Week 39 Review: Feral Youth

From Goodreads:

At Zeppelin Bend, an outdoor education program designed to teach troubled youth the value of hard work, cooperation, and compassion, ten teens are left alone in the wild. The teens are a diverse group who come from all walks of life, and they were all sent to Zeppelin Bend as a last chance to get them to turn their lives around. They've just spent nearly two weeks learning to survive in the wilderness, and now their instructors have dropped them off eighteen miles from camp with no food, no water, and only their packs, and they'll have to struggle to overcome their vast differences if they hope to survive.

Inspired by The Canterbury Tales, Feral Youth features characters, each complex and damaged in their own ways, who are enticed to tell a story (or two) with the promise of a cash prize. The stories range from noir-inspired revenge tales to mythological stories of fierce heroines and angry gods. And while few of the stories are claimed to be based in truth, they ultimately reveal more about the teller than the truth ever could.

My Review:


Authors: Shaun David Hutchinson, E.C. Myers, Robin Talley, Tim Floreen, Stephanie Kuehn, Susanne Young, Marieke Nijkamp, Justina Ireland, Brandy Colbert, Alaya Dawn Johnson
Read: September 25th, 2025  
Source: Own 
Reason Why: Love these authors, and it's a SAC 2025 Book!  
Publisher: Simon Pulse 
Published: September 15th 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 38 Review: Buried Deep and Other Stories

From Goodreads:

A thrilling anthology of thirteen short stories that span the worlds of the New York Times bestselling author of the Scholomance trilogy, including a sneak peek at the land where her next novel will be set.

From the dragon-filled Temeraire series and the gothic magical halls of the Scholomance trilogy, through the realms next door to Spinning Silver and Uprooted, this stunning collection takes us from fairy tale to fantasy, myth to history, and mystery to science fiction as we travel through Naomi Novik's most beloved stories. Here, among many others, we encounter:

• A mushroom witch who learns that sometimes the worst thing in the Scholomance can be your roommate.

• The start of the Dragon Corps in ancient Rome, after Mark Antony hatches a dragon's egg and bonds with the hatchling.

• A young bride in the Middle Ages who finds herself gambling with Death for the highest of stakes.

• A delightful reimagining of Pride & Prejudice, in which Elizabeth Bennet captains a Longwing dragon.

• The first glimpse of the world of Abandon, the setting of Novik's upcoming epic fantasy series—a deserted continent populated only by silent and enigmatic architectural mysteries.

Though the stories are vastly different, there is a unifying theme: wrestling with destiny, and the lengths some will go to find their own and fulfill its promise.

My Review:
This was a delight to read! I may have read the ancient Rome story before, but most of these were new, and I had such a blast reading them! Naomi Novik is an author that I love, and these stories, stand alones and ones from series, new and old, yeah, they were so good! 

I'm not sure what I was most excited for, a new Scholomance story, or the Pride & Prejudice in the Temeraire world. Both lived up to the excitement, I had such a great time reading the both of them, one a familiar story but with dragons, and the other, seeing the world after the events of the series, seeing how things have changed, oh, it was a delight! 

The new world, the setting of the new series, the potential it has, the possibilities are endless. Like, is it going to follow the characters? Or might this story be years in the past, well after they've now discovered this new continent. I can't wait to find out! 

Seven Years from Home, and Seven, both very different stories but sharing Seven in the title, were both really fantastic reads, a sci-fi and a fantasy, bio-manipulation and creating statues. Plus the titular Buried Deep, a Minotaur retelling, oh, it was so good and so sad, and I am a tad bit confused by the end, it was such a great story! 

Loved reading this collection, and I'm so excited to see what might come from this new world! 

Author: Naomi Novik
Series: Temeraire, Scholomance
Read: September 18th, 2024
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really good, and it's a SAC 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Del Rey
Published: September 17th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 36 Review: The White Guy Dies First

From Goodreads:

This program features multicast narration as well as an author's note and acknowledgements read by the author.

