I’ve been a Susan Dennard fan ever since her debut, Something Strange and Deadly was published many many years ago – I’m very proud to say I’ve read everything she’s published! I also blame her for my Twitter addiction, her The Luminaries choose-your-own-adventure megathread back in 2019 got me hooked and now I can’t wait for the book version to come out at some point. Sooz also has a website and a newsletter full of amazing writing resources, so if you’re a budding writer yourself, check that out!

Massive thanks to Black Crow PR and UK Tor for sending me a review copy of Witchshadow. All opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 24/06/2021

STAR RATING: 4.5/5 ✶

SUMMARY: Iseult has found her heartsister Safi at last, but their reunion is brief. For Iseult to stay alive, she must flee Cartorra while Safi remains. And though Iseult has plans to save her friend, they will require her to summon magic more dangerous than anything she has ever faced before.

Meanwhile, the Bloodwitch Aeduan is beset by forces he cannot understand. And Vivia – rightful queen of Nubrevna – finds herself without a crown or home.

As villains from legend reawaken across the Witchlands, only the mythical Cahr Awen can stop the gathering war. Iseult could embrace this power and heal the land, but first she must choose on which side of the shadows her destiny will lie. (from UK Tor)

OPINIONS: So this is book four in a series. Which is probably information that you need to know beforehand. It might even be considered book five, though that’s debateable as the UK missed out on the novella in between books two and three. And the Witchlands series is one of my favourite series out there. It is complex and nuanced and full of amazing characters and a detailed magic system. Safi and Iseult are the two heroines of the series, though by now there are many more characters that have become central to the story (#baeduan! Vivia! Owl! and so many more). Safi is a Truthwitch and Iseult is a Threadwitch. Each book centres on one of the characters, and Witchshadow is Iseult’s book.

Which is a good thing. Because Iseult is my fave. She and Owl, the feisty little girl that accompanies here are the best. And I love that Sooz found a way to keep her and Aeduan apart after bringing them together at the end of the last book, Bloodwitch, rather than reducing tensions and having them be all happy together. Mistress of character tension, Sooz is. But this book being focussed on Iseult and her history, family and developing her magic doesn’t mean that the others don’t get their time in the spotlight.

Safi deals with marriage, rebellion and the like. Ryber and Vivia explore the past and secrets. The worldbuilding in this series is just top notch, and I once again fell so hard for it. I couldn’t stop myself from reading and getting immersed in the world and I already want more. There was quite a bit of a wait between Bloodwitch and Witchshadow, but damn, this was so worth it. Please please go and give this series a shot.

If you think you might love the Witchlands as much as I do, you can add Witchshadow to your Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

Last year, Elle wowed me with her debut, A Kind of Spark. I wrote a glowing review here, and pretty much everyone has been agreeing with me. This week, she won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2021 – so well deserved. See more about that here, and click through to the SPECIAL EDITION! But we’re here to talk about her sophomore novel, Show Us Who You Are. I am finding this one much harder to review in many ways – it’s brilliant, but also tough, and I felt like some elements ultimately didn’t fit together quite as well as I hoped. I still loved it and I hope you will too.

Many thanks to Annabelle at ed PR and Knights Of for sending me a review copy – all opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 04/03/2021

SUMMARY: When Cora’s brother drags her along to his boss’s house, she doesn’t expect to strike up a friendship with Adrien, son of the intimidating CEO of Pomegranate Technologies. As she becomes part of Adrien’s life, she is also drawn into the mysterious projects at Pomegranate.

