➽ The Dates & Breakdown: June 10th: Chapters 1 – 5 June 11th: Chapters 6 – 9 June 12th: Chapters 10 – 13 June 13th: Chapters 14 – 17 June 14th: Chapters 18 – End
“Out of all the train cars in all the world you had to walk into mine.”
Oh my word, this was glorious. Alyssa Cole just keeps proving, over and over, that she is the queen of romance, and that the Reluctant Royals series is such a bright shining light for the romance genre. And I truly and utterly fell completely in love with Likotsi and Fabiola, and this is one of my new favorite f/f stories ever written.
Likotsi is the personal assistant to Prince Thesolo, who we get to know very well in A Princess in Theory! She is also Black, a lesbian, and (in my opinion) a sexual icon. Seriously, I haven’t swooned this hard over a character in a long time. But Likotsi finally has some free time and is planning on spending some time exploring the city, but technical difficulties make her train break down. But maybe fate is at play a little bit, when her ex spots her through the train window.
Fabiola is an up and coming jewelry maker, who is social media famous, bisexual, and is also Haitian and from a family of immigrants, who are having problems with deportation. This book is such a sexy second chance romance, but it really shines a spotlight on very real things that are going on here in America and weaves these important discussions into this beautiful story seamlessly.
But Likotsi and Fabiola decide to get some lunch together, which kind of turns into them spending the day together. And the chapters begin to alternate from the present, to them meeting on a Tinder-like app, and then to why they eventually called it quits eight months ago. And I was so damn enthralled in all the timelines. And the chemistry between these two? Out of this damn world.
Also, I just wanted to also say that this is ownvoices for the Black representation but also the queer representation! And if you all have time, you should check out this article from The Mary Sue because it is magnificent.
Overall, I hope Alyssa Cole never stops writing this series. I will honestly read ninety-nine more installments, with the biggest smile on my face. This series is the stuff that OTPs are made of and Once Ghosted, Twice Shy proves that the side characters are even equally as perfect. And friends, I don’t even have words for how excited I am for A Prince on Paper this April! Also, I totally think you could read this one without reading the previous full-length books in the series! And I completely recommend you do so, if you’re looking for something quick, steamy, and romantic.
“There is a difference between being nice and being kind.”
Oh my gosh, I am living my best life thanks to this short story! ThThe Wicker King ★★★★★
“There is a difference between being nice and being kind.”
Oh my gosh, I am living my best life thanks to this short story! This month, I also read The Wicker King and fell so in love with Jack and August and how they both were able to give the other one what they needed in a world that wasn’t willing to fill their voids. And The Legend of the Golden Raven is a brief retelling of The Wicker King but from Jack’s perspective, where we really get to dive into the fantastical world he was able to see. And friends? I loved this. My only complaint is that I wanted more because I will always want more from these characters. Also, seeing Rina in this? Truly added five years to my life. I love this story, I love these characters, and K. Ancrum is truly a blessing.
Wow, I loved this second chance romance so much. It was sweet, and heartwarming, but so real, and
“I’ve hidden my love for a woman for fifty years”
Wow, I loved this second chance romance so much. It was sweet, and heartwarming, but so real, and so heartbreaking. I laughed, I cried, I wanted more. Seriously, I’m so dang happy that I picked this up.
This story is told in flashbacks from present day to 1963, where we see two young girls discovering their sexuality. Hazel is at the bingo hall when she lays eyes on the new girl, Mari, for the very first time. Both come from strict and religious homes, but Mari’s homelife is far less supportive. And because of the 60s being a product of its time, they are never allowed to be together. That is, until they meet back up at a bingo hall, fifty years later.
“Since when is it a sin to be in love?”
But both Hazel and Mari have families and are leading lives where people depend on them. But neither is truly happy, or at least they know that they could be happier, if they were willing to take a risk. This story really is about how life is short, but no matter how short it is it will always be worth listening to your heart and trying to live the life that you want to live.
I do want to touch on a few other things that I truly loved about this graphic novel. First this is ownvoices, Tee Franklin is black and queer! Next, Hazel says the word pan on page! Hazel is also plus-sized! And I really loved the normalization of talking to a psychiatrist! This story just had so much good in it, and it truly touched me so very much.
Overall, this was just exactly what I wanted. It was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking, and just made me really appreciate the life I am able to live in 2019. Not saying that 2019 is perfect, but it’s better than the 60s and easier to surround myself with people who love and support me. I completely recommend this graphic novel with my whole heart. The art is perfect, the story is awe-inspiring, and the characters are truly unforgettable.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Did I just start 2019 off with the cutest sapphic relationship set up, that also featured ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Did I just start 2019 off with the cutest sapphic relationship set up, that also featured a pan love interest? Wow, the blessings for this new year already! Friends, I loved this. And if you’re looking for something diverse, something hella cute, something super romantic, and something that’s a really quick read, then look no further.