13 SCARY STORIES. 13 AUTHORS OF COLOR. 13 TIMES WE SURVIVED... THE FIRST KILL.

The White Guy Dies First includes thirteen scary stories by all-star contributors and this time, the white guy dies first.

Killer clowns, a hungry hedge maze, and rich kids who got bored. Friendly cannibals, impossible slashers, and the dead who don't stay dead....

A museum curator who despises "diasporic inaccuracies." A sweet girl and her diary of happy thoughts. An old house that just wants friends forever....

These stories are filled with ancient terrors and modern villains, but go ahead, go into the basement, step onto the old plantation, and open the magician's mystery box because this time, the white guy dies first.

Edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker, including stories from bestselling, award-winning, and up-and-coming contributors: Adiba Jaigirdar, Alexis Henderson, Chloe Gong, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, H. E. Edgmon, Kalynn Bayron, Karen Strong, Kendare Blake, Lamar Giles, Mark Oshiro, Naseem Jamnia, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Terry J. Benton-Walker.

A collection you'll be dying to talk about… if you survive it.

Full narrator list: Alejandro Antonio Ruiz, André Santana, Angel Pean, Joy Ofodu, Kausar Mohammed, Nicky Endres, Samara Naeymi, Terry J. Benton-Walker, Torian Brackett

My Review:
I had such a great time reading this anthology! That there was a bit of a story before and after, that these stories were written and associated with a filmmaker, 13 unreleased movies and 13 missing/dead male actors...yeah, that was so cool! Plus it was another horror anthology poking at the tropes of horror, this time with the white guy dying first! 

This anthology was bookended by this story that set up the premise of the anthology, that there was this filmmaker who made a bunch of movies that were never released about these storie where the white guy dies first, and then all these male actors had been found killed, and these stories are somehow related to what was going on (I had this in audio, and I think I missed if these were the written form of the movies, or related stories in the same vein.) Which was a really interesting premise for this anthology! 

One thing that this collection solidified for me, is that I like happy ending horrors, where the protagonist gets out of whatever horrifying situation that they were in ok. Because a few of the stories here weren't, they lost to the horror that they were facing. 

I support women's rights, and women's wrongs, including in this story, like All Eyes of Me, and The Golden Dragon, that the girls come out on top! Wasps, absolutely infuriated me that it came to that, but loved how it turned out! All of the stories in this anthology were entertaining and raised my emotions, good and bad, but I really enjoyed these 3!

Loved reading this collection of stories, and I'm so glad that it exists! 

Authors: Adiba Jaigirdar, Alexis Henderson, Chloe Gong, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, H.E. Edgmon, Kalynn Bayron, Karen Strong, Kendare Blake, Lamar Giles, Mark Oshiro, Naseem Jamnia, Tiffany D. Jackson, Terry J. Benton-Walker
Read: September 4th, 2024 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really good and had authors that I love, and it's a SAC 2024 Book! 
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Published: July 16th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 17 Review: A Twisted Tale Anthology

From Goodreads:

Disney's New York Times best-selling series presents a rich anthology filled with all-new what-if twists, such as What if Snow White learned magic? What if Mulan became the emperor's advisor? And what if Remy the rat met Colette first? Edited by New York Times best-selling author, Elizabeth Lim, this Twisted Tale anthology features sixteen twisted short stories with new takes on fan-favorite Disney films. Swoon as Ariel and Eric meet right after the Little Mermaid saves her prince; join Tiana and Naveen on a race to get back to Maldonia; take a ride on a pirate space ship with Jim Hawkins; and uncover just what power Tinker Bell's pixie dust holds. 

Written by veteran Twisted Tale authors, Elizabeth Lim, Liz Braswell, Jen Calonita, and Farrah Rochon, and featuring captivating contributions from best-selling authors, Livia Blackburne, M.K. England, Micol Ostow, and Kristina Perez, this collection filled with magic, intrigue, and charm is a must-have for Disney and fairy tale fans alike.

