’s native creatures, the Cryptals, were being hunted to almost extinction. It is the Cryptals who save Ellen, and it is the Cryptals who start pushing Ellen toward healing Si’Empra’s wounds. But the question is, will Ellen do it? Or will she ignore what the Cryptals, the Crystalweavers, and the WebCleaners have told her? Can she save Si’Empra from her brother?

When the publisher approached me to read and review Skyseeker’s Princess, I immediately accepted. I was intrigued by the blurb, and I like the cover. I figured the storyline could, too, if both could catch my attention. And it did. I couldn’t put this book down!!!

There are trigger warnings in Skyseeker’s Princess. I will warn that these triggers can be more triggering to people than usual. The author did a great job describing what happened to Ellen without going into much detail.

The triggers are:

1. Incest (off-page and remembered): Ellen’s mother married her stepson to keep him from touching Ellen. After Ellen’s mother died when she was fourteen, Redel started raping Ellen.
2. Sexual abuse (off-page and remembered): Ellen was being sexually abused by Redel when her mother stepped in and married him. When her mother died, Redel upped the sexual abuse to rape. There were also vague worries that Redel was sexually abusing his four-year-old daughter.
3. Rape (off-page and remembered): Ellen was raped repeatedly for years by Redel. Muther (Richard’s mother) was raped after her mutilation and gave birth to Richard.
4. Depression (off-page and remembered): Ellen suffered from depression while being raped by Redel.
5. Grief (on-page, off-page, and remembered): Ellen grieves the loss of her mother and father throughout the book. Ellen’s grandmother remembers grieving for her daughter and grieving for Ellen’s lost innocence. Ellen grieves for the lower caste people, and Cryptals hunted like animals by Redel.
6. Assault ending in mutilation (off-page and remembered): Muther, a high-ranking official in the King’s court, was attacked on a beach. Somebody gouged her eyes out and cut off her hands and feet.
7. Mental Illness (on-page): One of Redel’s advisor’s wife is mentally ill. She hears voices and sees imaginary people. Redel is mentally ill. He suffers from what I believe is hyperreligiosity and OCD.
8. Gun Violence (on-page): Guns are used throughout the book to kill Cryptals, Crystalweavers, and Webcleaners. One memorable scene is where Redel goes into the tunnels and massacres the people living there with semi-automatic weapons. Ellen is shot several times by Redel’s supporters while traveling through the wooded areas.

If any of these triggers you, I recommend not reading the book.

Skyseeker’s Princess is a medium-paced book that got off to a slow start. While I’m not too fond of slow starts, in this case, it worked. The author laid out Ellen’s backstory and some of the history of Si’Empra Island. The pacing does pick up towards the end of the book, but it never goes fast enough to confuse me or make me backtrack.

Skyseeker’s Princess is set on a fictional island off the coast of Antarctica. From the descriptions, it is closer to New Zealand than Chile, but I could be wrong. I was fascinated by the island and its geography. There were forests, lakes, rivers, and intricate cave systems. The author didn’t cover half of what this island offers.

The main storyline of Skyseeker’s Princess centers around Ellen. Ellen’s journey to self-acceptance and healing was heartbreaking and unforgettable. I got why she didn’t initially want to help the Crystalmakers or the Cryptals. But once she saw what her brother was doing, she decided to help. The turning point for her was two things. One is the over-taxation of villages and Redel’s horrific attack on the Crystalmakers. Ellen realized that she couldn’t just stand by and let her people starve, and she couldn’t let innocent people be slaughtered. That was when she turned into a leader in my eyes.

I liked Ellen. While I did feel horror (for what was done to her) and pity, the fact that she overcame that was amazing. I understood why she didn’t want to help anyone at first. People just stood by or turned the other way when Redel was raping her. But Ellen was a good person who didn’t let other people get hurt. A reasonable person also fights for people being oppressed. By the end of the book, I loved her. She was indeed the ruler Si’Empra needed, not her abuser of a brother.

As much as I despised Redel, I found the chapters from his perspective very interesting. He was obsessed with Ellen. His obsession then turned to religion. I could see his slide into madness every time the author returned to his POV. What got me was that this small, tiny piece of him knew what he was doing was wrong. But the mentally ill part of him drowned that part of him out. I am very interested to see what he will do in book 2.