“Why was it so hard to find good mainstream media where you could see two girls falling in love with a happy ending? Even harder if I wanted to find stories with black girls. Brazilian black girls falling in love? Mostly, I’d only found them in indie and self-published books. Maybe it would be easier to enjoy more media if everything I tried to watch didn’t look as white as the walls of my apartment.”
My Fake Canadian Wife is an ownvoices story for the Brazilian and the queer representation. Our main character, Dora, is a lesbian and is an aspiring photographer from Brazil, who moved to Canada to go to school, and is still currently living there. Sadly, their camera broke so they are currently working as a barista at a local café trying to save up money. That is, until Dora receives a letter from immigration telling her that she hasn’t updated her student Visa and that she is going to be deported if the situation isn’t corrected.
Dora is feeling helpless, and unsure if she wants to move back with her family in Brazil, but a coworker introduces her to Abby, who is a librarian, pan, adorable, and totally willing to marry Dora to keep her in the country. But first, they have to see if they are both willing to commit to something like this, and they have to find out if they even like being around each other for long periods of time. And what better way than for Dora to spend Christmas and the holidays with Abby and her family? And they both learn a lot about themselves and the kind of relationship that they want and need.
Last year, I fell in love with The Melody of You and Me which starred a pan main character who fell for a Filipino girl, and at this point I think M. Hollis is writing stories specifically for me and my interests. Even though both of these stories are filled with very real and challenging situations, but are heartwarming, sapphic stories that just fill my body and soul with so much pure joy and happiness.
Overall, I just loved this and I really appreciate the stories that M. Hollis keeps writing. They always make me feel so seen, and I always have the biggest smile on my face while reading their stories. I’ll be the first to say that this story is a little predictable, but that didn’t make me love it any less. I hope 2019 is filled with f/f romances like this! And I hope M. Hollis never stops writing them, especially after reading the author acknowledgements because you can really tell they put a lot of themselves into this beautiful story and it really shines through.
This is for sure the most emotionally driven volume of Saga yet, which is really saying something considering everything that has happened over the course of all of these issues. I can’t help being invested with each and every character, but this volume just hurts. Especially not knowing when Volume 10 will be released because the creators are taking a break. But this addition to the story was a masterpiece, a painful masterpiece, but a masterpiece nonetheless.
I’ve always said that it is completely genius to have this story be told with Hazel as the narrator, and Volume 9 really showcases that. Just seeing this baby, this toddler, this little girl, be forced to grow up in a world where hatred is bred. While also always being forced to live on the run, while being forced to grow up faster than anyone in the galaxy, while realizing that no one you love is ever safe. My heart breaks for Hazel and heals for Hazel every single page. And I truly think she is one of the best protagonists, of any story, of all time.
As always, Saga is a dark story that has very adult, NSFW content! So, please use caution! Content and trigger warnings for slavery, fatphobic comments, death, murder, talk of past child abuse, and sexual content.
As always, I'm now going to break down each chapter (single issue) in this bind-up. I mostly do this so I can go back and refresh what has happened in which specific issue. There will be SPOILERS, so please do not continue if you have not read this graphic-novel or the ones leading up to this volume!
“It takes someone you love to break your heart.”
➽ CHAPTER 49 Ianthe has The Will and has forced him into slavery, while looking for Hazel. Petrichor and Prince Robot are officially a thing, and it’s the best. We get to see Upsher and Doff again, and they are still working on news stories, even off the grid with the gang. They are all on Jetsam, which what appears to be a planet with an abandoned amusement park. And Ghüs is the new babysitter.
➽ CHAPTER 50 Oh boy, sexy times! Ianthe makes “The Help” kill. Squire, Prince Robot’s son, doesn’t want a new body or to leave with Petri and Prince Robot, after they tell their story.
➽ CHAPTER 51 Marko is writing a secret book, that I’m sure is going to have a profound impact in the next volume. Doff is killed, but The Will is finally free, even if all he can see is rage and vengeance for The Stalk.
➽ CHAPTER 52 Squire runs away, but soon runs into Ianthe. Meanwhile, Prince Robot and The Will meet up.
➽ CHAPTER 53 Everyone is dying, The Will appears to have killed Prince Robot. Ianthe is hurt, but Alana is shot. Everything is falling apart.
➽ CHAPTER 54 Marko and the Will have a fight scene to top all other fight scenes. And at the end, it appears that Marko dies. Friends, I don’t even have words. Only tears.
“At least I get to grow old.”
I truly believe that Saga is truly a once in a lifetime series, and this last installment has really left me speechless. This is just such a profound staple in not only graphic novels, but in the entire reading community. There is a reason so many people love this series, and it really proves over and over that no one is safe, nothing is safe, but the story always gets better and better. Okay, I’m off to go cry some more.
“In the beginning, there was Landfall and there was Wreath.”
This ended up being such a heartwarming volume, after bawling my eyes out after Vol. 7. The start of this was for sure still a tearjerker, but Saga truly will make you feel every emotion possible. This series continues to prove that it is a tier above so many out there, and I truly hope it never ends.