My Review:


Authors: Elizabeth Lim, Liz Braswell, Jen Calonita, Farrah Rochon, Livia Blackburne, M.K. England, Micol Ostow, and Kristina Perez
Series: A Twisted Tale 
Read: April 22nd, 2024
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love this series, and these authors, and it's a 2024 Retelling Reading Challenge 2024 Book and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book! 
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion 
Published: October 3rd 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 12 Review: The Black Girl Survives In This One

From Goodreads:

Be warned, dear reader: The Black girls survive in this one.

Celebrating a new generation of bestselling and acclaimed Black writers, The Black Girl Survives in This One makes space for Black girls in horror. Fifteen chilling and thought-provoking stories place Black girls front and center as heroes and survivors who slay monsters, battle spirits, and face down death. Prepare to be terrified and left breathless by the pieces in this anthology.

The bestselling and acclaimed authors include Erin E. Adams, Monica Brashears, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Desiree S. Evans, Saraciea J. Fennell, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Daka Hermon, Justina Ireland, L. L. McKinney, Brittney Morris, Maritza & Maika Moulite, Eden Royce, and Vincent Tirado, with a foreword by Tananarive Due.

My Review:
This was such a great collection of stories! I've only read from a couple of these authors before, mainly Justina Ireland, but I had a fantastic time reading these stories-the theme of the black girls surviving in these horror stories was so great!

I don't read a lot of horror, or watch much, but the first few stories endings weren't my favourite. Like, the title is correct, they survived to the end of the story, but after the story ends? Are they going to survive much longer after that? They might not, and that kind of ending isn't my favourite, but right until the end they were fantastic! 

I loved the variety of horrors there were, from the The Scottish Play, to zombies to demon deals. They were all so creepy and at times terrifying, and I was rooting for these characters even if I knew that they were going to survive, they deserved it!

I think my favourites were Black Pride by Justina Ireland, and Foxhunt by Charlotte Nicole Davis. In the former, the whole story, and what it turned out to be was so awesome to read. And the latter, yeah, it was just so satisfying, and I was cheering Flex on, I couldn't get enough! It was a great end to the anthology, I keep thinking about it! 

This was a really fantastic anthology and I had a great time reading it! 

Authors: Erin E. Adams, Monica Brashears, Charlotte Nicole Davis, Desiree S. Evans, Saraciea J. Fennell, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Daka Hermon, Justina Ireland, L.L. McKinney, Brittney Morris, Maika & Maritza Moulite, Eden Royce, and Vincent Tirado

Read: March 22nd, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a SAC 2024 Book! 
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Published: April 2nd 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 40 Review: When He Was Bad

From Goodreads:

Two of paranormal romance's bestselling authors combine their extraordinary talents and set the pages on fire with an after-dark anthology featuring Alpha males so hot, so wild, and so bad, they may just be the best you've ever had... Shelly Laurenston Miss Congeniality

It's those damn stockings that get me every time. They have this sexy little line down the back and I can't help but stare at her legs. . .constantly. And you'd think she'd be all over me like every other female in the Seattle area. I'm young, good looking, and one day I'll be Alpha Male of my family's Pack. But Professor Irene Conridge acts like I don't even exist. How is that possible? Now she's got enemies coming out of the woodwork and I have to protect her. Why? Because that's the kind of man I am. Yes, I am that amazing. Of course, it doesn't hurt that while I work to secure her safety, she'll be hanging out at my house. That's hours. . .days even that I've got Irene Conridge right where I want her.

Cynthia Eden Wicked Ways

I'm too dangerous for her. I know it, but I can't get my sexy new neighbor out of my head. When I hear her scream one night, the absolute last thing I expect to see is Miranda Shaw--star of my hottest fantasies--being attacked by a vampire. Now the undead jerk is after her, and I'm the only thing standing between the beautiful lady and a killer who just won't stop. Well, too bad for him, because that vamp has just made the worst mistake of his afterlife--he's tangled with a shifter. And Miranda, well, she's so busy watching out for him that she won't see me closing in on her--not until it's too late--and I'm about to show her just how wild I can get. . .

