ARC provided by Tor in exchange for an honest review.
"DOCILE is like eating a chocolate and you find half a spider inside but the spider is also your ARC provided by Tor in exchange for an honest review.
"DOCILE is like eating a chocolate and you find half a spider inside but the spider is also your ability to love yourself, an ability you sold to a bad man for some stale bread." - Tamsyn Muir
My most anticipated 2020 release? Perhaps.
Also, Tor.com is so far ahead of every single other publishing house. Good Lord, their power. I'm quaking.
ARC provided by the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
“The magic wakes at midnight. It arrives in the form of a song.”
The Black Veins is ARC provided by the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
“The magic wakes at midnight. It arrives in the form of a song.”
The Black Veins is a YA debut that you are not going to want to miss. This story is set in an alternate version of our world, where a young girl and her family have planted secure roots to protect themselves, their home, and their magic. They run a magical coffee shop that only other magic wielders can see, because if you speak about magic to Common people, the Erasers will come and... erase you. You will never be heard from again, and they are always watching. But the world seems relatively safe.
That is, until one night when Blythe, our main character, is dreaming about a voice in her head, one that is also trying to get her to do something that she does not want to do. Blythe has always known that she was destined to do great things with her magic, even if she doesn’t harness that magic yet. But after her family is attacked and kidnapped, she is forced to get any and all help that she can.
And in this world, there are two magical governments, and a war is beginning:
➽ Black Veins - Old government, who rules the majority, and they have a city called Frost Glade which is supposed to be the safest city of them all, where the Sages’ castle sits.
➽ Trident Republic - New government, the rebels, and they only have one city: Electric City.
And there are seven types of magic that magicians can harness. Yet, when Blythe and six others were little, their families ensured that they would do great things with their magic, but setting them on the path to one day be the Seven Guardians:
➽ Blythe - Ether Guardian. Black, bisexual, and willing to do anything to get her family back.
➽ Cordelia - Mind Guardian. Chinese, great at hacking and coding, and has always worked extremely too hard at being perfect.
➽ Daniel - Nature Guardian. Very sheltered, because his parents have kept him exclusively on their property for most of his life. Oh, and something may be following him.
➽ Antonio - Animal Guardian. Puerto Rican, queer, and the sweetest cinnamon roll and bright light. Oh, and he has wings!
➽ Storm - Time Guardian. Black, and has a secret mission of her own and she is always on rollerblades. And she was probably my favorite character besides Blythe.
➽ Caspian - Death Guardian. Trans, asexual, and who has many secrets and much more story to be told.
➽ Jay - Body Guardian. Black, bisexual, and very charming. Also, he comes from a very famous and prestigious family.
And...
➽ Katia - Lead Imperial Advisor for the Sages, and she is supposed to locate and transport all seven kids to Frost Glade safely, even if they would rather go to Electric City.
And Blythe feels like if she can get this group together, she just might stand a chance at being able to rescue her family from this rebelling government. And we are whisked away on the adventure alongside her, where she will travel all over the country via the Tempore, which is a magical forest that folds time and space and can teleport you quickly around the world, but it is temporarily shut down and a huge risk to use.
I promise you that you will fall in love with ALL of these characters. And I truly think that it’s a testament to Ashia Monet's talent and craft that they were able to evoke so much emotion and empathy from me over every single one of their characters.
This is obviously a very inclusive story, and it is ownvoices for the Black, queer, and nonbinary rep. There is a side character who you meet (and will also fall in love with) named Jamie, who is Black, nonbinary, and adopted. This book truly just has so much good in it, I wish I could put it into so many hands, and it was nothing short of a joy to read.
I really do think that the heart of this first installment is family, both blood and found, and the things one is willing to do to protect that family. There is no stronger force in this universe than unconditional love, and Blythe proves that from the first to the last page. Throughout the entire novel Blythe proves that her family is her world, but we also get to see this ragtag group somehow also find room inside her heart.
Yet, I also think this is a story about being brave, and how bravery can take so many shapes and forms. Sometimes the only way to feel like you're brave is to try your best, sometimes it’s to feel safe, sometimes its to not let anyone in, and sometimes it’s to magically travel across the country to recuse your family. There is no right way to be brave and I really loved seeing all these teens truly be some of the bravest characters I’ve ever read.