I just feel like this Romeo and Juliet story is done so well, that I’m actual at a loss for words. I know we are eight volumes in, but I care so deeply for all of these characters and side characters that it just continues to astound me. They all deserve the literal galaxy and all the stars within it, but every volume the risks and stakes just continue to get increased. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples have really just created something so amazing and inspiring that I am left in awe after almost every page.
I will say that this volume heavily talks about how people should choose what they want to do with their body, regardless of what anyone else chooses to believe for their bodies. This bind-up is really prochoice, which is also something that I’m very passionate about, and seeing it portrayed in a graphic novel is something I really wasn’t expecting, but I loved it with my whole heart. But content and trigger warnings for talk of miscarrying, talk of stillbirths, talk of abortion, violence, child abuse, depictions of trauma, depictions of PTSD, and graphic sexual content. Saga is always a bit of a darker graphic novel, so please use caution if any of these things could be triggering to you.
As always, I'm now going to break down each chapter (single issue) in this bind-up. I mostly do this so I can go back and refresh what has happened in which specific issue. There will be SPOILERS, so please do not continue if you have not read this graphic-novel or the ones leading up to this volume!
➽ CHAPTER 43 Marko, Alana, Hazel, Petri, and Prince Robot land on Pervious to remove the baby that Alana is still carrying after the terrible events of Vol. 7. Petri talks a bit more about being a transwoman, and we see Alana has developed some new powers!
➽ CHAPTER 44 Alana is also struggling with everything that happened to her in such a short time, and she is beginning to see the son she should have had. And we are introduced to some new bad guys.
➽ CHAPTER 45 Alana’s new powers are allowing her to project the son she wishes she had, and Hazel is becoming attached. But using this new ability is hurting Alana more and more, until Hazel has to learn a new power to save her. Meanwhile, those new bad guys are attempting to kill Petri, but Prince Robot saves her.
➽ CHAPTER 46 We learn that Prince Robot is genderfluid and we get to see a little bit of a romance brewing between them and Petri. Marko, Alana, and Hazel meet Endwife, who takes care of women who are too far along in their pregnancies for help elsewhere. And Endwife gives Marko a small glimpse of why being prochoice is so important.
➽ CHAPTER 47 Ianthe currently has The Will captured and has him hooked up to a machine that allows them both to view his memories. We see him and Sophie growing up with an abusive father, and how their uncle, The Letter, came and took them away. We get to see him and The Stalk starting their romance, too, but soon Ianthe becomes aware of who Hazel is and who her mother and father are.
➽ CHAPTER 48 We are finally reintroduced to my favorite character, Ghüs, and the rest of their friends that have been stranded while waiting for Marko and Alana. Squire, Prince Robot’s son, has gotten a lot bigger, and is getting more and more adventurous. But they are soon reunited when the crew comes back with much needed food for the gang. And we get to see Squire and Hazel start a beautiful friendship. Oh, and Hazel can finally fly!
“But the fact is that few people are able to see value in the words of someone they truly dislike. Have your own opinions spoken back to you by someone you despise and you will likely begin to find fault.”
This short story is set six months after the heartbreaking and harrowing events of Grey Sister! This would be a very difficult short story to review if I couldn’t talk about the events that happened in Red Sister and Grey Sister, so please make sure you are up to date with this series before reading this review!
But wow, what an early holiday treat. This was a short story filled with action, suspense, and girls kissing! And, dare I say, perhaps the start of a polyamorous relationship? But this is an amazing little story about a mini murder mystery that involves the poisoning of some very wealthy and powerful people, and the poison is being implemented in a way that is impressing even master assassins. And Ara is just the person for the job to go undercover at a party full of nobles, considering her social status, but she will have the help of Regol.
But first, she has to brush up on her kissing skills. And what better partner than Nona? If you’ve read my review for Grey Sister then you should know that I very much ship Nona and Ara together, and I was scared with Regol rejoining the picture, because I know he has feelings for Nona. Friends, I did not expect the polyamorous vibes that Mark Lawrence was serving me in this short story, but it is truly all I wanted for the holidays! Oh, my word, the blessings.
“And it’s not like I don’t know how much trouble one little kiss can lead to...”
But anyways, Ara and Regol are off to try and solve the mystery, while Nona is able to somewhat tag along because of a special bond she has with Ara. And friends, I have too many feelings right now. I’m soft, I’m weak, and I’m so in love with these characters. This is my favorite short story of 2018, easily.
Overall, I’m just so damn in love with this series. I loved getting this small glimpse of Nona and the gang, and I can’t wait for more! At this point, I would commit a minor felony to get an arc of Holy Sister! This really is such a once in a lifetime series, and I really recommend everyone picking it up. I mean, warrior, magical, assassin nuns, who many of are queer? I can’t think of anything I’d rather read.
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