My Review:
I had such a great time reading these stories! I've really enjoyed the Smith's Shifter World series in the Magnus Pack trilogy, and yeah, it was great to have Irene and Van Holtz's story, since they were featured in book 2 of the series. And then Wicked Ways was just really enjoyable!

I mainly read this for Miss Congeniality. I really need to read to the Honey Badger series again, since the new one is coming out soon, but I still haven't read the Pride series, which is between the Magnus Pack series and the Honey Badger. And I'm so glad that I read it!

Irene is a scientist, and she's really intelligent and focused, and she's not one for human connection. Whereas Van Holtz, he's a player, and if he wasn't the future Alpha of the pack, he'd be pretty average. I loved them together, dealing with her knowing about shifters, and the formula that she made that had very unintended, but easily weaponizable, side effects! It was so good!

Wicked Ways started off strong and then it kept going! I was rooting for Miranda and Cain, she didn't deserve to go through that, and he was definitely up for helping her through it! I adored their relationship together as they dealt with it all! 

These were such great reads, and I can't wait to continue with the Pride series! 

Authors: Shelly Laurenston and Cynthia Eden
Series: Magnus Pack #3.5, Pride #0.75, Smith's Shifter World #3.5
Read: October 6th, 2023 
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love her writing and this world, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book! 
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Published: June 1st 2008

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 38 Review: Out There

From Goodreads:

Into the queer new yonder!

To conclude the trio of anthologies that started with critically acclaimed All Out and Out Now, Out There features seventeen original short stories set in the future from fantastic queer YA authors.

Explore new and familiar worlds where the human consciousness can be uploaded into a body on Mars…an alien helps a girl decide if she should tell her best friend how she feels…two teens get stuck in a time loop at a space station…people are forced to travel to the past or the future to escape the dying planet…only a nonbinary person can translate the binary code of a machine that predicts the future…everyone in the world vanishes except for two teen girls who are in love.

This essential and beautifully written collection immerses and surprises with each turn of the page.

My Review:
This was such a great collection of stories! I've really enjoyed I haven't read Out Now quite yet, but I really enjoyed All Out, and this series of queer anthologies is such a great idea, and I can't wait to finish it out! 

Loved reading these stories, and I Really need to read Out Now, now! 

Authors: Saundra Mitchell, K. Ancrum, Kalynn Bayron, Z Brewer, Mason Deaver, Alechia Dow, Z.R. Ellor, Leah Johnson, Naomi Kanakia, Claire Kann, Alex London, Jim McCarthy, Abdi Nazemian, Emma K. Ohland, Adam Sass, Nita Tyndall, Ugochi M. Agoawike, Mato J. Steger
Read: September 17th, 2023
Source: Edelweiss 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2022 Book!
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Published: June 7th 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 26 Review: Transmogrify!

From Goodreads:

Perfect for fans of All Out and Cemetery Boys, this anthology claims a seat at the table of fantasy literature for trans and gender nonconforming stories.

Transness is as varied and colorful as magic can be. In Transmogrify!, you'll embark on fourteen different adventures alongside unforgettable characters who embody many different genders and expressions and experiences—because magic is for everyone, and that is cause for celebration.

My Review:
I had a fantastic time reading this anthology! This collection of trans and gender nonconforming stories was such a great concept, and I really enjoyed all of these stories! I hadn't read from most of these authors before, so it was so great to check them out! 

I will say that the lack of trans women authors, and minimal characters, was a bit sad, espcailly with the way the editor of this collection reacted to that criticism wasn't great. But these stories were really great, and deserved to be told, and read. I just wish that there could've just been that extra bit of representation, because people are vast.

I was really looking forward to AR Capetta and Cory McCarthy's story, I've really enjoyed their books together and yeah, it was such a cute story, I loved who the narrator was, and watching these two kids taking care of a dragon egg-a fantasy school project version of either the flour bags or mechanical baby dolls. Loved reading it! 