“Once upon a time, a young girl lost her family and discovered a new one.”
Overall, I just loved this. I loved the story, being on a magical road-trip adventure was everything, I loved the characters, and was rooting so hard for Blythe and her hockey stick, I loved the twists and turns that occurred throughout, I loved the magic system and how it was complex but familiar at the same time, and I obviously loved how inclusionary this book was, too. Oh, and I’m biased, and I loved spending a little time in Vegas as well. But I just recommend this story with my whole heart and soul, and I really hope you all will give it a try, because it truly is such a magical debut and a bright shining star in 2019 releases.
The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
Content and Trigger Warnings: (This is all from the author at the start of the book and… what a blessing!) Discussion of deceased parents, siblings, and potential parental and familial death Description of mild bloodshed in violent scenes Mention of drugs and drug use, primarily marijuana Gun use Supernatural horror in the form of monsters, primarily found in Chapters 6, 12, and 25 Car accident in Chapter 19 Discussion of anxiety disorders and panic disorders primarily found in Chapters 22, 23, and 25 Racial n-word slur, ending in-a, found in Chapter 21 (before you drag me, yes, I am Black) Mild anxiety attack in Chapter 25.
✨ Thank you so much CW @ The Quiet Pond for putting together this blog tour. I was so very honored to be a part of it and to help celebrate this beautiful story.
✨ BONUS: Ashia is doing a really cool thread on Twitter, where they are breaking down the characters way better than I did, letting you know their astrological signs, and they are also showing off some breathtaking art, too! I really recommend checking it out!
“I am the girl who kneels at night. I am the bride of thorns.”
Alright, first off, I still completely recommend A Lesson in Thorns, and it is still one of my favorite romances of the year. I just believe with my whole heart that you should pretend it is a standalone, because Feast of Sparks was a complete mess. From unprotected sex, with multiple partners back to back, to questionable flashbacks to boys who are only sixteen, to Dom/sub relationships that felt a lot like abuse, to even incest, this book was a joke. Also, if you couldn’t tell, this is probably going to be a rant review, so if you don’t want me trashing a book you love, you probably shouldn’t read any further. AND I am probably going to lace MINOR SPOILERS for books one and two throughout this review, so please use caution while reading.
➽ Becket - The priest. Bi, and living his life for God. ➽ Rebecca - The genius. Bi, Black, and the Dom of my dreams still. ➽ Delphine - The socialite. Bi, plus-sized, and Instagram famous. ➽ St. Sebastian - The saint. Bi and biracial (white and Mexican). ➽ Auden - The heir. Bi, and owner of Thornchapel. ➽ Prosperpina/Poe - The dreamer. Bi and narcoleptic (both ownvoices), total submissive, but extra annoying and whiney in this installment.
Basically, this is a story about a girl named Poe, who comes back to a remote manor called Thornchapel after her mother goes missing. She is quickly reunited with the friends that she hasn’t seen in many, many years, and they soon realize that they all would totally be down having sex with one another, and so they do. But at the end of the first book a big reveal happens that leaves Poe and her five friends very shook up.
But I mean, what is the best way to cope with finding the dead body of your mother, after she’s been missing for twelve years? More kinky sex, please! Because like, who wants to read a 400 page book where they would spend at least a sentence talking about grief, trauma, and depression? Yikes!
I always want to touch upon how so many white women in romance fetishize m/m romances written by white women. And yes, this is a book that feels polyamorous without using the word, and there are many group sex scenes, and maybe scenes involving more than m/m sex, but this book has A LOT of m/m sex, and flashbacks all the way throughout about these two boys and how their romances started. I don’t even want to talk about how uncomfortable it is to read about sixteen-year-old boys and their erections and them noticing things about each other, and their promises for more than just making out, but it just feels extra bad in Feast of Sparks.
Also, it is not lost on me that we barely get to see Poe and Rebecca have a sex scene (with Auden there), and Delphine and Rebecca’s sex scene wasn’t on page. Yet, we get so much Auden and Saint, pages and pages, both past and present, no matter at what point in the story you are at. You all, do better, it’s 2019, and your obsession with m/m written by women is gross.
Yet, I can’t believe that I actually read a book in 2019 that depicted people having group sex without using condoms. Because you know, “Hehe, we talked about it and we are all healthy” is totally enough. Especially when three guys are cumming inside the same girl who didn’t tell them that she wasn’t on any form of birth control. Especially when one of the guys is having back to back anal sex, because who cares? It’s hot to “spill your manly seed everywhere” or what the fuck ever. Jesus wept, and so did I. (view spoiler)[Especially when the guy that is fucking everyone believes that the guy he just fucked, and continues to fuck, is his half-brother. I actually want to dry heave just typing that. (hide spoiler)]
I will never be quiet about the importance of healthy and consensual relationships of all kinds, but especially sexual relationships that are in or venturing into the BDSM world. Auden’s treatment of Saint in the name of “kink” was really gross, and I honestly had a feeling this book was going to be a let down after he first slaps him in the first sexual encounter. Again, this is portrayed as a kink, maybe masochistic tendencies, and Saint likes it, but there was never any pretalk about the arrangement or if anything physical was going to happen during the sexual encounter; he just slapped him to be cruel, in my opinion. And every single time he would bite him and make him bruise and bleed? Like, dude, please stop.
Speaking of cruel, let’s talk about Auden’s treatment of Saint’s mother. You quickly learn why Saint is upset at Auden, and it’s a very good reason to be upset at someone. Yet, we are strung along the entire book while waiting to find out what Saint did to Auden to deserve such treatment. And it was the most pathetic reason you could imagine. Yet, Saint thinks it is valid apparently, so who am I? Oh, just someone who can smell abuse, and a victim in a cycle of abuse from their constant abuser, a mile away. Hello.
Lastly, this is something that made me feel uncomfortable, but I know it wont make everyone feel that way; there is a sexual scene that happens in a church with a priest and it made my Catholic-self want to repent. I’ll drag myself, and say that I normally do LOVE erotic reading about people trying to balance their convictions and their sexual wants, but this one was too much for me. Because the priest stays in the role of priest and it just skeezed me out completely. Plus, when you’re comparing a dude’s cum to Holy Communion? I’m out. I’m sorry, I’m out. *prays the rosary forever*
Overall, this was probably the worst book I’ve read all year, and I’m just so disappointed. I will not be continuing on with the series. Even though I loved A Lesson in Thorns, I was harassed by a reviewer on multiple platforms about how me saying the characters could be pan was wrong, even though the word bi wasn’t used for all of them, which lead me to writing to the author and her confirming it, which lead to me being hurt, honestly. I licked my wounds and picked this book up though, because I loved A Lesson in Thorns and me and my friends were so dang excited to buddy read this together at midnight! Sadly, the last chapter was truly the worst thing I’ve read all year, and I don’t care anymore to see how this plays out. And I don’t care if it ends up being fake, because Auden thought it was true, and the author is using it as a plot device to have all of us believe it is true.
Content and Trigger Warnings: talk of loss of a loved one, grief depiction, trauma depiction, depression depiction, underage drinking in the past, bullying in the past, physical violence in the past, some very triggering internal monologues about body image, brief rementioning/hint of sexual abuse in the past, talk of human sacrifice, religious rituals involving sex, invasion of privacy, unprotected sex without telling or discussing with the partner(s), and incestuous sexual relations and storylines!
ARC acquired at Book Expo in exchange for an honest review.
“The next full moon snuck up on me…”
Oh friends, this was truly the graphic novel I’ve b ARC acquired at Book Expo in exchange for an honest review.
“The next full moon snuck up on me…”
Oh friends, this was truly the graphic novel I’ve been waiting forever for. From witchy magic, to unconditional family and found family love, to being the person you want to be on your own time, to the cutest F/NB relationship ever, I am so in love with Mooncakes!
One night, in a sleepy and paranormal New England town, a witch follows a white wolf into the woods. She doesn’t know what to expect, but it most certainly isn’t a horse demon fighting with her childhood crush! With the help of one another (and some cute grandmas) they unfold a story about a cult and people wanting to harness werewolf magic for their own.
And the two main characters of this graphic novel are everything! One, being Nova, who is Chinese-American, and still coping with the loss of her parents, while living with her two grandmothers (be still, my heart). All of these women are witches and collect rare spell books! And Tam, who is also Chinese-American, and a nonbinary werewolf who grew up with Nova, but recently left their family who wasn’t very kind to them.
And if I haven’t already sold you with the plot and the five star rating, this is also just a story about two young adults learning who they want to be, both separately and together. Nova and Tam are both dealing with hurt from their parents, and even though it is a different kind of hurt, they are there for one another, and unconditionally support one another. It’s beautiful, and powerful, and I had the biggest smile on my face while reading from the first to last page.
Overall, this really was the queer, magical story that I’ve always wanted. I loved the rep, I loved the story, I loved the illustrations, I love the banter, and I truly love both of these main characters so very much. I can’t wait to see what Wendy and Suzanne do next! Also, I’m totally buying mooncakes on the way home tomorrow, because your girl has such a craving.
[BONUS:] I got to meet both creators at Book Expo and they were so kind! Even though I was probably a little awkward and called Wendy birb royalty. ...more
ARC acquired at Book Expo in exchange for an honest review.
“Just because something comes easily to you, does not mean it has no value. You find it e
ARC acquired at Book Expo in exchange for an honest review.
“Just because something comes easily to you, does not mean it has no value. You find it effortless because you love it, and that is why it is your gift.”
Most of you know, that I fell head over heels in love with The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill last year, so when I got my hands on an ARC of this, I knew I had no option but to read it and fall in love with it immediately. And, dear reader, that is exactly what happened. This story, this art, and these messages are gifts from above, I swear to you all, and I recommend this companion novel to you all with my whole heart and soul.
At the very start of this graphic novel, we see some familiar faces prepping for the tea dragon festival. But this story stars Rinn who, while collecting things, meets a dragon named Aedhan, and invites them to the festival! Meanwhile, Erik and Hesekiel are back and are bounty hunters who are searching for something ancient that can put people to sleep for decades.
This is an incredibly diverse work of art. Rinn in nonbinary/genderfluid, Erik and Hesekiel are in a m/m relationship, there is Sign Language being used and being taught to the entire village, and the cast is full of people of color with visible brown skin. The actual blessings.
Seeing Aedhan teach Rinn about how dragons can shift between genders was something more beautiful that words to me. Also, seeing Aedhan help Rinn see that they are worthy and have so much value, and that they should never feel lesser for getting enjoyment and pride from gathering and forging… I’m still so soft. And this story really puts an emphasis on how you can cook with love, and how preparing and sharing food can be something so intimate and so filled with unconditional love and joy.
Overall, I really just think that this is a masterpiece. The art is truly on another level as well, and it fills my heart and soul with so much happiness. I also just really appreciate the reminder that you are always needed, and you are always worthy of value and love.
[EDIT:] Yes, I did drop my rating to four stars. I emailed the author and she was very kind and very respectful, but she did confirm that all six of t[EDIT:] Yes, I did drop my rating to four stars. I emailed the author and she was very kind and very respectful, but she did confirm that all six of these characters are for sure bi "but not deeply tied to their labels" for this entire series. I’m going to be probably a little too real with you, but this has been a really rough Pride for me in the book world. In my real life, I am so lucky to be accepted and supported as a pansexual and panromantic woman, but the book world constantly makes me feel like I’m a lesser version of bi and I can’t take it any longer. The fact that I am forced to try so very hard to see myself in literature, to force myself in cutouts that apparently weren’t made for me, and just knowing that authors could so easily give me a breadcrumb of representation without having to do any work what so ever, yet here I am crying over a romance book that refuses to acknowledge my queer existence once again. I’m just tired friends, and I’m fed up, and I can’t believe that I’ve still only read the word pansexual on page in about ten books for my entire life, when I read and review 100+ books a year. I’m sick of being erased, I’m sick of being not enough, and I can’t wait for the day when pan kids don’t have to figure out what pansexual and panromantic mean in their 20’s, because the book world proves over and over that we aren’t worth the representation and that bisexual and biromantic should always be the default for multiple gender attraction characters.
“Thornchapel knows my name and the crooked corners of my heart, and it wants me to make promises that I'm going to keep.”
Okay, I’m just going to be real with you all, if you love The Secret History, If We Were Villains, and/or Strange Grace, but wish they were all more sexually explicit? Then this is the book for you. This book is a love letter to polyamory, without ever using the word. This is f/f, m/m, m/f, and a whole lot of sexual group scenes. The atmosphere of all three of those books are the same, and a work of magic that most writers cannot craft, but Sierra Simone delivers and gave me a story that I’ve been waiting for what feels like my whole life for.
This is ownvoices for the queer representation and the narcolepsy representation. I only recall the word bisexual used once by one character (Beckett), but besides that bisexual or pansexual is never used on page (even though, if pansexual is used on page in book two, you will hear me screaming all the way from Vegas, this I swear), but all six characters express sexual attraction to multiple genders, and the author is bisexual. I have seen reviews that state all six characters are bi, but I just believe in my heart that there is no way that all six MGA (multiple gender attraction) characters are bisexual, I’m sorry. And if so, that’s not too inclusive and my pan-self wouldn’t want to read it, to be real honest with you all.
A Lesson in Thorns is a story that follows six characters who stayed at a remote manor, that is falling down, but is filled with secrets, called Thornchapel when they were young. The prologue of this book (which I really recommend you read on Amazon) shows them in the run-down chapel on the estate, where they are performing a fake marriage. And unexpectedly, the bride ends up marrying two grooms. Yet, the actual story starts out many years later, where all six of them are adults, but they all have returned to Thornchapel for one reason or another.
“I want him to be mine. Or I want to deny him the right to ever call me his. I want to heal him and I want to hurt him. All because of one broken kiss.”
➽ Auden - The heir. Pan or bi, and owner of Thornchapel.
➽ Prosperpina/Poe - The dreamer. Pan or bi, narcoleptic, total submissive, and just took a job at Thornchapel in the library, but she is secretly trying to figure out what happened to her mother after a mysterious note is sent to her.
➽ Becket - The priest. Bisexual, and living his life for God.
➽ Rebecca - The genius. Pan or bi, Black, and the Dom of my dreams.
➽ Delphine - The socialite. Pan or bi, plus-sized, Instagram famous, and engaged to Auden.
➽ St. Sebastian - The saint. Pan or bi, biracial (white and Mexican), and feels like he ruins all the lives that he touches.
“he wanted to shelter them from the rain and force them to kneel in the mud too, and he didn’t know what it meant or why it was happening”
And when these six characters get together, and get to re-know each other, secrets unfold and lives change. Even though Poe is the main character, each of these individuals feels completely fleshed out, and each are on their own personal journeys toward happiness, even if the road is very bumpy to get there.
But this is ultimately a book about finding yourself and your acceptance and happiness, even if it feels like your life has already been decided for you, regardless of your wishes and wants. It also showcases the importance of friendships and romantic relationships, and how sometimes those lines can blur, and sometimes they don’t, but sometimes they become something more. Also, I am just really into polyamorous stories right now, and I think that this one is really beautifully done, especially with the chilling atmosphere that leaves so much mystery in the air. This story is truly has so many compelling elements, it was just impossible to put down.
I also want to briefly mention that I really love and value the discussion this book has about the concept of virginity, and what a stupid pedestal so many people place it on. Also, how virginity (and losing it) can mean so much more than a penis going inside a vagina. I really loved how this book handled that, and I love how it completely shattered the stereotype of what it means to lose your virginity. Be still, my queer heart.
Overall, I just love Sierra Simone and I have enjoyed everything I’ve read from her, but A Lesson in Thorns is for sure my favorite. This is such an inclusive novel, from race, sexuality, and social and economic standings. This book also talks about reclaiming your body after someone takes a piece of it, while also discussing that there are so many ways to heal from loss and hurt. And I just think it is so wonderfully done, on top of being one of the sexiest things I’ve read all year. Like, I will never be the same after that spin the bottle scene, holy shit. But I absolutely cannot wait to read Feast of Sparks this summer.
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