At first, she’s intrigued by them – Pomegranate is using AI to recreate real people in hologram form. As she digs deeper, however, she uncovers darker secrets… Cora knows she must unravel their plans, but can she fight to make her voice heard, whilst never losing sight of herself? (from Knighs Of)

OPINIONS: I think Show Us Who You Are is an incredibly difficult book to review, especially because I, late twenties, possibly, no, most probably neurodivergent, something which I’m currently trying to figure out, am not really the target audience. The book really is written for neurodivergent kids and is a love letter to being different. But, at the same time, it is also a manifest of rage against the status quo, against how the world expects people to slot into preconceived notions. I have spoken about the story with readers who are neurotypical, who did not understand how the book worked at all – who saw Cora and Adrien’s friendship and were confused, who saw two kids who shared nothing but neurodivergency. To them I say that IS how friendship works for those to whom it doesn’t come easily. In that relationship, I saw myself as a kid. Meeting someone and adopting them as a friend immediately even if it wasn’t perfect from the start. Heck, I made a new friend just last week by simply deciding that we’re friends now.

And the story in Show is compelling. It is a mystery and Cora is a fantastic heroine. She’s driven and she is principled and I adore her. It is a really good book. What I did think detracted from the story at times though is that the political messaging overshadowed the story itself. There were moments where it seemed more like a book aimed at adult readers featuring child characters than a true middle grade adventure – but that might be connected to my perception and subtext that would not be as visible to a child reader as it was to me as an older one. I have already read it a couple of times while trying to figure out how to review it, and I’m sure I will read it again – Elle McNicoll is a brilliant writer, and one to keep watching!

Add Show Us Who You Are to your Goodreads here, and order a copy via Bookshop here (affiliate link).

It does not often happen that I receive a review copy and read it on the same day. But that is exactly how it played out with Daughters of Sparta. I couldn’t resist the lure of the shiny gold foil and once in the world of Ancient Greece and Troy I couldn’t snap out of it again until the story was over. I am thrilled that 2021 is bringing so many books inspired by mythology – just my thing.

Massive thanks to Maria at Hodder for sending me a review copy, all opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 22/07/2021

STAR RATING: 4.5/5 ✶

SUMMARY: As princesses of Sparta, Helen and Klytemnestra have known nothing but luxury and plenty. With their high birth and unrivalled beauty, they are the envy of all of Greece.

Such privilege comes at a high price, though, and their destinies are not theirs to command. While still only girls they are separated and married off to legendary foreign kings Agamemnon and Menelaos, never to meet again. Their duty is now to give birth to the heirs society demands and be the meek, submissive queens their men expect.

But when the weight of their husbands’ neglect, cruelty and ambition becomes too heavy to bear, they must push against the constraints of their sex to carve new lives for themselves – and in doing so make waves that will ripple throughout the next three thousand years. (from Hodder & Stroughton)

OPINIONS: Daughters of Sparta is extremely compelling. I’ve always wanted to know more about Helen – who is such a catalyst in the Homerian epic, but such a passive figure without a voice of her own. Traditionally she is reduced merely to her beauty, when really, she should be presented as a woman in her own right, making decisions that have repercussions rippling across all of Ancient Greece and Troy. And her sister Klytemnestra – famous for murdering her husband – is often similarly pigeonholed due to a single moment in her legendary life, missing all the other moments that led to this one. In this novel, Claire Heywood manages to make the sisters into flawed women, trying to live their lives the best they can.

Neither Helen nor Klytemnestra are presented as heroines – or villainesses, for that matter – in the story. They are simply human. They struggle, they suffer, they make mistakes. And they are at the mercy of men. Because no matter how feminist one wants to present this story, that remains a central aspect of it – both of their lives were heavily driven by the whims of men – fathers, husbands, lovers. And while the reader knows how this story goes, it is after all one that is thousands of years old, Claire Heywood packages it in a compelling voice that leaves the reader captivated and unable to stop reading on. Daughters of Sparta is an excellent example for the magic of strong characterisations and emotional investment being the crucial ingredients in a fantastic book.

If you want to join me in my squeeing about mythology, you can add Daughters of Sparta to your Goodreads here, and pre-order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

I devoured this book. It didn’t even make it onto my kindle – I was having a bad day and I read it like a gremlin on my phone while I was curled up. And every time I put it down I had to immediately pick it back up because I needed to know how the story continued. It is addictive and fun and just an all-around-great read and I DESPERATELY need a physical copy (hint, hint).

Massive thanks to Will O’Mullane and NetGalley for a super early eARC, all opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 11/11/2021

STAR RATING: 4.5/5 ✶

SUMMARY: After the publication of a salacious tell-all book, the remote city of Ilvernath is thrust into the spotlight. Tourists, protesters, and reporters alike flock to its spellshops and historic ruins to witness an ancient curse unfold: every generation, seven families name a champion among them to compete in a tournament to the death. The winner awards their family exclusive control over the city’s high magick supply, the most powerful resource in the world.

In the past, the villainous Lowes have won nearly every tournament, and their champion is prepared to continue his family’s reign. But this year, thanks to the influence of their newfound notoriety, each of the champions has a means to win. Or better yet–a chance to rewrite their story.

But this is a story that must be penned in blood. (from Gollancz)

OPINIONS: Think of this as a magical Gossip Girl meets The Hunger Games with a dash of Nevernight. So, pretty damn addictive. It hits that easy reading and moreish vibe that I’ve been looking for. I need more ASAP and desperately. Also this will be PERFECT for a screen adaptation. I don’t think I’ve read anything that is as suited to adaptation as this is.

All Of Us Villains is one of those books where having a larger cast of main characters works great – it follows the seven contestants through the story as well as some tangential characters. Through its limited setting in the game, the world is contained and small, and tensions are high, leading to extreme reactions from everyone involved. This is a lot of fun to read. Honestly, none of the characters were especially NICE people, but all of them were interesting. I think my favourites were Isobel and Briony, and I might even have shipped them a little – and while that’s not where the story went, who knows where the twists of book two will take the contestants!

One thing I really loved about this is that the characters are thrown into this situation where they are all competing against each other, battle royale style. But Briony realises just before the competition starts that there might be a way to stop the whole thing from happening if they all work together, and a major part of the story is her trying to get the contestants to work together in a situation that is designed to pit them against each other. These psychological dynamics are really interesting, and I am super curious where the authors will be taking this in the second book, especially after the way this one ends.

So, um, you need this book ASAP. Add it to your Goodreads here, and pre-order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s work is the epitome of books that in theory sound like they’re perfect for me but somehow fail to capture me. This is the third of her books that I’ve read – after Gods of Jade and Shadow and Mexican Gothic – and again, the pitch sounded like something that I’d absolutely love. Fantasy of manners, combining high society with magic and courtship. But once again, I struggled with its execution.

Many thanks to Ella Patel and Jo Fletcher Books for sending me an ARC of The Beautiful Ones. All opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 27/04/2021

STAR RATING: 3.5/5 ✶

SUMMARY: They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail’s most notable socialites, and this spring is Nina’s chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun and already Nina’s debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis: the haphazard manifestations of her powers have long made her the subject of gossip – malicious neighbours even call her the Witch of Oldhouse.

But Nina’s life is about to change, for there is a new arrival in town: Hector Auvray, the renowned entertainer, who has used his own telekinetic talent to perform for admiring audiences around the world. Nina is dazzled by Hector, for he sees her not as a witch, but ripe with magical potential. Under his tutelage, Nina’s talent blossoms – as does her love for the great man.

But great romances are for fairy-tales, and Hector is hiding a secret bitter truth from Nina – and himself – that threatens their courtship. (from Jo Fletcher)

OPINIONS: The Beautiful Ones is a beautifully written story of intrigue, high society and romance, with a dash of magic thrown in. But while there isn’t anything wrong with the book itself, it failed to capture my heart and maintain tension throughout the story. In what seems to have become a pattern with Moreno-Garcia’s books for me, I love the openings, and then get distracted and bored as the story sputters on. I really struggle to put my finger on what exactly it is that makes me disconnect with her work so much as all of the books I’ve picked up are quite different in genre and have fantastic premises that tempt me into trying again – but then the issues I end up having are quite similar.

I think it might be something that comes down to characters. They are well-crafted, but they lack emotions – and the emotional connection is something that I find crucial to the enjoyment of a book for me. This is probably also partially down to the setting, as The Beautiful Ones, as all of the books by Moreno-Garcia I’ve read, are set in the early twentieth century, in a society that is rather stilted and stiff, and thus not as open and ready to show emotions. It really comes down to personal preference I think – in no way is The Beautiful Ones a bad book, just one that doesn’t work too well for me personally.

If you are a fan of Regency romances, of fantasy of manners books in general, this is a book for you. If you adored Bridgerton, check this out. If you are intrigued, you can add The Beautiful Ones to your Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

This seems to be an author who can do no wrong. P. Djèlí Clark manages to switch genres effortlessly, but keep his smart, insightful voice throughout. His novella Ring Shout was one of my favourites of 2020 – I reviewed this over at Grimdark Magazine, and even got to do an interview with him for it (review here and interview here). A Master of Djinn is his first full-length novel, but it goes back to the world that he created in the short story A Dead Djinn in Cairo (which you can read for free here) – and returns to the wonderful leading character Fatma el-Sha’awawi.

Massive thanks to Orbit for sending me an ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

RELEASE DATE: 19/08/2021

STAR RATING: 5/5 ✶

SUMMARY: Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, Al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world fifty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be Al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city – or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems. (from Orbit)

OPINIONS: This is brilliant. I think chances are good that this will become one of my all-time favourites. There isn’t anything that I would change about this story. A Master of Djinn is smart, sapphic and compelling. And it ruthlessly trolls the foreigners in the story, especially the English – who come to Cairo, believing they are above Egyptians and just.. fail. Apart from being a great story, it deals with colonialism, its repercussions and the arrogance resulting from it, and it does so incredibly well.

Historical fantasy is one of my favourite genres at the moment, and this seamlessly weaves together a historical fantasy tale with a procedural murder mystery and added djinn. Never boring, A Master of Djinn is both well-written and compelling throughout. I loved the use of djinn-lore, the many kinds that are present in stories. It’s getting to the point where I really need to read up on them after such great adaptations of them in fantasy.

This also features fantastic characters. Fatma is such an amazing badass and I want to be more like her. She is not the only great one, but she is the one that stands out to me. She has impressive respect for the social structures she is part of, while being truly her own person, acting in ways that seem contradictory to her surroundings. Fatma is a role model to us all, and her relationship with Siti is so cute. I stan.

I highly suggest you keep an eye out for this one, especially if you like smart fantasy that draws on important issues. You can add A Master of Djinn to your Goodreads here, and pre-order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

The Good Neighbours by Nina Allan is one of those books that sits squarely on the border between speculative and literary fiction. It reminds me a bit of The Cottingley Cuckoo by A.J. Elwood, which came out from Titan a little while ago (see my review here) in that respect, though it approaches the themes in a very different manner. But if you like one, chances are you’ll like the other too. Both are rather odd, but charming in a lot of ways, even if not necessarily books that worked super well for me personally.

Massive thanks to riverrun for sending me a review copy. All opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 10/06/2021

STAR RATING: 3/5 ✶

SUMMARY: Cath is a photographer hoping to go freelance, working in a record shop to pay the rent and eking out her time with her manager Steve. He thinks her photography is detective work, drawing attention to things that would otherwise pass unseen and maybe he’s right…
Starting work on her new project – photographing murder houses – she returns to the island where she grew up for the first time since she left for Glasgow when she was just eighteen. The Isle of Bute is embedded in her identity, the draughty house that overlooked the bay, the feeling of being nowhere, the memory of her childhood friend Shirley Craigie and the devastating familicide of her family by the father, John Craigie.
Arriving at the Craigie house, Cath finds that it’s occupied by Financial Analyst Alice Rahman. Her bid to escape the city lifestyle, the anxiety she felt in that world, led her to leave London and settle on the island. The strangeness of the situation brings them closer, leading them to reinvestigate the Craigie murder. Now, within the walls of the Craigie house, Cath can uncover the nefarious truths and curious nature of John Craigie: his hidden obsession with the work of Richard Dadd and the local myths of the fairy folk. (from riverrun)

OPINIONS: This story starts out really intriguing. I enjoyed this book a lot until about two thirds through, when I realised that ultimately the story was not going to be resolved in a manner that would be satisfying to me. It’s difficult to put a finger on exactly why that was, but I think it boils down to character potential falling flat. There are so many strands that are presented, that would be really interesting if followed through on, that then aren’t explored properly. It feels like answers are always either far too simple or completely out of the blue with little perceived logic.

For example, Cath is said to be a photographer. She sets out on this photography project. But there is awfully little photography in the story. She is also shown to have a visual disability – something that one would think would be explored and discussed in relation to being a visual artist, but is only brought up as an explanation why she doesn’t drive. And all of The Good Neighbours hinges on such unquestioned acceptance of character traits and actions and an ignorance of logic. This is something I struggle with, and ultimately it hindered my enjoyment of the story quite a bit.

The Good Neighbours wanders on the boundary between fairy tale and literary fiction quite a bit, trying to reconstruct the past and using individual’s belief in fairies which may or may not exist. These elements are interesting and make up a lot of the tension in the story. It is a compelling tale, even if it is one that didn’t fully work for me.

If you’re intrigued, you can add The Good Neighbours to your Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

Rabbits is a new novel based on the podcast Rabbits – set in the same universe, this is a new story. Centred around K and the mysterious game called Rabbits, I thought this had an interesting concept, but ultimately I felt very disappointed.

Many thanks to Black Crow PR and Pan Macmillan for sending me an ARC, all opinions are my own as always.

RELEASE DATE: 10/06/2021

STAR RATING: 2/5 ✶

SUMMARY: What happens in the game, stays in the game…

Rabbits is a secret, dangerous and sometimes fatal underground game. The rewards for winning are unclear, but there are rumours of money, CIA recruitment or even immortality. Or it might unlock the universe’s greatest secrets. But everyone knows that the deeper you get, the more deadly the game becomes – and the body count is rising. Since the game first started, ten iterations have taken place… and the eleventh round is about to begin.

K can’t get enough of the game and has been trying to find a way in for years. Then Alan Scarpio, reclusive billionaire and alleged Rabbits winner, shows up out of nowhere. And he charges K with a desperate mission. Something has gone badly wrong with the game and K needs to fix it – before Eleven starts – or the world will pay the price.

Five days later, Scarpio is declared missing.

Two weeks after that Eleven begins, so K blows the deadline.

And suddenly, the fate of the entire universe is at stake. (from Pan Macmillan)

OPINIONS: I was very intrigued by the concept of Rabbits – it’s not unique, reminding the reader of books like The God Game or Ready Player One, but one thing these books tend to have in common is that they are fun. I expected Rabbits to be similar – fast paced escapism with a fun message. And it does start out like that. Except that all the plot strands that are introduced don’t really fit together to make a coherent puzzle, and I ended the book feeling very confused. It has the feel of a series of curve balls, without them stringing the story and world together properly.

Added to that, the characters felt incredibly superficial. At the end of the book I felt like I didn’t really know anything about K or Chloe, never mind any of the more minor characters. I feel like the audiodrama podcast version of Rabbits probably worked better – I can see parts of this translating really well to that format. But as a novel, the writing isn’t strong enough in my opinion. Through relying on plot twists and curve balls to try and keep readers compelled, the overarching plot and worldbuilding suffers, and I felt like twists did not make sense in the story as a whole. So I was left fairly disappointed in the end – though it may well be that my experience is not your experience.

If you’re interested in Rabbits, you can find it on Goodreads here, or order a copy via Bookshop here (affiliate link).

For The Wolf by Hannah Whitten has one of the most tempting book covers out there – it screams READ ME very loudly. I love the design so much I requested the book before even really looking at the blurb. But that too is great: For The Wolf is a mix of Beauty and the Beast and Red Riding Hood, turned into a creepy gothic fairy tale all of the author’s own. It’s not a perfect book, but a very entertaining and compelling one.

Massive thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for sending me an eARC for review – all opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 03/06/2021

STAR RATING: 3.5/5 ✶

SUMMARY: As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose – to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he’ll return the world’s captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can’t control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can’t hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn’t learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood – and her world – whole. (from Orbit)

OPINIONS: I really enjoyed For The Wolf. This is a fun, compelling fairy-tale inspired atmospheric story with a large dash of romance. I think the atmosphere of the Wilderwood was probably my favourite element of the book, as it is really immersive and I’m a dark and gloomy atmosphere kind of person. While this has clear elements of Red Riding Hood and her story with the wolf, it really is a story about human monsters rather than traditional ones. I am very happy that there are quite a lot of forest-set fantasy novels published this year, and For The Wolf is in good company.

I did feel like the book was tethering on the border between YA and adult quite a lot – it feels like a YA fantasy that is trying really hard to be adult, but really it would have been more natural to sell it as a YA novel. Red, Eammon and Neve all seemed more like characters who had to finish growing up rather than as settled adults. Especially Red and Neve, the sisters at the heart of the story, are still acting like YA characters. In general, the characters weren’t quite as well-developed as I would have liked and I felt like the book as a whole would have benefitted from some more ruthless cutting in terms of dead plot. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my reading experience a lot.

Add For The Wolf to your Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

This is the second installment in the Rosetta Academy series – I was lucky enough to get to review the first one, Of Curses and Kisses last year (find my review here). Of Princes and Promises is set in the same world, around the same characters, but focusing on a different set of protagonists. Thus, it works as a standalone as well, no need to read the first book to understand what is going on. And this is the wonderful kind of addictive book that I read in a single sitting, which I haven’t done in a while.

Many thanks to Kate Keehan and Hodder for sending me a copy for review, all opinions are my own.

RELEASE DATE: 08/06/2021

STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

SUMMARY: Caterina LaValle is determined to show she’s still the queen of St. Rosetta’s Academy. Sure, her crown may be slightly askew after her ex-boyfriend, Alaric, cheated on her, but she’s a LaValle. She’ll find a way to march right back in there, her hands clutching the strings to the whole puppet show. This time, she’s going to be untouchable.

Rahul Chopra knows that moment he shared with Caterina LaValle at the winter formal meant something. Surely she feels it, too. He’s a little uncertain how someone like him (socially inept to a point way past “adorkable”) could fit into her world, but he’s loved Caterina for years. He knows they’ll find a way.

When Caterina finds out Alaric is taking a supermodel to the upcoming gala, she knows she cannot arrive without the perfect date. But the thought of taking another superficial St. R’s boy exhausts her. The solution? Sweet-but-clueless Rahul Chopra and a mysterious pot of hair gel with the power to alter the wearer into whatever his heart desires.

When Rahul tries it, he transforms instantly into RC-debonair, handsome, and charming. But transformation comes with a price: As Rahul enjoys his new social standing, the line between his two personas begins to blur. Will he give up everything, including Caterina, to remain RC? Or will this unlikely pair find their way back to each other? (from Hodder)

OPINIONS: This is a perfect escapist book to spend a cosy evening reading with a hot chocolate. I read the whole thing in a couple of hours earlier this week and just loved it so much. It’s not necessarily the kind of book I tend to gravitate towards – I am more likely to pick up slightly ‘darker’ books, with much less of a romance focus. But this series just keeps surprising me and making me enjoy books out of what I tend to read. Of Princes and Promises is a modern fairy tale, with romance as a major theme. It’s basically a comfort read.

Caterina and Rahul are wonderful leading characters – both deeply flawed but undergoing a lot of development over the course of the story. I feel a lot of kinship with Rahul, who is the awkward teen, not sure how social interactions work and more comfortable with books than people. So when he finds a (magical) way to fit in, it changes him. And on the surface, that is a bad choice. But if you dig deeper, that is an understandable way to react. I know I wouldn’t be all that different. Caterina goes from mean girl in the first book of the series to a relateable protagonist – if a more spoiled one than most teens.

So, TL:DR – if you’re into fluffy romantic fantasy, do check this one out, it’s delightful. Add it on Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).