Saundra Mitchell's story was another I was excited to read, and it was so cute, with a magic school but they got kicked out of it, and finding their place. It was such a cute read, I loved these characters, and watching it unfold!  

Loved reading these stories, they were all so great to read!

Authors: AR Capetta and Cory McCarthy, g. haron davis, Mason Deaver, Jonathan Lenore Kastin, Emery Lee, Saundra Mitchell, Cam Montgomery, Ash Nouveau, Sonora Reyes, Renee Reynolds, Dove Salvatierra, Ayida Shonibar, Francesca Tacchi, Nik Traxler 
Read: June 25th, 2023
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2023 Book! 
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: May 16th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 13 Review: Instinct

From Goodreads:

Danger. Evil. Death. Heroes can face it all, but they cannot do it alone.

Throughout history, creatures both big and small have stood alongside heroes and helped them through trying times, whether on the battlefield or in their laps. In these brand-new stories, sixteen bestselling authors regale us with adventures of animal companions and how they often are the ones rescuing the rescuer.

New stories by / in the world of

Jim Butcher – from The Dresden Files

Faith Hunter – from Jane Yellowrock

Patricia Briggs – from Mercy Thompson

Seanan McGuire – standalone

L. E. Modesitt – from Archform: Beauty and Flash

Kelley Armstrong – from Cainsville

L. J. Hachmeister – from the Triorion Universe/Laws of Attraction

Sam Knight – from The Abandoned Lands

Eliza Eveland – from Talons and Tethers

Hailey Edwards – from The Beginner's Guide to Necromancy

D. J. Butler – from Abbott in Darkness

Lucienne Diver – from The Latter-Day Olympians

A. J. Hartley – from The Bowescroft Series

Alex Erickson – from Furever Pets

John Hartness – from Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter

R.R. Virdi – from Tales of Tremaine

Purchasing this book saves a puppy's life! Book sale profits are donated to: Lifeline Puppy Rescue.

My Review:
To have an anthology, from the animals' perspectives, yeah, I was always going to be reading this one once I found out about it. I adore my doggies, and animals are just so flipping cute, and of course there are authors and series that I had to read from! 

I mainly read this book for the series that I was in the middle of, of the Cainsville series, Jane Yellowrock, and Dresden Files. They were all such great stories, seeing these pieces of the world, and going on these adventures! 

The short story Safe Place, oh man, that hurt. With Dobby, my dog, the old man, who just had his 15th birthday this year, to treat an old doggie like that, hurt. Especially since we were in the dog, Brick's, perspective. But dogs are so forgiving, so that was sweet! 

The Seanan McGuire story, yeah, that was so good! Of cats and their relationships with humans, of the 9 lives, it hurt so much in a good way. That the speaker is a cat that has been through their lives and is teaching the youngsters was just so great! 

Loved reading this collection, and I can't wait to read more in these worlds! 

Authors: Kelley Armstrong, Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, D.J. Butler, E.A. Copen, Lucienne Diver, 

Hailey Edwards, Alex Erickson, A.J. Hartley, John Hartness, Faith Hunter, Sam Knight, Seanan McGuire, L.E. Modesitt, R.R. Virdi

Series: The Dresden Files #17.5, Jane Yellowrock #10.6, Mercy Thompson World #16.5, Cainsville 5.7 

Read: March 30th, 2023
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love these authors writing, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book! 
Publisher: Source 7 Productions, LLC
Published: March 7th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 9 Review: Faery Tales & Nightmares

From Goodreads:
Dangerous promises and beguiling threats swirl together in a dozen stories of enchantments dark and light by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr. Uncanny and unexpected creatures appear from behind bushes, rise from beneath the seas, or manifest from seasonal storms to pursue the objects of their attention—with amorous or sinister intent—relentlessly.

From the gentle tones of a storyteller's cadences to the terror of a blood sacrifice, tales of favorite characters from Marr's Wicked Lovely novels mix with accounts of new characters for readers to fall in love with...or to fear.