The Cryptals, as did the lore that sprung up around them, fascinated me. There were no descriptions of what they looked like, except that they looked like wild animals. They were the ones that initially saved Ellen at the beginning of the book. They were also the ones that gave Ellen her pet dinosaur, Rosa.

I wish there were a glossary at the book’s beginning or end. There was so much lore that I couldn’t keep track of it all.

The end of Skyseeker’s Princess ended on a cliffhanger. I wouldn’t say I like cliffhangers. They irritate me and make me want to throw things. But, in this case, it did its job. I need to read book 2 to see what Ellen will do. Plus, there was a neat reveal about Muther’s identity, too, which makes me wonder if she will be a more prominent presence in book 2.

I would recommend Skyseeker’s Princess to anyone over 21. There is mild language, violence, and nongraphic sexual situations. Also, see my trigger warning list.

Many thanks to Miriam Verbeek for allowing me to read and review Skyseeker’s Princess. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Summary:

Mark Grayson has always known he had a better-than-average chance of succeeding with superpowers. After all, his father has them and promised to inherit them someday. This helped prepare Mark for superhero life long before those powers came to be.

So, things haven't been great for Mark, but he is getting a handle on things. So naturally, that's the moment when the universe decides to strike. He's been called to another planet, as he is their only hope of saving it. But Mark happens to be familiar with the specific threat this planet faces...

Review:

Oh wow. Each time I think we've hit peak emotional impact, only to be surprised by what happens next. In many ways, Invincible Vol 6 feels like the highest emotional impact thus far (second maybe to the big reveal about his dad). I know it only feels that way at the moment, though, and that something will come along to completely change my frame of reference. Again.

There are a lot of highs and lows in this volume. So when you sit down to read it, do so in a space where you can explain and cry out as needed. Trust me on this one. I gasped and squeaked on more than one occasion.

Loved the fights in this volume, especially as they carried much more emotional charge than usual. Throw in a few other twists and surprises; you've got a full volume! As always, this series keeps dropping one or two-page teasers for future plot arcs. I think there are about half a dozen in the air at this point. So I'm looking forward to seeing where those go.

Highlights:
Part of a Series
Superhero Teen
Coming of Age with a Twist
Now an Amazon TV Series

Trigger Warnings:
Graphic implications
Mass Death

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Natalie is having a hard time adjusting to motherhood. She can’t sleep because Oliver, her son, only wants her and screams if anyone else touches him. Then she meets her next-door neighbor, Paul, and he seems to have the magic touch with Oliver. Soon, they have a close friendship. But things are different from what they seem with Paul. His befriending Natalie wasn’t a coincidence. Paul is setting Natalie up for a crime he committed. What crime did Paul commit? Will Natalie take the fall for it?

Reading this book took me back to my seventeen-year-old daughter’s birth and the months shortly after. I thought I was prepared for her birth and everything after. I wasn’t. I dealt with a horrible birth experience and a newborn/infant who screamed constantly. Unlike Natalie, I thankfully had my family and friends that watched out for PPD. But it was challenging and draining. And, like Natalie, it was a sense of relief when I got answers for why my daughter (Miss B) screamed all the time. She had colic and went nine months with an undiagnosed milk allergy. It took me switching doctors to get that diagnosis. So, yes, I related to this book.

The New Mother is a fast-paced book with dual points of view. The points of view went between the first person (Natalie) and 3rd person (Paul). I wasn’t a massive fan of that, I wouldn’t say I like it when it changes POV, but I did like that I got to see how Paul formulated his plan and how Natalie figured out what he was doing. The pacing for this book fits it perfectly.

The storyline for The New Mother was interesting. It centers around Natalie and her life after having Oliver. Natalie was one of those Facebook-perfect mothers at the beginning of The New Mother. She was going to do everything organic, exclusively breastfeeding and babywearing. I did get a good giggle at how the author initially wrote her. But Oliver wasn’t your typical baby. He had colic and screamed all the time. He hated the sling. And breastfeeding was an awful experience for Natalie. Plus, she started getting depressed and not allowing anyone to hold Oliver but her. In the middle of the book, Natalie is having a rough time. Then Paul swoops in like an angel and helps Natalie. She can sleep and feel like she is her old self around him. But Paul, well, his friendship with Natalie had sinister motives, and the author clarified those motives around the time their friendship deepened. I did call what happened next and everything else after.

