#advanced readers copy

[elliepassmore]

Brides of High Hill review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: fantasy, novellas, queer characters, light horror

Empress of Salt and Fortune review

When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain review

Into the Riverlands review

Mammoths at the Gates review

Big thanks to Netgalley, Tordotcom, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

In this volume of Cleric Chih's journey, they're accompanying a young woman and her family to the woman's wedding. While the bride-to-be is charming, her parents are more suspicious of Chih than anything, and the groom's household is filled with mystery.

As usual, the story opens with Chih traveling and being with people who have the potential of a story. In this case, Chih sticks with the young woman, Nhung, as she explores what is to likely be her new home. Chih does attempt to talk to the kitchen staff and other workers, but they all shun them for reasons unknown. I was definitely curious because it seemed to have something to do with Chih's proximity to the Phams (bride's family) but more about the Phams' position at the household than the family themselves.

Nhung was charming and vivacious, and I liked her eagerness. She also showed compassion to the groom's "mad" son when everyone else seemed more disgusted or willing to dismiss him. For all her liveliness, she's still young and worries about things in dark corners and the rafters.

Zhihao was an interesting character in this one. He was written off as "mad" by his father and the workers of the household, but Chih clues in immediately that the young man isn't mad but has something else going on. While he does come across as rather abrasive, I think he genuinely was trying to warn Chih and the others.

I'll say this, I knew something was up, not just with the groom's household (which was obvious) but with Chih, I just didn't know what. I'll also say that Chih made some decisions that I was questioning but which made sense once the whole picture had been revealed.

I think this novella is most similar to When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain since both novellas feature some light gore (I actually think there's more in Tiger than this one but similar ideas). I'd seen another review mention horror elements but I was still pleasantly surprised at the turn of events. It felt like it was going more in the direction of Rabbit's story (re: her lover) from Empress but then things took a turn and we got to meet some devourers of flesh.

Overall I really enjoyed this addition to the Singing Hills Cycle. All the characters are pretty likeable even when they don't appear they will be at first. I really liked how the story ramped up and the light horror elements that were added to the latter parts of the book. I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment of Chih and Almost Brilliant's adventures!

[starrlikesbooks]

Want to see me lose my mind over an anticipated read? 👀👀

[protagonistspub]

Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette

Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette was an Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley. It is Biblical fiction and the first book in The King’s Men series. It will be published by Bethany House and releases on 15 August 2023. This was my first book from the author and only the third book in the Biblical fiction genre I can recall ever reading. It will not be my last book from the author or the…

[imaginationamuck]

Book Review: In A Jam

In a Jam - 5/5

Holy crap, the love I have for this book. 

I received an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Shay Zucconi’s step grandmother leaves her a tulip farm in the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island, under two conditions, Shay has to move to Friendship and she has be married within a year. Enter Noah, who’s harbored a crush on Shay since high school, now a single dad and willing to help Shay with the terms of the inheritance. Shenanigans obviously ensue.

Things you’ll find in this book: - Single Dad with an awesome neurodivergent child - Awesome six year old that swears like a pirate - Small town - Marriage of convenience - Slow burn - Grouchy Farmer MC/Plus Sized FMC

Trigger/Content Warnings: - absentee parent(s) - brief mention of parent death - brief mention of parent chronic illness - mention of incarceration - mention of temporary foster care placement - reference to teenage teasing/bullying (not detailed, not explicit) - brief incidence of fat-shaming

Things I enjoyed: 

“Just because I can plow through by myself doesn’t mean I want to,” I said. “Fuck, Shay. Let me need you, okay?” 

Kate Canterbary is an instant buy for me, she is one of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. I loved this book; it’s been nearly a week since I finished it, and I’m still not over it. There’s so much to say about why I loved it. I loved the chemistry between Noah and Shay, how seamlessly they form a family unit while still internally freaking out about the seamlessness of it. The thing I love about Kate’s books are that her characters have great communication. That when whatever the FMC or MC are hiding comes out, it isn’t a blow-up but a true conversation of feelings and truths. 

That feelings are validated and are allowed to be felt, and this goes for both Shay and Noah. I loved the female friendships, the male friendships, and the friendships that start to form as the relationship takes shape. I loved how Shay takes the time she needs to understand her feelings and that Noah gives her the space to do that. I love that while Noah is firmly planted in his feelings, he doesn’t expect Shay to get there with him in that moment. 

I just… there are so many feels I have about this book. But most of all I loved the fat joy in this book. That while there are incidences of fatphobia, it doesn’t overtake the entire plot or scene. That there’s only annoyance and confusion as to why someone thinks they have a say over someone else’s body and a reclaiming of that opinion. But it’s these brief scenes that just add to the book and to the characters. 

“For reasons I’d yet to understand, this town was all too comfortable speaking about him unkindly and having the balls to do it to his face…That everyone felt it was acceptable to discuss is body was the strangest thing in the world to me. It would never make sense” 

Overall: Look, I loved this book! I will never shut up about this book. And if you’re looking for a Kate Canterbary book to start with before diving into the Walsh universe and their shenanigans. Then this is perfect.

[mybookcafelife]

Whale Fall | Daniel Kraus

I’ve been behind on my reviews! Get ready for an influx of book reviews on the blog! I had the pleasure of reading Whale Fall by Daniel Kraus. The novel follows Jay Gardiner’s gripping journey as he battles for survival after being engulfed by a sperm whale. The narrative weaves together Jay’s harrowing ordeal inside the whale with contemplations on his complex connection with his deceased…

[bookitocat]

#booktalk: The Belle of London by Nicola Italia

Η Εύα, μέλος της ομάδας του bookitocat, γράφει κριτική για το βιβλίο "The Belle of London" της Nicola Italia, ένα ιστορικό ρομάντζο που κυκλοφορεί σήμερα στο Άμαζον.

της Εύας (@ikariancorner) For English Click Here. Σήμερα κυκλοφορεί το βιβλίο “The Belle of London” της Nicola Italia και θέλω πρώτα να ευχαριστήσω την συγγραφέα για το ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) που μας έστειλε. Αυτό είναι το εικοστό βιβλίο που γράφει η συγγραφέας, αλλά το πρώτο της πουδιαβάζω. Και δεν θα είναι το τελευταίο. «He had been drawn to her even when she had been engaged to his…

[echosofbooks]

ARC Book Review - Leave the Lights On by Liv Andersson

Leave the Lights On by Liv Andersson Publication date: October 17, 2023 Genres: Horror, Mystery Thriller Source: Netgalley Cape Morgan, Maine, is the utopian ideal for a charmed life, and Beatrice Wicker knows it. The multi-million-dollar house on the sea coast. The joint bank accounts. The safety and security that go along with being married to an esteemed architect and community leader. The…

[maepolzine]

My Thoughts on A Cage of Crystal (Prophecy of the Forgotten Fae, Book 2) by Tessonja Odette

Sharing my thoughts on A Cage of Crystal (Prophecy of the Forgotten Fae, Book 2) by Tessonja Odette

The second book in the Prophecy of the Forgotten Fae, called A Cage of Crystal, by Tessonja Odette is a rewritten version of Veil of Mist (Lela Trilogy). This was the first ever series by the author. While the book may be fully rewritten there are plot changes, name changes, and other modifications. I never got around to reading the original trilogy though it had been on my TBR before it was…

[vampiremolloy]

Covers of all of Daniel Molloy's books (that we know of)

[elliepassmore]

The God and the Gumiho review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: fantasy, mythology, Korean mythology, multiple POVs, enemies to lovers, mystery

Big thanks to Netgalley, Del Rey, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was definitely one of my favorite reads of February! It's got the perfect blend of magic, shenanigans, scheming, enemies-to-lovers, and humor. I was definitely on the edge of my seat as Hani and Seokga searched for the eoduksini, and while they got closer to one another with Hani still hiding her identity.

I definitely thought the worldbuilding was interesting. Most of the time is spent on a world where humans and immortals exist side-by-side, with the former completely unaware. So the characters have normal, everyday things like coffee, cars, and cellphones, but also have more magical items like swords and charms, and come across humans and magical creatures alike. I also liked the details about items the magical community could by from the store, particularly the non-human-liver alternatives the gumiho eat since Hani's Scarlet Fox spree resulted in the banning of eating human livers and souls. It's a small part of the book, but I thought it was a nice touch.

I absolutely love Hani. Her hidden past as the Scarlet Fox means she's notorious in immortal circles and not only is responsible for the ban on gumiho eating human livers and souls, but is also the gumiho with the highest kill count. Despite this, she's actually pretty normal and down to earth. She's also pretty funny, both intentionally and unintentionally, and I liked her blasé attitude about eating livers (and thus killing people). Hani clearly cares deeply and while she's dedicated to misguiding Seokga in regards to his Scarlet Fox investigation, she earnestly wants to help find and defeat the eoduksini. She also strives to help her friend Somi throughout the book and feels responsible over the younger gumiho.

Seokga, on the other hand, is a complete and utter asshole. But he grows on you. The trickster god is still bitter about being thrown out of the godly world and having his own realm of darkness locked up after his attempted coup. It's unclear how much of his personality is residual from that and how much is just him naturally, but Seokga really does not seem to care about anyone, nor very many things (other than coffee, man is particular about his coffee) prior to the events of the book. That being said, it becomes clear that Seokga does have deeper ties to his exiled life than it seems, and even he comes to the realization that there are some people that he cares about. It's easy to forget that Seokga was a trickster god because he's fairly serious and dedicated to his investigation(s), but it shows up in odd moments, such as when he cheats at rock, paper, scissors. Despite the fact that he's an asshole, Seokga does have a certain charm about him, even before he begins being a more...tolerable person.

The romance is, obviously, between Hani and Seokga. They balance each other out pretty well once they get past their barista-customer annoyance. Seokga is able to play 'bad cop' with ease while Hani is a much more soothing figure and the type who can calm crying witnesses enough to give a cohesive statement. I liked seeing the quirks they brought out in each other and am glad they get their chance at a happy ending.

The whole Scarlet Fox thing really is a mess. Hani was just enacting a kind of vigilante justice when she got the bright idea to take their livers as a treat for a friend. Unfortunately, the killings align too much with her 1888 spree and whaddya know suddenly there's a hunt on for the Scarlet Fox. Hani definitely does not want to get caught, and she definitely doesn't want another gumiho taking the fall in her place, she'd rather the whole thing just fizzle out and get written off as a fluke, and she's willing to attach herself to the investigation, and thus her least favorite customer Seokga, in order to achieve that. While there were some tense moments when I was worried about her getting caught, it was humorous to read about Hani doing her best to thwart Seogka's investigation and coming up with absurdities to get it done.

The eoduksini is the more serious of the two, particularly since the eoduksini has the potential to create a dark world in the realm shared by humans and immortals, something no one wants happening. There are a lot of twists and turns in this part of the investigation and I was definitely trying to work it out myself as the characters were. At times I felt confident I knew who it was, and then something new would happen and I would second-guess myself or Seokga and Hani. I was very invested in finding out who the eoduksini was and seeing how things would play out there.

Overall I greatly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it to fantasy lovers. Seokga and Hani are pretty different but each bring humor to the novel and the two of them fit well together. I thought the worldbuilding was pretty interesting and I enjoyed getting to know the world and the magic within it.

[protagonistspub]

Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley

Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley was an Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley in exchange for this, my fair and honest review. The book published on 26 December 2023 and it is the third book in the Deep Dish Mystery series. It is a cozy mystery. This is a closed-door mystery that takes place on an island in Wisconsin. Delilah is our erstwhile protagonist who has agreed to cater a library…

[duckprintspress]

Become an Advance Reader for Duck Prints Press!

Reviews are essential for showing prospective readers that we’re publishing awesome books that they want to buy and read. We’re looking to recruit an active group of people who post reviews of our work, and to do that we need your help! For the first time, we’re offering Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of one of our projects: Aether Beyond the Binary, our most recent anthology, featuring 17 stories of characters outside the gender binary exploring modern-esque aetherpunk worlds.

How it works: You see this post. You think, oh, I love reading! I love leaving reviews! I want to join the Duck Prints Press Reviewer Program! Then, you go and read the rules for our Reviewer Program. And, if everything there sounds like something you can do, you fill out the form, and – we’ll be in touch! Even better: this program isn’t only for Aether Beyond the Binary, and isn’t only for “advance” titles. Our reviewers are encouraged to claim titles that are currently released, too, to help build up a robust collection of reviews of Duck Prints Press titles!