Lush, seductive, and chilling, Melissa Marr's stories revel in the unseen magic that infuses the world as we know it.

My first review of Faery Tales & Nightmares
My Review:
Oh, I loved reading this collection of stories again! I loved reading it the first time, and if you've read any of my reviews, I think you'll know what I'm about to say. It's been so long since I first read it, that it was like reading it for the first time! And it was just so wonderful!

I did read the two stories with Irial, Niall and Leslie in them when I was reading the main series, from my copy of this book, so I skipped over them this time. But there was plenty of other stories in here to read, and oh, I read them! 

The non-Wicked Lovely stories were really great, though that opener was really short, and I wish we could've had just a little bit more from it. The vampire one, oh man, that was a really dark story. And Flesh for Comfort, that was terrifying! 

The Wicked Lovely stories-including the one that was original inspiration for the stories, were really great. To see Rabbit start to find happiness after the loss of his sister. To see Seth and Niall work out the emotions after what they did to each other. To see Keenan and Donia have a vacation while he's mortal, and dealing with those fears. They were all fantastic stories, and I can't wait to read more! 

Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to read more by Melissa Marr! 

Author: Melissa Marr

Series: Wicked Lovely
First Read: September 19th, 2012

Read: March 3rd, 2023
Source: Own
Reason Why: Rereading! And it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book!
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: February 2nd 2012

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 2 Review: Fifty First Times

From Goodreads:
You always remember your first time...

Whether it's the couple who decides not to go through with it, the two boys who finally aren't ashamed, the newlyweds whose wedding night could very well be their last night together, the deaf pair who have no choice but to take body language to a new level--or, of course, the two young lovers fumbling and laughing, getting everything wrong. These are the memories that will never fade.

Join nineteen fantastic authors as they pull back the curtain and give you a peek inside that one intense moment in their characters' lives when everything changes and nothing will ever be the same again.

Featuring stories from some of the hottest names in New Adult, Young Adult, and Romance including New York Times Bestselling authors J.Lynn/Jennifer Armentrout, Molly McAdams, Sophie Jordan, and Carrie Ryan.

NOTE: These stories are works of fiction. If you want to know about our first times, you'll have to buy us a pet monkey first.

My Review:
I had such a fantastic time reading this collection of stories! I've been meaning to for so long, but I had to read the books that first in the series order first, and that took some corrodiation, espcailly since I had to reread a few but I've made it, and I loved reading them!

The fact that this is a collection of characters first times, it's a really great concept, and these authors took the stories in a variety of ways, and I enjoyed reading each take! And getting to know these characters, and some of them, these worlds! 

Mainly I was reading this for the Jennifer L. Armentrout story. Ollie was Cam's roommate, and Allie was Avery's friend, and they had some interesting interactions in Wait for Me/Trust in Me, so I had a really great time getting the story of their first time! 

Melissa Lander's story was really surprising, and really great! I've only read part of her YA series, and this collection is more NA, but it was a really great sci fi romance, with politics and I had such a great time reading it! 

I had a really great time reading this anthology, and I can't wait to continue on in the series that have sequels! 

Authors: Jennifer L. Armentrout, Molly McAdams, Sophia Bleu, Hannah Moskowitz, Lyla Payne, Roni Loren, Andrew Shaffer, Cole Gibsen, Myra McEntire, Carrie Ryan, Mark Perini, Sophie Jordan, Lisa Desrochers, Tracy Wolff, Lauren Layne, Alessandra Thomas, Melissa Landers, A.L. Jackson, Gennifer Albin, Melissa West
Series: Wait for You #2.5, A Little Too Far #3.5, The Ivy Chronicles #1.5, Sharing You #0.4
Read: January 13th, 2023
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love these authors, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book!
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Published: February 25th 2014

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 1 Review: Shadowhunters and Downworlders

From Goodreads:

Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series, epic urban fantasy set in a richly imagined world of shadowhunters, vampires, werewolves, fairies, and more, has captured the imaginations and loyalty of hundreds of thousands of YA readers. Originally a trilogy (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass), the series has extended to six titles, plus a prequel trilogy, the Infernal Devices, and a planned sequel series, the Dark Artifices. A feature film is planned for 2013.