As I said above, Natalie was a Facebook-perfect mother. She was one of those mothers who did everything perfectly. I was rolling my eyes whenever she yelled at her husband for bringing nonorganic food into the house. The scene where he bought the swing was a perfect example also. But at the same time, I did feel bad for her. She was struggling. Breastfeeding was hard for her, and she wasn’t expecting it to be painful. Oliver was a difficult baby, and she made it worse by holding him constantly. I called because she had PPD long before it was mentioned in the book. Natalie also wasn’t sleeping, and it was starting to mess with her. I was also a little irritated that no one, mainly her husband, caught on that she was depressed. It was so obvious (well, to me, it was). And it made it easy for Paul to prey on her.

I didn’t like Paul from the beginning. I have nothing against stay-at-home dads (actually, it’s excellent), but how he became one was awful. He had nothing nice to say about his wife, and that was a huge red flag to me when he started bad-mouthing her to Natalie. He just got skeevier and skeevier as the book went on. Poor Natalie didn’t know which end was up with him. The night of the Halloween party and the confrontation after were his doing. He was just a nasty man who did get what was coming to him.

I found the thriller/suspense angle of The New Mother interesting. I liked that the author kept the bad guy (Paul) first and foremost in the book. I loved that I got to see the planning that he did to frame Natalie. Some of it was genius. But, at the same time, I loved it when Natalie figured out what was happening and how she turned everything around on Paul.

The end of The New Mother didn’t quite gel with the rest of the book. The author fast-forwarded a few months and then explained what was happening. I wish that she hadn’t done that. I would have loved to see what she explained written out. I was left feeling meh about it. There was a humorous part of the ending where Natalie’s husband asked if they could have another baby, and she was like, “No, I’ll kill you.” I thought, “You’re having another one, lady.” I said the same thing after Miss B turned one, and then I went on to have two more children.

I would recommend The New Mother to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and nongraphic sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Nora Murphy for allowing me to read and review The New Mother. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Summary:

In the world of My Hero Academia, approximately eighty percent of the population (and growing) have been born with quirks – unique superpowers. Midoriya is part of the twenty percent group – born without a quirk. He never let that destroy his dreams of becoming a hero, and look at him now!

The (sanctioned) battle between Class A and Class B is wrapping up, with only a couple more fights to go. Now it's time for Midoriya and his team to show everyone what they've got. Yes, that's right, rematch time!

Meanwhile, the Meta Liberation Army is making its first moves, which will spell trouble for our heroes.

Review:

So, as hinted at above, My Hero Academia, Vol. 23, is actually split into two plot points. The first is wrapping up the training battles, and the second delves into the Meta Liberation Army Plot. I don't know about you, but I have a lot of opinions about all of it!

The training went a little wayward, as far as expectations go. Expectations of the class and teachers that is! I think all readers knew something would happen, especially as they had been teasing something for a while now. It was a satisfying conclusion.

The second half of this volume is admittedly the bigger risk. Not only do we jump over to the villains of the series...but we meet the villains to the villains? Yes, it's a bit complex, hence the risk. Still, it pays off (speaking as someone rereading the series for the umpteenth time).

Highlights:
Teenage Superheros
Shonen
Expansive Cast
Intense Plots
Hit Series

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Summary:

You know how the story goes. A high school girl wakes up to a new life – quite literally, for she's been reborn as Catarina Claes, a villainess and spoiled daughter of a duke. In other words, a big pain in the butt.

Somehow, Katarina Claes has managed to avoid countless Doom moments, successfully surviving to the graduation party. Unfortunately, it seems that there's a sequel to this dating sim, and now she's stuck in it! (Again)

Review:

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: don't ever change Katarina. She's just as clueless in My Next Life as a Villainess Vol. 5, but it is still highly endearing. Okay, and it's pretty funny too. This time her cluelessness felt a little more front and center as she dreamed up all these potential romances between the side characters. Too funny.

There's a real tongue-in-cheek moment in this volume that I know readers will like. That said, I think the anime had a bit more fun playing around with this scene, so make sure you watch the show so you don't miss out!

Finally, My Next Life as a Villainess Vol. 5 concludes with another surprising twist. Isn't that always her luck? At least this time none of her friends got kidnapped, so that's something, right?

Highlights:
Isekai
Strong Humor
Clueless Lead
Dating Sim Game
Reverse Harem

Trigger Warnings:
Kidnapping

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Summary:

In a world where witches, minions, and tainted souls exist, there must also be those that stand against them. These people are known as Weapon Meisters and their Weapons. They are charged with devouring tainted souls and protecting the world.

Even schools like DWMA need to celebrate, right? Thus every meister and weapon of Death City is getting ready for a little (large) party. Unfortunately, they're not the only ones gathering for this event, as a certain witch has plans for how this evening will go.

Review:

Yessss! Soul Eater Vol. 5 dives into my favorite plot arc of the series (probably). It's intense yet oddly humorous at times. In other words, it perfectly showcases the balance that Soul Eater has found, and I love every minute of it.

We all know Medusa has been plotting something horrid for quite some time. This is the volume when we finally get to see a bit of how it's going to play out. Best of all, there's lots of action and a few big reveals.

I won't explain why this is my favorite arc, as doing so would delve into spoiler territory (do I need to worry about spoilers for a ten-year-old book?). Read this volume if you love seeing character dynamics, chemistry, and odd twists in the plot.

Highlights:
Shinigami
Paranormal
Humorous
Has an Anime

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Book Summary:

Jeff Corwin is one of several animal advocates that a generation grew up watching. He never hesitated to throw himself into the wild, teaching children (and adults) about everything and anything he could find. He still does this, in fact.

He was a host of Animal Planet and the face of several other wildlife shows. And this is his biography – how it all came to be, including his love of animals.

My Review:

I will date myself a bit by saying this – but I grew up loving Jeff Corwin and his shows. I shared his enthusiasm for animals; thus, his shows were always an (informative) delight to watch. I remember the day he came to my school for a show – it made my year.

Anyway, my point is that I just had to read Jeff Corwin: A Wild Life. In truth, I wish I had known about this when I was younger. The biography is interesting but certainly written for a slightly younger audience.

The good news is that the stories and anecdotes are perfect. They go a long way to explain his life and love. They also highlight certain aspects of his life, which I appreciated. Read this book if you love Jeff Corwin and want to learn more about his life.

Highlights:
Animal Lover
Biography
Jeff Corwin!

Trigger Warnings:
Personal Injury (animal bites, etc.)
Animal Death

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Book Summary:

We all like to focus on Thrawn's exploits after he joined the Empire. But what about before? What sort of danger did Thrawn get into (and out of) while he was still with the Chiss? Enter Thrawn Ascendancy to answer all of our questions.

The Chiss Ascendancy is in a moment of peace – more or less. But that peace is on the line, and Thrawn is one of the few to see where these fractures lie. Unfortunately, not everyone in the command is so inclined to listen to his plans.

My Review:

I knew that Chaos Rising would be good, but I had no idea how good it would be. Why did I wait this long to read it? The good news is that I have the next two novels of the trilogy in my hands, so the wait is officially over!

The Chiss have always been fascinating, at least to me. If you are also fascinated by Thrawn's people, you've got to read this book. Some of the facts will be incredibly informative. Likewise, the Chiss politics will be intriguing. I'll admit that the name of one group o Chiss (you can probably guess) made me laugh.

The best part about this book was how it delved into Chiss family politics. I had no idea it was so complex, but at the same time, I feel like I shouldn't be surprised. This, coupled with the multiple perspectives, made for a delightful read.

Highlights:
Thrawn! Really, need I say more?
Chiss politics/background
Fascinating characters
Multiple Perspectives
Star Wars Story

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Book Summary:

A group of social media influencers have been invited to an exclusive trip. It should be a dream come true, right? Yet this story is about to get dark, as one of the influencers goes missing. Worse, there's plenty of reason to suspect foul play.

Alabama Wood is desperate to increase her follower count. Celest Reed has had more success, yet she's dealing with a lot at home. Hollie Goodwin's life looks perfect, and we all know what that means - she has an image to protect.

My Review:

Okay, so I really (REALLY) wanted to fall in love with The Perfect Ones. I loved the idea of a group of influencers winding up at the center of a mystery. I also was happy that this was a debut novel (gotta give new authors a try, right?). Unfortunately, I didn't end up liking The Perfect Ones all that much.

The Perfect Ones is split into multiple perspectives (see above) and timelines. I actually usually like that in a thriller/mystery, so that wasn't the problem. The problem is that I didn't like most of the perspectives, so things got tedious quickly for me.

While The Perfect Ones wasn't a bad read, overall, it wasn't satisfying either. I didn't feel much of anything by the time I finished – good or bad.

Highlights:
Debut
Mystery
Social Media

Trigger Warnings:
Obsessive Behavior
Eating Disorder
Mental Health
Pregnancy/Loss

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Book Summary:

The magic of the world is dying. Or rather, it's receding. Some people, like Rowan, have been fighting hard to ensure what remains is evenly spread around – as even those without the ability to wield grand powers still need a bit of magic.

Unfortunately, he's one of the few that thinks this way. The rest are eager to hoard away the magic, which may be strangling the world even further. This is the struggle that little Biddy has grown up in, and she may just be the solution to the problem.

My Review:

If you're looking for a magical read with lots of danger, magical politics, and familiars, this book is for you! But really, The Magician's Daughter caught my attention because of the core premise (hidden away on a magical island and all that). Everything else was icing on the cake.

There were parts I adored about The Magician's Daughter. That said, this book also has some pretty dark implications, so consider yourself warned. Admittedly, I did have trouble focusing on certain parts here and there, but overall The Magician's Daughter is a fantastic read (see what I did there?).

While I did really enjoy The Magician's Daughter, I can't help but wish that I had found this book when I was a bit younger. Young(er) me would have been absolutely enchanted by this novel. I know she would have found a role model in Biddy.

Highlights:
Magical world
Historical Fantasy
Familiars

Trigger Warnings:
Animal/Familiar Death
Magic Hunting
Orphanages

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Book Summary:

In a future not as distant as we'd like, the world is heavily focused on the idea of living forever. Combined with the increased risk of surveillance, everyone lives in constant anxiety. (Feel familiar?)

Adéla is perhaps one of the few not focused on living forever. This is fortunate, given her recent terminal diagnosis. Now she's on a quest to find her daughter, whom she gave up many decades ago. What follows will be a surprise to everyone.

My Review:

I'll be the first to say that I think now was the wrong time for me to read a book like A Brief History of Living Forever. I'm currently dealing with two significant losses in my life, which made this book hit heavier – for better and for worse.

Honestly, I am happy to have read it, even if it wasn't quite the book I wanted (needed?). I hope my sentiment makes sense here. I love the overall concept – a near (and dark) future with realistic scenarios twisted to a more sci-fi extreme. It's my jam!

If there's one thing you can count on with A Brief History of Living Forever, it will make you stop and think. I mean it – I think I sat there for probably twenty minutes just processing everything I had read.

Highlights:
Storytelling Style
Dystopia
Emotional

Trigger Warnings:
Terminal Illness
Family Separation

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Book Summary:

Letters to a Writer of Color is a collection of essays exploring literature, and its impact on sharing experiences. As such, it delves into the lives and stories of real people, covering cultural traditions and other elements that impacted these authors' works.

My Review:

If there is a book that needs to exist today, it's Letters to a Writer of Color. There are a lot of reasons to love this collection of essays. The first reason is (I hope) pretty obvious. More than that, I adore that it discussed the need for more inclusive publishing and reading practices.

Yeah, you read that right! We can all be better about reading more inclusively (myself included – I'm working on it, but as I said, we can all do better). These essays help explain that it isn't just what we read but how we read. I loved that point.

If you have the time, please go and read Letters to a Writer of Color. It'll open your eyes and help share new perspectives.

Highlights:
Nonfiction
Essays

Thanks to Random House Trade and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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