Requirements:

You must be over 18 years old.

You must be prepared to post reviews on Goodreads and/or Storygraph.

You must also post the review on the appropriate listing on the Duck Prints Press webstore (for advance titles, you’ll have to wait ’til we list them there).

Upon acceptance to the program, you must join the Duck Prints Press Book Lover’s Server.

Reviews must be at least 100 words long must and engage with the actual content of the work being reviewed.

Reviews must be left within 6 months of claiming a title, or you will be removed from the program.

What isn’t Required:

That the reviews be positive. Reviews are for readers. We require that reviews be honest to your own experience of the work, not that they be glowing.

That you post the reviews to social media. Doing so is definitely a bonus, but you don’t have to.

That you associate yourself publicly with the review-leaving (beyond using a valid Goodreads and/or Storygraph account). As in, you don’t have to say, “I, (your name here), reviewed this book” or link your book website accounts with your existing social media presence or anything like that, nor do we request any demographic information beyond confirmation of your age.

That you purchase anything. Absolutely no purchase necessary!

What You Get:

A e-book copy (ePub and/or PDF) of the work you’re reviewing. We do not provide physical ARCs.

After you post your first review, you’ll get a coupon for 10% off a purchase from the Duck Prints Press webstore!

For every ten reviews you post, you can claim a freebie sticker from among our sticker offerings, if you want. (You’ll have to provide a snail mail address to get this, of course.)

A community of fun book-lovers to hang out with! (You can get that even without joining the ARC program, though – our Book Lover’s Discord is open to everyone.)

We’re accepting applicants for claiming Aether Beyond the Binary ARCs through April 10th, 2024. On the 11th, we’ll randomly select 25 of applicants to receive ARC copies of Aether Beyond the Binary. Everyone else will still be entirely welcome in the program and invited to start with a different, back-catalog book or story to review. We’ll make another pool of Aether Beyond the Binary ARCs available in May.

So… those are the basics. Interested? Go read the full rules, then apply to be a Duck Prints Press ARC reader TODAY!

[kiraleighart]

So I heard you like free transmasc psychological thrillers with unkillable bastards surviving hell and finding HEA

In 1997, New York City, a petty criminal named Alex Voss is about to die via bullet shot right between the eyes by his criminal employer: Boris. But was he really a petty criminal, or something even stranger? As all roads lead to death, he recounts his tragic life one last time; murder, sex, drugs, rock and roll, losing his mind and failing at being a true hero. There’s no escape from his tragic ending. At least, that’s how it’s meant to play out. As events fail to line up, is Alex’s mind breaking the fourth wall, has he finally succumbed to madness, or did a deus ex machina from the future save him from himself? It might just be all three, actually.

Hi Tumblr bookworms. I've been sitting on INDIGO VOSS for over a year and I think it's finally time.

If you'd like to champion indie trans literature, please signup for the ARC of INDIGO VOSS. Score an eBook, read, and give me your honest thoughts. Please note there are CWs on the landing page. This is a complex novel about hope against all odds and learning to transcend your damage. Good luck. 💜

Read INDIGO VOSS, Free

[remusfinglupin]

Book haul from my town’s independent bookstore ☀️📖

[earlronove]

Are you interested in an ARC of my cool sci-fi space adventure with runaways and vampires, WHEREVER THE STARS CALL? Well, I got you covered, just Fill out the form below! Copies will go out August 6th.

🚀 https://forms.gle/EY5VprbWujKStNLg7 🚀

See you, space vampires!

[echosofbooks]

ARC Review - No Child of Mine by Nichelle Giraldes

No Child of Mine by Nichelle Giraldes Publication date: September 12, 2023 Genres: Horror, Mystery Thriller Source: Netgalley There’s something in the dark. And it’s starting to whisper… Essie Kaur has defined herself by her ambitions, a fiercely independent woman whose only soft spot is her husband, Sanjay. She never imagined herself as a mother. It was never a part of the plan. But then she…