Shadowhunters and Downworlders, edited by Clare (who provides an introduction to the book and to each piece), is a collection of YA authors writing about the series and its world.

Authors Who Contributed: Holly Black / Kendare Blake / Gwenda Bond / Sarah Rees Brennan / Rachel Caine / Sarah Cross / Kami Garcia / Michelle Hodkin / Kelly Link / Kate Milford / Diana Peterfreund / Sara Ryan / Scott Tracey / Robin Wasserman

My Review:

Well, this wasn't what I was expecting! Reading back over the synopsis, it does say "writing about the series and it's world" but I thought that this would be stories set in this world. But it's actually essays, not stories, writing about this world. So if it's not totally non-fiction, because it's writing about a fictional world (I don't know, non-fiction is not my strong point) it's very close.

So when I was reading the first author's offering, I was like, is this in-world story? But then I finished, and that's when I realized that it wasn't a story. So that was a bit confusing, on top of it being about uncanny, and about cities, things that just kinda went over my head. 

The fact that these were written by fans of the series, talking about parts that they found most significant to them, that was a really great part of this book. Which made up for the fact that this wasn't stories in this world. Ah, well! 

Some of these authors wrote things that really added depth to the series. I'm not Jewish, so Michelle Hodkin's part about Simon and the role that he plays was so fascinating. It was things like that was the reason why I read all the extras that I know about, so I can have all the details that it's possible for me to know! 

I had a good time reading this anthology, and I can't wait to read the rest of what's been currently published for the Shandhunters world! 

Authors: Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Kendare Blake, Gwenda Bond, Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Caine, Sarah Cross, Kami Garcia, Michelle Hodkin, Kelly Link, Kate Milford, Diana Peterfreund, Sara Ryan, Scott Tracey, Robin Wasserman
Series: Shadowhunter Chronicles 
Read: January 6th, 2023
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Love this world, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book!
Publisher: BenBella Books, Inc.
Published: January 29th 2013

4/5 Hearts

0/5 Books

1/5 Stars

Week 43 Review: Whiteout

From Goodreads:

Atlanta is blanketed with snow just before Christmas, but the warmth of young love just might melt the ice in this novel of Black joy, and cozy, sparkling romance--by the same unbeatable team of authors who wrote the New York Times bestseller Blackout!

As the city grinds to a halt, twelve teens band together to help a friend pull off the most epic apology of her life. But will they be able to make it happen, in spite of the storm?

No one is prepared for this whiteout. But then, we can't always prepare for the magical moments that change everything.

From the bestselling, award-winning, all-star authors who brought us Blackout--Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon--comes another novel of Black teen love, each relationship within as unique and sparkling as Southern snowflakes.

My Review:
Oh, this was a lot of fun to read! I recently read Blackout by these authors, and I was really excited to read this one, to see if it was told in a different way from other anthologies, and it was, with the various teens narrating different chapters, in one cohesive, connected story! With an added twist that the authors of each story aren't outright stated, but given hints as to who wrote what! 

The same concept that made Blackout great, with these characters, with some sort of shut down, slowly coming together, with great representation and diversity, it's all present in this book, this time with a whiteout snowstorm. I really enjoyed watching these characters stories play out! 

The overarching story that was supported by the others, was of Stevie and Sola. Stevie messed up and needs to make an apology to Sola, but there's this big storm that shuts down the city pretty much. But she has a great group of friends to help her! 

This book is more connected then Blackout, since they are all friends. I really enjoyed how one flowed to the next, with this group of characters, and the romances and the adventures they're having to help Stevie, it was so entertaining to read! 

Loved reading this book, and if they put out any other anthologies like this one, I'll read it! 

Authors: Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon  
Read: October 26th, 2022
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2022 Book!
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Expected Publication: November 8th 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars